***Mapping Contest #8 Vote***

Pick a winner!


  • Total voters
    59
  • Poll closed .

YM

LVL100 YM
aa
Dec 5, 2007
7,135
6,056

Just a little preview of the entries.

You can download the pack of .bsp files here
Once you've downloaded the pack load up tf2 and you can use "map cap" in the console to get you a list of the entries, just load each one up and decide which you like best.

Thanks to everyone who participated, got some great looking entries in :)

Please based on aesthetics rather than gameplay value, we're going for prettiest entry within the tf2 theme.

Bear with me for a minute whilst I sort the poll out.
 
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Aug 19, 2008
1,011
1,158
i am a little biased against the egypt-themed entries, not that they are not detailed and nice, but because of the general theme, which just has no contrast between the two teams, but in itself, the textures are sooo boring and repetative and you can see the authors grasping for opportunities to differenciate between red and blu, but there are none offered by the themepack :/

this said, really great entries :)
 

Zeewier

L9: Fashionable Member
Sep 20, 2008
619
262
-> Moved

ABBAttoir:
Looks very good from a distance :), but when I walk through all buildings I really miss some detailing. Just a few beams, maybe rotate some props and detail brushes a little for a bit more random and natural look.

The triangle roofs are a bit over styled imo, and they have seams (the textures, and the brushes).

The gaspumps look pretty good for brush models, but need some smoothing groups so they look a bit more like models,
Also some shadow bugs on models (try using -staticproplighting lighting when doing a final compile)

Overall it looks good, but just a little more time on detailing and tweaking light. And if this will become a real map you may want to convert some brushes into props.

andysss456:

My first impression was: Why can't I remember andysss456, because this (detailing) looks awesome.
Second impression (as scout): Damn these roofs are low :( (even a bit to low for detailing (I will judge all entries on detailing since this is a detailing contest)

After walking/noclipping: Looks really good, the area is really small, I want more :) Not to small for a mid cap though ;) . Some props do look like they aren't lit correctly, so I think you forgot -staticproplightning while compiling. And I think you haven't build your cubemaps.
I've seen only a few things I would have detailed a bit different like adding some vertical beams to buildings (and the glass in blu's office)
Oh and tweak the shadow maps a little on the round brushes.

1 final note: You must use this cp in a real map!


BladeMasterPsi:


I would like to start with this quote from the contest rules:
The arena must be symmetrical with one team's theme on one side and the other's theme on the opposite side.
That's really hard to accomplish with the Egypt theme.

I know there is a small difference with the metal vs the wooden, but in the main area (where the cp is) I dont see anything to know on which side I am. (For a playable map add some extra blu/red things)

The doors that open with the X shape are look cool, but don't really fit the theme imo. And the bottom one clips trough the ground when open.
The broken walls look really good imo, good job :)
I would really like to see a few more stones that are broken, like the one under the cp.

The windows in the buildings are not aligned, I know that because of the stairs inside, but it looks weird on the outside.

The displacements in the non-playable area look good, but they are a copy paste on both sides, wich is not necessary on non-playable areas.

Another nice small detail is the torches that really damage you (did they do that in cp_egypt?)

One final thing I wanted to note: The sun doesn't seem to shine very bright, even though we are in the middle of a desert (?) I think that will really add some egypt feel.

Oh and after walking through the map; I really would like to see how this map plays as an arena map.

medd:
Before I start: I think you shouldn't use that rock texture, that texture is the reason why I didn't enter this contest (that texture and the fact that I can't use custom content).

You should make that Stalactites bigger, because those should be noticed a little more (Stalactites are cool :) ). (I know it has texture seams, but I hope you can fix those). The roof looks nice, but the walls need some extra detailing, maybe some plants growing on them and some rock props.

The path makes it really clear where red/blu's base is :)

That computer cart makes the map assymetric, and it annoy ppl since its on the shortest route the blubase.

A note: By adding mose detail to the roof you attract ppl's attention to it. And they will probably see the cp.

