NS_Saturn
Sike
Join Date: 2007-06-28 Member: 61409Members
Join Date: 2007-06-28 Member: 61409Members
<a href="http://files.filefront.com/ns_saturn_b4.zip/;8296968;/fileinfo.html" target="_blank"><b>Saturn Beta 4</b></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn1_1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn1_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn2_1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn2_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn3_1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn3_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn4_1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn4_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
A larger 1024 x 768 version of each picture is available by clicking on it.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn1_1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn1_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn2_1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn2_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn3_1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn3_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn4_1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn4_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
A larger 1024 x 768 version of each picture is available by clicking on it.
Comments
Please tell me though that this map has high entropy and good places for the aliens to take cover or wallwalk, so few of the NS maps have friendy architecture for the wallwalking skulks.
~edit~
See if you can get Merkaba to help you create those cool macro models for something a lot nicer than a basic ol' skybox.
Screen 3 is a bit empty, but overall is really nice.
That exterior view is very nice. I like the concept although it does look a little bit bare.
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I think the main reason it looks bare is because a lot of the details are too uniform. Some suggestions to make things less uniform.
- In shot 2, you have light strips down the length of the corridor, turn some of the lights off on the strip to make interesting dark spots and break up the uniformity.
- Also in shot two, the wall looks very uniform with the flat wall and then divider then more flat wall. Try placing some machinery or pipes or computers or something in some of the nooks created between the two dividers. It'll break up the room and make it more interesting.
- Shot 3 is also pretty uniform looking. Never be afraid to throw some random computer displays on the wall, or cut a whole out of the wall and throw some pipes and a red light in there. The trick is that you don't want everything to look uniform. Go through and break up the uniformity.
i just noticed how in shot 3 you pretty much 'bump mapped' the walls to fit the texture. Very nice, and im sure it would look much better in-game when the 3d would actually be noticeable, and i know it mustve taken a good while to map that out. I just hope that you've clipped those, the outside of the station as well <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Oh yeah! Helps quite a lot. Wonder what the r_speeds are like in there D:
A model of the moon would be easy to make, but challenging to set up in the map because there are quite a few windows throughout it. It would require lots of space, and it would look odd if you can see the model from some windows and not others. Asteroid models would be cool, but might look odd if there isn't a matching moon model. Also, the additional epoly would have to be taken into consideration. I'll probably release the first version without models, and think about that a bit more.
The map has a fair amount of vents and hiding spots, but I didn't want to make it too complex and hard to learn. Therefore, I placed them where I thought it would make sense strategically (ie a vent exit located where a lerk or gorge can use it to defend an important location, or where a skulk can use it to flank) but held back a bit on how many I added. However, I can always revise it based on player feedback later on.
Also, balance must be taken into consideration when adding vents and shortcuts. The following image will help illustrate my thought process with regards to map layout:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturnpaths.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
At the core of the map, there are two resource nodes. To make it balanced, I wanted the path from each hive and marine start to those nodes to be roughly the same distance. It's not exact, of course, but within reason to prevent one team from starting with an obvious advantage.
At the same time, I want to make sure that the distance between each of the hives and marine start is roughly the same, yet longer than the distance to double. As you can see, the yellow path from Marine Start to Cargo is longer than the other paths, but I think that stopping off to cap the two nodes along the way compensates for that.
Finally, I want to make sure that the remaining resource towers are evenly distributed throughout the map. As you can see, the hives and marine start are on the straight sides of an octagon while the remaining resource towers are roughly in the middle of the angled sides between the hives and marine start. They are also in enclosed areas so that they cannot be destroyed from a distance. Hopefully, this will prevent one team from getting an unfair resource advantage.
If I add more vents simply to give more options without taking the above into consideration, it would be to the detriment of balance. I think the octagon shape of the map lends itself well to these restrictions.
