huttys map box

story time

long story short ... ive been holding onto a few (5) nearly complete duel maps for way longer than makes sense ... (and this doesn't include wink, final rage remake, or lostspace remake, ... or roist)

they are all packed into a single pk3 for now ... if you want ... i can split them into individual packages

link to PK3

so ... here they are ...

Pockets
Comb
Skyblue
Sneak
Distanced

   
70% complete

Pockets is the most recent map I have been working on ... its made for duels and set in an underground setting ... visuals aren't near done ... but I think the map is solid ...

to get the mega armor you have to pass though the blue lasers (in the lower passages)... a piece of the floor will move down giving you ... and smart opponents access to the armor ...

also can you find the hlac (without pressing the button)

   
80% complete

Comb is a simple dual map ... but ... there is no mega health
Instead there is a trigger_heal in the central spot of the map ... The main intention of the map is to make people fight over control of the healing point ...

the hlac isn't really hidden in this map

   
90% complete

Sky blue is a remake of Blue Sky ... the map has been almost completely rebuilt ... and it has lots of various features ...

lots of spinning thigs, some doors, some buttons, armors were reduced in size, the hole in the top platform will heal you as you go through it, theres a hidden hlac

there are 3 buttons ...
1 will fill the lower area with slime for a few seconds (to catch people going to the bounce)
2 will close some doors up at the top platform ... blocking access to the healing force field
3 will turn on the annoying fans ...

   
90% complete
Sneak is a map with slightly modified gameplay
the map is made for stealthy movements ... every sound counts ...
to complement this ... the mapinfo file turns off auto healing ... so injured players cant just hide in the ventilation and wait for their health to go back up

also ... there are 2 buttons that when pushed ... will play a fake picking up the armor sound (at the place where the armor is)... muahahah ... muahahahahahahahahaha

   
50% complete
This is a smaller map ...
the main key to it is the controlled mega health telefrag

To do it ... stand on the concrete square ... and shoot the blue button ... it will teleport you directly to the mega health

------------------------------

so ... any feedback would be great ...

Ok, I downloaded the pack and had a run through all of the maps.

Generally I think you should put the main focus on the layout and THEN start to work out nifty details and decoration. While visuals are, at some places, very appealing, I'm missing a layout concept on Pockets, Comb and Distanced. Also the usage of switches is often not self-explanatory (and you tend to use a lot of those). Note that virtually all duel maps that are generally considered to be good maps don't feature ANY switches but instead are well received due to their layout (room connectivity, fluent movement, challenging item placement)

That being said, I like how you did Skyblue (except that I didn't figure out in 2 minutes what the third switch is for). For me, it wouldn't require the blood splatters, but the general visual design is very nice and the layout is ok for a deathmatch map imho. Sneak follows an interesting concept, though I feel the crouch zones should be less and you'll need to be careful what weapons you place on that map to avoid fast spamming. If you refine and perfectionize the layout, this could offer an interesting new duel experience (though totally not like what Xonotic otherwise is).

First, there are some textures missing on stealth.

second, on Sky Blue there is caulk visible, and the anaying fan button doesnt work, maybee you forgot to pack the sounds for it.

I think Komb can use more light in some areas where there is no light at all.

Very nice hutty, had a quick look on your maps
I once planned to make a thread similar to this one to publish my stuff... (most of it is trash anway)

However, I like the ideas you have; a lot of this stuff is nice and has tons of details. Even though its correct that the layouts arent too perfect the maps still are good to run through and to play on.

From what I saw so far, skyblue is really near to finish and is perhaps the most detailed map (and combines the most ideas) of the few you listed here.
I need a few more minutes on the maps to give more (constructive) feedback.

Yay, some new maps I haven't tried yet.

:/ pockets was the map I really did focus alot on layout ... if you could say whats wrong with it ... that would be nice

same goes for comb ....

the third switch on skyblue was mainly put cause testers complained that the fans were getting in the way
so I hid them by default (skyblue was the only map that got tested while I had the PS server running) ... so It could be improved ...

I really dont care that much about distanced ...

for sneak I avoided messy weapons like crylink, mortar, and RL. I'll fix the missing texture later today.

Hutty: I wish I had time for a very strong feedback with screenshots and stuff but I don't. Straight to the point then:

This is Courtfun minimap. Take a quick look at it:


This is the layout that must have been sketched before modeling.

IMPORTANT:

The best maps are made by people who are constantly testing their maps plenty of times before relasing it. Trying to get feedback from friendly communities (if its possible)

VERY IMPORTANT:

To provide a good layout firstly they spent hours in front of the.... sheet of papper, sketching minimap, room layouts, 3D details and structures for their map. They also are writing lists of the things that define particular map and make it unique.

From the look of the maps you presented to us I can clearly see you have skipped sketching and thinking part and jumped into 3D modeling in the first place.
Thats spontaneous and I know exactly how it feels: You are on fire: You want to see results as fast as possible, you want to test new ideas, add new features in your maps, see how your brand new textures look like... You are very creative person, hutty (your comics, maps and drawings prove it) but you have to calm down and focus on doing one project at one time. You shall make preparations: Think of gameplay, theme, design, good item placement and most of all about the needs of players. Xonotic is fast game and it requires space for fighting.Most of your corridors and rooms are much to cramped for this game. Seat down in front of the clear papper and draw layout, use rubber as often as you can, ask your friends and frum members what do they think about your layout....

Modleing a simple map is fast, everything else about the map (idea, theme, layout, structures, details, textures) takes much longer and is much harder to master.

Good luck, buddy!

I did sketch all of these actually ...
pockets especially ...

... looking back though my notebooks ... I usually sketch each map idea once ... and then stat building the one I like best ... I probably need to stay back at the sketching stage longer ..



