Map: Slime Facility

[cosmo]

Another new map created from scratch.

http://cosmo.spaceboyz.net/openarena/slimefac_b2.pk3

Powerplant style of map, tourney sized for 2 - 6 players.
Botsupport included.
This is Beta Release 2 for gameplay testing. Again I need a few hints what I can do to improve.

So what do I already know:
Textures and lightning are not final and will be fixed/replaced in next release (especially bouncepads).
Music which comes with this beta is not GPL. Don't worry it will be dropped.
No clipping of corners/detail brushes so you might encounter problems when in action.

I'd like to know what you're thinking about item placement, textures and general layout.

edit: I added a bonus map named 'Rocket Tube' (rtube) Have fun.

[pulchr]

looks very interesting, will check out as soon as i get the time!

[steauengeglase]

I like it. Nice textures, clean layout and the jump pads are well placed (and I don't even like jump pads). 

[cosmo]

Thank you steauengeglase. I'm glad you like it.

Either I failed to create an appealing map for everyone else or OA doesn't need more maps. Lacking feedback I cannot become better.
So I'm not going to work much on that map anymore and I hope to release it next week.

[pulchr]

sorry,  haven't had time to try it out yet. we sure need more maps

i'll be back

[pulchr]

played a little and here are some thoughts.

it took a while before i accidentally found out that the coloured, flashing cylinder was a teleporter. works nice when you know it but to me it looked like decoration at first.
i found some of the parts a bit dark, when i play tournament like maps it's often against a single opponent and then i like to be able to see clearly. but i admit it adds to the atmosphere with the darkness.

the textures are very different to other maps, but i like it.

i need to play more to get a grip about the placement of powerups and such. played against two bots and they seemed to spawn at the same place sometimes. might have been a coincidence but it felt like few spawnpoints.

good work!

[cosmo]

Thanks pulchr,
I didn't want to have pressure on you.

You're right there are not enought spawn points.
I had very minimal texture structures in my mind when I started with it. Everything should be plain and simple. Thank you.

I will add mega health under the yellow armor just above the lightning gun. I fear this area is less travelled and needs another goodie. Next version of the map will come with a better recognizable teleporter. The cylinder was only a placeholder. I should add decorations like this somewhere else.

Thanks!

[theskeletonking]

I like the colors. It sets a nice mood for the environment. I want to try this one out. I challenge you!

[Ylle]

Okay, I've played it a little bit more, and its a okay map. I pretty much agree on everything pulchr said.
Everything's easily reachable and there's almost no spots where you feel safe. And the style of the map is cool too.

The rocket tube map was also a bit of fun.

[cosmo]

Thank you guys,

I'm glad it plays okay.

I thought about a beta 3 release but I fixed those lightning and texture issues already, added Haste and more spawnpoints. Right now I'm experimenting with soundfiles to create a few more ambient noises. Unfortunatly I have no practice at this so I haven't created anything satisfying yet.

After this I'll do a final release. I've got two other maps in my mind I'd like to do. Thanks for playing.

OA-modellers should create more map-related stuff. (there is no md3 exporter for my platform available and blender crashes too often to be productive)

@skeletonking: Alright, accepting the challenge.

[cosmo]

Here it is: http://cosmo.spaceboyz.net/openarena/slimefac.pk3 (finally)
I put the source online soon. (Will be the same place.)

dm_clown, if you ever want to pic this up and use it unchanged I would do another compile of this map for you. Message me then. Last changes were done on entities only so I didn't had to go through all light bounces.

Thanks for a lot for testing.

[dmn_clown]

OA-modellers should create more map-related stuff. (there is no md3 exporter for my platform available and blender crashes too often to be productive)

MM3D has a mac port and native md3 support in version 1.3.5, you just need Qt and maybe Lua installed.

q3map2 will also accept ase, lwo, obj, 3ds, and picoterrain as mapobjects.

[[uM]Cyberdemon]

hello

uM-clan and i have played this map regularly for several months with other clans (6R, RN) using TDM gametype.

i think about the item placement which not seems to be equal and fair.

there is too much focus on the part of the map where you can find Lightning gun, haste (which [re]spawns very very fast and keeps the people staying/camping/trying to dominate this part of the map) and yellow armor.

while the other part of the map is not much visited because there is no real item/powerup/-constellation (similar to YA/LG/Haste) which forces the teams on that map to some circle or at least to keep them on moving instead of camping strong lightninggun, fast spawn haste and a tasty yellow armor as dessert ... after that jumping fun . so when we play with 6R for example it's always a struggle about the upper area with RG, LG, 2x YA and HASTE. people try to get there as fast as possible the rest of the map is just "in the way". there is no need to go there. perhaps a MH or another placement for the LG could bring some circle running.

nethertheless this is one of the best FFA/TDM maps OA offers, great job so far.

bye

[cosmo]

Cyberdemon: This is the first helpful player response to this map I got since 0.76

V2 for testing purposes is on the way.

