Silo_Plant_no6_B1

[Haggis]

silo_pant_no6_b2

This is a 32 player payload map i have been working on for the past 7 1/2 months and at last i have finished it. I came across a few problems on the way but i managed to overcome them. My first big problem was the error message about t junctions, after researching what this meant i realised this was caused by to many func_details.This made sense, as in the first area of the map i made a building which was all func_detail and then was duplicated another 7 times. I read somewhere in the forums about propper, where you could make models using hammer, i turned this building into a model thus solving the t junctions error.
I have another custom model which i made using Sketchup at control point 3, its a train wheel with 2 cogs. The wheel moved up and turned 90 degrees as well as having the 2 cogs spinning round, i was really pleased with this model, it really looked the part when it was triggerd to move but when i made the final explosion i was getting a cutlinkedlist overflow message. I think it has something to do with using to much memory so to solve this i had to stop the train wheel from moving, this solved the problem.
After control point 2 is taken there should be 1 more red spawnroom enabled, when cotrol point 3 is taken there will be 3 red spawnrooms untill the payload gets to a certain point, then 1 of the rooms will be disabled
I have also made something which i have not seen before in a tf2 map, an iris door, this was made by following a tutorial in Halfwit-2, big thanks to the guy who made this tut, sorry i could not see your name on the tutorial.
Also, look up at the cables at control point 3, i have the sapper effect traveling along them.
Hope you enjoy the map and will look forward to your comments on how to improve it.

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[Tapp]

:O
The screenshots of this map are jaw-dropping. It is amazing that you put this together in 7.5 months, and while I have yet to run through it I am excited. I shall give you a good review once I get the chance. Good luck and congratulations.

 

[fubarFX]

holy cow... that door... :O

 

[Godslayer57]

This map is just loaded with awsomness. The detail is just.....[speechless] and its just looks the part. Another thiong is the doors.......They look awsome and .....are they suppose to look like the apature science logo in the screenshot as they open?

 

[E.B.]

Detail seems pretty sweet. I haven't played it with people, but it seems really, really big and maybe should be 2 stages instead of 1.

A problem you should probably fix: There are almost no playerclips. I started taking screenshots of things I could get on top of, but there were so many that I think I'll just list them instead. Edit: Also check Tapp's next post down, he has screens of many of these.
1st area:
-top of blue spawn, billboard
-barbed wire fences
-pipes on sides of generators
-top of power plant just after 1st cp
2nd cp:
-elevated walkways, pipes, tanks on both sides of the cp
3rd cp:
-parts of the huge crane
-the area above the big red opening opposite the train engine
-the edges of the huge red building
4th cp:
-the arch with a train engine in it
-the huge crane
-the red billboard and the roof it sits on
-the walkway very high up opposite the train arch

And I probably missed some.
Also, it may just be my opinion, but having resupply lockers and ammo packs as non-accessible props seems like a bad idea. Otherwise, the map definitely looks great and I hope to play it one of these days.

 

[WastedMeerkat]

A complete lack of player clips inside the map bounds, and the cart is non-solid. Believe me, that's going to cause problems when people try to use it for cover. Make it solid, keep the clip around it if you want.

 

[Tapp]

http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd134/The1apprentice/Pl_silo_plant_no6_b1/

 

[icequeenzz]

indeed, the cart not being solid is a problem for the 2th cp.
since the spawn room for red is so close to the second cp it is a really hard mission for blue to get the cart on the second point. perhaps making spawntime for red lower or moving the spawn a bit further away from the second point.

also the 2 doors/gates at the first cp can trap a player. when walking halfway trough them and then walk backwards they close while you are still inside of them. causing them to never open again.

overal, nice look especialy like the weapon crates.
perhaps instead of removing the fake ammo kits, put some wood infront of them so it is more visible for the player that they can't reach them.

 

[Haggis]

Cheers for all the comments guys,im over the moon with some of them. A big thanks to you Tapp for taking the time to take screenshots and upload them.I will look at them carefully and fix everything you have highlighted.
As for the bomb not being solid, how do i fix this, do i change the v physics to a bounding box or is there another way.
I was thinking before i compied the map to make the top iris door at the Red spawn to only open from the outside, what do you guys think.

 

[absurdistof]

HFS this looks hawwwwwwwwt :O

Also, if you haven't already, disable shadows on the track.

 

[DontWannaName]

You should make the map name shorter

 

[Haggis]

E.B and Tapp, i have fixed all the areas that you have highlighted except for the one you highlighted E.B about being able to get up on the 2 arches which support the bridge, i quite liked the fact you could get up there. I also fixed the problem about getting stuck in the 2 doors at first control point.

icequeenzz- The top iris door at red spawn can only be opened from the outside. If you all think that its still to close to the control point, i can have the 2 iris doors close when the bomb gets to certain pathtrack, like they do when the 2nd cp is taken, and then open the other iris door, this will make it a longer way round. This 3rd iris door would open just now when the 2nd cp is taken but as i said i could change it so it opens earlier

E.B. Quote

"Also, it may just be my opinion, but having resupply lockers and ammo packs as non-accessible props seems like a bad idea. Otherwise, the map definitely looks great and I hope to play it one of these days."

