How's a11 shaping up, I'm ready to give it a test!
Cloudburst
- Thread starter Freyja
- Start date
A11 is launched.
Big realease this one. Death to dev textures!
Download it! Now! http://forums.tf2maps.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=3147
Big realease this one. Death to dev textures!
Download it! Now! http://forums.tf2maps.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=3147
massive aesthetic improvement!
a11:
Open/closed area portals on the spawn building, show some skybox on the door frame when closed.
Model fading
More model fading
"float" lighting under spawn buildings
Missing texture
light leaking from behind displacements
Z-fighting with model and brush
Dynamic shadow looks weird and placement would not allow it to function correctly
Area portal merging (both teams buildings)
Open/closed area portals on the spawn building, show some skybox on the door frame when closed.
Model fading
More model fading
"float" lighting under spawn buildings
Missing texture
light leaking from behind displacements
Z-fighting with model and brush
Dynamic shadow looks weird and placement would not allow it to function correctly
Area portal merging (both teams buildings)
gastrop0d
L3: Member
- Apr 22, 2009
- 110
- 33
I reckon you could cut the middle down in size significantly. It seemed like most of the interesting combat happened in the snowy areas, and the cave area was just this time consuming void between those areas. It could be more interesting if you narrowed the cave some, so it each side consolidates in their snowy field and then pushes into and through the cave.
I'd even try cutting the cave area completely.
I'd even try cutting the cave area completely.
Don't be too quick to fix that, it's pretty far away. (though I would make the boards/window the same distance) Valve has in-sight model fades everywhere and you never notice them because your attention is drawn to the enemy. This is really what model fading is for.
woohoo!
Aly, check these out. I'm too lazy to post the pics up one by one.
http://aotf2.com/files/cloudburst/
001.) by the crates in the cave on the ledge
002.) by the crates in the cave on the floor (rough texture)
003.) in the cave, clipping error its just a bit rough and asymetrical. For example you can walk left into that area, but not the same on the other side and you get eventually.
004.) THE BOX!!!!
005.) Check the clipping by the bullets I got stuck there walking on the wall.
006.) bit of "glitter effect" not as big of a hole as 001, but still gives you a glitter/sparkle effect if you walk by
007.) Still didnt fix this!
008.) Fix the clipping by the bullets it feels like it stuck out too much, plus some of the other platforms it didn't work and need to be worked on. I do like that you added boylee's suggestion to walk on top.
009.) Did I find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
010.) Textures are rough like in 002, and I just HAD to plug our website...lol
011.) small medkit here?
012.) just clip off this area around the rocks entirely?
013.) THE BOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aly, check these out. I'm too lazy to post the pics up one by one.
http://aotf2.com/files/cloudburst/
001.) by the crates in the cave on the ledge
002.) by the crates in the cave on the floor (rough texture)
003.) in the cave, clipping error its just a bit rough and asymetrical. For example you can walk left into that area, but not the same on the other side and you get eventually.
004.) THE BOX!!!!
005.) Check the clipping by the bullets I got stuck there walking on the wall.
006.) bit of "glitter effect" not as big of a hole as 001, but still gives you a glitter/sparkle effect if you walk by
007.) Still didnt fix this!
008.) Fix the clipping by the bullets it feels like it stuck out too much, plus some of the other platforms it didn't work and need to be worked on. I do like that you added boylee's suggestion to walk on top.
009.) Did I find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
010.) Textures are rough like in 002, and I just HAD to plug our website...lol
011.) small medkit here?
012.) just clip off this area around the rocks entirely?
013.) THE BOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Ok, so as discussed in the chatroom, but in more detail+solution.
When testing your map i noticed this area was a real pain to traverse, at least, walking past the train carts, from the base. trying to walk around these is a bit of a pain, and escaping past them is suicide. The red circle is a very thin path which needs to be widened. It's too claustrophobic for TF2 gameplay, limiting player movement is generally bad. If the environment is a large cause for your deaths generally players cannot learn how to tackle such a scenario beyond "don't go there". Since it's right outside your base, it's hard to avoid and is something of a trap.
It's mostly a pain to be on either side because these carts reside on a mound which means you have a height disadvantage in an otherwise defencive position. It would probably be nice if you raised the base slightly. 128 units perhaps. So that when you walk out, you walk down a gentle slope.
The flanking of the train carts on both sides, and the stack of wood infront also forces the player to take very linear paths. Forcing a player to take predictable movement is also bad for gameplay. There's no need to remove this piece of cover, but perhaps make it thinner to allow players more space.
If you find yourself in these zones you can kiss your arse goodbye. You also catch the corners (bump into), i'm not sure you can do anything about it, it's just the nature of the model. Red circles represent attackers.
When walking out the base i normally find myself rushing into the middle due to safety, and where i can gain a better view of threats. Also, make the bridge wider, at the moment it's just in the way, and there's no real reason for anyone to "use" it as it traps players and the fences force the player into predictable linear paths which will wind up getting them killed.
