[Tutorial/Tip] Adding more detail to spawn rooms!

[Lord Ned]

Okay, You know your all guilty. You slap a few props in, and you call it done because no one is ever going to spend much time in there.

Congradulations, your map just turned into a second rate map. Alot of time is actually spent looking at the spawn room, so you may as well do it right.

Here's a few tips on what you can do to add more detail. (All taken from Valve's latest map, Goldrush)

Our first image is taken from one corner, looking to another. Here we see 3 major things that stand out. A. My spray on the floor, and B. A soldier standing there. Naw kidding. (Forgot to move spray, was online lol)

Anyways, We have 2 light sources, and a large ventilation system. We also have a single supply cabinite sticking out on the wall, along with two benches, a few different vents, a bell and an arrow.

Second image, we have a look at the door. There is another vent, and a speaker system. We see the end to the ventilation system, (going out the roof), some steps, more arrows and a camera. And a light switch. Do you know how many spawnrooms don't have lightswitches? There's also a block over the door, and an exit sign.

Third image, a look at the roof.
Big whole in the roof, and then there's alot of detail up there. We have windows to let ambient light in, some support beams, and most imporantly, it gives theory to the next screenshot.

Here is the floor right under the above screenshot. See how there's a pit and a pile of gold? Therefor we can come to the conclusion that this used to be some sort of storehouse or storage facility, much to the theme of Goldrush. It gives the feeling that Blu adapted their spawn room (and retextured it) from another, old building.

So with all this in mind, i set out to change my spawnroom on my latest WIP. (

)

It went from THIS:

(Okay I cheated, I hadn't started on a real spawnroom when i started this tutorial. I just slapped down a brush or two and added a light. )

To this:
Error the reference could not be read at 0xx8090. I'll have a real pic up later after I go bash some noobs in TF2 and hammer stops crashing. It's currently lagging (While just looking at my spawn room) and crashing too often. Valve. D:

 

[DasMatze]

I'd like to see more different spawnrooms. Like the blue one of Dustbowl Stage 1. Or the blue one of Gravelpit.

I see you have a camera on the second pic. I place camera props only where spectator cameras are. And I think the lightswitch anyway doesn't match with the rest of the respawnroom, therefore it's under props_farm.

On my current map I have an entrance to the spawnroom from the outside. There is a glassdoor, a room behind that and another glassdoor. Then there is the outside where the blu pickup stands. I will post pics soon if you want. Maybe you can say me what I could add/improve.

DasMatze

 

[Ace]

I like the mop and bucket in the corner, nice idea.

I have been playing with tinted lighting in the spawn rooms, it's about the only safe place for it as it doesn't affect the play (whereas a big blue light on a CP and you cannot see who is on what team).

 

[Lord Ned]

Missing some detail still there Ace. And yeah, that lightswitch does look out of place, I think it's because it has the 90 degree turn and doesn't go streight up.

 

[DasMatze]

@Ace: It might look a little better if the faces with the metal beam texture were a bit inside of the concrete beams so that they are I-shaped beams like the one of the valve maps. But that's not necessary of course.

That's my spawnrooms:
Here I added some prop_physics like the beerbottles:

(This is the blue respawn so I will change the wood later to metal)

A concrete one:

A wooden one:

When I placed the spiderwebs, I thought of the room in 2fort where the metal bars are in the ground (where you can jump though). There are also these small dots/sparks which fly slowly through the air. Does anyone know which entity cause them?

And here I added a window roof (together with a messed up lightgrid :/ ):

Don't make the mistake that I did, leave enough space for props.

DasMatze

 

[Lord Ned]

As for the small dots/sparks it might be func_dustmotes.

 

[Sgt Frag]

DasMatze, spawn rooms look good, like the one with the glass.

Thought it was funny that people keep telling Lord Ned how his details look nice when he said it's pics from DUSTBOWL

 

[Lord Ned]

I did? /me goes to re-read the thread. I never said anything about my map. Also it's pics from GOLDRUSH. (See even check the image name. )
The one with the glass, too high/not big enough panes of glass, plus put brush based frames and not material based ones.

 

[Baraleth]

do you know how to make those grates to open after the setup phase ends?

 

[Laz]

add a trigger multiple and have it open all relevant games,

then from the timer entity, onsetupfinished or something like that, trigger the trigger_multiple. or you could trigger every door straight from your timer entity. but that's not really a clean way.

 

[Armadillo of Doom]

Very good write-up. Whenever I'm playing, I always enjoy taking a few moments to simply look around and admire the attention to detail that Valve has, and try to recreate it in my own maps. Things like the gold pit and open roof really add to the ambience. Also, I love your wip pics, simply cuz the spawn room starts out in teh water, lol.

 

[Baraleth]

alright thanks

 

[Baraleth]

ya I have one more question about the respawn rooms. On a attack/defend map, how do you make it so the defending team and the attacking team spawn in different places.