CP caldera test1a

[Hellfire]

nearly month passed since we released a13 version (06-09-2009). we got lots of testings since then and overall happy with results. a week ago we uploaded first pre_version of a14. weems that we are moving the right direction since no we got more bug reports than balance reports. we are currently working mon stage3, the hardest stage for blu and the last stage on the map. since the whole map is detailed we wont release dev-textured stage. it will be mostly detailed. here we go with another dev-shot of point E and the custom F sign (thx zpqrei for that)

 

[Void]

The two conveyors flipped onto eachother looks... bad...

 

[Hellfire]

well..i guess you are right. ill remove em

 

[Shaar]

An image of the final capture point, which is currently under construction c:

 

[The_Ulf]

Maybe flip the conveyors around? So that the structural support parts meet in the middle, not the pipes.

 

[Hellfire]

one more dev shot to keep the thread on

 

[StoneFrog]

Nice lighting contrast. I'm not too keen on the yellowish color of the wooden support beams, though. I'd recommend using one of the more subtle, browner textures.

 

[Hellfire]

Nice lighting contrast. I'm not too keen on the yellowish color of the wooden support beams, though. I'd recommend using one of the more subtle, browner textures.

well..ill try different textures before actual final compile. I also gona do smth with floor.. anyway its just a dev shot so lots will be changed))

 

[Hellfire]

alpha 14 build was compiled yesterday. short test showed up lots of small an big issues, so,as we failed to submitt to GD,we kind adropping this release for a15.
major changes in a15:
>MUCH decreased filesize. (a14 is 83Mbs, a15 will be about 60Mbs)
>detalisation throughout the whole map, esp. stage3
>captime/spawntime tuning, increased time bonus for blu after point capping)
>normal parkrating


so atm latest versions are still:
cp_caldera_pre_a14 (26.06.2009) (on EU server) or
cp_caldera_a13 (10.06.2009) (in tf2maps download section, on EU/US and CalculatedChaos servers)

 

[Shaar]

Alpha 15 has been released
http://forums.tf2maps.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=1932

This release previews the first proper release of stage 3

 

[captainAngry]

Nice. I'll get this updated asap

 

[Hellfire]

ohh and i was trying to reach you by steam))

 

[Hellfire]

yesterday test revealed some problems,so updating to a15a version

DOWNLOAD

changelog:

Overall:
-filesize decreased (from 62 to 56)
-minor dynamic shadows tune
-improved perfomance near F

PointA and bluspawn stage1:
fixes>
-fixed wired texture
-fixed bad displacement

PointC and bluespawn stage2:
fixes>
-fixed flickering door

PointD and redspawn stage2

fixes>
-fixed doors at spawn
-fixed russuply locker

pointE and bluspawn stage3
fixes>
-fixed wrong nodraw
>others
-spawntime changed to 5\5 for blu\red

pointF and redspawn stage3
>fixes
-fixed nodraw
-fixed bad displacement
>others
-spawntime changed to 2\8 for blu\red

 

[Hellfire]

g\d bump

 

[Trotim]

Gameday impressions:

1. 52MB are too much in my opinion; the download didn't seem to end at first and I expected some error message to pop up already. Did the lightmaps bloat the map so bad?
2. That one skybox radar tower prop on the table didn't look that great. In the same room, the world map is blue, the chairs red, the door on the left is in front of the wall? That area seemed like kind of a mess to me, sorry. (Screenie)
3. The unused corner near Blu's entrance to C lacks some detail. It's a dead end anyway, so why not just block it off? (Screenie)
4. In my opinion you should be able to go up there from where I was standing too. Is that possible? I'm not sure if it breaks the flow or anything, I'm just no fan of dead ends. (Screenie)
5. The texture here seems to be scaled wrong. The rest of the vent had a higher scale. (Screenie)
6. And the Bloom. Overkill much? (Screenie)

Someone complained about "skybox clipping" or something like that, I think it was a Demoman who wanted to jump over the fence and couldn't?

 

[Shaar]

Gameday impressions:

1. 52MB are too much in my opinion; the download didn't seem to end at first and I expected some error message to pop up already. Did the lightmaps bloat the map so bad?

it was BZ2'd down to 23 mb if I remember correctally. I've also seen maps which are far worse, for example I remember seeing a map which was a CTF map, and was 110~mbs

2. That one skybox radar tower prop on the table didn't look that great. In the same room, the world map is blue, the chairs red, the door on the left is in front of the wall? That area seemed like kind of a mess to me, sorry. (Screenie)

I agree with the radar, but unfortunatly, on maps blue tends to signify water, so unless you intend to somehow make all the water red, or, create an odd new texture for said prop, then... the door is an easy fix though, I just gotta move the brush back a few units

3. The unused corner near Blu's entrance to C lacks some detail. It's a dead end anyway, so why not just block it off? (Screenie)

Ah yes, a forgotten remnant from an earlier alpha, it can easily be removed, and will be.

