Ns_vargus_b1 RELEASED!
DarkATi
Revelation 22:17 Join Date: 2003-06-20 Member: 17532Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Revelation 22:17 Join Date: 2003-06-20 Member: 17532Members, Reinforced - Shadow
<div class="IPBDescription">Looking for servers to host this custom map</div>Hello everyone,
As the title says, I am ready to release ns_vargus_b1.
Feel free to roam about the map on your personal PCs and let me know what you think. Also, I would like to get a group together to beta test the map online. Can anyone get the map hosted?
If possible I'd like to set a time slot to test it out with you all online. Sometime in the evening would be good but not too late because I work from around 9:30 P.M. every night until 3 or 4 in the morning.
A few things to note:
Entity Limit - I am over the entity limit. Yes, I know that the limit is 275 but I am sitting at around 330 something and that is with heavy optimization. We'll see how bad this lags the server. (If at all.)
Wpolys - look good, pretty low. Averaging around 400 in most areas. The highest I've seen is around 800.
Vents - yes, I'd like to add more but I really wanted to get a beta out. We'll see how the map flows.
.RES file - Hope I made it right... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
Does the map run on someone else's PC? I don't know yet to be honest. I hope I have included the appropriate files. Let me know if it runs for you. I did my very best to pack the .zip correctly.
Beta - Finally, I do not want this map to stay in the "beta" stage forever, so please give me some feedback and let's get some online playtesting going right away!
Thanks for the support everyone! I wouldn't have finished this project without each and every one of you!
<a href="http://www.mazdarxnews.com/vargus/ns_vargus_b1.zip" target="_blank">DOWNLOAD NS_VARGUS_B1 NOW!</a>
Cheers,
Cody
P.S. Linkage to the original Vargus thread with screenshots and progress reports: <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns/forums/index.php?showtopic=81131&st=0&start=0" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns/forums/ind...t=0&start=0</a>
As the title says, I am ready to release ns_vargus_b1.
Feel free to roam about the map on your personal PCs and let me know what you think. Also, I would like to get a group together to beta test the map online. Can anyone get the map hosted?
If possible I'd like to set a time slot to test it out with you all online. Sometime in the evening would be good but not too late because I work from around 9:30 P.M. every night until 3 or 4 in the morning.
A few things to note:
Entity Limit - I am over the entity limit. Yes, I know that the limit is 275 but I am sitting at around 330 something and that is with heavy optimization. We'll see how bad this lags the server. (If at all.)
Wpolys - look good, pretty low. Averaging around 400 in most areas. The highest I've seen is around 800.
Vents - yes, I'd like to add more but I really wanted to get a beta out. We'll see how the map flows.
.RES file - Hope I made it right... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
Does the map run on someone else's PC? I don't know yet to be honest. I hope I have included the appropriate files. Let me know if it runs for you. I did my very best to pack the .zip correctly.
Beta - Finally, I do not want this map to stay in the "beta" stage forever, so please give me some feedback and let's get some online playtesting going right away!
Thanks for the support everyone! I wouldn't have finished this project without each and every one of you!
<a href="http://www.mazdarxnews.com/vargus/ns_vargus_b1.zip" target="_blank">DOWNLOAD NS_VARGUS_B1 NOW!</a>
Cheers,
Cody
P.S. Linkage to the original Vargus thread with screenshots and progress reports: <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns/forums/index.php?showtopic=81131&st=0&start=0" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns/forums/ind...t=0&start=0</a>
Comments
For now: LEECHING DAT FILE! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
- Some doors instakill. At least the ones in trans. beacons.
- We should see bits of trans. beacons from the windows in shipping & receiving (even only a wall or something).
- Some open doors are lit in red. Usually red = closed if you don't check the minimap. Just a small detail.
- The ambient sounds around freq. control and coolant are reaaaally loud.
- Comm view moves around if you hover on top of that rotating thingy in coolant tank.
- Comm can't drop anything at ground level in trans. beacons. Structures & packs end up on some sort of invisible roof.
- Same thing in some spots in mainframe & "hallway axis".
- The weldable in station mon. hive opens up a panel but it's sort of useless cause marines will most likely shoot the hive from hive entrances anyway. Or does it serves another purpose?
- Omega cell hive can be reached with at least 2 sieges from coolant tank aux. It's a 8 seconds walk from MS, too close.