PinkPanther:
I repeat this :p
The arena must be symmetrical with one team's theme on one side and the other's theme on the opposite side.
You only used some red/blu wood and imetal. The wood doesn't look like it belongs there and imo the imetal shouldnt be used in that way.

You didn't make a "non-playable area" but this time i think that positive; That because of your near perfect usage of the egypt theme, when I close my eyes I know how the suroundings could look like :)

The 2 side buildings could be a little bigger imo, maybe some extra pillarson the roof and add a second floor.

I really like the sand you added, but maybe make the sand a little more yellow (was that possible with the contest rules?)

Anyway great usage of the egypt theme :)

Psyphil:
I won't quote the team styles again, because you did the best job in team style of the egypt maps. Maybe a bit to good because the contrast is a bit to big between the blu/red and the egypt area.

I think the map looks a bit boring imo, especially the red and blu area's (does the blu building use a redish/neutral metal).

Those buildings even have concrete inside, looks weird imo.

The stairs with the battlement signs have some weird visual nodraw like bug.

Don't take this critic to serious because I know you made better maps. Maybe you just made the map in a very short amount of time. The idea is good, but you should give some extra time for the detailing.

Sgt Frag:
From the screenies this one was my favorite.

Ingame: I really love the bridge and the fog :) But it doesnt look good from all angles, (ropes are wrong ect.)

It looks like you didn't compile with -staticproplightning.

Most things look good from a distance, but there are some ropes missing in the cp room. But the detailing is pretty good there. I like the brush truck.
But some rooms don't have lights. Some textures are too streched (the brick, the bridge)
I like the boat, it's really nice from a distance, needs some extra vertical beams imo though.

This map could be so much better with 1-2 hours extra time.


TheDarkerSideofYourShadow:

Welcome to Desertfort: 2fort in the desert, cp style, better detailed.

The only thing it really lacks is lights, all indoor lights don't look really good, and the sunlightis too bright. And I think you didnt use -staticproplightning. It looks a lot better if you compile with that imo.

But the map really looks like a A9/B1 version of a new map.

I can't give you any more feed back because everything looks very good, nothing is really bad, except the lightning. You really need to spent some time on it!

Anyway, I want to play this map when you fixed the lightning :)


--------------------

Great job everyone, all of these maps look like potential new cp/arena maps :) I know my feedback was negative in most cases, but that's just because the few bad things are a big contrast to the mass of good and great things! :)
 
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Icarus

aa
Sep 10, 2008
2,245
1,210
ABBAtoir: VERY nice. I am impressed. I love the new theme you have going on, and the central CP looks very fun to play on. However, your concrete areas look fairly bland and could use a facelift.
****

Andy: A very modest map with very cramped aesthetic. I like the Dustbowl theme you're going with RED, however BLU's version of the 'silo' could use some sprucing up. Doesnt really give a "Central CP feel" Not a bad entry.
***

BMP: I get terrible FPS. I realize that the contest was about aesthetics rather than performance, but damnit man. Yet, I love the design and It could very well be a magnificent Central CP once optimized. I love your use of the egypt theme and the multilayered layout.
****

Medd: A very interesting Idea, I love it when people try to expand the spytech theme. It definitely looks a feels like an underground lair for a supervillian. However, your cliff walls look a bit bland and upon closer inspection looks like it's just a large square with turbines thrown in.
**

Panther: I have to say, initially I wasn't impressed. The area looks largely unfinished and very, very limited. However, at a closer look I've noticed some very neat ideas. Walking around, I've noticed the sound. Absolutely beautiful I must say, especially when combined with the dust particles flying away. I sort of wished you could have expanded your idea a little more, and maybe put a cap plate on the pyramid. Love the stones on the ground.
****

Psyphil: I like how you are probably the only one to use signs, especially when you have one this large. Another great egypt thememed CP, but I believe it could use a few more neat ideas. Your indoor areas look rather boring at the moment. As a side note, as I realize this is not a gameplay contest, is that you really should not have sight lines that stretch from spawn to spawn :p
***

