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CallMessiah · October 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">Sorry, no revolutions this time...</div>Okay, actually I was planning to drag my month old topic back up to post this new shot, but I was somehow suprised to find only six pages of "old" mapping forum posts, didn't look what changed when they brought the Forums back up.
So here it is a new topic. For all of you who still remember me, I took some time of, concerning myself with university and didn't post since the downtime of the Forums.
Actually, I came back with not much to show, but here is what I have.
This shot is from my so called "Rotating Hallway" because what you can't see on this picture is that the tube making up the walls rotates. By the way, this, as you may have guessed is far from final, just a shot along the way to prove that I'm still here (as if anybody cared).
So, comments away... <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

RhoadsToNowhere · October 2002

I really love the concept you have there, if you do it well (which I think you have the capability to do) it should turn out really awesome. However, that screenshot is so monochromatic that it almost looks like you slapped a greyscale filter on it. I'd think a really techy hallway like that would have some pretty awesome colored lighting, so there's a lot of potential for using some colors there. Anyway, keep up the good work.

coil · October 2002

Nice innovative texture use! I agree with Rhoads... I look at this, and it says to me... "electrical arcs!" Then it says "I am a banana," but we'll ignore that part.

Also, due to the prominent use of that texture for the walls of the tube, I might suggest looking for another texture for the actual walkway.

Is this area going to include trigger_hurts if you hit the rotating wall? Seems logical, though perhaps a little frustrating (especially to Lerks)... I'm undecided on whether it'd be a good idea.

Insane · October 2002

Wow. Looks great! Reminds me of HR Giger's work.

I agree with Rhoads, some soloured lighing would look great in this shot, I suggest a few pools of colour here and there.

Nice job.

CallMessiah · October 2002

Okay, first off, sorry for the picture, I didn't see how bad that looked until I posted it, because I didn't look at the jpg conversion.
I will now add some colored lighting, probably red, unless I find out that it doesn't fit too well.
ABout those arcs, I don't quite know how I could put them into this, but I guess, I'll give it a try.
Concerning the rotating part, I was planning to make it completely unaccessable by placing clipnodes along the railing up to the ceiling, because when you touch a rotating entity it stops and I don't actually want that to happen...
Thanks for the comments, I'm working on it

Angel · October 2002

in my opinion a lighter blue would do the trick, in dark areas like that blue always does the trick, try this as the light settings:

0 128 255 <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

there ya go - change the <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'> to ur brightness (1-200).

CallMessiah · October 2002

Okay, here is a slightly updated shot. I changed the walkway texture, used the lighting angel told me about and put some red behind the pipes. All in all everything is rather blue now, but I like it alot better than before.
I also tried that electrical arc, but for one, I can't seem to find a decent sprite and then it doesn't look all that promising, maybe somewhere else... hm I have a plan...
Anyway, here's the pic

DoctorJuice · October 2002

sexy.

I think even more dramatic coloring would really help. I say go totally overboard with this part.

coil · October 2002

Yummy......

Hmm. I'm a little stumped as to how to make the whole "clipping" thing work right. The issue of flying Lerks makes clipping it to the ceiling kind of frustrating; they'll fly up, but not be able to dodge left to right at all. ):

Here are two possible ideas:
1) coat the whole thing with a trigger_hurt and make it look suitably deadly. Falling off that ledge - or overzealous flight - would be a bad idea.

2) (trickier) Coat the entire thing with a clip brush (or a func_nobuild, to prevent buildings from being dropped on it as well), just inside the rotating cylinder. Include a ladder back up to the platform at one end. For added realism, put a low-force func_push all the way around it to simulate walking on a moving surface. (:

Also... ever consider dividing the cylinder into multiple sections, rotating in opposite directions (or the same direction, but at different speeds)? (:

Legionnaired · October 2002

Looks good..

BUT!

Try, just for fun, changing that blue clow to a dim red glow, and add some red spotlights shining down on that walkway, that'll help sex it up.

Also, coils idea for helping with the cylender sounds good, but if worse comes to worse, you could always make a big glass tube...

EDIT: OHH! OHH! Make a light framework around the walkway with func_breakabl planes of glass!

They shoot it out to fly around and such, but can easily tap the trigger_hurt 99999 <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>.

CallMessiah · October 2002

Okay, here is my so far final shot of this hallway.
Just before you posted that Legionnaired, I was done with those lights along the ceiling, funny...
Anyway, I'm not going to put glass into this hallway because I already have one like that in a different part of the map, the screens were lost during the outtage. Maybe you saw them, maybe you didn't, but they once were there.
Now, back to the clipping, I guess that idea with a second tube inside the rotating part sounds like the best solution. I will try this and place a trigger hurt on the lower part, because I think placing a push and a ladder is a little to much. People are just not supposed to be down there, so they kinda deserve to die.
And here comes the pic

EDIT: Forgot to say, I already thought about making them move against each other or one at slower pace, but I liked the unity to much. Maybe I'll try it anyway

Khaim · October 2002

Lol imagine this:
*Skulk jumps on wall and rotates around /w the wall.*
*marine walks in*
Skulk: hi
Marine*while watching amused skulk rotate*: hi... um having fun there?
Skulk: *BITE*

CallMessiah · October 2002

Okay, here is one last editor shot to show you what I did with the clipnodes. I only had to put them along the ceiling, there wasn't enough room for a model to fit between the railing and the pipes anyway (its only 32 pix, for all those who know, what that implies). So, now it is impossible to die, but there is a maximum of room for lerks to fly without getting stuck on the round pillars.
Oh and Khaim, before I placed the clipnodes it actually was possible to do that as a skulk, I took a few rides around... <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

coil · October 2002

One thing I would do is make sure that the cylinder doesn't clip through the clip brush at any point... if it does, a model in the very corner of two clip brushes could again stop the cylinder.