4. In my opinion you should be able to go up there from where I was standing too. Is that possible? I'm not sure if it breaks the flow or anything, I'm just no fan of dead ends. (Screenie)

It's supposed to be a route which blue moves down from, not up to and for reds to defend from below.

5. The texture here seems to be scaled wrong. The rest of the vent had a higher scale. (Screenie)

Yep, we know of this problem, it's just a minor thing that I need to tidy up. I wanna work on that area abit, hence why I left it like that.

6. And the Bloom. Overkill much? (Screenie)

A mistake on my behalf. because the texture isn't self luminating, I kinda went silly with the pasting of light entities.

 

[Hellfire]

Gameday impressions:

1. 52MB are too much in my opinion; the download didn't seem to end at first and I expected some error message to pop up already. Did the lightmaps bloat the map so bad?
2. That one skybox radar tower prop on the table didn't look that great. In the same room, the world map is blue, the chairs red, the door on the left is in front of the wall? That area seemed like kind of a mess to me, sorry. (Screenie)
3. The unused corner near Blu's entrance to C lacks some detail. It's a dead end anyway, so why not just block it off? (Screenie)
4. In my opinion you should be able to go up there from where I was standing too. Is that possible? I'm not sure if it breaks the flow or anything, I'm just no fan of dead ends. (Screenie)
5. The texture here seems to be scaled wrong. The rest of the vent had a higher scale. (Screenie)
6. And the Bloom. Overkill much? (Screenie)

Someone complained about "skybox clipping" or something like that, I think it was a Demoman who wanted to jump over the fence and couldn't?

1. im working to decrease map size. loghtmaps takes too much of the filesize as map tends to be big. even with most of the lightmap scale at 32 filesize is still that big. but mind that for example a14 was 83Mbs xD
2.agree
3.also agree
4.im gonna tune this sarea,but it will remain 1-way i guess
5.true,we are still working on the vent
6.we got spme problems with making texture glow itself,so its temporal thing

lots of thanks for the feedback)) we rly need that

 

[Hellfire]

second qiuckfix,a15b, will be out today. it features lots of small and some big changes.

first of all,it fixes 5 of 6(all except vent one) issues mentioned by Trotim upper in the thread.

also it improves perfomance and decreases filesize
83Mbs for a14, 63Mbs for a15, 55Mbs for a15a, ~48Mbs for a15b). it also features some layout changes. fullchangelog will be here at release

 

[Ida]

Stage 3, especially after point E, is not very exciting in terms of layout. The area between E and F seemed to be, well, basically one big hall, which isn't very interesting.

However, my main problem was with point F; It was nearly impossible to capture. Not in a Dustbowl-way, where it's clearly possible but still hard, but... it's a spam contest. Walking into the cap area for BLU means instant death from either RED, who has no place to defend from other than right by their spawn, or their impossibe-to-counter sentries. I played Spy, and I'd love a chance to get around the sentries to sap them. I'm sure all other classes would like some safer entrance or flanking route as well.

Btw, the spawn for stage 3 apparently only had one exit. That's weird, but it didn't stop BLU either way because the point was practically on their doorstep. I think E should be a little farther away, and the spawn should have 3 exits or so.

Stages 1 and 2 seem very good now (last time I played was a10 or something, and I can see huge improvements from that), all I can think of is that the spawns are enormous. In stage 1, you could probably make the "safe" room much smaller, and maybe push it a little closer to the exit.

 

[Hellfire]

Stage 3, especially after point E, is not very exciting in terms of layout. The area between E and F seemed to be, well, basically one big hall, which isn't very interesting.

However, my main problem was with point F; It was nearly impossible to capture. Not in a Dustbowl-way, where it's clearly possible but still hard, but... it's a spam contest. Walking into the cap area for BLU means instant death from either RED, who has no place to defend from other than right by their spawn, or their impossibe-to-counter sentries. I played Spy, and I'd love a chance to get around the sentries to sap them. I'm sure all other classes would like some safer entrance or flanking route as well.

we are aware of that,this need more time to fix so it will be done in a16

Btw, the spawn for stage 3 apparently only had one exit. That's weird, but it didn't stop BLU either way because the point was practically on their doorstep. I think E should be a little farther away, and the spawn should have 3 exits or so.

bluspawn at stage3 got 4(!!) exits! 3 upped and 1 lower. just dont use lower door in the spawn room but take stairs and upper passage.

Stages 1 and 2 seem very good now (last time I played was a10 or something, and I can see huge improvements from that), all I can think of is that the spawns are enormous. In stage 1, you could probably make the "safe" room much smaller, and maybe push it a little closer to the exit.

agree,we fixed bluspawn size stage1 in the a15b quickfix (hopefully on sunday GD) and move spawnpoints closer to actual spawn exit. also there are more changes to first two stages, so join sunday GD if u can to comment on em)

thx for the feedback