Flash:Matrix Preview

[Kernel]

...long story short.

I wanted to do something like this for tf2, since it's release. But it had to be done with a layout that is somewhat familiar. If you've played dod:source, than you should appreciate this a little more. The map is available through source, so it was easier to establish.

I've done this with a few other games, so i gave it a go. Please keep in mind i just started this today, i need about a week before the first play test.
I'm going for a balance between world and ents. World geometry as the matrix, with a standard appearance for players and entities. As for the material, i need a day or so to tweak that, and even though i have the matrix fonts, i'm doing it with a tf2 font. I'm using 2 textures, and a custom black skybox with hdr. To differentiate world geometry i chose to use a darker version for the ground, and multiple scaled versions of the standard material on buildings and other elements, to give more definition.

Tomorrow i'll start to finalize the .vmf and the textures. Currenty, this is just a $baseTextureTransform, but through the use of Material Proxy's i can give it alot more depth. As for the map itself in tf2...

Alot of things are different, from dod. Door entrances are not wide enough, all static models are unusable, basically you only have world geometry and clips leftover. Most of the original lighting is still in use, except the light glow, and all glass had to be removed. Here a few pics to give you an idea of the layout, and there's a short clip done with fraps down below:

Here's a short clip in-game, click: HERE

I plan to spend a few days aligning the textures, and fixing up what's here now, a day for sound and other entities, and a day for finalizing the material.


...when asked why, i'll say why not! Do you take the blue pill, or the red?

 

[Kernel]

...forgot to add in: This map is only 6.1mb in bzip form, it'll be about 7mb when done. So it'll be easy on client dl's.

 

[Sean of the Dead]

nice map dude

 

[DrHaphazard]

Ummmmmmmmm....

Wow.

The textures move just like in the matrix. I have no idea how thats possible, but I am stunned.

Heh, frankly speaking I dunno that I would want to play on this map really. Seems so out of place with the character art. But I will admit this is pretty damn cool. Kudos Kernel, I never expected to see anything like that!

 

[Sean of the Dead]

i uploaded the video to youtube, and its processing so ill upload when its done

 

[Sean of the Dead]

ok heres the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5SSCQmcT30

 

[Squirrelly]

Love the animated textures!

The matrix is PERFECT for that!

I always wanted to do that for those VR training maps in Metal Gear with the lights and move around and stuff.

Good work! Cant wait to see more textures & work of yours.

 

[Snipergen]

I think my eyes would hurt after 5 mins of gameplay.

 

[Haas]

this is wicked i hope the final or beta is less dark but it would be cool!

 

[YM]

Personally I think this is an awefull idea, but it looks like you have probably done it as best you can. I know you aren't going to scrap this project so I won't try to talk you out of it, Instead I will say: add some korean characters into the animations, it will look 100% better for having it. Also neo can see though walls... you should make the black slightly transparent for thin walls

 

[Ganon11]

I'll pretty much agree with Youme - I think this is a cool idea on its own, and might find its home among CS:S or DOD:S fans, I just don't think it will work with TF2. In the same way that ctf_100yards is the single worst piece of trash ever to be compiled and labeled as something even remotely close to a 'map', even though it would totally work in CS:S.

 

[Snipergen]

I agree too, I just didnt want to tell you that.

Now ganon, why this would fit in css... you think it fits because css mapping community has become orange map builders (kids that are 12 and think they made the best map ever)... and they get played because the other maps get lost in all the crap.
I hope this fate isnt for TF2. And i hope you dont help to make TF2 the new css

 

[Fragimus_Max]

Well, a map either works in TF2 or it doesn't and no one runs it.

A matrix map, just like Orange, can work. It HAS to have good lighting and, of course, a good layout. I would leave the tricky textures for after you've created a well balanced, solid map to add them to.

I have never, ever played a map because someone said that I had to "check out it's textures". Besides making sure I'm using TF2 textures, it's the one thing I care least about when mapping. 85% of my concentration goes to the shapes of the rooms, making them something more than boxes with props, and dramatic lighting.

"Textures, do not a fun map make." - Yoda

 

[YM]

"A wise mapper knows his connection to the texture is an important bond, not to be broken" - Mace Windu
Textures are just as important as anything else.

 

[Pookiemccoo]

Well, a map either works in TF2 or it doesn't and no one runs it.

Well alot of servers are running a map called ctf_battle_creek which is probably about as crappy as a map can get. The map is enormously biased towards 1 team, the lighting makes it hard to distinguish your own team and to top it off, spawn area and flagroom are one and the same area. Yet this map continues to get playtime, I really don't understand why.

 

[Kernel]

Just to clear up a few questions or concerns:

This is the same map as used in dod, it's available in the source files, it's a proven layout and is easy to convert. It's also able to be done within a week's worth of work. As it is intended, it's a stray for the normal theme that tf2 is. This project is targeted for those who want something different in tf2, not for those who want a tf2 style map. I have also saved the preliminary map file, to be used as a tf2 themed version, so you can play this map with a tf2 theme, but more on that later, and yes it will be a night theme, as night maps are few and far between. I'll announce a playtest on the odb server in a few days to work out any bugs. And to finalize, this map gives more fps than a standard textured version can accomplish.