- Aug 11, 2008
- 947
- 560
Hey guys, it's TMP with a nice little article about a little prop that in my opinion makes TF2 so good. It is a prop that instantly turns a map good. You could stick it in orange_x and it would suddenly be better than coldfront (unless coldfront uses this prop, which I think it actually does).
This... is the beautiful prop.
models/props_trainyard/handrail216.mdl
Also known as
THE BEST PROP EVER
Why is this prop so good? I have at least 3 reasons behind it.
1. It's small enough to put almost anywhere, yet has a noticeable impact on Gameplay
This prop is small. 216 units long by 4 units wide by around 33 units high. It fits almost anywhere. The main key here is that it is 33 units high. The barrier can be jumped over, but poses the issue of having the small window of time where you have little control to matter to surmount it. Should you jump over it? Should you not? Why am I not worshiping this prop? All these run through your mind when you see it in gameplay. The key here though is that it is small. Unlike its 480 and 640 brethren, you can fit this prop almost anywhere! 2fort battlements? Hell yeah! Badlands mid? Go for it!
Badlands mid? Horrible! It doesn't have handrail216, but it could have it!
2. It's a generic, unnoticeable prop, but it can be flashy as well
This prop is the ultimate multitasker. It can be invisible and visible at THE SAME TIME. Based on the angle of viewing and the skin used, you can make it look either boring and bland to focus attention elsewhere (A gray skin for it surrounded by concrete to attract attention to glass a la badlands) or from below in an exciting white or yellow to make it scream "Hey! I'm a barrier! Look at me!"
This prop isn't handrail216, but it's pretty close and does the first job.
This on the other hand a la gorge screams "I'm a sexy barrier, and you can't touch these things
"
3. It can either block or not block explosives realistically
Based on its size and transparency, you can get away with having explosives travel through it, or not! Try THAT with badlands spire*! It depends on the conditions in the map and how it affects gameplay. Just make sure to have it consistent throughout the map!
*That is a very bad example of what I just said, as actually it does in badlands, the entire thing is just vertex manipulated with blockbullets if I recall correctly
Can you shoot through it or not? You decide!
4. It can be used in multiple ways in the same view (it and its sister props) and can easily make sense
Just look at this image and you'll understand what I mean.
See? Two sets, different skins, different uses, all incredibly clear!
5. It has 4 different skins which drastically effect the feel of the scene
The best thing is that I have posted every skin in this thread somewhere! It has a grayish one, a white one, a yellow one, and a black one, each one giving a different feel to the environment. Imagine each one in different environments up here, and they give off a different feel. The white one gives off a clean feel to an area. The gray one gives off a more worn, generic feel to an area. The black one yields a stark, sharp understanding of the gameplay element of it being a barrier when paired against light substances. The yellow one attracts attention to the areas surrounding it by being obnoxiously bright.
Now get to using it more.
This... is the beautiful prop.
models/props_trainyard/handrail216.mdl
Also known as
THE BEST PROP EVER
Why is this prop so good? I have at least 3 reasons behind it.
1. It's small enough to put almost anywhere, yet has a noticeable impact on Gameplay
This prop is small. 216 units long by 4 units wide by around 33 units high. It fits almost anywhere. The main key here is that it is 33 units high. The barrier can be jumped over, but poses the issue of having the small window of time where you have little control to matter to surmount it. Should you jump over it? Should you not? Why am I not worshiping this prop? All these run through your mind when you see it in gameplay. The key here though is that it is small. Unlike its 480 and 640 brethren, you can fit this prop almost anywhere! 2fort battlements? Hell yeah! Badlands mid? Go for it!
Badlands mid? Horrible! It doesn't have handrail216, but it could have it!
2. It's a generic, unnoticeable prop, but it can be flashy as well
This prop is the ultimate multitasker. It can be invisible and visible at THE SAME TIME. Based on the angle of viewing and the skin used, you can make it look either boring and bland to focus attention elsewhere (A gray skin for it surrounded by concrete to attract attention to glass a la badlands) or from below in an exciting white or yellow to make it scream "Hey! I'm a barrier! Look at me!"
This prop isn't handrail216, but it's pretty close and does the first job.
This on the other hand a la gorge screams "I'm a sexy barrier, and you can't touch these things
"3. It can either block or not block explosives realistically
Based on its size and transparency, you can get away with having explosives travel through it, or not! Try THAT with badlands spire*! It depends on the conditions in the map and how it affects gameplay. Just make sure to have it consistent throughout the map!
*That is a very bad example of what I just said, as actually it does in badlands, the entire thing is just vertex manipulated with blockbullets if I recall correctly
Can you shoot through it or not? You decide!
4. It can be used in multiple ways in the same view (it and its sister props) and can easily make sense
Just look at this image and you'll understand what I mean.
See? Two sets, different skins, different uses, all incredibly clear!
5. It has 4 different skins which drastically effect the feel of the scene
The best thing is that I have posted every skin in this thread somewhere! It has a grayish one, a white one, a yellow one, and a black one, each one giving a different feel to the environment. Imagine each one in different environments up here, and they give off a different feel. The white one gives off a clean feel to an area. The gray one gives off a more worn, generic feel to an area. The black one yields a stark, sharp understanding of the gameplay element of it being a barrier when paired against light substances. The yellow one attracts attention to the areas surrounding it by being obnoxiously bright.
Now get to using it more.
