The "living" Map

emtegemteg Join Date: 2003-03-02 Member: 14207Members
<div class="IPBDescription">ideas</div> I'm actually working on a map for ns and i spent some time thinking about things that i could use to make my map "living"

1. Random time triggers. Used in ns_bast: If you stay in the readyroom of ns_bast for a few minutes, you will notice that in regular/random intervalls some smoke puffs out of a wall. (looks a bit strange, because there seems to be no reason for this). Could be used for much other random events (lights, machines...)

2. Hive build triggers. I know, that mappers can enter a target of a hive when it gets built. Could be used for events, wich happen if a hive is built. Example: a gorge comes to eclipse command and builds a hive. If you look around in eclipse command, you see some mats of the bacteria at the ceiling and a bit on the walls (textures). My idea is: When the hive get built, some new mats of bacteria could slowly appear. Easy to make for mappers via func_doors that start in walls/floors/ceilings an slowly move out of them (to become visible). When you return to the hive location after a few minutes, there would be MUCH more bacteria mats all around and the infestation looks more complete.

What do u think about these ideas and do you have your own suggestions?

Comments

  • DocterJDocterJ Join Date: 2003-04-09 Member: 15357Members
    wow. If that is possible, and you get a good map going = wowowowowo. sounds really cool if possible
  • BelgarionBelgarion Join Date: 2002-07-19 Member: 973Members
    I'm sure that would be possible, but it would look a bit odd if you sat there and watched all the infstation "grow" out of the walls. Could be interesting though. If i ever got to a point where i might release a map i'd consider the idea.

    Belg
  • OlljOllj our themepark-stalking nightmare Fade Join Date: 2002-12-12 Member: 10696Members
    The idea of triggered infestation is old but never realized, maybe because of some reset-bugs, use func_seetrough_door so the commander cant see it!!!

    I like the idea of a damaged door that opens and closes randomly in long intervalls.
  • SkinnYSkinnY Join Date: 2002-11-07 Member: 7500Members
    I like the idea, and thought about it alot, but since im more of a skinner then a mapper... i've never done it, but it would be cool to see ingame <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • SandrockSandrock Join Date: 2002-12-16 Member: 10905Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--QuoteBegin--Ollj+Apr 30 2003, 06:32 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Ollj @ Apr 30 2003, 06:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I like the idea of a damaged door that opens and closes randomly in long intervalls.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    That is an absolutely brilliant idea. Just imagine a large marine force on their way to a hive and having to pass through that door just as it shuts. Only a few marines make it past, the rest split from the group. The tactical-ness ( <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> ) of that is just amazing.
  • ZyndromeZyndrome Join Date: 2003-03-28 Member: 14974Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Ollj+Apr 30 2003, 06:32 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Ollj @ Apr 30 2003, 06:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I like the idea of a damaged door that opens and closes randomly in long intervalls. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    and it should not be able for Aliens nor Marines to build a blocking structure (like in Shipping Tunnel in ns_caged) or else the advantage of the door fails
  • emtegemteg Join Date: 2003-03-02 Member: 14207Members
    didn't expact that much response because of some small ideas:D
    trigger_random entity: just need to enter a target and shortest trigger value(seconds), longest trigger value(seconds).
    the only problem i see, is a MAX_MAP_ENTITIES error, so I can start with such details on a nearly completed version of a map.
  • tommy14tommy14 Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8839Members
    if you want to be really evil, give the door a squeek - like an onos roar, but set the ambient to play it at a slightly higher tone. that way it will freek players out! "<i>i hear an Onos. no, really!</i>"
  • WolvWolv Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 56Members
    Although this seems a little unrealistic, it does sound like a nice way to balance the "ghost sounds in abandonded marine start" that bug the aliens.
    Now the marines too can hear things that aren't really there. Or are they?
  • MouseMouse The Lighter Side of Pessimism Join Date: 2002-03-02 Member: 263Members, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    In some of the more recent builds of ns_hydrosity, I have an ambient_generic playing klaxon3.wav (on the "haunted" dynamic preset) in the middle of a deserted corridor that you can only see, not get to. It is creepy as hell. It's reached the point where I occasionally check the corners for skulks when I'm testing travel times as a marine, and this is just when I run around the map offline.
  • NerdIIINerdIII Join Date: 2003-04-05 Member: 15230Members
    Ok, as far as I can see we will soon have a big collection of:
    quality maps
    fun maps
    and *new*new*new* horror-psycho-maps

