Suggestions For My Layout

OneSneakYmousE

Here is my layout, the white lines are the alien ducts, MS is, marine start.

Any ideas, suggestions, or changes to this layout?

<img src='http://onesneakymouse.com/ns_second3040000.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

Gimpy_Doodly_Doo

Um.... just 1, Add more to it.

OneSneakYmousE

I actually have a lot of stuff already, just doesn't represent in the minimap as such. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->

I'd like to ad more, but it says I'm at 63000 patches already, and max is 65000.

Not sure why so many; will closing out all the windows to the outside lower this amount? If I have windows, skys--does this allot to the amount of patches that are on the outside?

Nay

-sparse to overright your patch limit problem

Cagey

<!--QuoteBegin--OneSneakYmousE+Aug 3 2003, 02:24 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (OneSneakYmousE @ Aug 3 2003, 02:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Not sure why so many; will closing out all the windows to the outside lower this amount? If I have windows, skys--does this allot to the amount of patches that are on the outside?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, any non-special texture (not a liquid, not sky, etc) requires lighting information no matter where it is in the final hull. HLRAD doesn't know or care what sections of the map the player can stand in or see. If the player can't see the outside of your level, texture it in NULL to save on both patches and compile time.

Some_tall_guy1

I think that if the aliens start at any other hive than the bottom right one, they'll be at a disadvantage because of the placement of the double res node, try putting it closer to the center of the map. Also the marines will get an easy 2 nodes on their way to the top left hive, maybe removing one of them.

OneSneakYmousE

Ok, I'll add the double res node to the center, then on at the other location.

Where do I put '-sparse'

Also, how do you texture it in null? Is that some sort of texture in a .wad? What wad if yes?

Also, is this ok to make it an offical map?

Some_tall_guy1

Its hard to tell from a layout whether or not it can be official, I personally think you should try an redo some areas to make it more complex as it is rather simple and I can imagine skulks getting owned at the end of a hallway because they're so long. So like I said, try and find a way to make the layout more complex.

OneSneakYmousE

Cool, the hallways seem long, but they aren't, they are different levels; not sure how the represent on the minimap though <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->

OneSneakYmousE

Ok, I found two null textures. One that is in Zoners, and the other I dont know where that came from but it looks grey. Which one do I use, or does it not matter?

Vragnor

Looks good except for those hall-ways. They may be varying heights, but bullets go up and down dont they?

Edit: btw, might be good to do a sort of alpha release so we can see the varying 'levels'

Cagey

<!--QuoteBegin--OneSneakYmousE+Aug 3 2003, 09:18 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (OneSneakYmousE @ Aug 3 2003, 09:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Ok, I found two null textures. One that is in Zoners, and the other I dont know where that came from but it looks grey. Which one do I use, or does it not matter?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Doesn't matter -- as long as the texture is named "NULL" the compiler will use it properly. Any face on the map with a NULL texture is deleted before the map is written out by HLBSP, freeing up resources including the patch information that would have been required for that face. This also can potentially drop your w_poly r_speeds while looking out your windows depending on how your level is being chopped up by BSP.

If you use NULL on a brush entity, the entity turns invisible but otherwise behaves normally (in fact, NULL is by far the best way to make an entity or individual entity face invisible no matter what else you've read <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->). If you use NULL on a world brush, it will cause a visual glitch if the player can see it. If the player can't see the spot where the face would be, you're fine.

EDIT: make sure you're using a version of the tools that can process the NULL texture. Merl's version 1.7, linked from the Mapping Guidelines or my own version linked in the thread at the top of this forum are your best bets IMO.

OneSneakYmousE

So where do I put the 'sparse' and is it ok for offical maps to have '-sparse'.

I want to ad more detail, but can't, i'm at 63000 patches <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->

Evil_bOb1

Are you using hammer to compile? (its best to use a front end compiler, i use<a href='http://countermap.counter-strike.net/Nemesis/' target='_blank'> nemesis'</a>)

If yes go to the compile screen and put it in expert mode if it isn't already. Go to the $light_exe line in the command window. In the parameters window just add -sparse behind your other parameters (so it looks something like $path\$file -sparse).

that it!

OneSneakYmousE

Cool! I can finnaly add more detail and rooms; I was wondering why everyone else was getting so much in their maps, and I feel limited <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->

Is -sparse allowed in offical maps?

Cagey

<!--QuoteBegin--OneSneakYmousE+Aug 4 2003, 04:37 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (OneSneakYmousE @ Aug 4 2003, 04:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Is -sparse allowed in offical maps? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
yes

Sephiroth2k

that bottom center hive looks like it might be a bit large, but other than that it looks okay.. add some more rooms and less halways, then add more hallways to connect the new rooms <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

NerdIII

Hey, everything not prohibited in the guidelines is allowed <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--> at least that is what I assume. No really I am quite sure it is allowed to use more patches than normal as it does not affect a single room of your map at all (so no difference for the players). It just allows you to add more rooms.