Ironworks

Ironworks b2

nik

L12: Fabulous Member
Aug 14, 2009
987
564
looks wonderful

the trains and cars sometime look out of place, but then again, they're badass as hell
 

Freyja

aa
Jul 31, 2009
3,020
5,860
Okay. Honesty Time.

I'm really sorry to say, but this map rocks.

It's beautiful. Some areas are a bit bland, but the custom models (I even noticed the wood planks!) made me orgasm.
The mine carts were awesome. The power generators more so. The conveyer belts were amazing. The dump-carts (?) and engines were orgasmic. The custom buildings were great.
The custom iron roofs - pretty. Things like the coal chutes and the diesel locomotive with the coal cars were really nice. Even custom windows!

Needless to say you did a really good job on this, and I cant say exactly but it looks to me like it would play really well.

The underground area was my favourite. I love the feel of the mine tunnels, beats a lot of other maps, mine included. The cave-in with the bent tracks was a treat for my eyes. The point on top of the spawn with the glass was really nice, I smiled at that. There were some really nice custom textures too, like that brick building. Beautiful. The custom fences, and the one with the ladder built in was a unique touch, and the custom trucks were really cute.

The map runs really smoothly, I had 100+fps almost all the time just flying through.

Some people may think that the custom models of this is what makes it, but its not. You've done a really nice job with layout and done a nice job with brushwork.

And for you guys that think the final point is dustbowl? Its not. It may be similar but its completely different.
I'll definately be playing this one with my friends.
I can tell you worked really hard and long on this map, and it definately pays off, with everything I've said above.

One thing though - *gets onto knees* Release the custom models when you're done? Please? They're too beautiful to not want to use them.

People - Definately worth the download.
 
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Hanz

Ravin' Rabbid
aa
Jan 18, 2009
844
479
Wow. The detailling looks awesome. :D

I will definately try this out.
 

Freyja

aa
Jul 31, 2009
3,020
5,860
Yes, the detailing is awesome.

I think this may be my new favourite custom map, just because its so beautiful.
 

Mr.Blob

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Jun 12, 2009
573
249
The first few pictures where it is underground look amazing.
 

Eradicatus

L1: Registered
Oct 2, 2009
30
7
Yeah I have to say it seems like a waste of effort and space. :/ Nearly everything you've made that's custom isn't even noticable.

That is because most of it are near, or straight conversions of BSP brushes.

There exist this neat thing called t-junctions in Source which makes me unhappy.
In fact, I had to delete around 70% of the func_detail brushes in order to go under the limit.
Obviously, this would have left my level a barren wasteland of boredom.
So, to keep up the visual fidelity, roughly half or more, of the original detail brushes were converted into or replaced by simple models.
All the stairs for instance, are models.

I don't feel any of the assets are wasted, even though some of them looks just like a collection of BSP brushes put together.
It made me able to build a world with this level of detail without breaking all the limits of the Source engine.
While still maintaining at least a hint of performance.

I set my own computer as the low to low-medium standard.
It was built in 2003, so you can imagine how awesome it is today.

A big file size doesn't automatically mean "waste of resources" "over complicated" "5 FPS when playing".

It just means I made my own assets instead of using Valve assets.
Many of the custom maps designed are using only Valve assets, so I chose to stand out, and create my own world. (Mostly)
(Do you have any idea how large Dustbowl would be if you zipped all the models and textures used, and released it as a stand alone map?
I bet you it would be well over 200 MB)

Why do I need to sacrifice creativity for a bit of space on a 100+ GB disk, which I'm sure most have nowadays?

It's a pain to download when the server changes maps. That's all.
If people won't bother downloading it, they are free to do so.

The real issue is, what is faster to render. A model polygon, or a BSP polygon?
 
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Wegason

L3: Member
Aug 16, 2009
147
64
The problem you'll have is getting it played, because it is so large, people are unlikely to sit through the download, which means servers will lose players if it switches to it, which will result in owners not putting it in their maplist.

I'm going to have a quick run through the map
 

Freyja

aa
Jul 31, 2009
3,020
5,860
That depends.

I'm assuming a BSP polygon, normally, but it has to load each instance of it.
If you have it as a model, and use it many times in the map, it only has to load one thing. Therefore if you have lots of stairs, better to make them a model than a BSP brush.
 

Wegason

L3: Member
Aug 16, 2009
147
64
This building

I feel I should be able to sticky jump onto the roof here.


The last point that looks similar to Dustbowl from one angle is quite different from the other


There does exist however the second point of the second stage with glass on the roof that allows you to see right into the red spawn as blue, if capping, and together with the one exit from that spawn, you can just prevent any last ditch defence.

I think that may need changing.

Also, the red spawn in the first stage has just been lifted straight from dustbowl, its exactly the same.
 
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gamemaster1996

L13: Stunning Member
Sep 30, 2009
1,064
135
THIS IS INCREDIBLE (can you release the customs in a pack)
 

A Boojum Snark

Toraipoddodezain Mazahabado
aa
Nov 2, 2007
4,776
7,674
Many of the custom maps designed are using only Valve assets, so I chose to stand out, and create my own world. (Mostly)
This is my point. Unfortunately, you don't stand out, despite the amount of custom data. It all looks normal and people will wonder why the map is so huge when they don't see where all the data went.

Again I need to reference Meridian. Everywhere you go in the map you see custom stuff everywhere, it stands out from the normal as something unique and amazing, and that is with an 88 MB BSP.

I'm not trying to put you down or discourage you, it's just the reality of it. Nobody will want to sit around and download that big of a map. As it is, few people will wait for Meridian (let alone Aerospace, another high-custom-content map clocking in at 110 MB).
 

Eradicatus

L1: Registered
Oct 2, 2009
30
7
Probably.
But I feel that it is a bit like saying, since I extended an already established world, with new stuff that fits it, it's automatically not as good as something completely original.

Have you looked at the level?

But it's "the real world". People would rather have a level full of boxes or levels that all uses the same objects,
than a level with some work behind it, simply because it takes longer to download.
It was the same in TFC.
 

Gadget

aa
Mar 10, 2008
545
543
Here's some feedback from my first observation - haven't played it on a full server yet - but it's definately going to need some changes...right now there's a few really tough choke points. It's mostly advice on adding another path here and there. Also please fix the spawn rooms so you can switch classes.

All those custom models are exceptionally well done and fit perfectly with tf2. The only problem this map has is with (prop) lighting and the layout might be too cramped in some places.

 

Wacky Snoopy is

L1: Registered
Mar 12, 2009
49
16
Here's some feedback from my first observation - haven't played it on a full server yet - but it's definately going to need some changes...right now there's a few really tough choke points. It's mostly advice on adding another path here and there. Also please fix the spawn rooms so you can switch classes.

All those custom models are exceptionally well done and fit perfectly with tf2. The only problem this map has is with (prop) lighting and the layout might be too cramped in some places.



TALK ABOUT FEEDBACK! I haven't tested this map, but those should help a lot. +10000
 

Eradicatus

L1: Registered
Oct 2, 2009
30
7
Very nice. I will take these observation into consideration.
I'm not sold on all the suggestions, but it will not hurt testing out various stuff over the course of beta testing.

That is, if the apparently unimaginably huge file size isn't too demanding to download for players.
 

Hanz

Ravin' Rabbid
aa
Jan 18, 2009
844
479
Your map crashed the server 3 times.