Axle

CP axle rc

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
cp_axle_b6b now out.

change log:

packed custom waterfall texture properly this time.
generic additional detail.
Fixed some bad lighting.

>>>Click here for tits<<<
 

Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
aa
Jun 9, 2009
2,364
2,728
jGPIS.png


looks like you've got some stuff clipping through EHUEHUEHUEHUEHUEHUE

In all seriousness, looks good. I want to play this sometime soon, as I can't say I've contributed at all to the development of this map.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Alright, cp_axle_b7 now available.

Change log:
Assigned associated teams/CP's to observer points. (finally)
Additional observer points inside bases.
Additional minor detail around CP1.
Increased spawn wave time by 1 second on contested last CP.
Made it more difficult to "cycle" mini sentries at spawn exits at CP1.
Addressed "wall walk" imbalance issue on BLU side of mid.
Addressed broken spy-tech soundscapes at CP1, sub-soundscape sounds should be more consistent.
Increased ambience levels around CP1 in both bases.
Minor adjustments to fade distances.
Added preview images to intro-chalkboard.
Probably some other stuff i forgot.

>>>Click for pie.<<<

The intention is that this will be the last beta and the following update will be RC and hopefully include a custom skybox and a custom finalé based prop.
 
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LeSwordfish

semi-trained quasi-professional
aa
Aug 8, 2010
4,102
6,597
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968803567?tab=public

I dont like the use of these very rugh wood supports embedded in much neater wood, i think a frame would be neater and fit more.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968767233?tab=public

Wood embedded in solid rock- apparently i'm the only person who dislikes this. This is the single most common thing i see, above "Cranes that have nowhere to lift to"

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968802572?tab=public

So what is this building? Is it...

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968804292?tab=public

A distillery?

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968799050?tab=public

A garage/repair building?

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968806383?tab=public

A mine? It's moving SOMETHING with those carts and that conveyor.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968800052?tab=public

Odd shadows on last conveyor.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968809562?tab=public

Oddly dark texture on this rock.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968801158?tab=public

This rock is lit from outside, so sticks out like a sore thumb inside. It's also embedded in the wood, but again, i'm the only person who cares about that.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968781783?tab=public

Really repeated texture.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968793361?tab=public

Grass growing through wood, though thats more excusable than most- in some maps it grows through concrete.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968805243?tab=public

The jagged edges of the tiles here seem really off- considering how neat they are on the other side, by the rock wall.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968771745?tab=public
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968807466?tab=public
Some glass more reflective than others. Same issue in red base, actually.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968808567?tab=public
No way into the bottom floor of this overlooking area.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968765229?tab=public

The industrial brick texture here doesnt feel right to me- to go from spytech back to industrial in the middle of the base doesn't fit.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968769980?tab=public

Butt-Ugly shadow.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968775186?tab=public

These light props render before the grating. Also, i think they could use some wires going to them.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968783776?tab=public
Seam. There's a fair few dodgy-looking seams around- i can provide more shots if its something you can fix, but i presume you would've if you could've.

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968791636?tab=public
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198010698558/screenshot/595825477968789040?tab=public

Red props in blu base.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
1) It mostly looks bad here because because you appear to be running on a really low graphics settings. I'm not really bothered about this aesthetic as it's not uncommon in other maps.

2) Will fix!

3) Many TF2 buildings follow a relatively generic appearence and appear multi-purpose in terms of storage. Tires and barrels are common place and easily disgarded into back rooms. As for the overlay, i interpreted it as a simple advertisement more than a label. relavent signs usually go on the front of a building.

4) Will fix!

5) Unfortunately you cannot assign shadow groups to displacements, this is an issue at 3 locations around the map and practically impossible to resolve, even with additional direct lighting. I'll see if i can get a light underneath the floor displacement to even out the shadow as it appears to be related to the % of the displacement covered by other geometry.

6) The map isn't lit with proper lighting as it's beta. I'll be sure to utilise the proper lighting settings for RC which will hopefully resolve this issue.

