Y a DM m i p

[Ive]

I doubt you like my 'quantity over quality' trend, but anyway, here's (again) a DM map for playtesting, Lava Chapel. The basic layout is done, just some extra scenery, items and texturing will be added... It's still rather small, pretty much like my previous map, has an idea ripped off some post I saw in these forums, ... I could go on forever with this list of reasons not to bother trying :) At least it shouldn't choke up your puter as much as my previous map did.

http://romu.tky.hut.fi/~ivza/ssam/lavachapel7.jpg
Anyway, some old screenshots arehere (http://romu.tky.hut.fi/~ivza/ssam/), so is the gro file (http://romu.tky.hut.fi/~ivza/ssam/lavachapel.gro).

(No IC, there's no water pool in this map :) )

[Iirion Claus]

No pool? :shocked: What are you talking about? There are about five pools... I even managed to get out of them with the rocket launcher without dying :)

Down to business. The map design is realy neat (spooky red fog, *grin*), but it feels so empty! Most of the rooms have only one or two items, and the medpack room has a neat arch with nothing to fill it.
Additionally, the upper level feels so unexploited! How about expanding it: adding a bridge like on the bottom floor (with an ammopack or heart, or even a bumper for a THIRD floor) and adding more rooms on the sides?

Neat map, if that's what you call quantity over quality then you underestimate your work :)

[KissMyAxe]

just had a quick runabout Ive

Nice cohesive theme better than sewerdump
some of the textures are a bit too stretched giving them a fuzzy look
some trim around pools and doorways needed (but at beta 1 i guess this will be on your list anyway)

framerates are excellent throughout
even testing on a p3 450/tnt2ultra fps didnt drop below 40

bit small though even for 1v1

very nice first beta test


(Edited by KissMyAxe at 9:50 pm on May 22, 2001)

[Ive]

I know the map is rather empty :) I was going to place something on the walls, but then my annual depression struck (for the 2nd time this year.. did I say annual? Who cares..) and I didn't do that much tonight, just threw some things around in there.. In any case, I tried to plan the top so that ppl there would have a clear sight on those wannabes going for the red armor, making the pickup a bit risky. But I didn't want to turn the ledge to a camping position either. I might add some ammo up there, but if I added some more levels, it would be even more like Sewer Dump - something I wish to avoid :)

As for adding more rooms.. well, I had hard time coming up even with that arc :) And the RL room was inspired by q1dm4.. and so on. I'll see what I can come up while commuting tomorrow (2h of sitting in train each day),
but I certainly won't leave the walls that plain and rooms as void of items as they now are.

And a bit more on the amount of stuff in there.. my friend said there's too much bullets (there's only two packs of each ammo type), and if that's too much, then.. :) Maybe with a larger group playing it is insufficient.. I'll look to that as well.

As for 'quantity over quality'... well so far my maps haven't been highly acclaimed (and I know they never will be, so don't even bother), so it can't be quality, but I aim to be quite prolific and therefore it's quantity. Although the maps tend to be a bit small and redundant...

[Iirion Claus]

I don't think that taking the armor is very risky, even with three or four people playing... Actually, if I happen to be on top, my next move will probably be to drop on the armor myself :) How about adding a heart floating in the air above it? People will try to jump there, usually landing in the lava.

Another idea- instead of having a health box, make the arc transport you someplace else, maybe a small arena with a medium armor and some ammo, plus a teleporter back to the main area.

[Ive]

I came to the same conclusion with the armor :) Your teleporter idea was good (and I should learn how to make them anyway), but I think I'll just add some space outside the building by doing some 'outdoor' environment (it will be inside a cave in any case), placing the chapel by a river of molten lava. The entrances would be at the ledges. But I'll try to make this happen tonight..

In general, I attempt to make maps so that no single corridor/pathway/teleport is the only way to reach any area. That teleport (without another one somewhere else) would've been such a thing. In SD the hatch was one of those; but I just followed orders :) (not a valid excuse, though).

KMA, thanks, the textures you mentioned.. are you speaking of the arch and the roof of the core shaft or are there some others as well? I'll try to fix the former two tonight.
Btw, I've been wondering: is it possible to create flowing water, I mean, when player steps in the water, the currents move him?

[KissMyAxe]

yes Ive i was refering to those textures
the textures are also misaligned on the arches

the floor texture is also just on the verge of being too stretched

im with you on the gameplay issues
dead ends and too easy ambush points ruin gameplay

as for the water i do recall some earlier posts with the same topic but i didnt follow the thread so happy hunting

[Iirion Claus]

Try doing a trick similar to the Conveyer Belt... Maybe invisible brushes pushing you through the water or something? Or a realy weak gravity marker?


Gravity Markers don't work underwater. I did a big invisible moving brush that pushes Sam through the water, but (a) he can't fight against it (while it's possible with real water) and (b) it has bullet marks when shot. So I've no idea how useful my solution is *smirk*


(Edited by Iirion Claus at 6:11 pm on May 23, 2001)

[Ive]

I put up two new screenshots of the new area I've done... it's a bit unpolished atm, but I'll make the walls seem a bit more rugged and the building will get some decoration as well. I'll look into gameplay issues after I've done some testplaying with a friend or two. I'll try to make some progress by next weekend.

Btw KMA, the floor textures haven't been stretched. At least I think so.. But that's not important.

Thanks to you all for feedback (again ;) )

[Naythn]

I think the map you ripped the ideas from is here:
http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~serioussam/ikonboard/topic.cgi?forum=5&topic=542

It's ok that you're using my idea(if you are).

(Edited by Naythn at 12:13 am on May 24, 2001)

[Ive]

Hmm. I wasn't speaking of your map. I remember seeing one screenshot that had a room with lava and orange fog. That was the main inspiration for the core shaft. But thanks for your permission anyway, your map looked so good that maybe someday I will take some concepts out of it :)

[Iirion Claus]

Naythn- I don't think that having a nice texture in the middle of the ceiling (or a dome, on your case) can be considered ripping ideas... Unless you ripped that idea from most cathedrals :)

[Naythn]

The four columns and the rooms leading off between them reminded them of my map.