am_icyhell - A snowy map ^^

[Neon_Knight]

This map felt into DisContinuity

Reason: Needs a whole new layout. I'm running out of ideas, and I don't know yet how to make terrains.

The links and info below are left for the record.  If someone wants to continue the work on this map, he/she is free to do it.

UPDATE: I'll be retaking work for it. The map will be published as addon in MapRaider and ModDB.
Well, another solved drama, now this is an icy-themed map. (Or, at least, an attempt )
I've made two textures using plasma & coloring functions of GIMP. Before you write, yes, these are crappy, and I don't like them as well, but there're very few icy textures. :/

Anyways, these are the details:

Gametypes: CTF, 1FCTF, Harvester, Overload, CTF Elimination, DD.
Weapons: Shotgun, Rocket Launcher, Plasma Gun, Railgun, Nailgun, Chaingun, Prox Launcher.
Items: Health 50, Health 25, Health 5, Armor Shards, Combat Armor & Megahealth. (Only available on CTF, Overload, eCTF & DD)
Powerups: Quad Damage.

Changes from a1:
- Moved the Railgun (not too far)
- Added two underwater side entrances per base.
- I have to get rid of the igloos, since I couldn´t find a way to lidiate with this as .ase models. :/ (I didn't know yet how to model on Blender)
- Also gone are the lamps.
- Minor structural changes.

All suggestions are welcome.

Things to do:
- Improve lighting
- Improve bot playing

Screenshots:

Download

Yes, this is a strange problem I have.
After doing some work with the Ice textures, I managed to do a very-very-alpha-basic-map, which goes well, except for one thing: when I go to the bottom, it takes me out of the level and I won't die.

Plus, the switches I use for the map:
BSP Stage: -meta -patchmeta -v -verboseentities
VIS Stage: -vis -saveprt -v
LIGHT Stage: -light -dark -fast -filter -nocollapse -patchshadows -shade -v -gamma 1.5
BSPC Stage: -forcesidesvisible -optimize

I didn't used the BSPC Stage in this map yet, but those were the switches I used for all of my maps. (forcesidesvisible is needed because I use -meta and -patchmeta on BSP stage)

After solving this drama, I'll be finishing the first alpha of the map.

The .map file with both textures can be found here. ATM the map compiles and runs well, except for that thing which annoys me... -.-

The leak is found on the BSPC stage, but incredibly not on BSP stage.

[andrewj]

Don't use mud_trans because the shader has the 'nonsolid' surfaceparm.

[Neon_Knight]

Ah, ok, I'll be testing it.
If it compiles, then I'll be posting the a1 of the map here. ^^

[Neon_Knight]

Map is here ^^

Look at the first post for details & DL link.

[epicgoo]

haha that was fast
and it looks nice too but I am not sure about the blue texture you used for the igloos

[Neon_Knight]

I wasn't too sure too. Maybe a white icyblocky texture can fit with that model.
In fact, I think there should be more icy textures for different states. (for example, one which resembles a thin frozen water cap)
But I lack of skill for making textures and models :/

[Udi]

For snowy maps we badly need coloured crosshairs .

The map is not bad. Maybe you should make more holes into the ice, which would make the map more tricky, and harder to strafe through it. Maybe some ledges on the sides will increase fun too. Put the railgun more far from the bases and maybe to the bottom of the lake, the harder to reach it, the less campers.

And the lamp poles! I don't know, but they make the map look more like "Santa's Workshop on the North Pole" rather than "Icy Hell". It's not a bad idea either: the nice kids get the flag, the naughty get rockets .

[Neon_Knight]

Railgun is at the bottom of the lake. Maybe i should make the lake more deeper than it actually is?

I didn't like those poles too, but I don't know which more to put to make the road for bases...

More waterholes means that the Prox Launcher can be more accesible than before. BUT, maybe this idea can work: What about making holes at both sides of the base glacier? I mean, one at the igloo zone and the other at the Nailgun zone? That way the Prox Launcher can be almost accessible, (assuming that the health underwater is gone, except the one near where Railgun is actually) but with a price on consuming health or being drown...

I'd like to improve the igloos too. :/ Maybe this one can take some serious work in these days, which gives me less time to do my other material. (Both reptctf* remakes and the fixes to oa_rpg3dm2 :/)

[menganito]

I don't like it, too much armour for me :/ maybe if you added a few levels... I also kept drowning unable to find breaathing holes
I noted one thing that happened only once before: I can see through walls. I have simpleitems on and in this map (and one other, i can't remember which) I can see almost all the objects (guns, ammo, health, NOT QD and opponents). What's wrong?

[Marble of Doom]

menganito do you have vertex lighting on?  the same "clear walls" thing happens on the island dm level with vertex lights on.