- Hatching hive can easily be sieged from the bottom of the "transport hold east" lift. It's a 10 seconds walk from MS, too close too.
- Can build outside on the roof of the hallway south of "elevation shaft south". Don't even need a boost, you can jump on that crate then on the pipes to build.
- As you said, need some more vents in key areas.
I'll keep checking if a server runs the map to try it with some people. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/asrifle.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::asrifle::" border="0" alt="asrifle.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pudgy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::gorge::" border="0" alt="pudgy.gif" />
<a href="http://www.nsbrowser.org/en/browser/servers/88.198.10.144:27010/" target="_blank">http://www.nsbrowser.org/en/browser/server...8.10.144:27010/</a>
Ip: 88.198.10.144:27010
- Some doors instakill. At least the ones in trans. beacons.
- We should see bits of trans. beacons from the windows in shipping & receiving (even only a wall or something).
- Some open doors are lit in red. Usually red = closed if you don't check the minimap. Just a small detail.
- The ambient sounds around freq. control and coolant are reaaaally loud.
- Comm view moves around if you hover on top of that rotating thingy in coolant tank.
- Comm can't drop anything at ground level in trans. beacons. Structures & packs end up on some sort of invisible roof.
- Same thing in some spots in mainframe & "hallway axis".
- The weldable in station mon. hive opens up a panel but it's sort of useless cause marines will most likely shoot the hive from hive entrances anyway. Or does it serves another purpose?
- Omega cell hive can be reached with at least 2 sieges from coolant tank aux. It's a 8 seconds walk from MS, too close.
- Hatching hive can easily be sieged from the bottom of the "transport hold east" lift. It's a 10 seconds walk from MS, too close too.
- Can build outside on the roof of the hallway south of "elevation shaft south". Don't even need a boost, you can jump on that crate then on the pipes to build.
- As you said, need some more vents in key areas.
I'll keep checking if a server runs the map to try it with some people. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/asrifle.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::asrifle::" border="0" alt="asrifle.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pudgy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::gorge::" border="0" alt="pudgy.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thanks for the feedback! Very much appreciated!
<!--quoteo(post=1703097:date=Mar 20 2009, 03:12 AM:name=Seker)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Seker @ Mar 20 2009, 03:12 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1703097"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Our Server should run it _soon_ .
<a href="http://www.nsbrowser.org/en/browser/servers/88.198.10.144:27010/" target="_blank">http://www.nsbrowser.org/en/browser/server...8.10.144:27010/</a>
Ip: 88.198.10.144:27010<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thank you for the hosting! I can't wait to play around online with real people!
Cheers,
Cody
WARNING! ns_vargus/welcomevargus1.wav is causing runtime sample conversion!
ns_vargus/omegacell.wav is a stereo sample
Also why aren't you using mp3's? They are quite a bit smaller in size. I definatly like the intro sound though! Makes for a good atmopheric setting.
<b>Odd building locations:</b><ul><li>At the transmition beacons, the comm builds outside the map on top of the hallway roof. There is no way he can build in that corridor. If this is by design, ya might want to put a func_nobuild on the roof, or if its not ya might want to block that area with clipbrushing (I think it will then use the floor as building area)</li><li>medlabs east, a comm+jetty marine can build on the ventilation thingies at the south wall. 2 turrets and TF will be very annoying for the Kaahra for instance.</li><li>Transport Hold East, it is possible to build stuff on the track of the elevator/transport platform. Buildings will move and eventually die ofcourse, but is this by design?</li></ul>I'm gonnah do something else now, I'll be back for more checking of map stuff. Might wanna ring up Stix as well, he loves to do reviews <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Also, it's usually a bad idea to include 'readme.txt' in what amounts to the ns/ install directory. A much better name and location is [mapname].txt in the /maps directory. That ensures that people will know what readme it is, and it will be kept right next to the bsp. And not be overwritten by the next random readme <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
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<div align="center"><u><!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Specific Room notes:<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></u></div>
<u>Elevation Shaft East:</u>
This elevator seems pointless, or at least out of place. If you really want to keep it, I would suggest widening the elevator hall and adding a walkway / long staircase to the side, preferably one that could fit an onos.
The elevator damage is ridiculous too. No one should be able to die that fast in this game. I jumped in front of the elevator and insta-died. Consider changing it so the elevator fits snuggly into the ground, perhaps into a shallow clipped area so players won't die so easily.
I would suggest just removing it entirely though.
