pul1ffa - hit the ground running

[dbX]

When that weight goes down, we need to hear a tenreiha TONK noise

This kind of reminds me of Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner.

[pulchr]

here's a playable beta download: pul1ffa-h7 (8mb)

the map is available in four gametypes (free for all, team deathmatch, elimination, last man standing).
there is bot support - but the bots are not optimized at all, do not expect wonders with them
bots can't even use some of the jumppads properly - bots also tend to go all suicidal, lemming-style, at times...

weapons, health and other pickups need to be better placed in this map - so thoughts on that are most welcome.

some other things are still missing - such as a fat sound when the weight comes down... and some graphics. but not anything that should hinder gameplay.

[Peter Silie]

Looks well and seems playable.
But it seems, that you tried it with 125 fps physics. some pads are difficult for use.
Maybe it is just me, because i am not realy waked up

[pulchr]

yes, i've used 125fps. jump pads are not completely adjusted yet (bots doesn't use some of them) and i haven't tested for lower frame rates yet.

it might be hard to get the long range jumps to work with all frame rates - but of course the intention is that all should be able to use them

[WingedPanther]

I like it.  It's got lots of fun stuff to play with, and lots of ways to screw up

[pulchr]

another little update. a couple of things i've added or changed - in no particular order:

• all jump pads should now be possible to use independent of frame rates.
• redesigned the teleporter entrance.
• bots should be able to use all jump pads.
• more botclipping and clusterportals to try and make the bots act a little less stupid.
• small changes to locations.
• new textures and shaders for the on/off buttons connected to the weight.
• removed the portal-screen - it was fun but affected the framerate too much. and the bots couldn't get up to the bfg anyway so.. (requires a double rocketjump).
• redesigned the inner area beneath the teleporter exit.
• changed the jump pad into a decal.
• added a silent sound effect (sound/misc/windfly.wav). it is played when a player exits the teleporter (there's a trigger_push there causing the effect to be played).
  this sound effect is played for all trigger_push entities - so it should be replaced if someone wants to create a real sound effect.
• added doors and areaportals.
• new "hit the ground" decal.
• added stacks of crates in various locations (it was a bit dull in places).

here i added a small passageway in front and behind the teleporter. the bots had a lot of problems with the slippery surfaces.


doors... temporary textures on them though.


removed the portal-screen and redesigned the area near the hatch. added some crates at the top floor.


made the ramp connect to the rest of the map. more crates.


the weight button goes red with a cross to show that the weight has gone down.


it goes green with a circle when it is ready to be dropped down.


the current beta can be downloaded here: pul1ffa-j0.zip

[Cacatoes]

Haven't tried but these improvements may be very welcome, I was a bit disappointed for the feeling it gave with 085 default physics (maybe coz I didnt play the map a lot). Very good work as usual

[Gig]

Tested a bit...

For the sliding part: you are a genius!      
I think I used "accurate" physics... do you think that with "fixed 125" it would be even better?

Maybe it's just that I did not read the rest of the thread carefully and did not explore the map enough... but I can't figure out how to reach the top of the pyramid...

However, do you plan to re-texture those yellow boxes?
And where is the hatch control, what about drawing some sort of "track" ("rail"? I can't find the right word) where the lever moves?

[pulchr]

I think I used "accurate" physics... do you think that with "fixed 125" it would be even better?

i don't know what the different physics do - i've played with /com_maxfps 125 using /devmap to load the map.
but i noticed that 60fps suited the left launch pad better for sliding up the ramp. at least i think it was the left, could've been the right one :>

but I can't figure out how to reach the top of the pyramid...

do a double rocketjump - if you have the health/armour to do it... since it's a bfg up there i didn't want people running up there too much.

However, do you plan to re-texture those yellow boxes?

yep!

And where is the hatch control, what about drawing some sort of "track" ("rail"? I can't find the right word) where the lever moves?

good idea, should be easy.

[Gig]

i don't know what the different physics do - i've played with /com_maxfps 125 using /devmap to load the map.

Com_maxfps is not the only thing to check when talking about game physics... for more info:
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Game_physics
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Tweak#Tweaking_online_gaming_parameters
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Manual/Graphic_options#Framerate

[pulchr]

i've played with the frame rate dependent settings when starting a local server and pmove_float and pmove_fixed set to 0.

played a round or two with the other settings (fixed framerate 91/125 and accurate physics) and they worked fine apart from the fixed framerate 91 which was really unpleasant to play with.

[pulchr]

the latest version is now pul1ffa-j6 and can be downloaded here. note that i haven't saved the textures as jpeg yet and that's why the pk3 is so large.

in this new version i've added a new section called the 'pope plateau'. it's supposed to solve two questions raised by popejo. 1 - how to get up on top of one of the platforms that couldn't be reached unless you rocket jumped or spawned up there. 2 - 'it kind of leads from nowhere to nowhere'. the new part can be reached from a jump pad, stairs and by sliding on the pyramid wall. at the top of that plateau there's a jump pad sending the player across the map and landing on the platform mentioned in the first question. i also moved the lightning gun there.

some other changes (from the J2 version):
 * teleporter sound effect (not finished yet).
 * changed the controlpanel a bit - size and texture (not finished yet).
 * made the nodrop brush cover the kill_trigger.
 * removed one rocket launcher


this is the new section - see previous posts for reference.


entrance from the middle section. a jump pad takes you up top.


boxes and a sliding jump?


even more jump pads and launch pads! the shards are floating - it seemed like a possible camping spot for some players - so there's not that much powerups here.


new location for the lightning gun that was previously placed at the end of the ramp structure.

[Gig]

Hi! Is the map completed? Is it ready to be committed? Next OpenArena version is imminent...

[pulchr]

hi!

no, the map is not finished yet. the map layout is done but it lacks sound effects, a texture and i have not yet packaged the source files used for textures and sounds.

here's the latest version (pul1ffa-k3) if you want to playtest this version.

some images from the previous K2 version:

new path connecting the upper and middle levels.


redesigned launch pad and the new see-through floor.


the railgun is now placed on a small elevated platform.


some small changes to the pope plateau.


shader changes so that the teleporter, jump pad and door lights are purple instead of green. there's also a little more room above the teleporter exit so that the light doesn't look that odd.

[Gig]

I'm playing without sounds... I find the map nice and funny.
Maybe you could also add DDM and/or DM points.



... so you think no way to finish it in time, eh? :-/

[pulchr]

there's no point in rushing this map out of the door. see this thread for reference.

there's also a lot of new textures in this map that is only used here and would definately count as "bloat".

[Gig]

Okay, okay... it is only that it looked like "ready" to me...  

I never intented to put in a badly unfinished map... but it did not look that way.