I've taken some additional shots of waste halls (2nd picture in the original post) to expand the view and explain it a little better:
In this first picture, you can see the resource tower in Waste and, through the doorway, a bit of Waste hive:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_waste_vent.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
The vent in the previous picture leads to an opening under the catwalk that is on the right-hand side of the original pic, which I circled in red. The vent continues around the corner to the hall on the left side, and aliens can jump up from the sides of the catwalks:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_floor.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
In this next picture, you can see a vent opening, under a pipe, inside waste hive that is circled in red:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_grate_vent1.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
That leads to the area in this next picture, which is above the hall on the left-hand side in the picture from the original post, and the grate is a func_illusion so that lerks can spore/umbra through it and use it as a defensive position:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_grate_vent2.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
The other vent on the right-hand side of the grate in the previous picture leads to this exit, and aliens can thus pass through that defensive position and carry on to another location:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_grate_vent3.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Above the pipes, there is a catwalk that jetpacks can use to sneak up a pg, or aliens can use as a defensive position:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_pipes.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
This next picture shows where I'm considering adding a vent that would also allow aliens to get above the grate on the right-hand side of the picture in the original post. I hesitated because it would just lead to a dead end, but now I'm thinking of adding a vent from there that will lead to the catwalk above the pipes, and thus have better flow while adding another defensive position:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_possible_vent.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
These final two shots give a better view of what each end looks like. In the first picture, you can see that the walls actually curve out a bit. It's a good point that using one texture over a long hallway without details to break it up should be avoided, but as you can see in both pics, the area on each end is small, which wasn't really visible from the original pic:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_right.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/pic2_left.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Making some of the lights so that they're turned off is a good idea, and I do that in other areas of the map, but I kinda like the brightness in waste halls because it's deceptive. To a marine, a bright area gives more of a sense of security, yet aliens can attack from just about every angle of those halls.
To be continued....
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn7.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn7_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
Aside from helping to break things up, the vent is also useful for flanking marines that may be waiting for aliens to run through the hallway -- keeping game play in mind.
Yes, the green hall and the exterior are completely clipped.
I also used hint brushes in the green hall to prevent brush fragmentation, and one brush for each corner piece instead of mitering to help prevent sticky corners. I know that Cagey modified the compile tools to help fix this problem, but I'm old school and would rather use mapping techniques to solve the problem than new code that may introduce new bugs.
I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone that maps how challenging it is to stay within the limits of HL compile tools. Therefore, one has to set priorities with regards to editing. Having broad views of the exterior was one of my priorities from the beginning because I wanted players to have the sense that they are on a space station by being able to see how their location relates to the rest of it. In addition to that, I like using curves. Curves just make things look better. They look good on cars, guitars, and… maps. You thought my mind was somewhere else didn’t you?
Anyways, this limits the amount of resources remaining for things that jut from the walls or the ceiling, but I don't view that entirely as a negative. For example, say you're a fade that's being chased by marines and you're trying to get to a safe spot quickly so you can heal, but instead you get killed because you get stuck on some detail sticking out of the wall or ceiling. That's frustrating, and should also be taken into consideration. One should not only think of how details will make the map look good, but also how players will interact with it.
Along with views of the exterior, it also makes sense to set boundaries that the layout must fit within as illustrated in this picture:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/ns_saturn_boundary.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
It'd be a bit odd to have a square layout for a map that's supposed to be in the shape of Saturn. Therefore, I started with the basic shape as a boundary to work within, and removed what I didn't need.
To be continued….
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->I use noclip to take pics without the hud, and stumbled across the view in that first pic by accident. It's a little hard to fit the entire view within a window frame from one angle so I took a couple pics from each of the following locations at different angles. These pictures are from playable areas:
Here's the view from Communications, which is a room with a resource node that's close to Marine Start:
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn3_640-1.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn4_640-1.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
And here are a couple pics taken from one of the bridges that connect to the core. In fact, it's from the bridge that's visible in the picture above, but looking out a window on the opposite wall:
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn5.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn5_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn6.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn6_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
You can even wave to people at East Core Bridge from Communications and vice versa. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Great to see there are several mappers still working on ns_maps. And hopefully an official map pack could help popularize them.
I love the integration of the full-station concept visuals with the gameplay. I agree with whoever mentioned it though, that the outside needs a bit more pizazz. A few decals, some small towers coming out (so like one long skinny brush with a light at the tip), maybe an extra couple brushes that just 'fancy up' the outside, could really help.
When will a playable beta be ready? I'd suggest using the <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?s=6923171169416784896&showtopic=101628" target="_blank"><u>list of reviewers</u></a> that we compiled a little while ago. PM any or all of them, including myself. We'll give you a run-through of your map and a whole list of suggested fixes or modifications, which you can then either implement, or use to simply know how some people feel about parts of the map.
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Indeed. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
On the screenies, I think you can put more details on the ceilings/walls/floor, it's pretty flat atm. But very cool. Can't wait for a beta <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/minimap8.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/minimap4.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
On most of the pics, I've added the location name to the bottom right corner. So, if you're interested, you can check the minimap and see how it fits together.
The green minimap was a bit of an experiment. The locations are highlighted in green so that you can see how much area each location covers, which I thought might be useful. However, it might also look a little busy and it's not consistent with other ns minimaps. So, I made a set of 4 in blue and a set of 4 in green. It doesn't require much extra work, just a matter of hiding layers in the PSD, and gives people more to choose from.
The following pics can be clicked on for larger versions.
