wa2secrets

eZeeD

L1: Registered
May 31, 2010
10
0
war4secrets

my first map for TF2 . its team DeadMatch map.created for 3 days .sorry for my english :O map have underground and many places to hide :O
 
Last edited:

StickZer0

💙💙💃💙💙
aa
Nov 25, 2008
664
647
Screenshots?
 

Swiftmind

L2: Junior Member
Dec 6, 2009
73
20
Hello there! Here I go (I make long posts haha)....

It is ok for a first map. I see a lot of issues.

Summery:
* Map is VERY tight. I only see pyros ruling this map.
* No optimization what so ever. Holes?
* Very dark areas.
* No game logic.


Map Optimization:
Looks like portals/visleafs were not calculated for this map. I see everything. Check for holes/leaks in the map otherwise it will not compile correctly. Please read up on map leaks and how to fix them. Never release a map with holes!

At one part of the map I was getting 40 FPS with a system that has Dual Nividia GTX 985 video cards and I7 965 CPU! Wow that is saying something on such a small map. The map also crashed TF2 twice in wireframe mode due to all the crap showing.

attachment.php


Holes cause this. Fix the holes please.

Remember: The texture NODRAW is your friend.

This is the outside edges of the map.
attachment.php

I should not see any of that. Problem is while I am inside the map, those outside faces are still being drawn taking vital resources from the player's system. Another example:
attachment.php

I should not see those faces. Plus look at the shadows, that is lightmap data which increases your map's filesize.

Make sure every brush/solid face the player can not see inside the map is the NODRAW texture.

Whenever you make a new solid block, always use the NODRAW texture first. Then once you place the block into position, manually apply the real texture using the Texture Application Tool. This will save you lots of issues like the ones I am talking about.

Also, go into your Hammer options and set the default LIGHTMAP to 64. Then adjust the lightmap via Texture Application Tool on specific faces. This will decrease unneeded lightmap data and map file size.

war4secrets_grass0.jpg

Looks like your using one of the dirt texture that adds grass to it. Problem is the player never sees the grass yet the system still renders it. Only use that texture on areas the player will actually run through.


Lighting
I am telling you right now TF2 players are going to hate the lighting. The pitch black areas with red color lights does not fit the Standard TF2 lighting.

NOTE: If you have holes in the map, lighting will not work properly!!!! Fix the holes first. Then look at the lighting.

attachment.php

Yeah my player model is standing there. Do you see it? Well you should.
war4secrets_dark0.jpg

Not sure if the props or improper compile is causing this darkness.

Areas are way too dark. In TF2 maps the lighting needs to be bright for two reasons:
1) Easy to find other players without any thought or keen eyes.
2) Easy to figure out visually what their team colors are.

You can get away with darker areas but it must be bright enough for the above reasons. Very dark/pitch black areas should be used to things that can not be reached.

Standard light color for TF2 is Grey/white. But that is boring to me. Yet you have too much color. I did the same (lots of colored lights) in Silo C and not many liked it. On point based lights pick colors that are a quater way up from the bottom. Also Good #s for Saturation and Luminosities are: Lum: 170-190. Sat: 50-100. Good intensities are LDR 190-250, HDR 85-125. If you dont know what I mean read up on lighting.

If you want to keep deep reds/colors then move them off to areas outside of playable area. Example:
war4secrets_blurespawn.jpg

Blue spawn is a very dark room. The middle should be brightly lite to show the main path. Then add some new detail to the ceiling such as grated pipes or vents and add the red color around them. So you still have the interesting red colors but up and out of the way of the playable area.


Map Tightness:
This map is way too tight. You need to scale up the map. Areas should be big enough for players to strafe in a circle. Look around for some tutorial on standard sizes for hallways and such.

attachment.php

This layout is actually good for a hallway. The inlets on the sides do wonders for cover. BUT it is too small. Keep the same layout just increase the width of the hallway.

war4secrets_tight1.jpg

This is going to be frustrating I think. This tunnel is very small and bad lighting. It may work if other areas are larger. ALSO I kept getting stuck on those dam poles. Take all those poles and make them NON-SOLID func_brush....or put a clip around them so the player slides around it.

war4secrets_smallexit.jpg

I thought this was a error at first. Then I realized it was real. This is an awful exit. Get rid of it or make it bigger.


Game Logic and Layout:
I dont play arena maps too often. But players should not be spawning in the open. They should have team specific rooms to spawn in just like any other map.

There was no game logic. Read up tutorials on how to make an arena map in terms of game logic and layout.

Your resupply locker logic is not setup correctly. The proper model is not being called to do the open animation. Make sure your triggers are calling the right locker model.


Spawn Bug:
Check your spawns points. Some are reported blocked.


Other things to Change:
The lower red tunnel has a bunch of blocks on the ground. My game view keeps getting bumped up and down. It gets annoying. Make those blocks that raise slightly above the floor NON-SOLID func_brush or get rid of them.

Put playerclips on the stairs.

war4secrets_roof.jpg

Watch out, I was able to climb up props and got sort of stuck on this roof.


Gee well that is it. Overall the look of the map is a good start. But I feel it is a bit blocky. You also are overusing the hazard strip texture I think. That texture is a trim, to accent the detail.
 

DjD

L5: Dapper Member
May 18, 2010
230
55
I dont play arena maps too often. But players should not be spawning in the open. They should have team specific rooms to spawn in just like any other map.

There was no game logic. Read up tutorials on how to make an arena map in terms of game logic and layout.

It isnt supposed to be an arena map, thus not supposed to have arena logic.
Its a deathmatch map, therefore players spawn anywhere on the map, not in teamspecific rooms.

The thing is just, that deathmatch maps are really rare in tf2 and tf2 players dont actually know them.
 

eZeeD

L1: Registered
May 31, 2010
10
0
thanks ,but fog change view distance on more shorter , its no help for optimization ?