Frag: Oh this looks rather poorly made. The buildings not even finished as you can see through the floor, and there aren't even any lights. Well, hopefully you got the cap room right and a HOLY CRAP IS THAT A MO'FO' BRIDGE FFFFFFFFFFU. Seriously, though, very nice job creating an urban backdrop. Reminds me heavily of GTA IV. I love the use of forklifts on the center CP, and the layout looks fantastic. But it could really use some more lights, and better use of fog. These changes are rather trivial, and the amount of effort you put in is astounding. This definitely gets my vote. Congratulations.
*****

TDSOYS: Very impressive work. Reminds me of 2fort. I love the moat idea, and your interiors are filled with ideas. However, the bridge looks like it was just tacked on. It doesn't really fit with everything else, especially with the CP being in the most unusual location of under the bridge.
****
 
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RavenStryker

Former Alias: †Blade†/Xi.Cynx
aa
Nov 25, 2008
782
844
Abbattoir: The Spawn seems a little dark for my taste, but it might just look like that cause of how bright it is outside. The building to the right of the red spawn is hella bright, not sure if it's cause of the yellow siding texture or not(seems like it for me) but maybe a metal red building would've suited it better. the Gas Station in the middle is SUPERB I love the overhangs cause it give it so much character, good job on that! Your env_sun doesn't match up with your shadows, make sure you remember to set that up right cause it just looks funny, from the red base the sun is on the left, but the shadows are moving to the right. the water is also beautiful, a very nice blue color(dying tabs back into game) okay now that I'm out of the water where was I. Lol. Oh yes, it has a nice blue tint underwater and is nice and clear and looks really clean but not fake. I like it. Prolly should've tried to find a way to sew your displacements together so the textures didn't vary and they didn't cast shadows on each other. Also a little texture alignment could've been done on the cement barrier, but no biggie. Should've drug the fence through back where the big red sign and truck is, I had the impression I could jump up on the sign cause there was no barrier and just a gap. Forgot o pull a brush over in one spot under the half circle bridge going towards the center from the red side but not that noticeable. Should have disabled shadows on the props in the center buildings, that are basically black cause of the shadows cast on them. Overall very nice, good frames even though that's not part of the judgment and the little not really supposed to be noticed detail is good as well.


Andysss456: Wow, very good impression on first load up. I like how it's very compact, but almost seems to compact and cluttered, but we'll see. the spawn are very nice, nicely lit and well detailed, I like the accident sign. Very distinguished red and blue side, although the middle is almost more red themed then blue, should've been more of a neutral wood or something. Some of the overlays on the blue side are meant to be for red as well, be sure to double and triple check which ones you are using. I see some spots that could've used a border due to switching textures, but that's an easy fix and may have been overlooked. the rooms are easy to move around in and don't feel too cramped sp I take back what I said earlier about it looking cramped. Ewww, I see quite a bit of red looking props on the blue side, as a major is the capture point sign right out of spawn. Should've definitely made that blue. Also boxes where I think there should've been barrels cause when I see the boxes I think red in my opinion. I like the detail around the point, it's not boring and fits very well. I especially like the circle building with the tracks running around it to the top, kudos for that my friend. the little building on the ground for the blue side prolly should've used a different wall texture cause that it def. red themed wood, even making it that metal like the building behind would've fit better. The displacements on the ground fit snug and look good as well, not to unrealistic but good height change throughout the whole thing. Overall I get a god feel for this center point, it's very basic you know the routes and it's not too distracting but not plain and boring at the same time.


Medd: I like the whole bat cave thing going on here and the soundscape is good and noticeable. Seems very very small though, almost no room to be able to set up a good defense at all, but that's not what this is about. I think the cave walls could've been displaced a little more than they currently are to add more volume to them cause they seem quite flat right now. I like the little rock sickles hanging from the ceiling, it's different. Prolly should've have put lights to light up the whole room as a darker effect might have gave it a bit more feel, like a cave per say, right now it's almost like a room with rock painted on the walls. I'm not sure if this is your first map attempt or not, but it's not too bad, just needs a little more to it in my opinion, seems very open and kind of basic, the props under the cap point are good though, those I can give you a plus on. Maybe should've made the glass on the top a darker tint so you couldn't see through it as well, but again, just my opinion. Overall though, not bad, could use some work, but it's playable and doable, next time try to make some cracks in the walls and/or have a spot or 2 that dips in to give it some more aesthetics.


