co_clapho

Saeppel · July 2007

So, this is it! My very first map! I can't believe i finished it! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

I'd like to have it tested for playability, which means size of room/corridors, the amount of vents etc.
I haven't put in so many details because of the mentioned issue.

So, I'd like to be criticised!

<a href="http://mitglied.lycos.de/mruniverse/" target="_blank">http://mitglied.lycos.de/mruniverse/</a>
Direct linking doesn't work, so please choose co_clapho_b1.rar there manually <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

Thanks for your time!

[2nd edit]
i removed the large old screenshots, linke are still here:
[edit]
<a href="http://www.imagehut.eu/v.php?id=50176co_clapho0000.gif" target="_blank">image1</a>
<a href="http://www.imagehut.eu/v.php?id=85623co_clapho0001.gif" target="_blank">image2</a>
<a href="http://www.imagehut.eu/v.php?id=9681co_clapho0002.gif" target="_blank">image3</a>
<a href="http://www.imagehut.eu/v.php?id=23203co_clapho0003.gif" target="_blank">image4</a>
<a href="http://www.imagehut.eu/v.php?id=85513co_clapho0004.gif" target="_blank">image5</a>
[/edit]

I made a directory for the map:
<a href="http://mitglied.lycos.de/mruniverse/co_clapho" target="_blank">http://mitglied.lycos.de/mruniverse/co_clapho</a>

Actually i finished beta2 (well, its compiled and i wanted you to show im still working on it)

Changelog b1-b2:
- Rinestart reworked (especially the ceiling)
- Added lights in the corridors towards the hiveroom
- Added some vents
- Removed vent to Marine Start
- put some boxes in the middle room
- reworked the ceiling in the middle room
- removed railings in the Hive

ToDo:
- Screens (dont have a program for that on my laptop and paint sucks)
- MAKE THE MARINE START DARKER (oh ffs, its terrifying <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />)
- fix some null textures (well, had the "Error: exceeded max patches"-error)
- add a small secret room <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

please complete my todo list <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
[2nd edit]

[yet another edit]
Someone put a good map overview on a german ns-wiki-site, even if you dont understand what is written there, the overview is qutie informative.
<a href="http://nswiki.onos.de/index.php/Co_clapho#Overview" target="_blank">http://nswiki.onos.de/index.php/Co_clapho#Overview</a>
[/yet another edit]

Moconnor · July 2007

You really should give screen-shots of your map, especially since this is your first finished map.

Kouji_San · July 2007

Lets use the rule no pics no clicks <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> (I did click though)

Only screenshot I found

<a href="http://mitglied.lycos.de/mruniverse/co_clapho0006.gif" target="_blank">http://mitglied.lycos.de/mruniverse/co_clapho0006.gif</a>

If this is a beta test release I would recreate that rar file and create minimaps (use buildminimap in console, while in development mode)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rar or zip file)</div><div class='quotemain'>maps/co_clapho_b1.bsp
maps/co_clapho_b1.res
maps/co_clapho_b1.txt
sprites/minimaps/co_clapho_b1.spr
sprites/minimaps/co_clapho_b1_1.spr
sprites/minimaps/co_clapho_b1_2.spr
sprites/minimaps/co_clapho_b1_3.spr</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(co_clapho resfile)</div><div class='quotemain'>maps/co_clapho_b1.txt
sprites/minimaps/co_clapho_b1.spr
sprites/minimaps/co_clapho_b1_1.spr
sprites/minimaps/co_clapho_b1_2.spr
sprites/minimaps/co_clapho_b1_3.spr
</div>

[edit]
And perhaps use .jpg as screenshot format. .gif is only 256 colors and it gets really pixelated...

I'll comment on it a bit later, I don't feel like it right now. It does looks pretty nice for a first map though. It does have room for improvement . Especially the lighting. Its to much of the same color in some areas (flood lights). And the light textures themselves could use overlays or light entity in front of it type of ....... <span style="color:grey">*rambling, I'll be back when I have more time and --> damnit I did comment*</span> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

spellman23 · July 2007

Very nice for a first. Haven't gone through it all, but a few minor things I saw from the screens.

1) is that a vent in Marine Start (upper right in pic1)? Usually a poor idea.....

2) those walkways in the Hive have railings. That means aliens have a hard time getting onto them without floating in the air a bit and getting shot at. Alot. Removal of the railings are the solution. Or making them invisible so you can walk right through them. Also, it prevents the aliens from knocking them off the walkways, which also tends to be bad unless there's really super nasty effects down there (like pits of water that they can't get out of, think Power Silo in ns_metal)

StixNStonz · July 2007

Hehe, kouji, its a CO map, so it doesnt use minimaps <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
I dont usually review Combat maps, but i can give you a pointer or two just from the screenshots. I find that the best ramps follow a 2:1 slope. That is, they go sideways by 2 units, and up by 1. Yours seem to be a 1:1, which is a 45 degree angle, which to me always looks weird. The 2:1 feels a lot more realistic, and is still very easy to keep consistent.

