Need your help!

Cremator

<div class="IPBDescription">...please</div>Hey everyone, I really need your help.  I've had a bit of time to get back to mapping recently, but I'm in a complete rut.  I just cannot think up some orriginal ideas for my readyroom, which is the piece that I am working on right now.  Please look at the screenshot and tell me what to keep, what to add, and what should go.  I greatly aprreciate it.

<img src="http://206.11.238.54/brian/redtest.jpg" border="0">

pielemuis

It's a bit difficult to just give you ideas, I think the readyroom should fit with the theme of your map, so if you could first give us teh theme of your map then its a lot easier to give you ideas, or does you readyroom have a purpose? Is it a spaceship? Or is it a tracking post back on earth or another planet or a ship? These are things that play a role for me, you may well think that the readyroom shouldn't have anything to do with your map, also i think it would help if you just think about what th readyroom is, it's a place where people go after/beofre a battle, you could make it a trainingcamp/briefingroom, or some sort of hospital where they nurse the wounded.

Aragorn

I would replace the gray ceiling texture. At the moment, it looks too bright in contrast to the rest of your readyroom.

RhoadsToNowhere

Same as Aragorn.  That ceiling/wall tex really doesn't fit, it needs something with more detail\definition.  Other than that, it looks pretty good.

MonsieurEvil

I really like the interesting layout - looks almost egyptian <i>(say, that'd be an interesting idea for a level - the ruins of another alien civilization (not these aliens), that maybe was being excavated or examined. Lots of cool artistic possibilities there. Someone go claim it at NS World).</i>

I do think that the texturing is a bit odd, as the alien textures seem very neat and arbitrary. I would also like to see a couple more shots from different angles. Good possibilities though - more, more!

Cremator

great!  thanks for the comments everyone, please keep them comming.

unfortunately, i do not plan out my maps before i map them (i've probably said this a billion times, sorry) so it's hard to do this room accordingly.  i was shooting for something visually appealing, and lots of room to run around.  i'll add a lot of detail in the end so that it's more fun to move around in.  right now, r_speeds go up to around 800, but i've got some plans to fix that.

the roof texture was just a temporary thing, as i have not decided on what kind of roof texture would be appropriate.  i'll also be adding some stuff to those pillars to make them blend a bit better with what they are touching.

as for the lighting, maybe i should tone down those white lights at the peak?  also, should i add lights right by the doorways, or should i have spotlights aimed at them?

i was running late for work today, so i only had time to upload one screenie (took 10 damn minutes).  i'll have some time tomorrow to get some more pictures up...

Relic25

Here's one trick I love to use to create an eerie atmosphere.  

Floor-level lighting.

Or even sub-floor lighting if you have transparent grates.  As you move the lights from overhead to the floor, it draws the light to where it's needed (where the players walk) and creates deepened shadows overhead.  This also allows you to lower the general light level in the room to create more illumination variation, while still making it easy for the players to see where they are going.  Having floor level lights just seems to lend a great sci-fi touch and a nice creepy feel too.

InZaneFleaArmy

Is it me or are the lights in the columns...Actually in them?...The bottom lights seem to have the head sticking out of the top, the the bottom pat of the light is in the column...maybe It's just me...Oh...I'm compiling the new NS_breakdown right now...same thing...just lights toned down, some small details.

Flayra

I think you have some really cool visuals happening here, but it doesn't seem consistent.

You've got this kind of Egyptian theme going on, with the pyrimidal ceilings, then you have alien and marine textures layered together very neatly, and you have a light ceiling.  As Relic said (and a friend of mine says): the most distinctive visual look in sci-fi is that the lighting comes from below, not above.

As painful as it may be for you, I think I know what you have to do.  You need to plan out your level.  You don't necessarily have to plan out all the rooms, but you need to decide on the high-level ideas present in your level.  Is it a futuristic look?  Is the place decayed and crumbling?  Does it feel like you're in space?  Was the place lived-in, then attacked, or abandoned intentionally (ie, are there signs of human presence, or did they pack up and move out)?  

Look at tons of source images and think of architectural themes.  Are you going for a claustrophobic vertical feel with lots of columns, or more of a wide open look with big rooms and airy hallways?  Is it colorful or stark?  Beautiful, decrepit?  Maybe you have some specific theme, like a theme of "puncture", or a theme of "transformation".

Once you have the high-level ideas decided upon, the mapping will be much easier and most importantly: you'll know when you're done.  When you have the high-level goals set, you can instantly accept or reject feedback, because you'll easily be able to tell if it fits the theme of your map or not.

Good luck!

Cremator

yes, yes, oh master.  you are right.  i'll will begin planning a totall theme then.  perhaps i can have some updates screenies of this room by next weekend.