Why?

Naigel · April 2004

<div class="IPBDescription">Is it always marine based?</div> No... not the maps themselfs, but the story behind them. It's always in the Frontiersmen point of view. Maybe it's in the guidelines (than I oversaw it...), but wouldn't it also be interesting if you had a story alien-wise?

Maybe something like: the humans captured our planet xxx , they've already got most of our territory... we must counter attack now! The hive mind commands you this!

It's just something that crossed my mind when viewing some maps.

Comments?

Insane · April 2004

Well, we're human, so it's natural that we'd tell a story from our own perspective. Also, the fact that all of the official backstory is taken from the perspective of the Frontiersmen is likely to lend a bias.

Zazi · April 2004

Would you find human architecture on an alien planet? Probably not. Furthermore, could anyone create an alien infested planet without hitting 1.) the plane limit and/or 2.) the clipnode limit? I highly doubt it.

taleden · April 2004

You could try making a co_ map in the style of a marine incursion into alien territory; you could probably keep it small enough to avoid hitting the limits. However, you'd probably need someone to make up a whole batch of new textures for you, since the number of "alien" textures that don't have any "marine" style architecture underneath them are few and pretty similar looking. It'd be an interesting concept for a map.

Soylent_green · April 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Would you find human architecture on an alien planet? Probably not. Furthermore, could anyone create an alien infested planet without hitting 1.) the plane limit and/or 2.) the clipnode limit? I highly doubt it. </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

Models have neither clip nodes nor "planes" in the HL sense. Using models for infestation and simpler clip and null textured func_walls for collision might work but you would quickly reach the ~2200 something baseline e-poly limit for official maps unless areas where well ocluded from each other.

Spacer · April 2004

a map like the background in this nightwatch screeny would be very cool
<img src='http://www.hl-nightwatch.net/images/media/character/nw_headcrab.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

but the thing is, doesn't the commander need the nano-grid thingy to drop stuff off? maybe have the map set on a ship thats been infested for years and years, so that it'd look completely unrecognisable as a ship, but there would still be a nano-grid

(http://www.hl-nightwatch.com btw <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />)

Insane · April 2004

The Nightwatch maps have a poly ceiling of ~1200 wpolys, though and I wouldn't be surprised if that (excellent) screenshot came pretty close to that. The limit in the NS guidelines is ~700 max for player view and ~1000 max for commander, so that sort of map probably isn't a viable prospect.

Tequila · April 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Insane @ Apr 4 2004, 02:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> The Nightwatch maps have a poly ceiling of ~1200 wpolys, though and I wouldn't be surprised if that (excellent) screenshot came pretty close to that. The limit in the NS guidelines is ~700 max for player view and ~1000 max for commander, so that sort of map probably isn't a viable prospect.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
I'm sure they could lean a little higher if you designed the area purposefully not to be a combat hot-spot.

BlackPlague · April 2004

im actually working on a map called ns_ghost and its KIND OF alien based with alien structures all over the place.

KungFuSquirrel · April 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Insane @ Apr 4 2004, 01:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> The Nightwatch maps have a poly ceiling of ~1200 wpolys, though and I wouldn't be surprised if that (excellent) screenshot came pretty close to that. The limit in the NS guidelines is ~700 max for player view and ~1000 max for commander, so that sort of map probably isn't a viable prospect.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Actually, Insane, most of Sa74n's Xen work has been as low as 400-500. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /> Wait until you see some of his other stuff in that poly range...

And it's .NET, dammit, not .com! Sheesh. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

Insane · April 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (KungFuSquirrel @ Apr 4 2004, 10:03 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Actually, Insane, most of Sa74n's Xen work has been as low as 400-500. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /> Wait until you see some of his other stuff in that poly range...  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
...

You guys scare the living hell out of me sometimes, you know that? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

Spacer · April 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Insane @ Apr 4 2004, 05:16 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (KungFuSquirrel @ Apr 4 2004, 10:03 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Actually, Insane, most of Sa74n's Xen work has been as low as 400-500. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /> Wait until you see some of his other stuff in that poly range... </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
...

You guys scare the living hell out of me sometimes, you know that? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
ditto

(http://www.hl-nightwatch.net , whatever <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />)

Redford · April 2004

1. Currently in the NS universe, humanity is on the defensive. The aliens are taking over marine outposts, and humanity has no idea where they came from or what their primary goal is.

2. By that extent, we are unsure if the aliens actually have any homeworld - or if they are just an ages old virus that was reawkened somehow.

3. A map on any alien planet would have to be a cave network - and caves are hard to do with the HL engine's poly restrictions. An outdoor area wouldn't work because it violates the mapping FAQ, and to date, not one outdoor type map has ever been released, even though at least three or four people said they were going to make a "good" outdoor map.

BobTheJanitor · April 2004

Actually, ns_surface is a fully playable outdoor map. Although it does include some buildings and some caves and such. It's not exactly balanced at all, and at least the version I found didn't have the hull files, so onos got stuck. But it is a playable map that is mostly outdoors. Now as far as "good" ...