PinkPanther: I know you didn't have time to finish your entry, but from what I see it was going good. I like the little detail in the blocks you were doing by having them shaved off on the edges. also the hieroglyphics cut out in the center of stuff is a good idea(wish I would have thought of that. Lol) The sand blowing around when you hear the wind is also nifty, don't know how to you that but it's cool. The ramps on the sides of the building to get up top seems very steep, remember not to go to much steeper than valves 2 length to 1 height ratio. the displacements seem to flow very nice and natural and I like the stones that are sunk in/covered up due to the blowing sand as well, very well thought out. Not much more to go on here, shadows look nice, don't really see too much wrong here, maybe the center point could've been wider both ways to reduce the steepness of the steps again. but overall I had wished you had more time to complete this center point cause I believe you would've made it very very well.


Psyphil: Spawn room is very nicely detailed, not overdone, but enough to make someone satisfied when looking around. Very nice looking wood ramps, looks as if they were pulled from Egypt or just very well remade. I'll give you a plus on those. Don't know if this was meant or not but the stairs have stone going through them in the shape of steps, but sure if you forgot to retexture or just wanted it like that, should've made it all wood in my opinion cause it looked wrong for a second. Very veeeeery tall of the left side for red and right for blue where you go up to the battlements with the double pillar action going on, makes me feel very small. But tombs were big back then so I'll give you something for creativity there. Good texturing, didn't really so anything wrong except for the ramps going up to the point itself, missed the edges closest to the bases. Torches are good and lighting is also very well. While the shapes of the buildings also make sense. I also like the use of many paths to get to the same area so it's not that easily defendable but you can also defense it by placing stuff in some of the nooks and crannies. So props on the layout. many obstructions as well to not make it a sniper fest while adding more detail.


Sgt Frag: Very bad first impression, the spawn room is very poorly lit and you cannot see in it very well at all. I also see a lot of texture flickering, make sure you place them brushes right, cause it really makes stuff look like crap. Also make sure your props are touching the ground, it kind of looks like you rushed through parts of this and didn't take time to overlook the little stuff which is what this competition is about. I joined the red side and it kind of has a red/blue feels to it, maybe some more red would've helped this as there is quite a bit of blue looking stuff as well. The rooms going up the stairs just after you get out of the base are also very poorly lit and some of the props are lit up weird cause of this as well. Remember lighting can make or kill a map, if you need some help with it ask some people to get that down pat. Looks to me like you were going to make one side of the bridge red while the other was going to be blue but you couldn't get that accomplished. A pity as I was looking forward to being able to go on the bridge. There are a few red props in the blue spawn rooms well. the overlays and props on the buildings are good and fit well. I like the lights in the windows of the surrounding buildings as well. The fog might be a little too much off in the distance, def. takes away the TF2 feel and makes it more HL2. the area underneath everything when you go down the stairs by the water seems very blank and dark, not sure if you even got to do anything with this room but a lot more could've been done to make this interesting. Overall not too shabby, good details here and there follows by some bad mistakes and laziness in some areas.


TheDarkerSideofYourShadow: wow, quite a bit of detail everywhere, seems very cramped and hard to move around though, but again that's not what this is based on. I like the bits of water down in the displacements, give it a feeling of a dried up river. The rocks give good cover everywhere while giving nice detail. the building from looking across are very well made, I like the smoke coming out of the vent, just that little extra to give it some oomph. Nice lighting inside of the buildings, but prolly could've used more of a sun lighting outside, it seems very white. from the looks of it, prolly should've used 2Forts lighting. Interesting attic area, didn't notice it at first cause I didn't know you could get back there, but I found it eventually, maybe some battlement signs would've been nice or the working gates for a direct route. Good env_sun and shadows following where it's located at, that's always a plus in my book. Windows everywhere are nice, so you can see everyone coming and all the textures/displacements seem to line up flawlessly. I would've made it a little less cluttered in my opinion cause it almost seems like there is too much going on in some areas.
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
710
@ Icarus.