First, we have a picture of Observatory Halls. I did this area twice because I wasn't happy with the way the first version looked. Along the walls, there are cubbyholes that skulks can use for ambushing, and the ceiling is clipped so that fades and jetpacks can go through the halls at full speed without getting stuck.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn17.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn17_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
This area may look familiar. It's the same spot the picture of the vent exit from waste halls was taken, but from a different angle.
The red light may look like an overlay, but it isn't. I just modified the texture a little and added black trim to it to give it a sharp edge without it looking truncated. The light is just a regular brush, and doing that instead of using overlays saves 10 ents in that area.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn19.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn19_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
When I started the map, I just used a flat grey texture until I was happy with the layout, and then worked on texturing, lighting etc. The window frame in this picture is a bit of a souvenir from that starting process. It's the only visible part of the map that still has that texture, and while I think it could be better, I like the contrast it has with the sky.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn20.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn20_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
A spiral staircase isn't really possible in NS because of the level over level restriction. So, I decided to split it in half.
The texture on the cylinder aligns seamlessly all the way around -- likewise in other areas of the map.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn21.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn21_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
In this area, there is a cubbyhole above the pipe and a couple good dark corners that skulks can use to ambush.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn22.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn22_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn23.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn23_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
In this picture, you can see a doorway with red lights on the left side. That's Communications -- where the pics of the exterior were taken. On the right side, you can see the area from the previous picture, but if you look carefully, you can see a vent opening that wasn't visible in the previous picture. That is the vent that is on the bottom right corner of the minimap if you want to see where it leads.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn24.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn24_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
Here's a shot of the same area, but looking down from a hiding spot.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn25.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn25_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
The powerline cables texture looks a bit stretched, maybe you could reduce it a bit, I think it'll look better. And don't forget to add some trims <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Added to favorites <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
The layout is the only concern, specifically double. Just how easy is it to relocate to double? It looks quite spacious.
IMO you last 3 shots lack a bit of color, white lightning, grey textures... some colored light/panel/anything would be a nice eyecatcher but thats about the only thing I can complain about
Neat-o!
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Butters? Is that you? <!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><!--coloro:#333333--><span style="color:#333333"><!--/coloro-->(southpark pun)<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
Anyway that inaccessible detail is SEXY as hell! Awesome use of vis blocking as well. One thing which does bother me about that outside view is the lighting. If there is a sun in this system (and I guess it is a sun and not a black hole <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> ) I think there should be a hint of this on the exterior hull plating. What I mean is there should be a contrast of bight and shadows with the use of an light_environment or in the worst case a few spotlights to add details to the lighting theme.
Other then that most has been said by others, it's a good looking map <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
In this first pic, you can see that the nodes are spaced out enough that you won't be able to protect everything by simply electrifying one rt. Hmm... maybe you can't see it. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> The other node is beside the stairs on the right.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn38_640.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn38_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
You can use the towers with yellow lights for cover, and there’s enough room in the corners by the doorways to ambush.
The hole in the bottom of this next pic leads to one of the service tunnels, and there's a matching one on the other side.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn39_640.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn39_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
The white vent in this next pic and the matching vent on the other side of the room are the only two weldables in the map.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn40_640.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn40_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
Careful consideration should go into adding weldables because they can create dead space, which should be avoided. The best way to approach weldable vents is to either limit them to short attack positions to minimize the amount of dead space, or having multiple exits. A good example of a short attack position would be the weldable vent at double in Tanith, and a good example of multiple exits would be the vent system that runs from Temp Control to MS in Lost. Even after the vents are welded shut on the vent system in Lost, the additional exits ensure that the vent system is still useful.
Since I did not design the vent system like Lost and they are important paths, the weldable vents are limited to short vents that branch off the main hallways leading to double that are primarily attack positions. Even after the vents are welded shut, the openings on the opposite ends can serve as hiding spots to ambush marines as they enter the hallways. Welding the vents gives marines a little more security by stopping lerks from using them to spore spam, for example, but multiple paths into the core will prevent a bottleneck.
In the previous pic, you can also see a rusty opening on the ceiling. That leads into the pipe in this next picture. It's a useful path for aliens and jetpacks, but it would be tricky to use it as an attack position unless marines are directly below, or you swoop down.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn41b_640.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn41b_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
This next picture shows the interior of one of the service tunnels that connect to the core, and the exterior that's visible from other locations.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn42b_640.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn42b_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
In total, there are seven ways into the core, or five after the vents are welded.
I had more detail inside the core, but I had to simplify it a bit to lower r_speeds.
