Searching for mappers

Viper_two_nine_A

<div class="IPBDescription">who can help doing a prototype map for a new gamemode</div>Hi there.

A loooong time ago there was an idea on these forums. I didnt even manage to find the original post but only one thats related. However you can read about the basic idea there. (Even Flayra likes it but he is scared about confusing new players)

<!--quoteo(post=6418:date=Feb 17 2002, 08:02 AM:name=DarkMantiZ)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DarkMantiZ @ Feb 17 2002, 08:02 AM) [snapback]6418[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
All that will come to play NS, or at least the major part, assumingly will like or DO like AvP2, and as such, why not use ideas from it?

I like this whole "destroy hives" thing, but one thing that appeals more to me, is to let the marines arrive at a ship or sumthin, then let them do missions, say three per map(turn power on, locate main exit route, open it at any cost)
or
("defuse" self destruct sequence, locate main hive and kill it, clear the ship of any remainers)
or
(enter heavily infested base, locate a small group of survivors, bring them to safety by taking them to an exit).

I posted one similair post loong ago, with the idea to let one of the players (marines) be stuck behind a goo wall, (let him be the commander) and not have any possible way to get out, except guiding his friends through a long map, havin control over all doors, vents, shafts etc, then when they come to free him, they abandone the commander post and all try to go for safety at a dropship, with a timer slowly counting down that will blow everything up =).

The main thing is, if u summon all this, some sort of "evac" mode, that does not concentrate so heavily on building a base up, bcuz u get more freedom when doing evac maps, u can create more traps, more events(door jamming, one of them need to crawl through vent and open from other side) etc etc.

just a thought, mebbe for second release for NS?.. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

copied from: <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=593" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=593</a>

Now this idea keeps on rising in german forums. We even made a first attempt to create a basic "breakthrough" map (no marine respawn). Even some basic scripting was done to forbit buildings / hide cc (I may be wrong here but this is what I remember)

The project failed. The main reason was imo that there were too few people involved.

Now as I said before the idea isnt dead yet and I think that there a lots of players out there who could like some rounds of an ns-eskort version instead of boring combat.

--

So why am I writing all this?
We are currently just starting off again. At the moment there is only one mapper who would be willing to start building a prototype map. But one person is certainly not enough.

So here am i begging for some (good ;-) ) help on building a basic map for our new gameplay type <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

To keep things simple I think the best way to start off is to create one main marine path and one alien hive which is connected via some vents to that main path. As soon as we reached this point (or maybe a little earlier) I will try to contact some guys who a capable of scripting.

This might sound too basic for you ... but I remember the first approach which failed horribly because we tried to include too many features right from the beginning.

Thanks in advance for your offers ;-)

Skyforger

the aliens will be players or comp ( bots ) ?

venomus

By scripting I don't know whether you mean setting up entities in the map editor, or making custom server plugins with AMX or whatever. If you mean server plugins, I suggest you get a coder to do his part first, and maybe get everything working properly in a really basic 'box' map.

Reason being, no-one wants to put a lot of effort into a full-sized and prettied-up map and later have to abandon it, because you can't find anyone to make the plugin you want (or it turns out to be too hard even with an AMX coder on your side).

the_x5

You would have to make a plugin for the special rules for each map. Some of these things are not one's currently fectchable from the NS engine with an API hook. I'd talk to the NS development team first. And to be honest that would be many, many hours of coding and testing.

StixNStonz

well... for an 'escape' map, couldnt you simply place the CC in an inaccessible place?

Have only one hive, a bunch of spawns in MS. Have a fairly straightforward route, with probably only two 'exit points'. The map would be like an S, with a branch somewhere for the second exit. It wouldnt be that hard to map, since you dont have to worry about any kind of flow, crossover, rts, sieges, etc, just one main route, and then the two branch routes.

You could even add one of those randomizers; you could have 3-5 sets of walls that can either be open or closed, creating different routes between rounds.

You could do the escape without needing for extra coding. Simply have a weldable or even a func_trigger (though aliens could hit this too...) that enables a damager on the hive.

Kouji_San

<!--quoteo(post=1618525:date=Apr 3 2007, 03:46 AM:name=StixNStonz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(StixNStonz @ Apr 3 2007, 03:46 AM) [snapback]1618525[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Simply have a weldable or even a func_trigger (though aliens could hit this too...)
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Can be made marine only with a game_team_master as master of what you want to trigger

StixNStonz

oh yeah? i didnt know you could actually make team-dependent things in HL1 (though i knew you could in source)

Kouji_San

<!--quoteo(post=1618536:date=Apr 3 2007, 04:48 AM:name=StixNStonz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(StixNStonz @ Apr 3 2007, 04:48 AM) [snapback]1618536[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
oh yeah? i didnt know you could actually make team-dependent things in HL1 (though i knew you could in source)
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
game_team_master
name: alien
team index: 2

game_team_master
name: marine
team index: 1

And you have yourself 2 masters. Which tests too see which team (player) triggered the, well for example a rocket launch button. If the game_team_master matches up with the team index you have yourself a liftoff.

