[WIP] ctf_culvert

[xelab]

ctf_culvert_b2:

Now with a lot nicer cliff walls and very basic lighting.

New pictures:

Notes for b2:

- Anyone know why everything is so bright? (ref: bottle, intel, decals, sky)
- Please muck around in the .vmf and figure out why. The light_environment is in the center, in the sky, just below the skybox.
- The walls are done with displacement, I believe they turned out very nice. Thanks for suggesting this.

Old post:
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Hey all, this is my first map, so it's pretty bad compared to some of (read: all of) the other maps I've seen here. Still, I had to start somewhere, and I'd like some feedback.

The basic idea of ctf_culvert is exactly that of a bombing run map in UT. "Flag" in the middle, teams fight to push the flag into a goal at the other teams base. The capture point is above the exit of the other team's spawn; follow the arrows, and jump through the yellow/black striped rectangle.

I tried to think of every class as I was making this, yet I think it is a bit unbalanced. Pyros and Engineers seem especially weak on the map, while Snipers and Demomen will do pretty well. Agree/disagree? Thoughts on how to fix?

Pictures:
Old pictures removed.

Some notes:
- Pictures aren't directly shown because of the ugly bar.
- The textures are UGLY. They're placeholders, sorta. I have very little artistic ability, and nothing I'll ever make will resemble the quality that Valve can churn out, so the textures stay as they are.
- I need a better way to take screenshots. (those ugly gray bars ruin the pictures a bit.) How should I load the map so as to run it without a UI?
- Lighting isn't done. I messed up the lighting somehow by making a bunch of lights, deciding I didn't want them anymore, and then deleting the entities, but the light stayed. So compile in HDR otherwise the map is (probably) very dark.
- Also, this isn't a culvert. ctf_ditch didn't have the same ring to it though.

All feedback appreciated.

 

[nossie]

hmm first off: anyones first map isnt very good. its probably better to not post it. the first map is to get the basics of hammer and start getting into it. but oh well ill comment on it anyway.

those textures.... they need to be varied a little more. the outside wall maybe make it a cliff texture? and displace it so as to learn how to make cliffs?
if u need help with TF2 textures go into the texture browser and in the filters type "tf" and only tf2 textures will appear.

you need to place more cover along the way so that sniper do not dominate heaps. add more paths to the middle maybe make a hill so as to stop snipers shooting across the whole map.

as for the leak do u have any Entities outside the map? i dont know about the point file not loading. also if u have a leak lights will not work properly.

the skybox if im correct with my guessing as to the error then yes u can leave it it is valves fault.

anything i miss?... cant remember lol

o well just a few comments

 

[Cameron:D]

Its better than my first map
I agree with the cliff texture you the walls.
If you add lights then the textures will look better.
You need to put an env_cubemap in there to fix the intelligence checkers.
Again, looks good for a first map

 

[xelab]

Thanks for your feedback, I've made some changes based on what you suggested.

The cliffs turned out pretty well, I believe. Agree/disagree? Improvements that can be made?

I haven't changed any of the layout of the map, so Snipers are still dominating and Pyros are getting dominated. This will be fixed.

Also, light_environment. It's making everything really bright and shiny. Anyone know how to fix this? The brightness value is 700, I believe, but changing it doesn't seem to do anything. It's in the sky in the middle if anyone wants to look around in the .vmf.

Thanks again for all feedback.

 

[nossie]

see it looks better already! with the lighting it gives it more of a mood.
just to check tho. did u put nodraws behind the dispacements? because they dont block the void. also the shiny thing might b a leak (dno if u got one) which causes it to screw up, uhh cubemaps? dont think so tho, or did u compile in hdr?

 

[Gadget]

I might be wrong but from the very dark buildings in the first screenshot it seems that you have used some prop textures, did you? Try not to use textures that have 'prop' or 'model' in its name because they will give you lighting errors. Correct me if you didn't use them.

For lighting: You need an env_tonemap_controller that will set the lighting values for HDR lighting (name it tonemap_global). There's also need for an logic_auto that will set these values on map spawn. The logic_auto needs to have the following outputs:

- OnMapSpawn | tonemap_global | SetBloomScale | .3
- OnMapSpawn | tonemap_global | SetAutoExposureMax | 1.1
- OnMapSpawn | tonemap_global | SetAutoExposureMin | .7

of course you can change those numbers. This is used to not get overbright HDR lights. Here's some more information about it: VALVE wiki HDR_lighting_settings

 

[xelab]

@ nossie: Yes, the whole map is sealed with nodraws. Should I do this differently? I'm positive there is no leak, as there is no pointfile generated and the log doesn't show any leaks.

@ GarbageMan: prop textures: I can't check at the moment, but I wouldn't be surprised if I did. Thanks for the notice.

lighting: Thanks a ton, you're great help. I'll get this into my map and hopefully everything will be alright.

 

[nossie]

yes make sure there are nodraws behind the displacements but make sure u dont just enclose the map in a box because that is bad for performance and it makes it render stuff it shouldnt.