The hive seems a bit cluttered too. Maybe space it all out a bit. And its a good suggestion, about removing some or all of the railings.

The lighting looks washed out in a lot of areas. A great way to fix this is to lower your bounce (set the bounce setting to 1 or 2, i use 1), and set your direct light to 2. This way, the direct lighting is doubled, and it bounces less, so you have a harsher contrast between lights and shadows. Then put on the gammaramp to 1.7, and things will immediately look hella pretty. From there, find any areas that are too dark, and put in the light_spot's. If things still look too washed out, lower your settings in lights.rad, or remove a lot of your texture lights.

If you dont understand anything i've mentioned here, or anything anyone else has mentioned, just ask and we'll go into more detail.

Damn good first map though. Keep it up.

Thaldarin · July 2007

From the screenshots it looks very old themed which is cool, no need to always over do NS2.

However it looks a bit empty and plain in areas. Hive room looks interesting <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

Saeppel · July 2007

ok, ill work through the hive (remove the railings partly)

i make more lights at the walls and decrease the brightness of those at the ceiling
i make the walls more unique (some lights, or cables in them or whatever [ill see <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />])

i put direct light now to 2 in batch compiler and i lower bounce to 1 (from 2).
actually i cant find the gammaramp option in there (do you mean gamma?)

and yes, there is a vent in ms, however, you can jump easily into it, so its not kinda unfair like on co_blackmesa

--

thx so far!

StixNStonz · July 2007

its an entity, env_gammaramp, and you just set it to whatever you want. If you want to try out different options, bind different keys to 'setgamma 1.0', 1.5, and 1.7, those are the main ones. You need cheats on, and possibly developer 1 as well. From there, you can run around and tap the keys to see how everything will look with the different gamma ramp settings.

spellman23 · July 2007

On the vent, it's..... unusual. Yeah with some hopping around you can get into it, but Marine Start should be a Marine friendly place. Nothing worse than to be half way across the map and suddenly the whole alien team has swooped in from the vent to take down your chair (trust me, it happens).

Adding some more "clutter" would also be nice. Skulks keep getting slaughtered with all the open room, forcing cloaking.

Keep at it.

Kouji_San · July 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(StixNStonz @ Jul 19 2007, 09:40 PM) [snapback]1639687[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
Hehe, kouji, its a CO map, so it doesnt use minimaps <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
</div>

Well slap my lork of the clorf!!!

Thats what you get for posting stuff when your energy levels are subpar <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

Moconnor · July 2007

Does not look to bad so far.
I would concentrate more on opening up the ceilings of most areas rather than adding detail to the walls.
(i never ran through it yet) It looks very claustrophobic with low flat ceilings. If you could add more variety to the height it will add alot to the look and feel and introduce more interesting game-play.

As far as lighting goes, you should try to use one type/colour of lighting for the "main" sources of lights in every room. And use other colours to add contrast to the lighting that way. (perhaps its just the green corridors putting me off <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wow.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":0" border="0" alt="wow.gif" /> )

scaryface · July 2007

Have you considered renaming your map? Every time I see the name, a prostitute with gonorrhea comes to mind.

Anyway, I like the map. I agree with the comment that the ramps are too steep. Either give them a smaller slope or change them to stairs, which would probably be more realistic.

There also seem to be a few marine biased hallways that may need a bit of additional cover for skulks.

Thaldarin · July 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scaryface @ Jul 20 2007, 06:41 PM) [snapback]1639861[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
Have you considered renaming your map? Every time I see the name, a prostitute with gonorrhea comes to mind.
</div>

Heh I see what you mean. So is it pronounced "Clap-ho!" or "Claff-ho" ? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

Saeppel · July 2007

alright! beta2 is ready! ive edited the first post ;P

[ninja edit]
hmm... if you want a different name, suggest me some, im not good at it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
[/edit]

StixNStonz · July 2007

co_mpton

Saeppel · July 2007

how bout co_ol <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nerd-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::nerdy::" border="0" alt="nerd-fix.gif" />

Spawn_of_Chaos97 · July 2007

co_toobright?

Nah seriously, co_jarvle (pronounced jarvel)...I'm good at "random" names lol.

Saeppel · July 2007

b3 is out <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
same directory and a darker marine start xD

actually looked nice on my normal comp

it would be pronounced cla-fo

screens coming soon =)

Thaldarin · July 2007

Keep the name clapho, everyone's got it stuck in their minds. Not sure if "the map that sounds like that sex disease" is what you were going for, but it works <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

co_clapho

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