7) You're the first person to point this out in the 2 years the wall has looked like this. It's not really that noticable during actual gameplay but i'll try some alternatives.

8) A minor aesthetic issue that is common place. I'll try using a non-detail version of the texture here and see if it looks better.

9) The reference material for the CP1 area i used were areas of the final scene from Terminator 3, inside the nuclear bunker. The same was apparent there, but I suppose i could frame the other side of the path, against the cliff wall. But again, during actual gameplay this is a non-issue.

10) Hm, that's odd, this wasn't an issue before, i'll address this.

11) Suspension of disbelief will hopefully cover this background disreptancy, there's no reason why those panels cannot be accessed from behind and for there to be any need to access the front area.

12) This isn't industrial, it's a part of the spawn room washroom theme.

13) Rofl, this has been a pain in the arse since alpha. I'll address this properly next time.

14) I believe this is a graphics setting issue, this is not a problem for me and as far as i'm aware no one else has documented this in the past 3 beta's which included this greating.

15) see "5"

16) Those aren't RED props. They just have red bits on them. Plus they have no alternative skins. They're just oil canistors.

Thanks for going through, i guess some of these issues really should be resolved in RC since some have been there for multiple beta versions but not worth the time to address until now.
 
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grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
To stop me continueing to work on my payload contest entry and confusing everyone with new versions during judging i think i'll bring this map to RC1 in the mean time. If anyone fances testing it if they're a map short on an impromptu, feel free. The gameplay is mostly solid, but i'm looking to improve "flow" at the middle as that's what seems to be what throws people off and dislike the map and i can feel it myself too. So i'm mostly looking for suggestions in this area.

In the mean time i'll be working on fixing odd lighting bugs and a few tele griefing spots around the map, courtesy of Bloodhound's exploit search.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Mm, the one thing i don't get and i've certainly never recieved any relavent feedback on this phenominon, is that ever since B3 it's become way less popular.

B1-B3 were on like 30+ server rotations, but afterwards... now it's only on 2-3. Somewhere, at some point, after B3 i did something to the map which people must not have liked.

The only changes i can think of were changes that improved CP2 a lot, made last stalemate less and increase general detail. I would have thought the refinment of the map would have had a possitive affect. Most of the changes were suggestions from comp communities, ETF2L particularly, but i have to say i agreed with all the advice even for public play so i don't fully understand it.

Perhaps i need to market it better. Which i guess is a good opportunity since it's hitting RC.
 
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grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
So here's some stuff before i upload the file later tonight. There are some shadow bugs thanks to the still broken VRAD, which is half the reason i've delayed getting my RC out. But what can you do, i need to get this thing out of the back of my mind.

CP1 RED:
cp_axle_rc10006.jpg

cp_axle_rc10008.jpg

cp_axle_rc10011.jpg


CP1 BLU:
cp_axle_rc10045.jpg


CP2 RED:
cp_axle_rc10000.jpg

cp_axle_rc10002.jpg

cp_axle_rc10003.jpg


CP2 BLU:
cp_axle_rc10040.jpg

cp_axle_rc10039.jpg


Mid:
cp_axle_rc10018.jpg

cp_axle_rc10023.jpg

cp_axle_rc10017.jpg



Details:

cp_axle_rc10005.jpg

cp_axle_rc10013.jpg

cp_axle_rc10020.jpg

cp_axle_rc10050.jpg

cp_axle_rc10025.jpg

cp_axle_rc10049.jpg

cp_axle_rc10037.jpg
 

Bloodhound

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 3, 2011
316
489
Nice to see that you are still on it (kind off). :)

Your outside lighting is odd, IMO.
The ground texture is not as bright as usual.
Did you turned off HDR?

