WiP in WiP, post your screenshots!

[Micnax]

Check with whoever did that TF2 side-scroller.

That was thirdperson_platformer with the player forced into a 2D walking plane and the keyboard config changed to only allow certain movement. This is a little different as the camera is controlled externally. I tried sending a thirdperson command through a point_servercommand before the point_viewcontrol is brought in but it simply overrides it.

If I can't manage it then I'll try and parent an object to the player so the player is invisible but the parented object isn't, acting as a 'dummy' that the player can see, if you see what I mean. I'd prefer the actual player though.

 

[TheBestUsername]

I've been working on a custom roof texture for KoTH Stockyard. I'm almost done with it, I just need to add a few details and clean up the seams:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kop0ek2wf0f59aq/2014-06-16_00003.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qa3o8kut27kobw4/2014-06-16_00004.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/n6takbb5t9alh9i/2014-06-16_00002.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bhf4qg1p5t53jwf/textureinprog01.png

Painting custom textures for TF2 isn't actually all that hard if you have Photoshop and a Wacom tablet (and talent, which I am clearly lacking). I wish more people would make custom textures; I'm getting really sick of seeing the same old Valve ones all the time.

 

[Bakscratch]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bhf4qg1p5t53jwf/textureinprog01.png

Some shard edges on the paint there.

 

[UKCS-Alias]

I've seen multiple custom maps at STAR_'s server after each other, and those maps are voted for, and it uis still atleast 20 people in there.

That is exactly one of those random servers with interested people he talked about. He is right on that point, without interest your map wont get started.

However...
If a custom map server has a map being popular that map will spread acros servers slowly and eventualy become a normal custom map. And this is why only good maps will get that far. Bad maps wont get past those servers since they dont build a good enough name.

And as mentioned before aswel. Competetive tf2 players are the ones who promote those maps best and they promote only maps that suit their playstyle. Although often just 6v6 those maps show a basic level of balance which for teams is fun enough. Sadly though they dont balance the '3 sentries at last cp with a spawn next to the cp' part which is usualy the pub killer. But maps that do balance it end up quite well.

Still, valve should promote custom maps better. Even if of lesser quality promoting custom maps of a decent quality on the blog is going to give those maps a far better chance. A map doesnt allways need to be perfect, just look at the lots of css maps that exist. There are still plenty of poor looking yet excelent gameplay maps there. And on tf2 there are also a few of those maps.

 

[xzzy]

I'm sure they're working super hard on supporting maps in the workshop, it's just around the corner guys!

 

[TheBestUsername]

I'm sure they're working super hard on supporting maps in the workshop, it's just around the corner guys!

I'm sure Valve is actually just waiting for the community to make more hats, so they don't even have to bother modeling them. :glare:

Seriously, though, say what you will about me, but I really have been angry at the way Valve has been handling TF2 lately. They haven't made any maps of their own since the Tale of Two Cities update, and they haven't made any custom maps official since Snakewater. I know the End of The Line update is coming in a few days, but it will likely only contain one new map, the moonbase one. The fact that TF2 hasn't had a true update in almost a year makes me a little sad, I guess, because custom maps going official is essentially the only way to get them played outside of the comp community. And the comp community always wants their maps to be structured in a very specific way, which leads to a lot of mappers making pretty unoriginal KoTH and 5CP maps, just so someone will actually play them.

Valve could fix this problem if they made more maps official, overhauled the quickplay system, and added Steam Workshop support for maps, but I really don't expect them to ever do those things. If it hasn't happened yet, why would it happen in the near future?

 

[ThrowingPie]

Yet another idea I'm currently playing with.
A Kong King themed Attack/defend map. Currently just playing with the visuals.

Yes that building has no back, still working on placing a CP inside,

From the far end of the street, (left is blu spawn, right is the red building shown above

Small closed alleyway

 

[bungy]

Wow, I always assumed the workshop had support for maps. I guess Valve couldn't come up with a way to put a pricetag on them.

 

[fubarFX]

And the comp community always wants their maps to be structured in a very specific way, which leads to a lot of mappers making pretty unoriginal KoTH and 5CP maps

going to be that guy that calls bullshit, they just don't know what they want to play until they play it. surprise them! it's certainly not their fault if most mappers are sticking to to unoriginal yet proven layouts. I mean, come on now.

 

[TheBestUsername]

AustralianHH, that map looks awesome.

 

[xzzy]

going to be that guy that calls bullshit, they just don't know what they want to play until they play it. surprise them! it's certainly not their fault if most mappers are sticking to to unoriginal yet proven layouts. I mean, come on now.

Which is what I'm trying to do with Crater (that map with the makes-no-sense dome I posted in here last week). I just need to get off my butt and playtest the damn thing.

 

[Grizzly Berry]

Slowly making progress on my Payload map. Hoping to make good use of some of the new vehicle props we've been provided.

 

[Micnax]

Further testing:

The point_viewcontrol can't display the player model so I parented some objects to it so I know where I'm going. Only problems are:
• Getting the camera to move forward or backward along the track depending on key presses
• Getting the portal gun to fire in a direction the mouse is pointing, rather than being stuck in the spawn direction

 

[Penguin]

Cute!!

 

[Crash]

I'm really amused with this.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

Thats a lot of blue wall.

 

[Crash]

Yeah, not even remotely close to done detailing that room yet

 

[Grizzly Berry]

Finally finished laying all my track. Just need to finish Red's spawn at last and a few more areas and I'll be done with a1. First Payload map. Yay.

 

[Yacan1]

I was really bored and tired so I made temp_bo02.mdl into something. I clipped it too! It actually gave me some inspiration

 

[Pocket]

But it's a verifiable fact that custom maps will drain servers. Not just because quickplay won't put players on custom maps, but because pubs generally aren't interested in learning new maps. The penny arcade server has that problem every single Friday, Upward or Gorge will bring in the pubs and put us at 24/24, then switching to cp_randommap_b2 will generate a slow exodus of people leaving, even if it's a good map. Two custom maps in a row are almost guaranteed to kill the server.

That's a real shame. Time was, servers aimed at specific communities like that (as opposed to servers aimed at Quickplay-using randoms) were the best place for custom maps to survive. People would go ahead and let them download, knowing that they were going to keep coming back so they wouldn't have to download them again after that. I wonder what's changed.