<u>Frequency Control:</u>
Looks pretty, but there's a problem with the ladders. As a marine, if you walk directly to the ladders and up them, you get caught at the top. You have to jump to get over the small lip. Bad for flow and should be easily fixable.
<u>Coolant Tank:</u>
Consider adding a spark or electrical sound to the water in this room. I had no clue it was deadly until I put my toe in it. Players should have more clues for such a deadly hazard.
<u>Transfer Management:</u>
The small C-shaped computer console has a graphical bug. One of consoles, on the side, there is so texture. Check your vertices. The other console looks off too.
<u>Atmospheric Stability Control:</u>
Those drops off the side of the elevator, down to a player's death, should probably be clipped out (and make the elevator tight enough so it doesn't look like a player could fall through). Pits of death can be fun and all, but not when it looks like a legitimate part of the map, and it's a fall that would normally not kill a player.
<u>Medlabs Access:</u>
Those are cool looking doors, but highly unrealistic. Marines would have to awkwardly tip-toe through the doors on each end. Consider expanding the flat middle part, though it's mainly just an aesthetic suggestion.
<u>Fuel Cell Storage:</u>
Cool room, especially for gorging up top with OCs. I would highly suggest adding a ladder in that vent, so gorges on the top rung of this room could get there from the hive, rather than having to specifically egg up there. Gorges everywhere would really, really appreciate it.
The crates in this room look kinda awkward for some reason. I guess it's the fact that they're a bit flattened. Maybe chamfer the edges or something.
<u>Hallway (Tri-Joint):</u>
The two sides of the hallway floor have different angles. One is 45 or lower, the other is higher than 45. I can tell because one side can be walked on (45 or lower), the other cannot and slides the player down. Inconsistent, and I'm guessing, unintended. Always be careful with your higher-than-45 degree angles, since they effectively block players' movement. South Loop, in Eclipse, is another example of this, where the mapper should have either clipped them or lowered the angle.
<u>Research Docks:</u>
Careful. The exterior of this area should be visible from Hallway (Axis).
<u>Hive: Omega Cell</u>
There's something I don't like about this hive and it's placement. First off, the vent to Fuel Cell is almost too powerful (despite the fact that I like how the vent itself works with the Fuel Cell room). It gives a huge amount of map access, and would lose a huge amount of map access if welded.
Also, if that vent is welded, there is a single chokepoint where Shipping & Receiving meets Hallway (Axis). <i>(Side note: don't have multiple, separate areas called the same thing, such as your multiple 'Hallway (Axis)' locations here)</i>. There are no other vents or other routes out of that hive except through here. This would be very bad in a whole host of game situations! Good comms would weld Fuel and just lock down that spot.
Try to make a 2nd, independent entrance to this hive. You have two long and complicated hallways near that hive, but the westernmost one is basically irrelevant (given the chokepoint) aside from simply another way into the hive.
I would suggest moving the hive room more to the south-west, merging those southern hallways into one, and making a new route from Fuel Cell (or nearby) into the hive. That should solve a lot of problems there.
<u>Transmission Beacons</u>
The door between TB and Hallway (Axis) is awkward. I've never liked these sorts of doors, and I think that goes for most people. They can also be really buggy. This door is insta kill (bad), and if it closes when you're nearby, it won't open until to walk a few feet away (more than normal, I might add) and return. Very bad for gamplay. I'd suggest removing it entirely (plus you need to save entities). If you really like it, I'd suggest removing the block damage and making the trigger a lot tighter to the door, so people just have to move inches back to reopen it, rather than multiple feet.
<u>"Hallway" east of Mainframe</u>
Oni get stuck in here pretty badly. There is architecture that can block from the ceiling, but even worse is the pipe, whose bottom angles can damn near fully stick an onos.
<u>Elevator Shaft South:</u>
Always a bad idea to insta-kill with elevators like that, especially when it is so wide to the room it's in.
<u>Vent between Hatching and Station Monitoring:</u>
This vent is too good. It goes directly from one hive to another and has practically marine access (so those two hives are easy to defend from the other). The spot where a floor grate can see a small part of that vent would be an AMAZING spot for a chamber of any type, but it would be damn near impossible for the rines to kill without a siege, or a marine who's willing to crawl through the vents for about 5 minutes (assuming he even knows he can get there), AND take fall damage.