Planned changes so far:

• Haste Respawn time: 120s
• Megahealth replaces LG
• SG replaces large health orb above former LG location
• minor structural changes in this area
• opposite end of the map with stairs will be more open (major structural changes)
• LG will be added to the new structure, far away from Haste powerup.

[[uM]Cyberdemon]

this sounds good looking forward to it!

[Falkland]

Am I wrong or also the YA respawn time is shorter than default ?

[Neon_Knight]

Aside Cyd's suggestions, i suggest to put common/nodrop brushes on the "lava" zones. That way, items won't be stuck in the pools.

EDIT: Botclip the level too. Bots play well, but I saw them getting in circles most of the time.

[cosmo]

It has been submitted to SVN for OA 0.85 RC2 but maybe there is a little more time for testing. The new layout is done for almost two weeks now. More details and better texturing will follow when there has been some playtesting.
Here you go:
http://cosmo.spaceboyz.net/openarena/z_slimefacV2.pk3 (Save link as ...)

Haste is still in there but in a different spot.
No megahealth.
Railgun moved its spot too.
The jump across the room jumpads are history.
Support for Domination and Double Domination gametypes
No lava traps anymore.

[Udi]

Slimefac was always one of my favorites, and the new version rocks too. Do you plan to recolour your new portal model or will it stay purple? Do you plan to widen the weapon variety? Maybe a grenade launcher could come handy on the ledges.

[chaoticsoldier]

I like this new version. It looks and feels much better. Slimefac has always been a good map.

There were three things I noticed:
 - Are you going to use the new OA logo on the weapon spawn points?
 - In the central room where the RL spawns there are 4 larger pools of lava in the corners. They seem big enough to fall into, but I can't. However, I am able to shoot and fire rockets down into them.
 - I was able to walk into the one of the walls in the RL room. See screenshot.

[cosmo]

I noticed the bug of being able to step into the wall too. Must be because I compiled it without the -patchmeta flag to cover some patchmesh issues. I have to figure how to fix this.

The lavaholes in that central RL area will be covered. For me it was important to have no pits anymore. I should mention that rockets and grenades will move through all these grates. A grenade launcher will not be very effective. Either I turn down this 'feature' and add another weapon (Udi: which one besides GL?) or I keep it as it is. Right now there are these items:
1xRL, 1xLG, 1xRG, 2xSG, 1xHaste, 2xYA, multiple 25Health, 5Health, Ammo and Armor Shards - seems fair for a 1on1 up to 3on3 map.

The new rooms layout is one of two possibilities that came to my mind. The alternative solution was having one surrounding top ledge (which is interrupted now) and the lower floor with two jumpads. It would be more open, faster, and more vertical. The current layout offers better connectivity, more obstacles to get cover and is somewhat slower.

I tried not to do any new textures to keep RC2 small but it will feature the new OA logo eventually.

[Udi]

A grenade launcher will not be very effective. Either I turn down this 'feature' and add another weapon (Udi: which one besides GL?) or I keep it as it is. Right now there are these items:
1xRL, 1xLG, 1xRG, 2xSG, 1xHaste, 2xYA, multiple 25Health, 5Health, Ammo and Armor Shards - seems fair for a 1on1 up to 3on3 map.

If you have competitive play in mind, than you should keep the weapons. I thought about GL because it's a popular weapon on public servers, and GL spamming noobs are popular victims of others . But for 1on1 play, maybe a PG could counter balance the RG. Right now there aren't any real long-range weapons which can attack a railer except the MG.

[Neon_Knight]

If you have competitive play in mind, than you should keep the weapons. I thought about GL because it's a popular weapon on public servers, and GL spamming noobs are popular victims of others . But for 1on1 play, maybe a PG could counter balance the RG. Right now there aren't any real long-range weapons which can attack a railer except the MG.

And the CG. But since this is planned to be a comp-map... forget what I've said.