    This is really great. Of course the spawns in such maps need to make each side feel comfortable... but as they move out concrete blocks fall onto their heads squashing them with blood splattering all over the place and screams fill the corridors while steam bursts out of broken pipes and the the alarm seems to shout: 'Turn around! Turn around!'... Then the generator becomes eaten by some skulks and it becomes dark... <!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • tommy14tommy14 Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8839Members
    well, you don't just have to have kharaa sounds to scare humans, you can also play human sounds/echos to mislead aliens too....machinery that sounds like a machinegun, a faint echo of "i need ammo!", a computer squaking "yes, sir", metal cooling pings that sound like a human walking.....


    then there is the almost invisible, moving "somethings" you see out of the corner of your eye....
  • ObliteraterObliterater Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9652Members
    edited May 2003
    I have always wanted to make the scaryest map ever with dark flickering halways creepy sounds, doors closing behind you and skulk noises and moving shadows. The problem is I think the mapping guidlines say that they dont want maps that are to scary, although I think it would be a great idea.
    (just imagine, commander tells a marine to go with an attack group, and he the marine is like, no way, its to scary out there I am going to guard base <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> )

    Edit: BTW mouse i love your sig <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • JusticeBladeJusticeBlade Join Date: 2002-12-23 Member: 11440Members
    Yeah I love this idea! I had it in a map design but not got to learning mapping.............

    For something really creepy have dimming lights set to a .wav of breathing in a hive room or key area.

    Triggerd falling pillars, screching, moving holo skulks/marines, light failure, .wav's of footsteps and opening/closing doors are all great ways of freaking players out! I love it! Make it now!
  • NerdIIINerdIII Join Date: 2003-04-05 Member: 15230Members
    I can imagine another scary effect... but maybe we should ask Steven King anyway <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
    Actually... I once told my commander that I wont go out of base as there seemed to be fades behind every corner, hehe. Don't remember the map though.
    What about changing the athmosphere of a room from gentel lights and friendly light brown colors to all what we mentioned above. flickering lights steam, sounds. Just as an effect of some 'power failure' *g*.
    And can someone please post the extract from the guidelines that tells us not to make super-scary maps? Not that some of the most-played maps, like missile_command care about them, but I'd like to read it myself.
  • JezpuhJezpuh Join Date: 2003-04-03 Member: 15157Banned
    Ooh, this would be so nice <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • blue2kblue2k Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 4025Members
    sounds similar to my map im working on. when you get a hive the infestation/creep takes over the surrounding corridors giving a visual warning of whether the hive is occupied or not. remember its all about the illusion.
  • Grizzly_TankGrizzly_Tank Join Date: 2003-03-13 Member: 14472Members
    This is some great ideas
    i think i will try to putt them in my mapp to....
    the light thing woud be fun , even more if you coud choose wher to cut the power , like if you chew thath cable , the lights go awey in ms , and if you bite thath one , the lights go out in some coridor

    lets make scary ns mapps !!
  • ObliteraterObliterater Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9652Members
    Avoid Terror and Gore - Natural Selection is about lush, atmospheric sci-fi environments, cooperative strategy, and intense battles. It isn't about scaring the player or horrific environments. The aliens will still be scary, but very dark environments, flickering florescent lights, bodies slumped on rafters, and other staples of the horror genre don't help Natural Selection achieve its goals. Don't place dead colonists anywhere (slumped against walls, in piles, etc.). Pools of blood and dismemberment are also to be avoided. The game doesn't avoid blood and gore completely, but doesn't display lingering dead bodies and gibbed alien flesh. In fact, NS is less gory than Half-Life. This may seem like a senseless guideline, but it will help the game appeal to more people--hopefully resulting in more players, more add-ons, and a broader community.


