Different map styles

TzarconTzarcon Join Date: 2002-02-28 Member: 259Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Many different kinds, but what is good?</div>There are many different map styles, and many different mappers creating different styles. I've seen tons of different styles including the Old, Abandoned, Dirty look, the New, Warm, Colourful look, and the look of a ship/base that was on a low budget

I personally think that a clean look is much more realistic, unless whatever the map is has been abandomed for months, then it would be pretty dirty.

It kinda looks like Red Faction, but of course is good. I'd much rather have a whole bunch of different styles of maps than a whole bunch of maps that look the same.

You really have to take into consideration though, that if we want these maps to be realistic in one way or another, that most of these maps are in places that people would be living in (Communications base, Flagship, etc). If people had to live in something that wasn't very warm/happy, 9/10ths of the crew would most likely crack in a few weeks. Take a look at System Shock 2, for example. The level designers created a space cruiser that is the closest thing anyone will ever see to a real space cruiser, ever. They gave the ship a warm/happy look, and if you've played SS2 you can agree that the crew most likely wouldn't crack on something like that. Yet somehow, Looking Glass Studios managed to create an envirement that scared the #### out of most of us. Mabye it was sounds, or mabye it was the fact that we all new that something could pop out and kill us at any second... That doesn't matter. SS2 is the finest piece of work I've ever seen. If it's possible for mappers to create the same kind of thing in the HL engine, then I'll be impressed, and gratefull

Yet, the dirty look somehow appears scarier to most people. I'd love to see both in this game, and many others. It's the variety that matters to almost everyone. Not only that, but how are we supposed to know which freakin map were playing if they all look the same? It would be VERY hard to memorize layouts as well

Comments

  • Spyder_MonkeySpyder_Monkey Vampire-Ninja-Monkey Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 8Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    I prefer extremely dark, dirty, abandoned maps that look like they have been deserted for some time. I just like walking down the hallways and getting a creepy chill when I hear noises in the distance... really pumps your adrenaline.

    (Yes, I know it's just a game, but I gotta get my kicks somehow.)
  • humbabahumbaba That Exciting Tales From the Frontline Guy Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 86Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    I agree about variety. The good thing is, most people have their own idea about what a good map would be. Every mapper sets out to map the coolest, most appealing idea to them. This way, we get maps as different as the mappers who map them (and have a mappy mapping day). While the predominant ratio of maps are gritty (maybe a little over half). Theres about 1/4 clean sanitary maps and 1/4 or so just plain different maps (outside, in mines) etc . .  I think we will get enough variety when the beta releases.
  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    The map I'm designing right now is extremely dark, extremely dirty, and extremely abandoned. I don't really care whether or not this is realistic. Though for those of you who do, I will be sure to blatantly describe that it is the old neglected underbelly of a planetbound station. No one in their right mind would be living down there.

    I do agree with the overall opinion here. Variety is definately good. But when everyone tries to be different and create a clean scenic map that should be in UP rather then NS, that that's what the game will turn into: A RTS version of UP with aliens.

    I may be exaggerating, but you get the point. Don't overdo it people. If you want to design something friendly, warm, and cuddly, then maybe it would be better off somewhere else. NS isn't supposed to be horror movie-ish, but is certainly supposed to create a lot of tension. At least from what I gather.

    Just my opinion. Take it for that.
  • Relic25Relic25 Pixel Punk Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 39Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    There are plenty of ways to logically 'write around' the problem of making a dark and forbidding environment.  While it's true that if a ship/station/whatever was designed to a be liveable location, then it would be designed functionally and aesthetically to make it as comfortable and clean as possible.  However, it doesn't take much imagination to think of reasons or situations where this might not be the case.  I'll give you two examples of how this issue can be circumvented.

    Example 1: In the movie Alien, the sets were designed to make the areas of the Nostromo that the crew would spend the most time in clean, light, and comfortable.  Those areas were few though, since the idea was that the crew would only be conscious during relatively brief periods of their trips.  As one moves further from the small 'living areas' of the ship, the atmosphere quickly becomes much darker, grittier, and foreboding.  The lower decks (maintenance, storage, engine room, etc.) were strictly designed around utility and not comfort.  No corporation would waste money on making a mining tug any more comfortable on the working decks than they absolutely had to.

    Example 2:  Following the example above, ns_bast was designed to appear as a fully functional, fairly well-maintained ship, but the areas that players are able to access are limited to the back half of the ship, where the crew would only venture to do their jobs, and where a few of the ships major automated systems are located.  No one would know this without reading the background 'story' that will eventually accompany the map, but all the more inviting and sterile areas are located at the far end of the ship, and the players cannot get there.

