- May 7, 2008
- 315
- 140
So, as promised, here is my ctf_Aerospace map WiP thread and my semi-intro.
I'm a slightly not-sane person who likes games so much that I want to make my own. I chose the Source engine, and especially TF2, as my starting point because:
I have mapped for HL in the past, back at 1998, but never came close to anything good. I then took a hiatus from mapping until may this year, when I started working on this map.
As I said, I'm not a totally sane person, and I like to detail, report and show off all my work. So expect this thread to be, literally, stuffed with pictures, descriptions, sketches and anything else I may think is important to the making of this map.
I started doing this map at Made in Brazil, that's where I am from, and you can find the original thread in here. There should be some more images and step-by-steps there, but most of the great stuff is already here.
Anyway, I guess you want to know what this map is all about after so much reading eh?
Well, there's more reading then!
Yea, I mean the map's context, story, description:
Story
Research and inspiration
Following the great design of TF2, I decided that each base should have their own unique look.
First Sketches
The two structures that I decided would be most important where the Control Tower and the Hangar. I also liked the first sketch so much that I decided to use it as my point of start for the whole base layout.
Level Layout
These where the first layouts I created.
Each base would basically have two exits, one trough the Office building and into the Yard area. The other trough the Sewers.
The Intel and Spawnroom would be inside the Hangar.
The Sewer has two entrances/exit, one behind the Hangar and another behind the Tower. A third passage would be an open sewer cap near the lower corner of the base, but it would be only a way in, the only possible way to enter the base trough this hole would be to blast jump your way up.
The Office would offer the main connection between the base and the Yard, with sniper platforms and places for spies and pyros to get their game going.
This height map shows where ascout can double-jump (light grey, the barricades), a soldier can go with a rocket-jump (mid-grey, the Hangar ceilling and the first level of the Office) and where a Demoman can get with a standard Sticky-jump (black area on the top of the Office, but not the top of the Tower).
Finally, this gives an idea about the size of the entire map and feel of the two airports.
Airplanes
As central pieces to the map's look, these demand careful planning. As I said, I was more a modeller than a mapper at this point, so I needed to make at least one of these complete models to get myself togheter and start mapping the beast.
These two last are real pintings, I like to go from digital to real as it gives me creativity freedom.
Visual Identity
Red Baron Model
OMG!!! That's awful!
My eyes burn!
Now we are talking!
I got to the end and made this a full Source model, with shadow models, LoDs and all:
Hammer sketches
OMG! That's awful (remember that I only have been back to mapping for a few weeks).
More sketches
Where I am now
Fence Model
I'm still more a modeller than a mapper, so I must create and finish a model now and then.
Well than, that's it for now, I'll be posting here more regularly with updates, and a truckload of questions!
Thanks for watching, comments, criticizm, or random posts of praise are encouraged!
I'm a slightly not-sane person who likes games so much that I want to make my own. I chose the Source engine, and especially TF2, as my starting point because:
- Valve rocks and HL, HL:2 and The Orange Box are superb.
- I am a half decent modeller/texturer/artist and TF2 offers me the chance to exploit these skills.
I have mapped for HL in the past, back at 1998, but never came close to anything good. I then took a hiatus from mapping until may this year, when I started working on this map.
As I said, I'm not a totally sane person, and I like to detail, report and show off all my work. So expect this thread to be, literally, stuffed with pictures, descriptions, sketches and anything else I may think is important to the making of this map.
I started doing this map at Made in Brazil, that's where I am from, and you can find the original thread in here. There should be some more images and step-by-steps there, but most of the great stuff is already here.
Anyway, I guess you want to know what this map is all about after so much reading eh?
Well, there's more reading then!
Yea, I mean the map's context, story, description:
ctf_Aerospace
Story
"The Government has issued a contract for the creation of the new line of combat planes that are to be the standard for the near future. Two rivalling companies, Red Aerospace and Blue Aviation, are now battling for the contract.
After many months of lawsuits, legal actions and speculation, the The Government has decided to let both companies create a prototype, and has given advanced funding to both. At the end of the deadline, both prototypes will be analyzed and the best one fully produced, giving it's parent company will recieve the funding of a gazillion dollars for it.
Unfortunately, the production must be carried out in a secret location, and both companies have been given one half of the terrain to estabilish their facilities.
After many months of hard work, espionage and peeking over the walls, they each have their own prototype ready ahead of time. They could use this extra time to make their plane better, but stealing the opponent's blueprints and sabotaging their planes seems like a better option.
And so their facilities have became a warzone."
After many months of lawsuits, legal actions and speculation, the The Government has decided to let both companies create a prototype, and has given advanced funding to both. At the end of the deadline, both prototypes will be analyzed and the best one fully produced, giving it's parent company will recieve the funding of a gazillion dollars for it.
Unfortunately, the production must be carried out in a secret location, and both companies have been given one half of the terrain to estabilish their facilities.
After many months of hard work, espionage and peeking over the walls, they each have their own prototype ready ahead of time. They could use this extra time to make their plane better, but stealing the opponent's blueprints and sabotaging their planes seems like a better option.
And so their facilities have became a warzone."
Research and inspiration
Following the great design of TF2, I decided that each base should have their own unique look.
- Blue would use a lot of concrete, metal and angular lines. Their prototype would be based on the early jet fighters of the end of WWII.
- Red woul use wood and copper, curved lines. Their prototype would be based on the famous Fokker DrI plane.
First Sketches
The two structures that I decided would be most important where the Control Tower and the Hangar. I also liked the first sketch so much that I decided to use it as my point of start for the whole base layout.
Level Layout
These where the first layouts I created.
Each base would basically have two exits, one trough the Office building and into the Yard area. The other trough the Sewers.
The Intel and Spawnroom would be inside the Hangar.
The Sewer has two entrances/exit, one behind the Hangar and another behind the Tower. A third passage would be an open sewer cap near the lower corner of the base, but it would be only a way in, the only possible way to enter the base trough this hole would be to blast jump your way up.
The Office would offer the main connection between the base and the Yard, with sniper platforms and places for spies and pyros to get their game going.
This height map shows where ascout can double-jump (light grey, the barricades), a soldier can go with a rocket-jump (mid-grey, the Hangar ceilling and the first level of the Office) and where a Demoman can get with a standard Sticky-jump (black area on the top of the Office, but not the top of the Tower).
Finally, this gives an idea about the size of the entire map and feel of the two airports.
Airplanes
As central pieces to the map's look, these demand careful planning. As I said, I was more a modeller than a mapper at this point, so I needed to make at least one of these complete models to get myself togheter and start mapping the beast.
These two last are real pintings, I like to go from digital to real as it gives me creativity freedom.
Visual Identity
Red Baron Model
OMG!!! That's awful!
My eyes burn!
Now we are talking!
I got to the end and made this a full Source model, with shadow models, LoDs and all:
Hammer sketches
OMG! That's awful (remember that I only have been back to mapping for a few weeks).
More sketches
Where I am now
Fence Model
I'm still more a modeller than a mapper, so I must create and finish a model now and then.
Well than, that's it for now, I'll be posting here more regularly with updates, and a truckload of questions!
Thanks for watching, comments, criticizm, or random posts of praise are encouraged!
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