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Hi.

I have made my first map! Its a (very) basic ctf map, only using textures from the openarena pack.
Keep in mind this is only a beta, and I'm sure I'll be adding to it.
Please post any comments and ideas you have, thanks.

I will be setting up a game server, and it'll be called something like 'kick52.map test'

Thanks!

Screens:

(http://kick52.com/dump/oa/cww1.jpg)
(http://kick52.com/dump/oa/cww2.jpg)
(http://kick52.com/dump/oa/cww3.jpg)

Download:

http://kick52.com/dump/oa/ctfwaterwallbeta.pk3 (http://kick52.com/dump/oa/ctfwaterwallbeta.pk3)

need more to seperate the respawners from the flag carriers

Beta 2:

I have changed a few things, and added lookouts:
(http://kick52.com/dump/oa/lookout.jpg)

However, there are some problems which I have not been able to get rid of:
(http://kick52.com/dump/oa/error1.jpg)
(http://kick52.com/dump/oa/error2.jpg)

Download: (Remember to delete the old ctfwaterwallbeta.pk3)
http://kick52.com/dump/oa/ctfwaterwallbeta2.pk3 (http://kick52.com/dump/oa/ctfwaterwallbeta2.pk3)

The game server has gone down well (although somewhat laggy. you try and do better with 1mbit broadband!), it seems the gameplay of the level is good.
Though it would be cool if we could get this level going in rotation on other servers, because my server is laggy. I will update the map on the server now.

Thanks, but remember:

Please, please, please post ANY suggestions, ideas or comments, so I can improve my map.

You might consider some pillers in the halls to break the map up without actually breaking it up

What's the problems? Do you not want the blue glow?

yes, the light is going through the platform/stairs, which it shouldnt, as it is flat against the wall.

Seem a little bit linear.

The basic design for a ctf map usually revolves around each base having 2-3 routes in and out of it, having a high and low route to the middle ground (sometimes water route as well) and the middle ground genrally being an open space where flag carriers can transfer between routes and the enemy can try to ambush.

Also having your map be straight through like that will lead to performance drops for both the client machines and the server because all players will be visable virtually all of the time. I would look at making Donut halls or Z halls where possable to block and break the map up a lot more.

I'm guessing you made your wall out of one brush then.
Try splitting that wall into two brushes horizontally sitting on top of each other. Compile and see how that works out for ya.

good ideas, thanks, but i think changing it so much would change the feel/gameplay. the one-route game play seems to work quite well.

also, you do not see all players at the same time, because you can not see the whole other hall from one side.

i will make another map soon which will be a lot more complicated.


hmm.. i'm not sure how to do that yet. i'll look it up.

i have just thought of this: maybe there is a brush texture that can block light, yet not be solid?
i cant see an obvious one looking at my textures yet.

thanks for the suggestions.

Unfortunately what YOU can see and what the engine believes that you can see are often entirely different things. You'll be able to see everything in the map except for triangles facing away from you.

If you want proof of this, stand on the red flag, drop to console, and lock the PVS (Possible Visable Set) using the command " \lockpvs 1 " You'll also want to turn off the sky to stop the HOM effect on bits of geometry that arn't being drawn, so use " \r_fastsky 1 ". Now walk over to the blue flag and have a look around. The black areas are what's not being drawn from where you were standing when you locked the PVS. Everything that's textured is being drawn, and if a player is standing in an area that's being drawn then they are also being drawn. How to break up the visability in a map is a skill that you would be wise to learn from the start. I'll admit that in this particular scenario it makes a lot less difference than it would if the map were much more complicated, however that's no excuse for using bad mapping practices.

ah, i see.

i dont want to change the map, as i fear it will alter the gameplay etc, but my next map wont be massive, and will be more complicated.

thanks for the tips.

PS. just thinking, what about cbctf1? though i suppose that isnt the same, as it doesnt have rooms, just platforms...

Well, well, well, it turns out that I had this map after all. Here's beta 2.

That's clearly unfinished... however, the idea of having players to pass through a waterfall may be nice...