Coulee

[PL-7764]

BAWMP!

I've been experimenting with minor detailing on Coulee, so as to be mapping-productive while waiting for last week's Mobius Void demos to come out so I can get additional gameplay-related feedback from those.

(Yes, Hammer screens, not in-game - I haven't compiled this yet.)

Every visible face in the map has a non-dev texture now, and will for the next release version.

I'm debating on theming for the tunnels. Right now they're textured as part of a spy base beneath each building (no models added yet). Not sure if I'll keep it that way, guess I'd like to know what other people think...

Who doesn't love enormous pipes? :O

Expect the next version sometime after the Mobius Void demos are put up. I'll probably come back after those go up with ideas for layout changes to see what others think might work best from a few options. I'm currently thinking about what possibly to do to reduce spawn campability, but it's tough without creating new sightlines inside the bases, as the big thing in the center is there to stop the spawn from having a direct view of the main exit... giving the spawn an additional exit or moving the current one to abide for a second exit kinda messes that up.

 

[absurdistof]

Screen four on the front page, just calling this aesthetics note, your concrete borders around the buildings extend wayy too far out. I would cap them at 16, max. Comfort zone is 8-4 out from the wall, from what I've seen.

 

[PL-7764]

Screen four on the front page, just calling this aesthetics note, your concrete borders around the buildings extend wayy too far out. I would cap them at 16, max. Comfort zone is 8-4 out from the wall, from what I've seen.

Opened up Hammer quick and shrunk 'em down to 16 for the next version, and they do look better. Thanks for the tip.
I might try 8 units depending on how these look in-game.

 

[lucky]

screen#4 , don't know how up to date it is, but surely the concrete sticky out bits should extend on the left too?

 

[PL-7764]

screen#4 , don't know how up to date it is, but surely the concrete sticky out bits should extend on the left too?

They will, but that area will be outside the gameplay space. I've been focusing entirely on the playable space of the map thus far, so nothing outside that area is started yet. It'll stretch farther and look natural in the end.

Right now the skybox is right up against the back side of that building. Will be moved back later when something goes in there.

 

[lucky]

Ah okay then

 

[Mr.Blob]

The Mid looks really sexy. Just there is alot of "hydro prop spam" Try using other things* to make it less repetitive.

*things being other props and even Brushes.

 

[PL-7764]

The Mid looks really sexy. Just there is alot of "hydro prop spam" Try using other things* to make it less repetitive.

*things being other props and even Brushes.

Yeah, the overused barriers have bugged me since the beginning. It's just hard to find the right things to use as cover in this kind of an environment, y'know?
Or maybe I'm just not thinking outside the box enough.

I've been able to remove two of the barriers by doing this at the left end of each base facade:

As you can see, it makes for a quite boring little alcove ... this will be a place that I'll definitely come back to and make interesting when I move on to intense details - perhaps some windows looking in on a generator or something.

The new window allows for a view of the point before you exit the room and join the fight.

Still playing with this area, and I'm also going to see if brushes can replace other barriers without looking weird. If anyone has suggestions, I'll listen and see what sounds like it would work...! The whole reason I used so many was my own inability to think of anything else to substitute.

 

[lucky]

How about you make it part of the bridge structure?
/ \
/__\ <- bridge level
/ \


okay so... the forum formatting COMPLETELY screws it up. but basically a suspension bridge type look i guess. triangular supports instead of those shields.


also your buildings are looking rather patchy and multicoloured. Try sticking to keeping the horizontal transition relatively the same materials!

 

[PL-7764]

I guess I'm still not clear on what you're suggesting ... do you think you could draw it in MS Paint/PhotoShop/etc.?

I was sort of going for the "patchwork" look intentionally because I feel like it gives the impression that the bases were hastily repainted by the two teams as they swarmed into this previously neutral-owned hydroelectric plant ... I can see where it might feel awkward though. I'll work on it.

 

[lucky]

alright alright give me a minute, I will edit in to here, so keep your eyes peeled.


The bridge I was going for was this http://www.bristoljpg.co.uk/2004/suspension-bridge.jpg
but it turned a bit more in to something from my own map without me realising it. Anyway, something along these lines,


The brown bits are basically just the cover, but turned in to brushes in a way that fits with the bridge. Up to you to make that work!




This is my edit of your screenshot just up there ^------ in a way that I think looks less of a mess!
Just my opinion, but I don't like the way it looks in yours.

 

[PL-7764]

Hmm ... I can see what you're saying now, but I'm not certain a suspension bridge would work here. The concrete structure is designed for the theme I had in mind (something along the lines of Hydro/Turbine blended, with a bit more of a "rough" industrial look - not necessarily "clean" like the other maps). I've decided to try to make the barriers fit a little better into the theme as I think they look okay on the bridge. I'm gonna re-texture the pieces that each barrier sits on to a metal texture, so it looks like they were added specifically as part of the fortification of the previously neutral, industrial-purposed site in preparation for the RED vs. BLU conflict.

I do agree about the buildings being too patchy-looking. I'm working on that now.
They're going to be taller eventually, with stuff on top, but like I said earlier, I'm currently fully focusing on gameplay-affecting areas of the map. Things outside of the playable space will come after said space is pretty thoroughly laid-out.

I'm thinking that I might go ahead and release what I'm working on now, whether I get feedback from the Mobius Void tests first or not ... I've made some big changes this time!

 

[lucky]

Either way, I don't think you ought to have those barrier props on the bridge AND the ground.

 

[PL-7764]

I'm currently trying to get rid of the ground ones somehow; they might become brushes of some kind. If you have any suggestions for those, I'd like to hear. I'm not sure yet of exactly what I want to replace them with.

Version a5 is almost ready. I'm just working out some minor visual/symmetry bugs, then I can release it.

 

[lucky]

The bridge was a lot easier to make in to something as it already has the shape and structure.

Building something from nothing and in that limited area without drastically changing the flow (and actually looking good), now that's going to take some imagination.

 

[PL-7764]

Version a5 is now released. Lots of textures and a few added detailing props. More still to come.

The Hydro barriers in the pit are gone and replaced by Ambiguous Plumbing-Related Structures (TM). Their function in this facility is unknown, but they provide cover and look nicer than the old barriers (I think/hope so, anyway). They can/will be altered once I move into the full detailing phase.

Still waiting for Mobius Void demos from last week, but I feel like this layout plays quite well as it is - I witnessed a variety of match results while playing with bots, ranging from a couple of absolute steamrolls in which one team got and held the point for the whole match, to wild-card matches where the point changed hands repeatedly. Based on what the Mobius Void demos tell me, and any other gameplay-related feedback anyone has - please speak if you have it, I need to know if someone finds something in need of changing/fixing! - I may move this up to Beta pretty soon and shift my focus to intensive detail.

 

[DjD]

WOW the detailling looks very innovative and cool. It makes the map even more worth to play