The Problem With Maps
Mantrid
Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Official and Custom</div> This isn't so much a complaint, as an observation, so try not to take offense.
Anyway, the thing with almost all the maps is that they don't look lived-in.
They don't look like people have actually worked and lived there. There are no little personal touches by the crew; no pictures, coffee cups, papers, files, personal-looking computers, et cetera.
Also, there aren't living spaces in most of the maps, and there aren't bathrooms of any sort anywhere. I have trouble believing that anyone who is light-years from another station will just "hold it" until they get there.
My 2 Cents, 0.0164073 Euros, 0.0266878 Canadian Dollars and 2.22572 Yen, as of 5:31 PST on March 4th, 2004.
Anyway, the thing with almost all the maps is that they don't look lived-in.
They don't look like people have actually worked and lived there. There are no little personal touches by the crew; no pictures, coffee cups, papers, files, personal-looking computers, et cetera.
Also, there aren't living spaces in most of the maps, and there aren't bathrooms of any sort anywhere. I have trouble believing that anyone who is light-years from another station will just "hold it" until they get there.
My 2 Cents, 0.0164073 Euros, 0.0266878 Canadian Dollars and 2.22572 Yen, as of 5:31 PST on March 4th, 2004.
Comments
however some maps have only one area playable and give the idea that its a small part of a bigger base/station/ship so some of the things you mentioned could be in those parts <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I can see it too.
Marine:"Uhh, comm, what's your strategy"
Comm: _flush_
In all seriousness though that is a good point. Detail textures might help a little here in that things can be kinda scratched up and lived-in-looking. Also decals may be possible for things like pieces of paper and such since they _should_ be possible to just write the location down and not use an entity for it.
Even my new map has a whole section called the "domestic sector"
<!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I figued they just peed yellow comets into space...
And then u relocate there.
I think being real in maps is somewhat more important than being flashy and having pretty lights...something might look nice but in terms of memory and location recognition - what is easier to remember "guys, get to the guys dorm bathroom - aliens coming through!!!!" OR "guys, get to the room with the big valve and light blue lights and a particle system blowing smoke - the aliens are...dammit, dead again"
It killed me once actually... no! I'm serious!
I +used the cat, it meowed... then I died... NOBODy shot me... and the console simply said I died 0o" Like I had typed in kill... 0o"
However, I still don't get the feeling that people did things there. I don't see any evidance of people working, no half-repaired broken consoles, no tools, no personal equipment, or personal touches. And, a lot of the time, when I crawl down a hallway, I can't feel that at one point, normal people walked down these halls. Talking, laughing, leaning on walls, cleaning up dropped papers, apologizing for spilling coffee on their coworker, there is nothing to make it feel that way.
What I'm trying to say is, when I play a marine (which is actually pretty rare), I can't make a personal connection with the map. To me, it seems like nothing but a cold, unemotional backdrop.