Janos · October 2002

Just an idea, undearneath the floor grating there put a dim spotlight so u get the light shining thru the floor.
Just an idea dont know if it will look gud or not <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

CallMessiah · October 2002

Coil, I don't know how you do it, but I will from now on know you as the person who, not only keeps the public informed against all opposition, but can tell the future by mere hints of the hidden facts.
What I wanted to say is, exactly what you said happened when I first tested it, but "We got it covered", to quote a famous PR guy.
[Janos], there are lights beneath the floor grating, blue lights that create the overall light.

Janos · October 2002

I meant to put a white light under there not 2 bright tho

XHydralisk · October 2002

what about openings in the moving part so you can jump in from the sides (or above) at the right time?

Black_Dog · October 2002

i don't understand the use of the clipbrush...skulk are meant to walk on ceilings.
put some more lights pointed on the walkway from the ceiling, or some little spots along the walkway,right on the sides

Justin_Case · October 2002

Wow I just love this! Dark maps are so cool! More dark maps please!

CallMessiah · October 2002

Okay, time to replay once again...
[Janos], I started out with white lights, but it looked rather bland as people pointed out.
XHydralisk, I thought about that once, but for one it would probably stop the tube again and then I'd have to add even more vents or alternative routes to this place from the sides, which don't really fit into the overall layout right now, I think. Maybe I'll try it when the map is done and I have nothign else to do.
Black Dog, you got a point about the skulks, but since this is a major route towars the last hive and basicly a bottleneck I don't think it will be too bad, when skulks aren't able to stick to this one wall. And believe me, it would look rather ridiculous seeing a skulk ride around and there aren't any dark corners to hide in anyway...
Maybe I will add red spotlights on the walkway, the only problem with the spotlights is that they shine through the floor and onto the tube, where they light only on place. This results in a red dot on one place of the tube going around all the time, I tried it.
Oh and, thanks Justin, guess I'll stick to keeping it darker from now on...

pielemuis · October 2002

heh it's pretty obvious where you got your idea from ^_^ (event horizon if any1 wants to know)
add a couple of spottlights to highlight that catwalk, if you know what i mean

CallMessiah · October 2002

Uh, actually that was what I was trying to explain in my last post. I can't have spotlights on the walkway because they show up on the tube and rotate around. Unless of someone tells me how to use opaque surfaces.
Oh and yes, it from Event Horizon, but then I said that all along... just not in this thread. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

CallMessiah · October 2002

So, here people is another screenshot for your viewing pleasure (i hope). This is the hallway directly behind the Rotating Tube. It also leads to the Maincore or the Phase Engine as I call it. Oh and by the way, it is one of only six hallways in total in this map, I stuck to more rooms and less wasted space.
Comments welcome and sorry for bringing this back from page two, but I figured that was better than starting a new topic.

Battousaix · October 2002

Wow that looks nice, the only thing i can suggest you is: Use texlights instead of a 2 unit away light_spot =)

RhoadsToNowhere · October 2002

That looks really cool, just a bit too dark. I definitely like the darkness of the ceiling, but the floor and lower walls should be pretty well-lit. Maybe increase the light produced by the red lights on the floor a decent amount.

Dread · October 2002

I like that dark creepy atmosphere. Maybe some steam to make it even MORE creepy <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> Give us some more. And make lots of hallways like this and the map will be pretty killer. And why don't you add ventilation shaft(s) in to that hallway so skulks can surprise the marines. And everytime marines go through that they have to be covering their backs and sides in case of skulk attack.

Plaguebearer · October 2002

Wha? 2-unit-away light_spot rules. But, -combine- it with texlights.

CallMessiah · October 2002

Um, okay, let me go about in the order of events...
There are no two units away spot lights, the ones shining on the floor are actually up where the lights are supposed to be, just with a small angle of 15 inner and 20 outer rim, and the red lights are generated by lights placed directly in front of the wall.
Rhoads, you're right about the brightness on the lower walls, guess I'll have to find a way to light those without increasing the red though, I don't want it to red. I want to keep the ceiling as dark as possible for any hiding aliens as this is really close to a hive.
Which brings me to you *Dread*: I already have steam in the directly adjoining rotating hallway, but I will add some pipes along the ceiling and quite a bit of steam and see how it turns out... What I won't do for now is add any more vents because the layout is completely done and besides providing an ambush spot I can't see the vents adding to the overall flow. Then again I can't say until I playtested it.
There won't be more hallways than those allready planed because I prefer to stick to rooms which serve a purpose. ( To tell you the truth, I'd prefer to make a map with only hallways because they look better and are easier to map, but they rarely serve a purpose, especially on a cramped spaceship)
Concerning texturelights... I used those on most places in my map, but I found out the entity based lighting looks better most of the time and compiles a lot faster, so I wanted to try and get away from too much texlighting.
Thanks for the replies, I welcome them and any following. More pics later...

Radiocage · October 2002

You could add a dim light entity to make the the lower walls brighter.