May 2013 Newsletter
Hey everyone! We're ridiculously late but anyway here's a recap of everything TF2Maps.net this past 4 months.
News
In Major Site News, our 9th Major Contest, Mann vs Machine has been and gone. The results are in and the winners have been announced! Check out http://mvm.tf2maps.net/winners/ for the full results. Thanks to everyone who participated, tested, played and judged the maps! In the meantime, how about posting some ideas on what you think would be a good idea for our next contest and why we should do it in our Contest Ideas thread?
Raven Software have once again begin their Level Design Internship Program and IrishTaxIDriver has invited our members to get involved and participate. More information here: http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20756 Ends July 1st.
With Yyler leaving the site staff team and TF2maps as a whole our MvM server that he owned and graciously donated to the site is now long dead, the good news is we've gone and made one for ourselves! The ip is 74.91.116.138:27015 (click to join). The feedback plugin and uploading are all setup for it thanks to Ravidge and Drp. I've uploaded all the contest maps so there's something to play on over there for now.
Ex-Staff Frozen has just put the thread for his 4th almost-annual TF2maps's 72hr Mapping Contest! Starts Friday June 21st. Click here for more details
In TF2 news, EVERYTHING HAS EXPLODED! The dreaded STEAMPIPE update for TF2 is here and the SDK made completely unusable unless you preemptively backed up a bunch of files before you converted your client to the new format. Here's a FAQ Valve made if you still have more questions on what's changed with Steampipe.
Dont fret though, Fletcher from Valve has very kindly opened up the beta steampipe compatible SDK up to the public, just opt into the sdk_tools beta for TF2 through the Betas tab in your TF2 Properties from in the Steam Library. More info in Jethro's thread here. The SDK beta is a very early release and expect some minor issues if you choose to opt in for the ride, like that's ever been problem before.
In minor site and server news...
Maps and Assets Highlight
A couple maps have been moved over to our Map Showcase with some of our more finished maps and 3DNJ retools his map kong king into Arena gamemode
Tutorials, Resources, Guides and Discussion
And that wraps up these last few months, Don't forget to join our Steam group (Link) for announcements on major site events as well as Map testing events and impromptus. If you just want to be informed of these newsletters every millenia to catch up on what's going on around here like our Facebook page (Link) where that's pretty much all that will be used for! See you next time
Hey everyone! We're ridiculously late but anyway here's a recap of everything TF2Maps.net this past 4 months.
News
In Major Site News, our 9th Major Contest, Mann vs Machine has been and gone. The results are in and the winners have been announced! Check out http://mvm.tf2maps.net/winners/ for the full results. Thanks to everyone who participated, tested, played and judged the maps! In the meantime, how about posting some ideas on what you think would be a good idea for our next contest and why we should do it in our Contest Ideas thread?
Raven Software have once again begin their Level Design Internship Program and IrishTaxIDriver has invited our members to get involved and participate. More information here: http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20756 Ends July 1st.
With Yyler leaving the site staff team and TF2maps as a whole our MvM server that he owned and graciously donated to the site is now long dead, the good news is we've gone and made one for ourselves! The ip is 74.91.116.138:27015 (click to join). The feedback plugin and uploading are all setup for it thanks to Ravidge and Drp. I've uploaded all the contest maps so there's something to play on over there for now.
Ex-Staff Frozen has just put the thread for his 4th almost-annual TF2maps's 72hr Mapping Contest! Starts Friday June 21st. Click here for more details
In TF2 news, EVERYTHING HAS EXPLODED! The dreaded STEAMPIPE update for TF2 is here and the SDK made completely unusable unless you preemptively backed up a bunch of files before you converted your client to the new format. Here's a FAQ Valve made if you still have more questions on what's changed with Steampipe.
Dont fret though, Fletcher from Valve has very kindly opened up the beta steampipe compatible SDK up to the public, just opt into the sdk_tools beta for TF2 through the Betas tab in your TF2 Properties from in the Steam Library. More info in Jethro's thread here. The SDK beta is a very early release and expect some minor issues if you choose to opt in for the ride, like that's ever been problem before.
In minor site and server news...
- One of our Members, Selentic taken over Sunday Gamedays and pulled them back Saturdays with a Funday on Sunday instead. Go send him a PM just saying a single 'thanks, you're cute :3', he loves that.
- The stock 24 player server should be all fixed now, thanks to Ravidge again
Maps and Assets Highlight
A couple maps have been moved over to our Map Showcase with some of our more finished maps and 3DNJ retools his map kong king into Arena gamemode
- pl_curve - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=18986
- koth_railbridge - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=19780
- arena_king - yes, it's been done before, but this is the official 3Dnj version!
- Buffalo cutout - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20774
- Maritime business signs - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20719
Tutorials, Resources, Guides and Discussion
- VradFix, FubarFX's Lightmap Editor - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=21080
A alpha build of tool to fix/edit your compiled map's lightmaps from looking like this
- Splash Damage Bug - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20749
A little infodump on what the bug is, what it effects and how to make your maps avoid the problem
- Mann vs Machine Attributes - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20732
Behind You's finished guide on what are MVM robot attributes, how they work and how to use them. Great for making some really unique .pop files
- MVM Robot Icons - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20809
A guide on how to use the MVM robot icons that show you what's coming up this wave and how to make custom ones for any custom robots types you've made
- The Dev Process: Creating KOTH Quarry - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20770
Following on from Yyler's article on what went into making koth_anthem, Idolon discusses what went into koth_quarry and where it is now
- First Map Blues - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20765
A new member discusses the issues he's having making his first maps and some members give some advice on how to get through that first creative slump
- Map Rights - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20791
We talk about how a map can be protected from others decompiling it and why it's a useless endeavor with suggestions on other ways to prove a map is yours
- Things I Wish I'd been Told When Making my First Map - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=21024
Yet another helpful list of tips for the newest among us (and maybe some older ones that just never learn). Take a good read and get yourself on the right path from the start, there are many pitfalls in source mapping, luckily posts like these are here to help.
- TrenchBroom, a user created Quake 1 map editor - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=20987
Who knew that mapping for Quake was still a thing? Nevertheless a man has created a new mapping editor from scratch for this old game. Quake is very heavy on it's BSP editing and as such this tool focuses a lot on improving that aspect of mapping. Very nice to see what he's done and then we can all join in and be mad because these features aren't part of TF2 mapping yet.
And that wraps up these last few months, Don't forget to join our Steam group (Link) for announcements on major site events as well as Map testing events and impromptus. If you just want to be informed of these newsletters every millenia to catch up on what's going on around here like our Facebook page (Link) where that's pretty much all that will be used for! See you next time
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