[Resource] Architectural References

[Kill_the_Bug]

Kube - I used to live in Bermuda

 

[Kube]

Kube - I used to live in Bermuda

Oh man, it was a spectacular place to visit. I ended up moving away from the island theme for the contest, but I really want to dish the trip out as inspiration in another map.

 

[radarhead]

Got some cool pics from a recent trip to Maryland. Not all of the pictures turned out in high quality, but I think I still got some interesting stuff.

URBAN

This platform on the slanted roof is holding AC units, btw.

Walls like these were all over town... interesting texture variation?

More walls

FARM

Neat little barn here. There's a ladder on the wall leading up to an internal loft.

Crap quality on this one, but note the two-level barn with stone walls at the base.

BONUS
BREWERY/WELL

 

[Crash]

Whoooaaaaaa

(You must've been just outside of Chicago too)

 

[radarhead]

Whoooaaaaaa

(You must've been just outside of Chicago too)

Yup! You got a much nicer angle + quality pic though.

 

[Pocket]

Good news! I was at Kennywood again earlier this year, and they had torn down the chain link fence at the edge of their train ride that had a perfect view of the steel mill. I hadn't thought to bring a camera, again, but then in the evening they announced that the park would be closing early "due to technical difficulties" (didn't think to ask what had happened; probably had something to do with lights not working, making it unsafe to leave in the dark) and that everyone could turn in their ticket stub for a free voucher for another full day at the park. So... we went back yesterday, this time armed with a camera! Please enjoy these hard-won pictures of US Steelworks in Pittsburgh, in no particular order:

 

[EArkham]

I hadn't thought to bring a camera, again, but then in the evening they announced that the park would be closing early "due to technical difficulties" (didn't think to ask what had happened; probably had something to do with lights not working, making it unsafe to leave in the dark)

Maybe there was a security concern over the guy paying more attention to the steel mill than the amusement park and going on about pyros and spies and "pushing a bomb cart right through there."

 

[Pocket]

tbh I want so badly to make a map that takes place in a theme park but it would be pretty hard to translate that kind of environment into enough "hard" visibility blocking (as opposed to, "I can't see the other side of the park through several open-frame roller coasters and about a hundred trees") to optimize well

 

[tyler]

tbh I want so badly to make a map that takes place in a theme park but it would be pretty hard to translate that kind of environment into enough "hard" visibility blocking (as opposed to, "I can't see the other side of the park through several open-frame roller coasters and about a hundred trees") to optimize well

I've been wanting to do a standin style map in a theme park for a while. I have ideas for the aesthetics, but not for the points or layout.

 

[EArkham]

Well, you know, there's that medieval ticket booth prop in the files, as well as the Merasmus games so it's not like you'd be starting from scratch. You could always set it up less like a Six Flags and more like a Disney World, with large castle-ish structures to block visibility. Leave the roller coasters and other rides that wouldn't block visibility in the out of bounds areas along the sides, and the "solid" rides like house of mirrors and haunted houses lining the battleground.

Stuff like this could easily block in the boundaries of the map:

I think it could be a quite doable and very interesting theme.

 

[Pocket]

I actually crunched the numbers to see how big, roughly, Disneyland would be in Hammer units. Working off the acreage, it would have to be over four times as big as Hydro, not even counting the skybox.

 

[Yacan1]

Good news! I was at Kennywood again earlier this year, and they had torn down the chain link fence at the edge of their train ride that had a perfect view of the steel mill....
*pics*

I love Kennywood! I also know that exact piece of fence you're talking about. I've always wanted pictures of that factory from the train ride. It is beautiful at night with all these lights illuminating specific parts of this tower. Pittsburgh has great little spots of industry. I love living there.

 

[Vincent]

I believe this is an abandoned mill.

 

[Crash]

Not architectural, per-say, but this is Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney World

 

[takabuschik]

Crash, that looks like a great idea for a payload map!
Here's a layout for the railroad if anybody is interested in doing that:

 

[tyler]

Thunder Mountain is a fun ride actually. It wouldn't work as a payload map without being heavily rethought though.

 

[Kube]

Thunder Mountain is a fun ride actually. It wouldn't work as a payload map without being heavily rethought though.

Can confirm.

Funny story, one time, I was on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the ride broke down right around the final turn. As compensation, I was given a Golden Fastpass, which is a ticket that you can use for any ride queue to enter a shorter queue for the ride.

This all happened immediately after having to walk off Splash Mountain and through its behin-the-scenes sections, and getting a Golden Fastpass from that. Fun fact- most of the Splash Mountain ride doesn't take place inside of the mountain itself, but inside a different building to the side.

Honestly, there's a lot to be learned from the theming of rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. All of the detail at Walt Disney World acted as inspiration for me to begin mapping- I wanted to create worlds that told stories.

 

[Crash]

Disney has great facades. I got sick in line for a Star Wars ride (I was like 6 years old) and got taken through the behind-the-scenes area and was more fascinated with that than I was the rest of the park.

 

[Kube]

Disney has great facades. I got sick in line for a Star Wars ride (I was like 6 years old) and got taken through the behind-the-scenes area and was more fascinated with that than I was the rest of the park.

Great story, Crash. If you think that stuff's cool, just wait for Avatar Land, coming in 2017 (floating island and all!).

Disney also does this tour (I want to hold on this one) through the tunnels below the Magic Kingdom Park, called the Utilidoors. The park itself was built one story up to accommodate the park's functions: this is why you don't see a cowboy traveling through Tomorrowland.

 

[puxorb]

I actually have a map based on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that I have been working on for a long time now. (Over a year)

I have the map layout done but it isn't too great. No game logic yet. I took a large break from it but here are some screenshots I have of certain detail ideas and the custom models I was making for the train:

Album Link

If anyone wants to take these models and texture them that would be great.