Thanks, I think :)

True, I waited until the last minute to finish and it bit me in the butt in a few ways. As I only had one time for one final compile (which I forgot to use the -final option for >p ) I just gave the enviro light a boost and increased radius on a few lights I thought needed it.
After compile I realized the spawn rooms were very dark (did all that stuff right before compile).
Didn't notice a being able to see through any major floors though, did I miss something?
But yeah, last minute I ended up just blocking off a few areas but left the side buildings (sniper nests) open so players could get up there at least (whoops, maybe only on red side)
 

RavenStryker

Former Alias: †Blade†/Xi.Cynx
aa
Nov 25, 2008
782
844
@Icarus: Yea I realized that it wasn't optimized at aaaaaaaaalllll, I mean grant it a hell of a lot of stuff is func_detailed but I didn't have time for areaportals/hint|skip brushes. I get about 20-25fps max in the big areas. It sadden me to cause it only lagged like that when I final compiled it, when I was doing normal to test it was fine on fps. Lol

@Z33W13R: I realized red/blue on one side and the other, but I wanted to make the center kind of neutral. I was gonna ad some stuff but I ran out of time and I wanted to make sure nothing didn't fit. So I just rolled with what I thought would look the best. and not trying to overdue it and making it look not as good.
 

medd

L2: Junior Member
Feb 21, 2009
50
2
Thanks for the input everyone. Basically everything I had done in my entry was a first-timer. I appreciate the remarks and advice. I will probably try to implement my submission into a full-fledged map, but I will make some major tweaks to the room size, aesthetics, and playability (There's really only one exit from the cave in either direction. I'm thinking about adding blu and red exits that people can NOT enter from. We'll see :D).

@Z33W13R: I was pretty iffy about the texture, and it will be changed. Glad you liked the stalactites (hope you noticed they're breakable!). Also, I'll get rid of the computer carts and try to add more detail to the ceiling.

@BladeMasterPsi: I realize the map is kind of small, this was kind of on purpose. If I turn this into a real map, I want the mid point to be difficult to defend, so that a team on the losing side actually has a good chance to make a come back. In most cp maps I've played, when a team takes the mid point and sets up a half decent defense, the outcome is either victory for that team, or sudden death. But I agree, maybe it's a bit TOO small. Also, this was really my first attempt at displacements. Since I submitted this I've already gotten at least a bit better, so I will fix up the walls. About the lights: I was constantly beefing up the lighting power because I was afraid the cave would be too dark. I'll try toning it down again though :)

Thanks again all!
 

TheDarkerSideofYourShadow

L10: Glamorous Member
Apr 12, 2008
792
286
ABBAttoir
If you stick with this, more models :) It seemed a little long and some of the battlements looked to be in an odd place. Lighting was a little bad on one of the red buildings (with the white metal texture). Center point is a cool idea, reminds me of one of the buildings from contest 4.

Andyss456
Very nice. L like the unique look for each side. The hub cap on the crane and the blue board room are very nice touches. Maybe a little half wall at the cp? Like, crouch height so it visually breaks things up a bit.

BMP
Freaking beautiful. FPS = bad though. It doesn't have a clear distinction of which side is which, but if you can fix that and the fps issue, I'd be happy to playtest it as a full map.

medd
Interesting, though it seems a bit under detailed. The rock texture seems a little too large, and the roof displacements seem a little off. The spikes on the roof are a nice touch.

pinkpanther
I can see where this is going, and its generally pretty cool. Though, like most Egypt entries, the sides aren't distinct enough, and the metal structs look odd. The blowing sounds a really, really cool idea that I liked.

psyphil
Probably the best at making a distinction between the red and blue sides. Some of the decals seem off (gray gravel for instance). The office setup in one of the buildings looks out of place as well. The underneath area looks really cool. What are you going to do there?