E.B. I have now put sliding doors(which do not slide)in front of all the ammopacks, they really look the part, also i could not figure out what you meant about the resupply locker as all the supply lockers i have put in the map work. It then dawned on me that you might have meant the supply locker behind the 2 yellow train gates at point 2, this is a forward spawnroom for blue so the blue team will be able to access it.
Hopefully i have blocked off all the areas you mentioned. What do i do now, do i upload the map again, it would be great if you could take the time to check i have fixed everything you highlighted

 

[Uriak]

Sorry in advance, but my feedback won't be as cheerful.

We playtested the map on a 12v12 configuration and the map test had to be halted soon, because of an apparent lack of balance.

From a gameplay perspective, there was nothing wrong with the start of the map, but take it with a pinch of salt, as a first playtest experience. But the CP after the generators room was very very spammy, and attackers couldn't find any solutions. There were many passages upstairs but their real impact was not evident.

Actually all of this would be quite common in many payload maps, as chokes are not scarce in this game, but in the case of your work, it's aggravated by the graphical theme. Simply put, your detailing is at the edge between brillant and confusing. The outdoors are fine, even if too dark for my taste, but indoors are overwhelmed with props.

The generator room would be a fine UT3 scenery, but we are in the TF2 context, and it lacks clarity. As someone said before, the large racks of gameplay props (ammo packs) are theorically a good idea, but should be present in clearly separate locations, and maybe have their number cut down. In many maps, details are hints of what's behind the scene, but in your case, we got the feeling you wanted to expose the whole content of everything, down to every crate, railing, pipe. This leads to impressive screens shots (and sure they are) but doesn't work in game.

This is nothing ot minimize the amount of work you'd put into this map, but our players really felt uneasy during the playtest session, and I believe it's mainly due to the visual aspect. Stock maps rely on the far scenery for eye candy, and let actual playable areas quite bare. This way of doing thing ensures that people are rarely disrupted by the visuals while playing, but can enjoy a beautiful wiew whenever they pause and look at the roofs/cliffs/outside zones.

Of course what I've said would imply some heavy rework of the map, but it's mostly an issue in the indoors. The outdoors are finer, because of the night theme and lack of obstruction in the fight zone. Each map should have it's qualities and debatable features, but I think, a cleaning and simplifying pass would really be beneficial for a large approval from the player base.

 

[Haggis]

Sorry in advance, but my feedback won't be as cheerful.

We playtested the map on a 12v12 configuration and the map test had to be halted soon, because of an apparent lack of balance.

From a gameplay perspective, there was nothing wrong with the start of the map, but take it with a pinch of salt, as a first playtest experience. But the CP after the generators room was very very spammy, and attackers couldn't find any solutions. There were many passages upstairs but their real impact was not evident.

LOL, you dont need to be sorry Uriak, this is what i am looking for, constructive criticism. Did you read my last post, post 11, i suggested that the 2 iris doors which are open until the 2nd cp is taken, can be closed when the payload passes a certain pathtrack, once these are closed the 3rd iris door can then be activated. This will make it longer for red to get round and defend the cp hopefully making it less spammy.
The ammopacks i can remove and just leave the weapon crates

 

[Haggis]

Sorry in advance, but my feedback won't be as cheerful.

We playtested the map on a 12v12 configuration and the map test had to be halted soon, because of an apparent lack of balance.

From a gameplay perspective, there was nothing wrong with the start of the map, but take it with a pinch of salt, as a first playtest experience. But the CP after the generators room was very very spammy, and attackers couldn't find any solutions. There were many passages upstairs but their real impact was not evident.

LOL, you dont need to be sorry Uriak, this is what i am looking for, constructive criticism. Did you read my last post, post 11, i suggested that the 2 iris doors which are open until the 2nd cp is taken, can be closed when the payload passes a certain pathtrack, once these are closed the 3rd iris door can then be activated. This will make it longer for red to get round and defend the cp hopefully making it less spammy.
The ammopacks i can remove and just leave the weapon crates. I have made another 2 maps before but they were not that good. I was still learning and did not know that much about optimising. This map is my first that has been playtested so to me that is fantastic. I will take onboard everything that everybody says to get this map the way it should be.

 

[Uriak]

I'll probably give this map another go, then. One thing players really asked for was some highlighting of the secondary routes. Once again my advice would be :

-> keep what you think essential to the atmosphere of the room (generators, ceiling features, etc) and remove unecessary "noise"
-> add some feature to gently drive players where they have to go : you could choose a distinctive color theme for the side passages, for instance, and apply it on the ground.

You see, one thing I've learned after countless playtesting, is while the gameplay will ultimately decide a map popularity, the first contact with the map is extremely important. People who decided the map is complicated/obfuscating/irritating won't easily change their mood. In case of playtesting communities, this will be given as feedback, but if the playtest is just to decide whether to add a map to a server's rotation, this can lead to quickly (and somehow injust) rejection. And hence, many fair to good pieces of work don't find their public and that's a waste.

I'll hint you about more precise gameplay feedback once I get a decent play session. Good luck

 

[Haggis]

I have now updated my map. Hopefully i have addressed everything that all of you pointed out, again i will look forward to your comments.