    There is the chunk of mapping guidline prohibiting scaryness. This means scary or gory maps wont be put into NS officialy, <b>however</b> I could turn the map I am currently making into a scary map, IF enough people wanted that (its not very far along right now).
  • RotA_PlagueRotA_Plague Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 6768Members
    edited May 2003
    I don't know too much about mapping, but once the Hive dies, what would cause the infection to go away?
  • Grizzly_TankGrizzly_Tank Join Date: 2003-03-13 Member: 14472Members
    Ther is a trigger "on death" in the hive propertis , but whath about when the game starts , you got a hive allredy ? will itt trigger the infestation to ?

    another thing , do sombody have any souds thath would fit in nicly in this kinda mapp ?
  • civman2civman2 Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 6116Members, Constellation
    just take normal sounds, like biting and walking and chuckles and "Medpack!" and play them at lower volumes in random spots.

    If you made mots of the map like that, it'd be really cool..
  • tommy14tommy14 Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8839Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Obliterater+May 3 2003, 06:28 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Obliterater @ May 3 2003, 06:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Avoid Terror and Gore - Natural Selection is about lush, atmospheric sci-fi environments, cooperative strategy, and intense battles. It isn't about scaring the player or horrific environments. .....
    There is the chunk of mapping guidline prohibiting scaryness. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    nice quote from the offical guide line. however, you may want to make sure it applies:
    1. we were tallking custom maps, and
    2. we weren't talking about gore, and
    3. the scaryness we were discussing is more in line with the offical guidelines for making OFFICIAL maps, which DO suggest darkness away from human spawn, and noises to confuse and give atmosphere.

    <!--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--><b>from the official guidelines</b>:
    Make the marine side "dead" and the alien parts "living"; keep the marine side quiet (good for marines to hear the alien growls and squeals) then create a massive fan room and generators that drone out voice communication and <u><b>scare the marines as they get farther away</b></u> . Have little "ambient movement" on the marine side, then have moving fans, malfunctioning elevators and unexpected gusts of steam erupting from pipes as the marines get closer. (<i>underline mine for emphasis</i>)<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
  • NerdIIINerdIII Join Date: 2003-04-05 Member: 15230Members
    For those who want some new sound files, try these. They are from my sound file collection and a few years old. Maybe some copyrights on one or the other file. Download all three parts, it is a split archive. And don't forget to delete the extension .txt!!!
  • NerdIIINerdIII Join Date: 2003-04-05 Member: 15230Members
  • NerdIIINerdIII Join Date: 2003-04-05 Member: 15230Members
  • RyoOhkiRyoOhki Join Date: 2003-01-26 Member: 12789Members
    I'm certain that the atmospheric feel could be achieved without gore. Sounds in the distance, maybe hearing a battle raging off somewhere, to a backdrop of far off screams, explosions and klaxons blaring. For an example, look at the movie Aliens. The part where Sigorney goes into the alien hive to rescue Newt is simply fantastic, the generated atmosphere is brilliant, and it's done, for the most part, without gore (ignoring the Alien queen of course). The sounds, the sirens and flashing lights, hissing over-heated steam pipes and the tight enclosed corridors covered with infestation: that's atmosphere! And I absolutly love that elevator voice "Attention: Emergancy. All personel must evacuate immediatly. You now have 2 minutes to reach minimum safe distance". I'd cut my left leg off to see that sound used in an NS map <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> COuld work for a readyroom <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

    In any case, that example clearly shows that you can generate the really "frightening" atmopsheric effects we crave without gore. I mean come on, the marines are supposed to be scared of alien hives, not relocating to them!

    Note: I wonder if that elevator voice file is too long for a distress beacon replacement? Hmm, time to find out....<!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
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