...
sneak is supposed to be cramped
distanced was planned ... but it turned out terribly ... :/
...

so ... lets focus on a single map atm ...
whats wrong with pockets?

Justin, can you explain, please, how to make layputs for maps. I have got no idea how to come up with that.

Ok, let's concentrate on pockets first.

I'd need to play this map with others to really be able to give good feedback on it, but from running through the map alone I can say the following:

Layout: item placement feels very random, weapons just "lie around". The brick tube leading down to the laser door switch is hard to access from both sides. I have the feeling the entire HLAC part is close to useless, only accessible through that small window, big area where you can be seen from outside and no real reward besides the HLAC in it. The open area with the big lamp will need some more details, and probably a couple of ramps to travel from one vertical level to another. The inner parts of the level are a bit cramped for my taste. But connectivity of areas seems ok apart from HLAC.

Visuals: The design doesn't work well together so far. The flat "concrete" like textures don't really fit to the more detailed textures used in parts of the map. High-Tech areas meet brick tubes... hmm. Rather modern looking crates standing on wooden pallets... hmm. The HLAC area: grass and bricks is in sharp contrast to the more techy interior. You will need to go for a more consistent theme altogether. Also try to implement some of the tips Majki provided on lighting some time ago.

"Craftsmanship": Missing textures, missing player clips (crates props), non-textured areas, non-finished areas (but all of these are of course due to the non-finished state, so no critique)

You are, as Justin pointed out, a very creative person, and I'd love to see the output of your creativity channelled and focused by some thought-through concepts. Please don't let my critique discourage you!

texture inconsistency is due to the fact that I was half way through switching styles ... :/

the hlac part was supposed to be an easer egg ... looks like its too easy to find and too big
missing textures? where ? (or do you mean calk)

... and then it dawns upon hutty that he forgot to put the scripts folder in the pk3 ... >.<

heres a new pk3 ... should fix missing textures in pockets and sneak
new pk3
(fixed in first post too)

I checked updated version and I think that Pockets has the most potential from these maps, hutty. Try to focus on this one.

Piceces of advice:

• Bottom corridors are way too narrow, also some gates in the middle are narrow
  
• Stairs ratio is 1/1 (haight, width), it should be 1/2 (wider then higher) - it looks better and player won't get blocked.
  
• Continuation of textures and aligment.
  
• Ceiling is definitely too high, I would also limit the acces to strange/ campy areas (like tubes hanging from the ceiling and holes with ammo)
  
• I suggest removing HLAC area (no need for hidden rooms and secret corridors in multiplayer duel maps) and removing the highest floor (one platform) - 3 platforms for a duel map is definitely enough, no need for more.
  
• YOU HAVE TO fix lighting! Some areas are completly black (Like the tube in the middle) and there are no light differences color-wise.
  

aa: Im not sure what you mean... The layout is the way rooms, corridors and open areas on the map are connected. good sketch of your layout before mapping contains view from above (the most important) and optionally from one side (especially when map is multi-leveled). The key to understand the purpose of sketching before modeling is simple: Its easier when you have only 2 dimensions to work with. Some people doesn't have spatial awarness at all, so its quite important to try to understand the map's layout by drawing it by yourself.

If you ask about the minimap: Than you don't have to draw it by yourself, Netradiant will build it for you (providing you have a map allready made):
Compilation:

[q3map2] -minimap "[MapFile]"

I went back to the notebook for pockets ... changing things a little ...
- I'll widen the corridors (although they should be the same size as the ones in drain)
- stairs :/ ... that will be tricky finding space for wider stairs
- im probably going to retexture the whole thing anyways
- visually im going to make the ceiling higher ... but I'll put a clip so players cant go up there
- yeah ... HLAC are will be removed ... must devise a more convoluted (and smaller) way to get a hlac
- ? what do you mean by platforms ?
- Yes ... I know lighting is very broken ... its difficult working without a sky light

thanks for the input :3

This is Courtfun minimap. Take a quick look at it:


This is the layout that must have been sketched before modeling.

<OT>

Wow, this is the first time since long that anyone used courtfun - a map that seems to generally create 'meh' feelings in players - as a positive example for anything. So thanks, much appreciated! ;-)

</OT>

I know it's a really old thread, and it's probably not a good idea to necro it, but does anyone crash on Skyblue really easily by going to the center jump pad and turning the view a certain way?

Nope, just you. I know that map sinks tons of fps but you might have a decent computer that can't run that map.

My frame rate isn't any different for the map compared to others. Specifically, I crash the game the first moments I jump on to the pad and move my camera slowly upward. It happens too consistently for me to think it's just me, but if it is, then the crashes are a mystery.

I think it's you because I can jump on it perfectly fine doing 360 degrees.

I haven't experienced any crashes on the map, myself, although some areas of the map are a little wonky due to me being a complete novice at the time of its creation.

The only time I could think that would cause a crash, is if you jumped through the center ring in the sky which has both a heal trigger, and a door which can close on players. I don't know why they would crash, although I do know that the heal trigger messes with some stuff (like putting falling dead players back into first person).

Another thing you might want to try is disabling dynamic lights and seeing if that fixes things. (I think there is a dynamic light near the big jumppad).

In short, no idea, never crashed for me in version 0.5 on a potato laptop with bad linux amd drivers when I made it.

I figured out I was crashing because of other reasons (not the map, but apparently any map where I can see a lot of open space, like falling off gasoline or xoylent). This map was just one of the places where I can recreate a crash easily.

I actually had Fake Corona lightning set at the time, and with real-time dynamic lights, I crashed less on average. Still I crash a lot Xonotic a lot, but not your maps' fault, or anyone's for that matter.