I'm not sure how much you're willing to change because you were pretty set with your current layout. But i would recommend moving the buildings over like so to cut the sightline. Then remove that cart which takes up so much space. You can leave the other one in, the issue is less radical here as there is more space around it and it's out of the way. Also, if you move the buildings, it'll have even more space and cut that sightline quite nicely.
This would also be good for optimisation. Even though the train cart blocks direct line of sight for gameplay, it doesn't prevent half the map being rendered from the spawn room.
Potential inside layout. Green is new sightline into base. Those red rectangles are supposed to be stairs if you couldn't tell.
When testing your map i noticed this area was a real pain to traverse, at least, walking past the train carts, from the base. trying to walk around these is a bit of a pain, and escaping past them is suicide. The red circle is a very thin path which needs to be widened. It's too claustrophobic for TF2 gameplay, limiting player movement is generally bad. If the environment is a large cause for your deaths generally players cannot learn how to tackle such a scenario beyond "don't go there". Since it's right outside your base, it's hard to avoid and is something of a trap.
It's mostly a pain to be on either side because these carts reside on a mound which means you have a height disadvantage in an otherwise defencive position. It would probably be nice if you raised the base slightly. 128 units perhaps. So that when you walk out, you walk down a gentle slope.
The flanking of the train carts on both sides, and the stack of wood infront also forces the player to take very linear paths. Forcing a player to take predictable movement is also bad for gameplay. There's no need to remove this piece of cover, but perhaps make it thinner to allow players more space.
If you find yourself in these zones you can kiss your arse goodbye. You also catch the corners (bump into), i'm not sure you can do anything about it, it's just the nature of the model. Red circles represent attackers.
When walking out the base i normally find myself rushing into the middle due to safety, and where i can gain a better view of threats. Also, make the bridge wider, at the moment it's just in the way, and there's no real reason for anyone to "use" it as it traps players and the fences force the player into predictable linear paths which will wind up getting them killed.
I'm not sure how much you're willing to change because you were pretty set with your current layout. But i would recommend moving the buildings over like so to cut the sightline. Then remove that cart which takes up so much space. You can leave the other one in, the issue is less radical here as there is more space around it and it's out of the way. Also, if you move the buildings, it'll have even more space and cut that sightline quite nicely.
This would also be good for optimisation. Even though the train cart blocks direct line of sight for gameplay, it doesn't prevent half the map being rendered from the spawn room.
Potential inside layout. Green is new sightline into base. Those red rectangles are supposed to be stairs if you couldn't tell.
Last edited:
Eyce
L6: Sharp Member
- Jan 13, 2010
- 370
- 225
Given you're so close to releasing beta, you may know a few of these problems. 
You've made the light nonsolid, but not the little weather station.
You can catch yourself on the trim here.
Resupply doors have gaps at the top of them.
Train tracks-a-floatin'
More finnicky clipping needed on these three.
Playerclip strangeness.
Displacement gap.
All your bushes have a relatively short (in my opinion) draw distance before they fade. Kills the immersion, imo.
You've made the light nonsolid, but not the little weather station.
You can catch yourself on the trim here.
Resupply doors have gaps at the top of them.
Train tracks-a-floatin'
More finnicky clipping needed on these three.
Playerclip strangeness.
Displacement gap.
All your bushes have a relatively short (in my opinion) draw distance before they fade. Kills the immersion, imo.
- Sep 28, 2009
- 3,075
- 2,778
Spawncamping looks like it's pretty easy. In my opinion, remove this staircase and add a railing to make this more of a one way exit from the spawn instead of easy high ground against spawn waves.
This sentry spot is pretty rape because all entrances, even the cave entrance that looks like it can avoid it, are in its range. And yes, there are slips in the bridge.
This sentry spot is pretty rape because all entrances, even the cave entrance that looks like it can avoid it, are in its range. And yes, there are slips in the bridge.
Pretty much what Nerdboy said.
I really like the map so far. It seems pretty good apart from some minor things like the sentry spot Nerdboy mentioned. Haven't gotten to see if spawncamping was easy, so I can't say much about that. It could get a bit chokepointy around the exits from mid, maybe add some more signs to draw the attention to the alternative exits.
Great job, can't wait to see the next alpha
I really like the map so far. It seems pretty good apart from some minor things like the sentry spot Nerdboy mentioned. Haven't gotten to see if spawncamping was easy, so I can't say much about that. It could get a bit chokepointy around the exits from mid, maybe add some more signs to draw the attention to the alternative exits.
Great job, can't wait to see the next alpha
Or beta.
After much deliberation and outside consoltance I've come to the point where I don't think the layout is going to go through any drastic changes and the visuals are pretty close to being done (though I still think it doesn't look like a real map).
So, beta 1a is up.
Download it here! http://forums.tf2maps.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=3147
After much deliberation and outside consoltance I've come to the point where I don't think the layout is going to go through any drastic changes and the visuals are pretty close to being done (though I still think it doesn't look like a real map).
So, beta 1a is up.
Download it here! http://forums.tf2maps.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=3147