Edit:
Funfact:
Date of chat: 16 October 2012
Bloodhound: good boy
Bloodhound: And I thought we tested it to no purpose
grazr: Hm?
Bloodhound: axle
grazr: you re tested it?
Bloodhound: yes, fells like 1 year ago, lol
grazr: probably was
Bloodhound: 7 March 2012
Bloodhound: wait a second
Bloodhound: thats not right
Bloodhound: thats the date of the backup
Bloodhound: OMFG
Bloodhound: you won't believe
Bloodhound: 16 october 2011
grazr: rofl
 
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grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
I've increased the brightness of the buildings inside in general, so this might have offset the HDR a little, making it less dramatic. As far as i'm aware i havn't touched the bloom settings, etc. But i've been jumping in and out of axle every 3 months or so, so exactly what's been changed i'm not 100% certain of. Personally i think it's less of an eye sore than what it used to be.

Anyway the reason why it's not up yet is because i couldn't remember if i compiled cubemaps on this version. the screenshots you see are of a test version i was running on the weekend. I'll be putting the new version up within the hour.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Map is live: http://forums.tf2maps.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=1990

Changelog:
Fixed broken Soundscapes on BLU flank between mid and CP2.
Done an artpass on lighting effects throughout the map.
Added additional props and details around the map (mostly windows outside and detail trims inside).
Fixed various shadow bugs (VRAD bugs pending Valve's attention, naturally) and odd/low lighting in some rooms.
Fixed various engineer exploits with nobuilds.
Ammended missing player clips on various stair cases.
modified some areas of the base so that doorways are less chokey and more unique (IE the vent).
Added shallow water to the middle just because i like splashes during combat near/around water.

Probably some other things.
 
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XionGaTaosenai

L1: Registered
Jun 23, 2012
27
18
My computer can't really run TF2 all that well, so I don't really play with other people and as a result I don't really know much about what makes a map play well or not. But sometimes I'll download a map and just walk around it by myself, and for what it's worth I think your map is really pretty and neat. It's one of those maps that makes me want to have my own server someday so I can play it with other people whenever I want, and I can't really say that about any other 5CP map, so I guess that makes this my my official favorite 5CP map.

With no relevant experience, I have nothing truly constructive to say, but I heard you lamenting the (lack of) popularity of your map, so I just wanted to mention that I like it, at least.
 

Janeator

L2: Junior Member
Dec 12, 2012
66
26
That ^
I don't have a server, i wish to have one too. It'd be a 24/7 non-official community maps.
And this would be one of them. I never had the oportunity to test it, but, it just looks GODDAMN PRETTY. And i like that. Actually, i got a list of maps from here on Google Drive just to ensure i never forget about them. A Pretty Maps list. Maps that would be in my server. And this one is there. :)



PS: Most community maps lack popularity because of only a few servers like i'd like mine to be exist. Or that's what i guess, never found one exacept Ora*** (yeah, censured)
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Well part of the problem was the map was designed for public play, although it was tested competitively and picked up periodicly over at ETF2L, especially amongst the finnish teams. It garnered some popularity around B3-B5 and just missed being voted into an EU season, but after that their pro-custom map admins left and the map list kinda reverted back to its "safe" selection and a bunch of prospective 5cp maps were forgotten, including this one. The next 3 beta's went largely unnoticed and getting it to RC made a couple people more confident to put it back into rotation, but not many servers, maybe 2 or 3.

Public players tend to avoid 5cp over AD maps so in the end i was fighting an uphill battle trying to get it "out there", especially after game modes like KoTH were introduced. I should have really pushed to get it to RC within a year, but i had an 8 month hiatus due to personal reasons followed by a year under the radar for my final year of uni. I miss being young and having all that juicy free time.

I'm glad there are still people out there that enjoy it. It is disappointing it didn't take off considering the amount of time i put into it, but such is the nature of experimentation. Sometimes it doesn't work out the way you hope. The goal was to put 5cp into the pub domain, but apparently they just weren't interested. The map hit a couple Simiancage servers, but it was slowly replaced by 24/7 32 player 2fort servers of all things. Ha ha.

I appreciate the time you took to look at the map and come post your thoughts. Maybe i'll go spread the word of it's release candidate to other communities again.
 
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Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,697
2,581
I also noticed for the first time that there is a blue loudspeaker on the RED side.