Sgt Frag
A close second for me. The barge/outside area is what did it. The floating cranes were interesting :). It would be really cool to see this with custom content, and see what you'd do with it.
 

ProfFiendish

L2: Junior Member
Nov 15, 2008
95
10
Sorry, I don't have time to give C+C for each map, but I do have a few things to say. I also apologize for being biased against the egyptian styled maps, because even when they are beautifully detailed, there's no clear way to see which side you are on.

For my choice: it was a very close race between TDSOYS and Andysss. Both felt very polished, and both had a detail that managed to approximate Valve's style of detailing; everything felt in place. In the end, I went with Andysss's entry, because of the high level of detail everywhere in the map.
 

TheDarkerSideofYourShadow

L10: Glamorous Member
Apr 12, 2008
792
286
@Z33W13R

Yeah, I had done an HDR compile with all the nice settings, and then none of the inside lights worked at all, so I had to settle for this.

@ Icarus

Bridge was the first thing to be placed :) I'm thinking of making it a broken bridge, which would require some custom model work. There'd be planks across the gap in the center, which would be right above the point. Might me it more visible and change game play up a bit.


@ BMP

I want to use the Furnace Creek lighting + sky :D
 

uma plata

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 20, 2009
294
93
Thanks for everyone who's provided feedback so far. I'm sure all of the contestants appreciate it as much as I do!

andysss456
Probably the most detailed entry. Looks very nice, a lot of touches you could have just ignored you put some obvious effort into. Contest isn't about gameplay, but if it were, I would open it up quite a bit. One of the best entries, good job

Pink_Panther
OK, many others have commented on the Egypt theme, and it's lack of differentiation in materials (regarding red/blu), so I won't harp on it. I liked this entry, the wind and dust effects are GREAT, really set this one apart. I could have used some more depth around the playable area though, some scenery

Sgt Frag
Outstanding, I'm a sucker for large set pieces like your bridge. Great sense of scale there that you don't see in other maps, it's truly unique, and got my vote. I'd like to see this one developed for sure

BladeMasterPsi
Great use of the materials. I think the layout works, good use of lighting and shadow, and good player flow. Would definitely feel at home in an arena or push map

Personally I don't like the Egypt theme that much, but good job making it work

medd
Layed out simply but effectively. I would just like to see a little more height variation, would make the area feel a little more natural. Good work with the lighting and details though

TheDarkerSideofYourShadow
Very nice work. Great displacements. That bridge does look a little out of place, like others have said. I would have liked to see your attention drawn to the cp a little better, kind of feels out of the way, like you have to go find it. Still, excellent detailing

Psyphil
Good job. Could have used a little more creativity within the theme, I think. It seems hard to take those assets and make something unique with them. But you did execute well on what you were going for

------------

Congrats, all!:lol:
 

Psyphil

L3: Member
Nov 6, 2007
125
60
Thank you all for the feedback, that's why I loove tf2maps.net :D

Icarus said:
Another great egypt thememed CP, but I believe it could use a few more neat ideas. Your indoor areas look rather boring at the moment. As a side note, as I realize this is not a gameplay contest, is that you really should not have sight lines that stretch from spawn to spawn
Yes I agree to u it needs something more though it's the first time I even look at the egypt textures in hammer and I could find any inspiration. Didn't think of the spawns looking right at eachother when I made it so thanks for the tip cause I'll make it an arena later :)

BladeMasterPsi said:
Very nice looking wood ramps, looks as if they were pulled from Egypt or just very well remade. I'll give you a plus on those. Don't know if this was meant or not but the stairs have stone going through them in the shape of steps, but sure if you forgot to retexture or just wanted it like that, should've made it all wood in my opinion cause it looked wrong for a second.
I can't take any creditfor the ramps nor the lightning bacause the ramps were made as close to the egypt's one as possible and the lightning were rly just copy-pasted.
I tried to make it look like the stairs were broken and 'repaired' by blu/red with their materials, guess I failed too make it look good though :sleep:

[quote="TheDarkerSideOfYourShadow]The underneath area looks really cool. What are you going to do there?[/quote]
Dunno, I just wanted to make something out of the really nice looking lightning from cp_egypt. And that is what I came up with :p I haven't decided if I will make it playable in the arena yet but possibly
 

Zeewier

L9: Fashionable Member
Sep 20, 2008
619
262
<3 to all that ppl that took the time to write reviews.

It seems that the no-screenshots method works :)

also good to see that the makers reply to the feedback :)
 

andysss456

L2: Junior Member
Sep 28, 2008
56
9
andysss456:

My first impression was: Why can't I remember andysss456, because this (detailing) looks awesome.
Second impression (as scout): Damn these roofs are low :( (even a bit to low for detailing (I will judge all entries on detailing since this is a detailing contest)

After walking/noclipping: Looks really good, the area is really small, I want more :) Not to small for a mid cap though ;) . Some props do look like they aren't lit correctly, so I think you forgot -staticproplightning while compiling. And I think you haven't build your cubemaps.
I've seen only a few things I would have detailed a bit different like adding some vertical beams to buildings (and the glass in blu's office)
Oh and tweak the shadow maps a little on the round brushes.

1 final note: You must use this cp in a real map!

I suppose i'm not the most memborable person. I made Gydan if you need your memory jogged. I made the point smaller because I found it was easier to detail a smaller area. I did forget -staticproplighting, I guess I was a little rushed and forgot. The cubemaps are built though, not sure what gave you that impression. Thanks for the feedback, and i'm not entirely sure if it's going to be turned into a map yet. Probably a koth or arena if it does end up playable.

Andysss456: Wow, very good impression on first load up. I like how it's very compact, but almost seems to compact and cluttered, but we'll see. the spawn are very nice, nicely lit and well detailed, I like the accident sign. Very distinguished red and blue side, although the middle is almost more red themed then blue, should've been more of a neutral wood or something. Some of the overlays on the blue side are meant to be for red as well, be sure to double and triple check which ones you are using. I see some spots that could've used a border due to switching textures, but that's an easy fix and may have been overlooked. the rooms are easy to move around in and don't feel too cramped sp I take back what I said earlier about it looking cramped. Ewww, I see quite a bit of red looking props on the blue side, as a major is the capture point sign right out of spawn. Should've definitely made that blue. Also boxes where I think there should've been barrels cause when I see the boxes I think red in my opinion. I like the detail around the point, it's not boring and fits very well. I especially like the circle building with the tracks running around it to the top, kudos for that my friend. the little building on the ground for the blue side prolly should've used a different wall texture cause that it def. red themed wood, even making it that metal like the building behind would've fit better. The displacements on the ground fit snug and look good as well, not to unrealistic but good height change throughout the whole thing. Overall I get a god feel for this center point, it's very basic you know the routes and it's not too distracting but not plain and boring at the same time.

Thanks for all the feedback, a lot to respond to, so i'll keep it short. I found that keeping particular items on one side or the other (like crates or barrels) to be counterproductive, so i mixed it up. I don't think the overlays and model placement really are all that out of place, but I can appreciate if you think they are.
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
710
Congrats to all entrants, Thanx to voters

Got a chance to run through em, wrote down notes...

ABBAttoir:
I liked your entry alot. It was a little sparse in detail but you had some really cool details too. I liked the gas pumps, would be cool to see them with glass and some number overlays inside.
The roof is really cool, I noticed one seam looking up. But it looks unbalanced like it should fall over. I think if you turned the beams around it might look better.
It could be a really cool arena map really easy, but you'd have to simplify the spawn area a little maybe.
Well done.