The map is compliant with the NS mapping guide with a couple caveats, one of those being the paths to the core. If I used sky brush on top of the bridges that connect to the core, you'd see it cut into the side. Using sky brush on the service tunnels would be out of the question altogether because they're so low. Because of this and the level over level restriction, the commander cannot see into the bridges or service tunnels, which deviates a little from the guide. However, not being able to build in the bridges and tunnels isn't much of a loss because it would only block traffic, and the commander can drop meds/ammo on either side. This makes those areas a little more risky for marines, but because there isn't much cover, they're also a bit risky for aliens. Therefore, it should balance out, and having to be more alert in some areas may actually be good for game play.
I remember reading about how the commander can tap into the computer system to control doors and stuff, and from that, I got the idea that the aliens damaged the system in the bridges and service tunnels as an explanation for the blind spots. Originally, I was going to have a large monitor in marine start with the map on the screen showing the bridges and tunnels flashing in red and text explaining the system failure, but I needed the texture memory for other things and figured that most people that play multi player action games aren’t very interested in a storyline anyway.
However, it may be an idea worth exploring in NS2. For example, you could have wiring in areas around the hives that aliens can damage to create small blind spots, which would give them an advantage in defending the area. At the same time, marines could go into such an area and repair it, which would require teamwork because the commander wouldn’t be able to help them. Instead, marines would have to cover the person welding until the system is repaired.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I agree with whoever mentioned it though, that the outside needs a bit more pizazz.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->I can do that with models, but I'll put it on a work list for a second release so that I can get the first release out as soon as possible.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->A few decals...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Decals have to be added to the decals wad, which means that the only way I can add custom decals is if I include an updated decal wad that would replace your current decal wad.
I think something like "USS Saturn" as a decal on the wall of the core facing the Communications window would be cool. USS actually stands for United States Ship, and this is a station, but they both start with S so it still works. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->When will a playable beta be ready?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->I want to try and have the first version out by the end of this week. Currently I'm working on some lighting and some 2D details based on comments so far. 2D is easy because it doesn't use any leaves. I can post some before and after shots tomorrow.
Oh and again, i highly suggest PMing some of us on the Reviewers list. I'd gladly take an hour or so to run through your map, try to break it in every way possible, and return to you (probably) with a list of suggested fixes/changes before you do your first full release. Always better to find at least some of the kinks before pubbers find them mid-game <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
It's a fair size, but not huge. I'll take this opportunity to go over it a bit. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
In this first pic, you can see that the nodes are spaced out enough that you won't be able to protect everything by simply electrifying one rt. Hmm... maybe you can't see it. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> The other node is beside the stairs on the right.
<a href="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn38_640.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/saturn38_640.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->It looks easily large enough for a relocation. The low ceiling would not make it easier to Fade there, but it's clear enough for it to not be a problem, and with multiple exits it'd be hard to Fade block. The 'no medpacks in the access tunnels' would mean a decent Alien team could punish them (sporing/OCs/Gorgespit + Skulk/Fade blitzkrieging in tunnels). But I still think the fact it covers 3 RTs quite safely and probably the MS and Obs ones reasonably well, and the easy striking distance to Cargo and Water Purification Hives make it a rewarding gambit. I'd consider maybe making the Obs Halls kink further downwards to increase the travel time to Core if my theory is proved in playtests.
I used this white wall texture because I thought it'd be appropriate for a space station. However, I was never really happy with this area, and with the suggestions about adding more detail, it became even more clear that this area would need revising.
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/B4nAfter/ns_saturnb0.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Here's a shot after some changes, but I still want to add a few things to break up the white walls a bit.
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/B4nAfter/ns_saturna0.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
In the red circle, you can see some of the lighting problems I've been trying to sort out. You'll notice that the lights are off in the first pic and on in the second pic. This is because I'm cycling through the lights to find the source of the problem.
This is in the same area, just around the corner, and it looked pretty bare because it wasn't quite finished.
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/B4nAfter/ns_saturnb1.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Here's what it looks like now:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/B4nAfter/ns_saturna1.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
This hallway is between powerline and power core.
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/B4nAfter/ns_saturnb2.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
And this is what it looks like now:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/B4nAfter/ns_saturna2.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
I think it can be taken a step further by adding some models of wires and pipes along the top of the walls to give it more of a 3D look.
I also added monitors to walls in other parts of the map that looked a bit bare, but you can get the general idea from these pics so I'll skip over that.
Here's an old shot of marine start:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/B4nAfter/ns_saturnb6.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
The blue lights under the stairs were inspired by Star Wars.
Again, I wanted to show the exterior where possible so the windows curve inward.
It's a large room without much variation or cover so I made some changes:
<img src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z164/_Sike_/B4nAfter/ns_saturna6.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
I also shaved off some leaves by optimizing, and I’m using that to add the additional vent in waste halls that I talked about earlier.