Ns_altair_beta1

KungFuDiscoMonkey · June 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">Test it and tell me what you think.</div> Download:
<a href='http://home.earthlink.net/~paultraylor/files/ns_altair_beta1.zip' target='_blank'>http://home.earthlink.net/~paultraylor/fil...ltair_beta1.zip</a>
Decided that it was time to release a beta to get some input on the map. I already know about the small error in the glass at the turret and the lighting broke. And the two hives are connected right now just for testing purposes. I would say that this version represents about 1/3 of what I have planned.
Any suggestions for improvement would be appreciated. Either respond in this forum or you can PM me. Thanks.

Also, if anyone is good at working with textures, I have a few that I would like help with. You can PM me about those

Edit: I also already know that there are only two hives. I haven't added the third yet.

DEADscott · June 2003

Having only 2 hives makes it unplayable for us. Its hard to test that way.

LambdaProject · June 2003

First let me say, you are off to a very good start. You have so pretty good achitecture going on there. Here are some things:

Critical points:

1. There are almost no vents or places to hide as a skulk to set up a good ambush. A good thing to keep in mind is, when you are making a room make sure the room is pretty equal towards both teams. (I.E. big big rooms with hallways and such are very marine friendly, while skinny narrow dark hallways are alien friendly) To solve such a problem, you could balance the rooms, or have both marine and alien rooms equally placed on the map. So my suggestion is to get vents/crawlspaces/floor hatches that allow skulks to move easily thought the map.

2. No weldables or doors yet. Hopefully you can get some doors in, because they can be very strategical both marine and alien wise. Weldables should also help marines open/seal entrances that would aid in the marine overall mobility of the map.

3. Marine start is a little too small IMO. Marines need a pretty good size room(s) to build up a base. and allow turrets even if its a bad strat.

Nit picky points: (These are just my opinion and aren't very big issues)

1. The alien hives are kinda small but they still work.

2. The first alien hive (one with water) is too dark and not "broken" enough. I would like to see broken pipes, overflowing dirty water etc. Right now its pretty clean looking for infestation

3. Some hallways are missing lights. You need more lights, currently the only lights are the ones above doorways. Also, in one of the deadend rooms (not sure which one) the floor texture is out of place. I'd have to point it out to you later if you add in locations.

4. No locations, this is understandable but they need to be put in soon.

Thats all really, keep it up and make sure you stick to a layout and make sure you clear up those critical points by the time we can actually test it.

I agree with scott, gameplay testing can't begin at all yet, hopefully you can get that done soon. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

KungFuDiscoMonkey · June 2003

Thanks for the comments so far. I know I only have 2 hives and that makes it unplayable. Right now, I would just like comments on the architecture so far. I will look at my design and expand the Marine Start some more. I haven't put in vents yet but I WILL have them in the finial map. I just don't have enough of the map done to put in many vents yet. One plan I have for the vent network is to make them kind of like Eclipse where they aren't always obvious. When I get more of the layout finished (and the third hive) I'll start adding in doors and weldables to add more strategy to the map and more strategic areas to hold. Keep coming with the comments. Any comments can help me to make a better map.

Edit: Also about the info_locations, they are in there but they don't work quite right because I put them in there according to the standard for 1.1.

ChromeAngel · June 2003

I think you need a differnet texture on the front of your steps.

The texture on the walls of the recreation room shouldn't be used as a floor (I think that's what LambdaProject was talking about), also you need doorframe brushes if you're going to put a doorway in to a wall with that texture.

You need some more infestation brushes in the hive rooms to blur the sharp edge between the walls and the floor.

Many of the hallways are really empty and bland.

I'm dispappointed considering how long this map has been under development.

KungFuDiscoMonkey · June 2003

I'm sorry I disappointed you Chrome. Part of the reason for the long development time was a long absence where I had no time to work on it. Hopefully now with it being summer, I should have some more free time to get some work done. Some of the hallways are temporary or just very rough at this point. I would appreciate any suggestions for improvement or any additions yall think would be nice. BTW, I went back to the sketchpad to see if I can’t enlarge the Marine Spawn area. Hopefully I’ll have a good solution to that in the next released build.

Elite_Guard · June 2003

I have hosted the map at <a href='http://www.thehivemind.org' target='_blank'>The Hive Mind</a> and KungFuDiscoMonkey has uploaded some pictures.

<a href='http://www.thehivemind.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=UpDownload&file=index&req=viewdownloaddetails&lid=125&ttitle=Altair' target='_blank'>Download Details</a> - <a href='http://www.thehivemind.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album01&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php' target='_blank'>Image Gallery</a>

LambdaProject · June 2003

KungFu, this is the room I'm talking about where the floor texture doesn't work out.

<a href='http://www.thehivemind.org/modules.php?set_albumName=album01&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php' target='_blank'>http://www.thehivemind.org/modules.php?set...=view_album.php</a>

The bottom right picture.

Elite: You know it's not finished right? It's great that you hosted but we can't run it on servers yet just FYI <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

Elite_Guard · June 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (LambdaProject @ Jun 12 2003, 10:56 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Elite: You know it's not finished right? It's great that you hosted but we can't run it on servers yet just FYI <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
I know, i just like hosting <b>All</b> NS Maps since that is what I claim in my thread <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

LambdaProject · June 2003

Nice, I'm also working on a layout for mine (but you shouldn't have heard that, its a secret, only my clan knows <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'> )

Hopefully altair will be finished soon.
KungFu, do you have a layout planned? I believe your map could turn out great if you continue on.

Nay · June 2003

I dont usually give comments on maps, but this was i think is a nice start and hopefully will end nicely by time it reaches final version, I am not particually looking at layout, because it appears to be unfinished anyways, some nice lighting but i really feel that it needs some more of that 133t lighting around, maybe more pipes and consoles to add that final detail to the map, and like other ppl said some venting, also the force field thingys like in eclipse i think the conveyor (how ever u spell that) maybe speed that up a bit, then maybe add some more ambience <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

Ns_altair_beta1

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