Andysss456:
I think the major drawback of your entry is lack of health packs. You made my demo sad :(
I literally walked around this map 2x looking for any small problems. I didn't find any. This is Valve quality as is, ready for release. It had all the details, overlays, lights, sprites... Didn't see any lighting problems or any issues to speak of.
I guess the biggest drawback is that it is typical Valve style, I could see this as part of an existing Valve map. But I can't mark against it for that.
*While I thought all the entries had great potential, this is the only one I feel didn't needed anything. It gets my vote.

BMP:
First thing, massive framerate lag spike, agghhh. It was barely tolerable but I soldiered on.
I brought up +showbudget and like I thought it was a dynamic light issue. I think you can have the flames, but not lights that fade in/out. At least in that quantity.
You should make 75% of the non-dynamic. Scatter the other 25% into spots like tight hallways where players will really notice the effects.
Other than that I thought it was a good use of the egypt theme but it was shy on color. Unfortunately it's a common egypt map issue, I think the red/blu concretes are a decent material to use for some colors. No custom rule made egypt harder for this contest I think.

medd
A cool concept, and I think the middle cap, with the rocket came out really nice.
I'd like to see it taken further. Have stalagtites and mites going from floor to ceiling around suspended metal paths. :) OK, drifting...
Maybe also some large beams to hold up the ceiling beams.
It was pretty small though and not alot of details around. I thought having a spawn area would help out a little.

pink panther
I'm glad you submitted this. Obviously a little cramped around the edges ;)
Very nice displacement sand drifts, the wind sounded cool, lighting good.
I'd like to see it go further with some tunnels and crypts.

physphil
I noticed some brush gaps by some stairs in a lower tunnel.
The area around spawn gave a bad first impression. But then I got into the play area and it was great. Nice arch and another good use of the egypt them, again lacking in color though.
A solid entry.

Sgt Frag
Yeah, that's me. I ran through my map in order with the rest to get a 'fresh look' after a few days. I still basically feel the same.
Instead of carving Tiki's on those last 3 days of contest time I should've been working on this as planned. Instead I rushed it.
What can I say? Fun contest anyway.

TDS
I felt your entry also had a very TF2 feel. Not really unique but you can't go wrong with standard TF2 style. I felt it could use more variance in textures. You could have used 2 or 3 blu metals, instead it seemed mostly like one. Same on red. Maybe too many blu barrels in red area.
But I thought the layout was really cool and it could be fun to play. I thought the displacements and water with cap under bridge was cool. The bridge needs an info light though (too bright).

off to vote...
 
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MangyCarface

Mapper
aa
Feb 26, 2008
1,626
1,325
DSOYS again fails to disappoint! Although there are several small problems here, I feel it is the most promising and well-scaled middle, with excellent displacement work and a unique take on Goldrush's theme. Fix the bridge lighting, buddy! Also, I feel some of the corner supporting beams could be smaller. I hope to see this incorporated in a finished map, as the gameplay aspect appeals greatly as well as its aesthetics.

Other notes: Loved PinkPather's middle for its potential for actual gameplay. SgtFrag's had the most promise but failed on execution due to an overall lack of detail, several overstretched textures, and an inattention to lighting. I liked the indoor cavern one but the displacement work needs to be far more complex to be aesthetically pleasing. Andysss succeeded on most technical notes, it's hard to pinpoint my exact gripe here but I suppose it's that good gameplay areas are in my eyes aesthetically pleasing (andys lacks approachability and is visually hard to read IMO)

I would have liked to see more active CPs as well as the capture point model, I feel it's part of the aesthetic and draws the eye provactively in a center.

Reposting my own middle on yukon not to draw attention away from the other competitors, but I would've liked to submit it :)P) and I feel it demonstrates some of the things I was looking for.
 

Icarus

aa
Sep 10, 2008
2,245
1,210
This is a really close vote.

I think we should have a finalist vote after if nobody comes out clear-cut.
 

shatty

L1: Registered
Mar 12, 2009
7
1
as far as actual detailing, i thought andysss456's map was probably the best. but i was too blown away by frag's bridge not to vote for it. well done!