[chaoticsoldier]

I also kept drowning unable to find breaathing holes

I had this problem too. The lake is deep enough imo, but I think more holes are needed.

Also I found that I can fire straight through the igloos. This map looks quite promising and I like the layout. Would it be possible to make a semi-transparent cloudy texture for the lake, so you can see the players swimming under the ice?

[Neon_Knight]

Just posting to say that ATM I haven't internet at my house. :/
I'm trying to upload the new version. But just so you know, the igloos and lamps are gone. Also there're two new holes at both sides of the glaciers.

[Neon_Knight]

Well, uploaded new version, I'm updating the first post as usual.

Changes:
- Moved the Railgun (not too far, I'm thinking where to put it tho)
- Added two underwater side entrances per base.
- I had to get rid of the igloos, since I couldn´t find a way to lidiate with this as .ase models. :/ (I didn't know yet how to model on Blender)
- Also gone are the lamps.
- Minor structural changes.

[cosmo]

Gave it a try for the first time last night. You did so many maps, Neon Knight, it is hard to keep up with you.

On the other hand: Take yourself more time for each. Icy Hell looks promising but tastes like you were in a hurry. It reminds me of typical boring UT2k CTF maps with no vertical action. It feels like an outdoor map with big distances to cover and it looks far better than any of the oa_bases* maps but everything is flat and featureless. The trees are nice and I need to check your mapfile for them

Please think about checkered 'ice' texture or whatever that should be. Looks like a giant tablecloth.

Ideas for improvements:

• Get rid of this layout and do something new
• 500% more vertical
• more iceblocks to cover behind
• more iceblocks to jump onto
• an ice cave
• friction less surfaces. ice cries for that!
• have the underwater section hurt you and remove most of the items from it
• reduce everything in size
• an icy hill to make your way through
• real outdoor surfaces instead of one plain face
• scratches and cracks in the icy surface (probably done via alphamod)
• steam coming from the water holes

[pulchr]

• penguins
• yellow snow

[Neon_Knight]

It feels like an outdoor map with big distances to cover and it looks far better than any of the oa_bases* maps but everything is flat and featureless. The trees are nice and I need to check your mapfile for them

The trees are from czest3ctf, it's bad that ASE models don't support patches among the brushes, otherwise it could be a great tree model to use in many maps.

Please think about checkered 'ice' texture or whatever that should be. Looks like a giant tablecloth.

If someone can do better icy textures/shaders, then I would be glad to replace mine ones with these. There was so few icy textures...

• Get rid of this layout and do something new

Last night when I took some screenshots I thought on a layout similar to UT2004's CTF-MoonDragon or CTF-LavaGiant, with the cave in the middle separating the bases. It can work, but I don't know yet how to make terrains. (In fact, a not so ondulated terrain was my initial idea for this map)

• 500% more vertical

I think that's too exagerated. 250% can work? There're so many ways...

• more iceblocks to cover behind

Yep, agree on this one. :/

• more iceblocks to jump onto

Agree too.

• an ice cave

An idea for the middle area. Maybe the bases can be frozen castles, actually?

• friction less surfaces. ice cries for that!

I'll hear lots of players whining about it to be removed if I decide to implement it... Maybe some frozen water (being the water as a mortal thing) island with a goodie like BFG? I have a crazy idea too to make it not that easy to catch, including an use for the personal teleporter.

• have the underwater section hurt you and remove most of the items from it
• an icy hill to make your way through

I used the water to put the Prox Launcher on it.

• real outdoor surfaces instead of one plain face

If I only knew how to make terrains it surely can be done...

• scratches and cracks in the icy surface (probably done via alphamod)

• steam coming from the water holes

Another good one, but again, I need to know how to make terrains.

Thanks for the critics. ^^

[Neon_Knight]

New link to -a2. I have the -a3 lying around somewhere. I'll try to finish it ASAP.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/txwgxotdfrbtoca/am_icyhell-a2.zip?dl=0

[Gig]

Quickly tried. Very interesting.

A few considerations:
- I drowned a lot of times, lost in the underwater maze. What about adding some more holes to take breath?
- Harvester skull receptacles and skull generator do float in the air.
- Maybe touching the flames may slighly hurt you?
- It would be cool if the trees textures had some snow.
- May it be the right setting to place a few ice plates with the "slick" parameter? There are not many maps with "slick" surfaces out there...

[Neon_Knight]

As it turns out, I had the a3 uploaded somewhere: my Dropbox account!

Here's a link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xu7rtcuchbhu1zt/am_icyhell-a3.pk3?dl=0

It's NOT tested, I'm even sure it's unfinished. But well, here's the link. I don't even remember when I really did it (bsp date says July 23, 2013) or the differences between this version and a2 (can't play right now), but there you go.

[Gig]

In case you are interested, I noticed a tree floating a bit suspended above the ground, in front of the red tapestry.