OpenArena Message Boards

I was bored (same story as always...) and took out to pick a map and modify it until it's no longer recognizable.

After a bit of chitchat on Discord, the map I chose was czest2ctf. Chief complaint is the lack of variance between routes, other problems include the lack of recognition between bases, and performance issues with the size of the map.

Here's a first alpha. The map can be selected through GUI, but can also be opened with /map oac_czest2.
One of the noticeable problems are the base arrows.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3rrludv6e32peeo/oac_czest2-a1.pk3?dl=0

Some screenshots:

(https://i.imgur.com/0kjYxHCl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Or2DDREl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UodvDTOl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UjYDshSl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3JKxGAwl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aUT9rIQl.jpg)

I'm really digging that lava background you got going here.  This is a nice replacement of the broken sky shader


Maybe there can be a proper floor texture for that wall texture misused as the floor now

Nice! ^_^

A few things:
- Are you sure about removing all the armor shards from the upper level?
- There is a decorative flag in a corner where the player can reach, ending up shown compenetrating.
- Elevators should be made "solid to the ground", "pillar-like" for bots (at least with botclip), to avoid problems with them going under them. I haven't tried with bots yet, but I tested with bot_testsolid 1, and it looks like there isn't botclip under the platform.
- Jumppads aren't immediately recognizable as jumppads. Maybe adding some sparks floating over them (like in oa_koth2) may help.

Perhaps in the next update, now that I'm back home, I can do proper flag banners with the OA logo.
Trimming and keep on improving the weapon/item placement will also be a must.

Why all this unproportional stairs? Open Arena Maps sould of course not follow realistically rules or layout. But the design of some elements shall make appear like realistic architecture in my opinion.
It looks like a crazy highway accidence that hurts in the eyes.

Hint: use real environments from pictures or real places as reference to shape map objects or elements.
Let you inspire by general samlpes of the real world.

Bring in some esthetic into your bursh work.


Stair samlpe (hope I can make it visual):

bad design:

ratio of tread and riser is unrealistic ridiculous

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better design:

more realistical tread rise ratio this kind of stairs you also see in the real world

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yes I know at the sample picture the space is not available to change the design regarding that, so enlarge the spot, make a bigger room whats end in a more realistic layout 

Or... take the third option and replace the stairs with jumppads, due to the short size of the area. It could be the better option.

Perfect, yes Neon ... now we on the right direction  :-*, thats also will work and bring in some more dynamic into the movement than walking up some borring stairs.  @_@ 

It gains the gameplay fun to the top ...  :P

Oh, I forgot to mention that the powerup below the bridge, in the middle, cycles between the 5 types of powerups (Battlesuit, Haste, Invis, Quad, Regen) every 90 seconds.

Just finished the newer version. Once it's uploaded, the link will be available.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here it is!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/k1f74ogyksk4w90/z_oac_czest2-a2.pk3?dl=0

Please, test with g_runes 1.

Main changes:
- At each of the central towers, the pronounced stairs got replaced with jumppads.
- Fixed arrows to bases.
- Fixed jumppad fan speed.
- Botclipped the platforms for proper descending, plus to prevent that bots get stuck behind it.
- Trimming, first pass.
- The jumppads have an effect indicating that those are, well, jumppads.
- More changes to the skybox, replacing the lava with a black void.
- Other minor changes.

Known bugs:
- Yep, those jumppads need to be clipped.

Also included with the pack are new CTF banners with the current OA logo. As I couldn't find the source files to modify the current banners, I had to create new banners from scratch. You're welcome to edit them, the source is in the sources folder (it's a Gimp file).

Screenshots!

(https://i.imgur.com/K6uDSuGl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fOEDG2rl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/5XCmr0yl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/i1CcFTbl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/yXvkbC2l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IPA0c5xl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/35l3flHl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dNQKOZZl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zOIw9lgl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RoZ8ILIl.jpg)

I need some time, it looks like there is some problem with bots.

Ps: wasn't the lava nice?

Yeah, but the player already assumes that in lava he's boiling down. A void or abyss is more appropriate for this map.