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<div align="center"><!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><u>Hive Runtimes (all from MS):</u><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></div>
<u>Hatchling </u>(top right):
35 and 28 seconds. Not bad. The 35 second route (northernmost route) needs that siege fixed, so I'd suggest bringing the runtime down just a tad at the same time. The 28 second route should be taken note of (southern exit from MS to southern entrance to hive) and raised a bit if possible.
<u>Omega </u>(bottom left):
31 seconds. Spot on. But keep in mind that this area should probably be changed around fairly significantly to avoid that chokepoint, lessen the detrimental effect of that weldable (or remove it altogether), give a proper 2nd entrance into the hive, and cut down on the clutter in the hallways approaching the hive.
<u>Station Monitoring</u> (bottom right):
38 seconds (northern route), and that was WITH fall damage, as I fell down the part with the ladders. It would be up to 40+ with taking the ladders. This is really high.
35 seconds (southern route). Still a bit high. Consider bringing the entire hive and surrounding area closer to the middle of the map (while keeping siege spots in mind of course). This will cut down the runtimes and probably save a few entities along the way.
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<div align="center"><!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><u>Sieges:</u><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></div>
<u><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Hatchling Hive<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></u>
<b>***VERY BAD***:</b>
Hatching Hive can be sieged from a spot that is literally a 10 second walk from Marine Spawn. From 'transport hold east' / 'Frequency Control'. Very, very bad.
I'm assuming this wasn't intended as a siege spot, since it would take aliens a VERY long time to attack this spot from either side. Needs redesign. I would suggest moving the exit door in Transport Hold East to the north side of the room rather than the south side, to cut about 300 units, and moving the hive room a bit further to the east. That should keep the hive and most of the hive room out of siege range.
<u><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Omega Cell:<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></u>
I laid out a pretty big plan for fixing up this hive already, but I'll mention the sieges specifically here. Both sides are decent sieges, but flanking either side as anything but a silent skulk would be such a huge distance that it would probably rarely happen. If you kept this format, these halls should be 'tidied up' a bit to give faster movement for aliens. But again, a PG and lockdown at that chokepoint could easily be the launching pad for a siege against this hive.
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<div align="center"><!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><u>Other Notes:</u><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></div>
<u>Entities: </u>
Numents gave me a count of 346. Dude, this is wayyyy too much. Entities can always be cut, at the expense of visuals of course, but stability > visuals. You have a lot of rooms with pits of death that are unnecessary, railings, overlays, glowing walls, etc. Please cut these back.
Also, keep in mind that entities can be grouped together. You may already be doing this. But in a place like Transmission Beacons, you can have all those force-field brushes under one entity. Just NEVER do this for ladders.
<u>Minimap:</u>
You get an easy pass on this one because it's a fairly closed beta release. But once you iron out a bunch of these bugs and want a more public release, you really need to include proper minimaps.
First and most easily, you can set the bounds of the map. If memory serves me, you just go into the 'map properties' in hammer and set the bounds there. You'll notice on recompile (and re-buildminimaps) that your minimap will fill the screen a lot more, like it was 'zoomed in'. This really helps.
Then you need to clean up the minimap; look at how a simple hallway (say, the south exit of Marine Start) looks like a garble of crap. Clean that up so players can navigate more easily.
Color the vents. A lot of my initial layout impressions were shattered when I realized what looked like a hallway was actually an alien-accessible-only vent.
Label and 'transparify' the whole thing, with the proper sprite names and such. A big ordeal, yes, but it's the polish that is necessary for custom maps to be accepted on any public server.
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<u>Final Word:</u>
Damn good first beta of Vargus dude. Glad to see it finally come to light! There's a lot to be fixed, but that's the point of a first beta. Looking forward to future versions!
Stix
in the res file you need to use the other slashes "/" these not "\" <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Not sure when it will be ready for release. I don't want to rush anything, I want to take my time and make real improvements while I have her under the knife.
Cheers,
Cody
<img src="http://www.scootrnova.net/nsv1.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
As a marine if I jumped into that little piping area I was immediately stucked. Now I don't know if a skulk works or not in that nook, but I'd suggest a clip brush be thrown in there.
<img src="http://www.scootrnova.net/nsv2.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
That's one dark resource node huh? Light 'er up!
Overall a map that I'm definitely surprised with quality wise. Unfortunately we're much too late in NS's game... this probably won't get the attention it deserves. However, I applaud your good work sir!