Can be nice to have different effects for both teams when pushing abuton. I'm using it on the (not very well known) aft engine alien only teleporter.

quazilin

The map might work out good and I like the idea of marines coming to rescue a valuable nanotech research stuff and evac etc.

StixNStonz

There's also the fact that we, as mappers, can place structures and equipment.

An escape map could have simply one IP, and perhaps some equipment scattered near the spawn. You would want to give a good amount of welders.

The marines would push through the map, constantly being stalked by aliens; every one of their number that they lose would be a substantial setback, since there is only one ip, and its a ways back.

You would want to counter the aliens' ability to drop chambers. Theres no getting around this. The worst would be SC; as such, you'd either want to place hidden obs around the map beforehand, or have then unbuilt but in 'cases'; these cases could be welded open, the obs could then be built, and then the cases could be welded closes, a la Hera door.

You could also have either weldable or marine-only-openable doors with some small amounts of equipment, or armories, etc. Possibly even phase gates.


IMO you could make a pretty decent escape map like that.

You could also do a 'hostage rescue' by having some spawns be inside a stronghold. This stronghold would need to have multiple viewholes facing different parts of the map, so that they would have something to do. You could even equip them with a single GL and armory or such. Perhaps have one or two breakable doors, for the aliens to try to attack them, but make sure that they can cover the outside of them too.

I'm not totally sure how you could make proper incentive for the other marines to try to get them out; perhaps have it so that the marine-only-useable door, that from the outside releases those on the inside, also opens up another door further on in the route, which is the final objective.



...Actually i just got an idea. Have the area where some marines are held. This would be about 2/3rds of the way through the fairly linear map. This is the spot where the marines from the outside are to hit the button to release the marines on the inside. But there could also be a 2nd bunker which is about 1/3 of the way; this could be connected to the other bunker via phasegate. As such, the marines who are 'held in' could make use of multiple bunkers to support their friends.

FUrthermore, once the bunkers are opened, a door beside the original marine start could open with a buildable phasegate. This would then connect all phasegates.

This could turn into a pretty cool extraction/escape combination, with a lot of teamwork involved. You would want to give the aliens at least 4 starting nodes, but no extra hives. The marines in the bunkers could have weldable objectives; welds within their contained bunkers that held those on the outside or unlock buildings on the inside. You could even have 'traps' available for use by those inside the bunkers.



Am i being crazy or does this actually sound like it has a lot of potential?

Kittamaru

I am going to make a boxmap with the idea of "hiding" observatories and such in them... want to see if they would be immune to splash damage.

StixNStonz

Well, the only splash damage would be from bile and acid, both being abilities requiring more hives. The way i see it, these escape maps could only really work with one hive max. Marines won't have the ability to actually gain upgrades (since letting someone in the CC even for a second could result in a 'relocation' into the map... unless we starved them for resources, i.e. no rts for rines at all). Marines could be given equipment though, even possibly respawning equipment. But as such, aliens should really be restricted to one hive, and one upgrade.

Besides, even if you could somehow damage the 'safe' structures, the mapper could just expand the walls until it was truly safe.

The idea is really in its infancy right now, purely theoretical, but IMO has huge potential for a new 'fun' maptype. Although it would be fairly restrictive, it would also have the benefits from such gameplay. Every death would count, and getting even a single marine to that objective would open the door/phasegates etc, getting marines that much closer to that button that smokes the hive due to marine 'escape'. Could get pretty hectic. The dynamics of having marines 'held up' in bunkers along the way, able to support their friends but remaining fairly immune yet stationary, could be really fun too.

Spawn_of_Chaos97

I'd play this mode, for sure.

If I remember correctly, back in 2.0 there was a plugin that allowed the aliens to build all three chambers at the start of a game but could only get one type of upgrade per life until more hives were built. Maybe some variation of that could be used.

Viper_two_nine_A

one could also let there be one ip in a room locked by a welding spot ... dead marines spawn in and have to wait until they are freed ... maybe against the time (like vents to that room open at 5min game time. then skulks rush in)

Viper_two_nine_A

<a href="http://nswiki.onos.de/index.php/Escort" target="_blank">http://nswiki.onos.de/index.php/Escort</a>

this is an english page in a german wiki for our helpers. all the people that i gathered around will (hopefully) use this to coordinate their work.

if you have further questions / new ideas / want to help - please use the discussion page.

this will hopefully minimize redundant work for all of us.

thanks in advance for your help