About the problems with bots... I don't get what's the problem... they do nothing unless they see you....
And bot_testsolid gives me strange results in this map...
Are you using -forcesidesvisible for bspc?

Overall I prefer it to the original. I also really liked the statues and it is now possible to rocket jump over the buildings.

The bots seems to work better on a1 than a2. I preferred the lava too.

I am not a big fan of the common runes in the middle. I fear it may be too gimmicky.

Just like the original map compiled with VIS, I noticed pop-up effects in this map.

I'll try recompiling again tonight.

As for the lava, I also liked how it looked, but unless I find a way to make it to work again (or ditch it and directly turn the void into another playable level) I'm afraid it's not coming back. :(

What's its problem?

Lava won't act like lava if it's bound to a skybox. And just throwing it into the map is... unnatural.

New update. Lots of changes. Everyone should try self-mined rocket jumping. <3

Screenshots coming soon.

How to test:

• Download from this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/cs13fhcrww6h6hq/z_oac_czest2-a3.pk3?dl=0
• Open the console and enable runes (/g_runes 1)
  
• Run the map from the console or the menu.
• There are two versions, oac_czest2-hint and oac_czest2-nohint. Try both to check which one runs better.
  

• If you don't know from where to start the feedback, read this post: http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=5300.msg55163#msg55163

Changelog: (Don't remember all the changes, though)

• Reworked some areas of the level and cleaned up the geometry a bit.
• Redone botclip.
• Two testing versions: one with hint brushes (oac_czest2-hint) and one without (oac_czest2-nohint). Test for performance, please!

Known issues:

• No levelshot.

New update. As always, test with g_runes 1.

How to test:

• Download from this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9wehtxiu7c2jhoo/z_oac_czest2-a4.pk3?dl=0
• Open the console and enable runes (/g_runes 1)
  
• Run the map from the console (/map oac_czest2 or /devmap oac_czest2) or the menu.
  
• If you don't know from where to start regarding the feedback, read this post: http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=5300.msg55163#msg55163

Changelog:

• Located and deleted rogue brushes in the spawnrooms that prevented compiling.
• Recreated most of the spawnrooms' decorative brushes.
• Redistributed the spawnpoints. Now the spawnrooms are available only for Double Domination games.
• Simplified the geometry of the level. The cost, unfortunately, is that now it's not possible to mine-power rocketjump at the left/right of towers. (And those jumps were pretty l33t :'( )
• Changes to the skybox.
• Other minor changes.

Screenshots:
(https://i.imgur.com/SWJHaTgl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0Td0TV9l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Ivr2Jm9l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/DN3Gs8Dl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/v0JWZqkl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FhyEO9ml.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0riSFBPl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/yeoHDMDl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6WOMeE1l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9bcv9z1l.jpg)

It says to me that the .aas file is outdated...

Quick update.

How to test:

• Download from this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ooy8mjjqstvi7ym/z_oac_czest2-a4v2.pk3?dl=0
• Open the console and enable runes (/g_runes 1)
  
• Run the map from the console (/map oac_czest2 or /devmap oac_czest2) or the menu.
  
• If you don't know from where to start regarding the feedback, read this post: http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=5300.msg55163#msg55163

Changelog:

• Botplay recompiled. It now doesn't report errors (admittedly, I'm using the most recent versions of the engine and gamecode).
• Compiled with final settings.
• Levelshot added.

Known issues:

• None yet.

Can I say that the upper level still feels a bit "empty" of bonuses?

PS: What about adding DOM support?

I've been cleaning up my Dropbox account and forgot to add the newest link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ooy8mjjqstvi7ym/z_oac_czest2-a4v2.pk3?dl=0

I'll check that later. Not sure about adding DOM. To me it seems too linear. An alternative would be to add dom startpoints (would require the newer gamecode packs) to the spawnrooms.

Also adding for the next version a change from the recent oac_sago2: removing regular team spawnpoints from the spawnrooms.

See this post http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=5395.msg56004#msg56004
I made that sky with this map in mind.
If it is rotated wrong or you wish to adjust suns positions, you can easily recompile it using provided utility using the provided source INI file.