Help me!

Black_Wolf

<div class="IPBDescription">No inspiration = bad</div>i restard on my ns_ontaren map because i got bored with it (seems to be the general thing to do around here) plus with my new secksy athlon XP 2000+ working on mapping is just so much more pain-free, compiling in sub 30 seconds, loading the maps faster, etc.

pulling a sicky from school today, i started work on my marine spawn, the landing area of the Ontaren Research Vessel. i have the general shape i want to go with, and the kind of texturing, but im stuck on what else to put in here, ive been working for about an hour and i cant make anything that i am happy with =(

does anyone have any idea of detail i could add to this area? and also, where would people like to see lights in this area?

Black_Wolf

and from top-down:

realityisdead

Ah, very cool idea. I like the way this thing is structured. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->and also, where would people like to see lights in this area?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Up on the tower there. Some big flood lights or something shining fat streaks of warm light down onto the cold ground (which would have to be darker to appear cold). Not to mention a more fitting, night sky.

THAT would look cool. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

For details... not sure. If you feel it's lacking, perhaps just some more detail into the actual structure of the place would help out. Just minor things. Like an extra slant here, another ridge there, etc. And make sure your lighting accents these details if that's the path you take.

-Edit- Oh, and it appears as though those landing circles are large, deep, cylinders. I'd DEFINITELY put some nice lights running down the sides of them to further the "big" feeling of the place. Nothing too bright, but a texture light up against the wall and facing down would look really cool repeated down those.

Also... This is outside. You might want to consider the disadvantages of making an outside area this early in the game's development. It may sound silly to not allow them, but there are reasons. I guess it's fair to say that Merkaba and Mofo's outdoors areas appear to be doing fine though... So, it might work... I'm not going to argue though, so that's all I'm going to say on that note<b>.</b>

-Edit 2- After another look, those don't appear to be big pillars or cylinders. So... there's an idea for ya! Make that blackness be actual elevation change. Waaay down there... <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->



<!--EDIT|ken20banks|May 14 2002,01:23-->

Black_Wolf

thanx for the suggestions, i would make the landing pads elevated or depressed, but to look good they would have to be at least 32 sided cylinders, and for some reason thats bad =D

im putting in some spotlights now on the tower and i know you arent supposed to have outdoor areas, but this may not be one, im thinking of having openable roofs above each landing pad (may not acutally be openable in-game, depending, but they will appear to be able to be opened)

edit: and of course the sky is onyl temporary =D

realityisdead

<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->but to look good they would have to be at least 32 sided cylinders, and for some reason thats bad <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Good point. What are the r_speeds like here? Perhaps there <i>is</i> room for the extra polys.

<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->i know you arent supposed to have outdoor areas, but this may not be one, im thinking of having openable roofs above each landing pad (may not acutally be openable in-game, depending, but they will appear to be able to be opened)
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Cool. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

coil

There's an idea... missile silos!  Or rocket silos... Deus Ex and Halflife both had levels in and around a missile silo, done to great effect (and in HL, you even launch the damn thing).  That'd be fun!

Black_Wolf

here we go, a little more light on the scene, but not so much as to ruin the landing pad effects:

Black_Wolf

hmmm, dont you hate it how you cant edit and add in that picture you forgot =D

Black_Wolf

and viola, no more outdoor area:

Greedo

I think that, for one thing, instead of 2 resource towers right there at the marine start, you should really only have one.  As for the rest of the marine spawn, I think it looks too mirrored and symetrical.  I would definitely break it up somehow, if it would be at all possible to do that.

Black_Wolf

texturing of the openable roofing (well, not openable yet or maybe ever) will probably chage, just wnated to see what it would look like:

Black_Wolf

yeah, those resource towers arent final i just added them in for no real reason, and something definitely will be done to break up the symmetry (though you -would- expect a landing bay to be mainly symetrical)

Moleculor

Perhaps collapse one third of that area in on itself (and in doing so 'bury' one of the nodes? (Would look cool to have the occasional wisp of node steam slip out from the cracks of the rubble...)

Black_Wolf

hmm, that is a good idea, i had two nodes in because it made sense to have two nodes in a place such as this, for easy acces for all four landing bays, ill have a go at collapsing this area sometime soon.

Mouse

that is great stuff, may i suggest taking that light on the tower out of the .rad file and using point based lights instead

Black_Wolf

yeah, i was considering that as well, i -hate- texture lights.

Mouse

same, but they have their uses, like for those really long strips of lights. but a haven't got around to making a .rad file yet so..

InZaneFleaArmy

Idea...have a crashed plane or something in one of them, which collapsed a 3rd of it, and threw debris over another 1 of them...That'd look sweet.

shoven

Then you could go down into the rubble, into a sewer system or something, leading to the first hive.
I <i>love</i> the cieling here. Please, please make an openable roofing. That would be sooo cool <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

Black_Wolf

<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->Idea...have a crashed plane or something in one of them, which collapsed a 3rd of it, and threw debris over another 1 of them...That'd look sweet. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

hmm, but then id have to make a crashed ship, a lot of effort and im sure it wouldn't turn out as something i would like. nice idea though, i -will- collapse one ceiling (as soon as some of my mid-year exams are finished, and i stop this virus on my computer =/)


and Shoven, i think i will make the ceilings openable, especially for one reason later in the map -looks around furtively for idea steelers- =P