    Now, all that having been said, I agree that variation in maps is a good thing.  There are a few mappers that are making some really great looking, cleaner style maps.  Here is a great example:
    <a href="http://www.natural-selection.org/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=4;t=1002;st=0" target="_blank">http://www.natural-selection.org/cgi-bin....02;st=0</a>
    This map is obviously much more centered around a liveable setting, so it is logical that it is more clean and comforting.  Even the blue lighting in some places lends a great calming mood.

    Believe me when I say that I'm usually the first person to protest against the mindset that "nothing looks realistic unless you pile dirt/rust/scratches on it".  There is a place for everything. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
  • The_ArtistThe_Artist Join Date: 2002-03-11 Member: 305Members
    But what if you make a level too scary for the marines, i know i wouldnt like it if i walked around a corner to find a bunch of cables there thinking its an alien and use up all my ammo on it before i realise its wires :S. I think to make a decent map there has to be a kinda mixture of scary and warmness to it. Like Tzarcon said some maps might be too scary and you would be thinking how the hell could n e 1 work here unless they had like a pyciatrist for every personel on yurr ship/base. But what if you make a map that was based on complete automation? you could make it in n e way you like dark/light  scary/warm. But how could you mix the both of say dark and warm?. (im starting to ramble on here hehe). it would be good if you think of all the sci-fi games with maps that mix em amazingly like the game Aliens versus predator 2 were the aliens have interferred with everything and made it go from warm and good looking to dark and dirty as hell.
  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    I personally think you'd end up with a mess on your hands if you tried to mix and match too much.

    Is it just me (probably...), or are people trying to turn NS into something it's not lately? Why the sudden urge for clean and sparkly floors and beautiful scenic vistas?

    You can't expect everything all in one game... again, you'll end up with an inconsitent mess. I'm getting kind of sick of this.

    Maybe I should avoid this place until I cool down...

    /goes off to work on his crummy underground map that no one will play on because it doesn't have "l33t mapperz outdoors areas" in it.



    <!--EDIT|ken20banks|Mar. 18 2002,00:25-->
  • The_ArtistThe_Artist Join Date: 2002-03-11 Member: 305Members
    Not mix and match absolutly everything, just make some areas pleasing to the human eye <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->.

    Try and slowly change your map from being nice clean champagne sparkly lights down into the bowls or maintenence areas of your map like the commander area could be nice and clean as if my mum had just gon in there with her hoover and duster then change it to like my room (looks from all around) dark dirty flickering monitors, old technology and some rust (my room is missing that).

    Just that i see alot of maps that are just the same all the way through or im not seeing the good screenies.
    I wouldnt like it if i join a map and go throught it to see that its really repetative seeing the same thing over again just in a different way
  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Right, you definately have some good points there.

    Why not try to create something dark and dirty, yet still visually pleasing?

    That's what I've been trying to do... don't know if you'd agree, but isn't this at least somewhat visually pleasing to the human eye? :

    <img src="http://tald.readyroom.org/maps/ns/ns_nothing/images/th7_01.jpg" border="0">
  • The_ArtistThe_Artist Join Date: 2002-03-11 Member: 305Members
    all bow to the screen shot!! <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo--> yeah like that, visually pleasing and still makeing it dirty and nasty as if you wanna sleep there (not literaly hehe).
    Just that i find it alot easyier to make dirty, kinda bowls or maintenence areas of maps than making clean shiny areas of a map.
  • GreedoGreedo Bounty Hunter Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 37Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    I think that there's just so much more that you can go for with the dark and dirty in terms of style.  It's pretty much open call on architecture, detail, lighting, and the like.  There aren't any kind of standards of living that you need to incorporate.  Like the lighting style Ken has in his area there.  It's absolutely beautiful, but it's certainly not a lighting style that I'd stay sane with spending my nights and days in.  And the level of detail associated with machinery and other random mechanical objects gives much more free will to the mappers.  The objects don't necessarily need to have any kind of discernable purpose, just as long as it can be assumed that someone somewhere knows what it is and how it works.  Clutter is also not a problem at all.  And personally, I just find it to be more fun to map out these kinds of areas that standard living quarters, or anything like that.
  • The_ArtistThe_Artist Join Date: 2002-03-11 Member: 305Members
    Like i said make some areas like the commander area nice and clean then change it slowly to be dark and wet and steam as you get to your objective whatever it is.

    Like the mapping guidlines say make it nice and quiet controlled on the marines side then when you get closer to the alien area have doors that half-open, lights that flicker , sparks on switches technology changed to suite the aliens enviroment, steam randomly comming out of pipes to scares the marine then the player will laugh later (after he realises it was an alien behind the steam not wires).

    just not make a map repetative all the way through just dark and cold looking.
    you could make a Greenhouse kinda area that has been changed to the alien hive jungly .
Sign In or Register to comment.