Ns_pot Layout

Ollj · December 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">A Map layout that may go to far?</div> This is NS_pot, a mine and factory.
No screenshots because lights and effects are not really added yet.
This map is BIG (im hardly srinking it) and looks very complex... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'>
But its not as complicate as it looks on this layout, and a lot of orientation will be garanted:
each level has own design, NESW-direction signs, alpha-beta-gamma signs for best way to hive-sieging-rooms.

Layout below...
The ideas are:
3 levels; lowest is a mine + toxic dump, highest is a Factory, middle contains controll rooms and such - one hive in each level.
Marines start in between of 2 possible command consoles, but because of energy loss they can just activate and use one of them. Repairing the energy controll enables both.
Choosen CC and Hive+Ressource determines indirectly on what levels the main action takes place.
<a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=17330&st=0#entry199200' target='_blank'>other thread about 2 Command consoles</a>
The Consoles and Ressources are behind closed doors whose triggers kill each other.

Hives can be sieged from nearby rooms that are a long way for aliens.
Marines have the disadvantage, that they must build up the CC first <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'>

Biggest problem is the scale of the map. 3 levels are no problem for the command-view and r_speeds.
You need 20-25 seconds from any (!) hive to another hive or CC (from CC to CC, 15 sec).
Any suggestions?
I mapped much, but not much compared to the whole map, really in love with details and compiling problems...
Im thinking about vents, but I wont use them as shortcuts (would be a labyrinth than) , I will use them as "parallel" ways.

sekdar · January 2003

wow. the map alone blew me away. seems you've put some MAJOR thought into this, can't wait to see some screenies or even a demo of a flyby <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'> great job on the layout!

im not too sure on the double CC idea, and now im worried about inter-level sieging of hives.

Angel · January 2003

just make sure these floors arent hanging over each other unless its a vent. or you will find big r_speed problems as a commander

Odin_spain · January 2003

How you kill the rest of CC that marines dont use?, or only hide it?

Ollj · January 2003

Marines can go to both CC-rooms, BUT they can just use the CC in the room they entered first. the other CC will stay locked behind a door.
in the room with the locked CC is a big tobggled func_nobuild + the room layout is designed the way, that marines just have an advantage if they have turrets or lots of ppl there (big room, straight crossings, a lot of acess vents, most locked if in choosen room).

Another trick is the lightning: the choosen CC-room is full bright, the not choosen room falls into a deep black with just a few red-alert-lights.
Marines should better walk to the next hive instead of fighting for a black scary room they cant build in.

madine disatvantages.
Marines have the big disatvantage of time.
In NSTR, if you use 2 Command consoles, just one will stand from the beginning, the other needs to be build up first. -> ill need 3 CC stations, the third at the "W" room, easily destroyable by aliens. the other 2 CC stations (one of them at the 2 places) need a build up first - huge disatvantage at the beginning.
Marines need to walk 5-10 seconds till they reach a CC- position. misttake if they go to the wrong one - small disatvantage.
Map is large , Aliens are faster - big disatvantage for marines.

Merkaba · January 2003

3 Leveled maps? Gulp. I see you've overcome the problem of having rooms blocking lower rooms quite nicely, but there is another problem with multi leveled maps in NS. The commander will see EVERYTHING that is beneath him, so thats 1, 2, 3 floors worth of polygons underneath his feet. This may not be a problem in itself in your map, because of the nice spacey way its laid out, but also bear in mind that the further away something is, the smaller it is. The bottom floor will be a lot smaller to the commander and so more of it will be drawn than the top floors. It's going to take some thought and consideration to be able to make this work properly, but I'm sure it can be done. One trick you could do is to have the design of the bottom layer as rather bland and low poly (while still making it look good, of course), and have the higher up levels more detailed.

Anyway, good luck!

Sephiroth2k · January 2003

love the name <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'>

CrAcKbRoCk · January 2003

I'm liking this map idea alot. It will be damn tricky to make it work though, good luck! (no sarcasim intended).

Btw, how can you toggle a func_nobuild?

Ollj · January 2003

func_nobuild has a name so i should be able to toggle or kill it..

Fieari · January 2003

I'm very interested how you plan to handle the walkways overlapping each other. The commander won't be able to build underneath the walkways on the lower levels... won't be able to drop health there... won't be able to order troops there. Of course, they are small areas that over lap... might work out fine... as I said, I'm interested to see how it works.

Will there be vents?

Ollj · January 2003

There will be a few vents, but no big shortcut vents...
More parallel- and hiding_to-attack_from_behind- vents.

The overlapping problem will be half solved in 2 ways (wich should give a complete solution <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'> :

1) Were paths overlap both paths will be smaller (damaged area, doors, sense-making clip_brushes, ...)
2) 2 overlapping levels will have enough free z-distance for the commander to see-scroll below the top.

I know about the problems Merkaba mentioned.
Yes. the lowest level has less detail...
and the zoom factor is just a problem if the commander eye is close to the upper level and far away from the lowest.
If the commander eye is far enough away from upper level its no big problem. Then the poly count is the problem...

sySTEm1 · January 2003

well if u can pull this off, which im sure u can. it will be an original idea and a whole new breed of ns tactics. gl m8! cant wait to see shots + test it <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'>

Ollj · January 2003

walk-though layout demo with 90% awfull incomplete design maybe coming soon.

Problem is: Im soo in love with details and leaks.

Ollj · January 2003

time for some crappy screensots.
Crappy because there is not much eye candy detail yet.
Im more into architecture and ballancing than into lightning and detailed objects.
They will come later.

Overview from south west of the map:
Bottom left is one CC-room. right is a part of the ready room (docking room) connected to the Reception.
I will add rocks top left were the whole building is build at.
Windows are missing - there are large windows and a large outside area (can see crom RR to both cc rooms) but no more than 700r_speed.
<img src='http://www.df5jz.de/Ollj/ns_pot/pot-a3.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

docking room from inside with a (too bright and boring) light test.
<img src='http://www.df5jz.de/Ollj/ns_pot/pot-a1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

Ollj · January 2003

this
<img src='http://www.df5jz.de/Ollj/ns_pot/pot-a2.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>
is the reception and will soon look like this
<img src='http://www.df5jz.de/Ollj/ns_pot/pot-a3e.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

Belgarion · January 2003

mmmmmmm... very interesting.. makes me hungry. *wants to eat the second picture of the reception*

*edit* i just realized the second picture is a render.... but i still want to eat it

Belg

Sirus · January 2003

could i suggest ns_forge or ns_quarry rather than pot? I think forge wouldn't be that bad. But you could always go for a proper noun rather than a common noun.

Ollj · January 2003

mkay...

Syclone · January 2003

twould be true art to get a ready room to look like that.

**finger ready on screen shot <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'> **

Even better if the whole map looked like that.

I reckon screw those ppl with 233 mhZ <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'>

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wow.gif'>

Sirus · January 2003

Ns_pot kinda insults your work, however, if you like it you have every right to call it whatever you'd like. I'm just suggesting that you choose a better name to do justice to what i expect to be a very good map.

Don't talk my suggestions as commands, i was trying to pick some name off the top of my head.

maybe ns_foundry? Once again just ideas.

Ollj · January 2003

Is it lame to name a map to the mapper?

If not I would rename it to ns_ollj
wich is an acronym for
Operation Level`n Location .Jumping.
wich describes the layout really good.
The location still needs a name.

Ns_pot Layout

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