KotH Persia b4

[lana]

Awesome! Despite the performance hit, good work so far!

 

[MisterNine]

Your map plays very well. Continue working on it because you certainly have a gem here. It will only become better as you polish it. I'd like to bring something to your attention that was pointed out to me by someone on my server this evening. An entity blocking a passage. A misplaced func_respawnroomvisualizer:

"model" "*46"
"targetname" "spawnViz_RED"
"respawnroomname" "spawn_RED"
"origin" "-816 -1896 160.55"
"classname" "func_respawnroomvisualizer"
"hammerid" "298193"

Give it a look. I don't think it's your intention to have this passage blocked. If so, it's still accessible via a gap on the left side.

 

[Uriak]

It was my intention to block it for the other team, but I may use a team grate instead. The reason is that agressive people may be tempted to rush the spawn through the upper areas, whereas it's much more difficult to do so on the lower corridors. Thanks for reporting the issue.

 

[MisterNine]

No problem. I see in some of the wider doorways on other maps they place two of the entities side by side to cover the gap, but then again, a gate in that little doorway would look really cool...

 

[Uriak]

Okay, I've uploaded an hotfix for the map (same download link )

-fixed shadows, fogs, soundscape
-fixed unwalkable edge in the blue ramp in central area.
-fixed gap on thouse visualizers

I've been through optimization process in the central area : smaller lightmaps, nodrawed hidden surfaces, faded props, area portals. Didn't get a miracle, but you can expect ~20% fps increase in worst cases.
I fear that getting higher perf would require a layout modification, as there is very little rendered content that shouldn't.

Thanks Hellfire for your support.

 

[MisterNine]

Cheers on the new release, great work. It plays like a dream.

 

[Uriak]

Thank you :blushing:

I'm working on next beta, maybe due by the end of the week. The central area is being slightly simplified for both esthetical and performances reasons, unremarquable and costly details are removed (like the pit under the capture point).
In the same time more custom content will be added to add to the story telling of the map : new BLU and RED logos, power cell adds, and so on.

 

[MisterNine]

That sounds great. I really like your work in the hallways leading up to the center area. What might have been a boring corridor has been made into one of my favorite aspects of the map.

 

[Uriak]

Thanks you again.

I've begun retexturing the custom content, and here is the power node ad'

 

[Uriak]

Some attempt at new team logos

 

[Uriak]

Beta 2 is steadily approaching.
Especially for those who gonna test the previous release on gameday, a small list of issues and their current handling

Saturated laser sound : fixed
Getting stuck on some wood covered areas : ramps, holes in the ground : fixed
Lack of sounscape in some locations : fixed
Some nodraw faces in normally visible areas : fixed
Ugly shadows from plants on the roof in central area : fixed

 

[Uriak]

Well, B2 didn't went as I expected, so I'm going directly to B3. Scheduled to be released tomorrow.

 

[Hellfire]

lookin really great, still i see no reason why not to call it B2

 

[Uriak]

For some obscure reason (maybe packrat) the color correction effect in B2 seems to have been duplicated (or something similar) thus running totally amok. And I did forget once again to make a small place for the red resupply cabinet. I don't want to stick with a minor version (as B2a) hence the incoming B3. It will give me the time to fix some other minor graphical glitches.

 

[Hellfire]

let me test it before releasing. just some additional tests wont hurt

 

[Uriak]

koth_persia_b3 released, and this time file uploaded to tf2maps.net

 

[Uriak]

Well, it looks like "one week elapsed since last release" bumb.

Not much to say per se, I've got no news so far about the custom laser model. Some bugs like the lack of nobuild are already fixed, and I've added a second observer camera to let dead players look at the final laser effect, and will be included in the next issue, that should be the release candidate. I'm quite happy that some koth servers included the B3 in their rotations, and I just hope to get some long term feedback.

I guess I'll give some news when the next issue will be due, in the meanwhile, I'm focusing on a new map project.

 

[Uriak]

Thanks to the PA community useful input, I'm preparing a B4 release, fixing some issues :

* building exploits and griefing
* stairs clipping
* I'm separating the spawns room from the eye candy back rooms... looks like people are too much attracted by those places.
* fixing a number of small graphical glitches

I'll try to work a bit the visual setting of the central area by adding more round elements. Unfortunately, I still can't count on a new custom laser prop.

 

[gamemaster1996]

I'd make one for you but i need a new router as mine's being slow at the moment so i can't download xsi mod tool.
Now i wish i kept more of my old hard drive.

 

[Uriak]

Thanks for the offer, but I must discuss the topic with vader_666 first

I'll use the opportunity to rework a bit things in the central area, mainly the look of the two central building, whose style, while mainly neutral is a bit too squary and industrial for my taste. I'll try to give them a style more fitting the orient themed blue and red portions of the map. Maybe I'll add some details in the rear area of the skybox, but nothing's settled.