CP Mann Manor Final release

[YM]

I still don't think it's ready enough to be shown but as the contest draws to a close I feel the need to be open with people about what is going on. I did speak to ZPQ at the start to make sure I could post a thread as late as this and he was OK with it.

At current the map is around 80% complete with huge gaping holes in it and many many brushes yet to be func_detailed so compiled screenshots will have to wait as it would probably take a week to compile.

I saw this contest ending just before Halloween and leapt at the opportunity to cash in on that so I've gone with a similar environment to the previous Halloween setup in harvest. Don't worry, I haven't touched those terribad trees.

Similar to the Whark/Alia team up I've got Rexy making some absolutely incredible props and textures.

www.subtleallusion.com/blog will see progress updates between now and completion.

 

[StickZer0]

Those striped walls look out of the TF2 style but I really like the original twist you've taken and all the props from Rexy are just fantastic. Props (lol) to him!

Can't wait to see more compiled pictures!

 

[Okrag]

Pumpkin in the first image looks out of place. Also, it needs cobwebs.

 

[grazr]

Need to find a new ladder model.

Also i really hope those furniture props don't get in the way of gameplay. Engineers and spies love corners..

I don't think you need the trusses in the ceiling corners in the house either.

Lastly this just doesn't strike me as TF2-y yet. At least not the inside.

edit: and considering how enclosed the BLU spawn is, i hope you can't lob pipes in through the roof. Some crit grenades would be horrible to deal with in that tiny spawn room...

 

[YM]

Lots have said it doesn't seem very TF2-y. With the exception of the trees so far I'm happy with the styling of every piece Rexy has produced, I'm attributing the claims of 'not tf2-y' to it looking not like anything that has already been done in-game.

We're following the TF2 comics' mansion interiors, which can be considered cannon. Thus putting this mansion firmly within the realms of fitting TF2.

 

[Draco18s]

I think it would be better if most of those props (like the chairs) be relegated to out-of-play rooms, rather than being in the middle of it all.

People aren't going to like running into the chairs and such.

 

[Dr. Spud]

You should tread lightly with all the new content... at a glance it's straddling the line between being a new theme and being a novelty.

Like that first screenshot: it looks kind of like a CounterStrike map with funkier props. But you want the theme to just pop out as wholey-TF2, like the first time everyone saw lumberyard.

That being said the quality of the new props and textures is top-notch.

 

[Jetti]

The final picture reminds me of that poker game starring the heavy, by telltale. Was it meant to?

 

[Huckle]

The in-game screenshot actually looks amazing, I just think it's too much. Those striped wallpapers take too much attention and makes the players have less energy for the actual gameplay. There is a difference between making something look great and making it look and play great and I think you've crossed the line.

 

[JoshuaC]

As I said before, it all looks really good, but it doesn't fit TF2 in the least. Also the theme just feels odd. You've got models that look and feel like TF2, HL2, and stuff I'd expect to see in an episode of Sam and Max.

 

[YM]

The final picture reminds me of that poker game starring the heavy, by telltale. Was it meant to?

That poker game was revealed on thursday, I've been working on this for months.

No of course it wasn't

 

[Acegikmo]

Looks very nice!
Great job on both the mapping and the assets so far.



You better not win, you've already had your map officialized! Grr!

 

[Acumen]

would have been pissed if you had waited till one week/day before deadline
very interested to see how that looks when it's lit properly. the props are huuuge so far.
hope that's some old screens though, and you're far more into development !

 

[Chemical Alia]

Oh, cool! I'm not too familiar with the tf2 comics off the top of my head, is this supposed to be a specific place in the story? I really like the overall feel of the Victorian style decorating and it has a pretty authentic feel. Like others were saying, my only concern right now is that some of the assets don't quite blend with style of TF2. Not so much context-wise, but in the way the textures are rendered. Maybe if some of the patterns in the wallpaper/carpets/ etc. were more simplified and the colors held a little closer to the color schemes (like desaturating the brightest reds with a slight shift towards yellow), that will help tie it all in. One thing I've found, is the more custom stuff you add, the more you absolutely have to make sure it still keeps the feel of the original style.

It's a little hard for me to comment on gameplay from these image, but it's a really interesting theme and I'm looking forward to seeing more shots. Good luck!

 

[YM]

You better not win, you've already had your stuff officialized! Grr!

That rules you out as a potential winner too.

 

[Rexy]

I know everyone has concerns about the assets and the style not appearing to please those hardened tf2-style skeptics, but I'm prepared to fight any and all claims with specific examples. And truly, you've all seen so very little at this time to be sure.

 

[Acegikmo]

That rules you out as a potential winner too.

Okay then, I edited my post. How about now?

 

[Tyker]

I think it looks great. Might not be precise TF2 style, but if you did that it would just end up being more of the same. Different is not necessarily bad.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I know everyone has concerns about the assets and the style not appearing to please those hardened tf2-style skeptics, but I'm prepared to fight any and all claims with specific examples. And truly, you've all seen so very little at this time to be sure.

Er, I'm not sure that "fighting the claims" is really the best approach to take with production art like this. You may even be 100% correct, and have stylistic or historically grounded reasons for your artistic decisions, but that's still no reason to take a defensive attitude and fight a good number of views suggesting something else. I know it's still in an early stage, but this is when feedback is the most critical in establishing an environment that reads naturally to the player.

 

[Rexy]

Er, I'm not sure that "fighting the claims" is really the best approach to take with production art like this. You may even be 100% correct, and have stylistic or historically grounded reasons for your artistic decisions, but that's still no reason to take a defensive attitude and fight a good number of views suggesting something else. I know it's still in an early stage, but this is when feedback is the most critical in establishing an environment that reads naturally to the player.

I agree with you for the most part, except that people who post in this thread and other artpass threads very much have little say in the finality of things, especially with things like, 'who's right and who's wrong' stylistically, because the final say of a winning entry has nothing to do with discussion taking place in the entry threads. That power lies with the TF2 team at Valve, who will take everything into consideration. For this reason I've refrained from posting much in any of the artpass threads--who am I to say who's right and who's wrong? And in general, the kind of 'right and wrong' attitude taking place in the other artpass threads kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't claim to be right, and I don't think anyone should either--it's not our place.

As for the 'fighting the claims', I have no problem providing specific examples to satisfy the skeptical comments. The art is way beyond the early stages of development--the feedback is going to do very little at this point. If YM had been very concerned with feedback I'm sure he would have posted much earlier for help via feedback. As YM stated in the top of the thread, 80% is fairly accurate from an art standpoint as well. The posted images are just a tiny tiny fraction of the total picture. All I can say is hold your horses on making up your minds until you've seen much more.