Will there be ported versions of NS maps?

Andos · January 2007

It would really be a shame if none of the existing maps we all know and love wouldn't get converted to NS2 and updated. I know some of the mappers that made official maps aren't around around anymore so what will happen to them? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wow.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":0" border="0" alt="wow.gif" />
Will there be remakes of them / will Flayra try to contact the original developers to see what their opinion is on it? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

Garo · January 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(1stdayplaying @ Jan 13 2007, 03:42 PM) [snapback]1598393[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
Just port: <b>Tanith</b>, <b>eclipse</b>, <b>veil</b>, metal and nothing, that'd be cool.
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In my opinition those (bolded) maps are just what I <b>do not</b> want to see in NS2. They all are too bright, too simple (just cubic corridors without any hiding places for skulks), not enough vertical differences, not enough dynamic elements like weldables... They are just boring to play (althought they are well balanced).

What I'd like to see is quite the opposite: maps with dark areas, weldables, complex map structures, many levels, lots of vents, tunnels, hiding places for skulks, pipes, basements full of water, maps so large that you can easily get lost there (if not looking the map) even after you have played the map for a few hours.

Just my 2 cents.

- Garo

GreyFlcn · January 2007

I'd port em all.
If the lighting needs to be changed, thats relatively easy to do.

Could also put in some design flourishes to make em less boxy.

However I think they really should essentially do what they did to CS Source what they will to NS Source

Voodo_HUN · January 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Garo @ Jan 13 2007, 11:13 PM) [snapback]1598420[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
In my opinition those (bolded) maps are just what I <b>do not</b> want to see in NS2. They all are too bright, too simple (just cubic corridors without any hiding places for skulks), not enough vertical differences, not enough dynamic elements like weldables... They are just boring to play (althought they are well balanced).
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i only care about balance (ok the look of the maps count too) veil is the most balanced map i know for aliens its based on teamwork i <b>do</b> want to see veil in NS2

TheRealQuasar · January 2007

Not too bothered about Veil, but Tanith and Eclipse are both super-ultra-classics. Not porting them would be blasphemy. And with KFS's new Quake 4 mapping skills, I really can't wait to see how he'd update Eclipse. Here's hoping he does.

Andos · January 2007

The general map-layout could be the same, but the graphics updated.

KungFuSquirrel made Eclipse, one of my favorite maps, have a look how he made it look in the Doom3 engine:
<b>Eclipse Redux:</b> <a href="http://www.button-masher.net/content.php?i=537" target="_blank">http://www.button-masher.net/content.php?i=537</a>

Talis · January 2007

omg that's amazing

Lt_Patch · January 2007

Obviously some of the maps, if not all of the official maps will be ported over to Source for NS2.
Personally, I'd like to see them all, except siege maps ported over. Or at least give some kind of naming scheme to them, for example, ns_siege_<name>. Recently played on a server that ran ns_space_cow_ranch.

Which turned out to be a siege map.

Which then resulted in me leaving the server.

And lighting settings are easily evaded, by the "gamma 3, brightness 3" people. It's ridiculous that someone can bypass a strategic feature of a map by 2 little commands. Thank god for Source, and it's lower tolerance of lightshifting...

Femme_Fatale · January 2007

dont forget NS_Altair.
very nice map.....

SteveR · January 2007

I've never dared to voice it publicly, but I think any further work on NS should be done on the doom 3 engine. I realise this is anti-valve heresy. But I think the engine is perfect for close, space station combat. Atmosphere wise source is an outdoor engine.

However, I'm amazed anyone can map for doom 3. I've never seen a more difficult, moody and obstructive editor.

Getting back on topic, I think porting maps would be cool. It strikes me as inevitable that the original maps would be re-made from pretty much nothing but the original as blueprint. I like all the original maps, some before they were adapted and changed.

Kouji_San · January 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(1stdayplaying @ Jan 15 2007, 12:12 AM) [snapback]1598701[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
NS wasn't meant to be played in the dark, that would unbalance the game towards aliens so much...
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But NS2 can set the record straight. The HL1 Engine is way to weird when using dark areas and dynamic lights. But HL2 can do some amazing things with lights, so perhaps darkish maps can be achieved. --> for example: dyninf infests an area turning off lights, marines kill the dyninf turning the lights back on. Should give some nice RTS elements in some areas...

Anyway, not porting the official maps is going to be frowned upon by the gaming gods! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

NEX9 · January 2007

well we dont know if its going to be structural in door or massive out door with forts

prahps these maps could be ported and added too with lvls and or exspansive size, who knows half hte corridors in veil may not yeld acess to the next bigest kharaa doors may need tobe raised and the current veil could end up being the size of bio dom on the new maps, but then whats the point of 6v6 when maps get that big,

new game mod? co, classic, offical seige, invasion?, assult?

great port over on the doom 3 engine, some one tell him we are useing source

A_Boojum_Snark · January 2007

I was under the assumption NS2 would be the same as NS in spirit, but different in execution, to the extent porting maps wouldn't really be worth it because the flow of the game wouldn't mesh with what the map was designed for.

demm · January 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NEX9 @ Jan 14 2007, 09:55 PM) [snapback]1598789[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
well we dont know if its going to be structural in door or massive out door with forts
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Actually, we know. To quote Flayra: "1/3 same, 1/3 similar. 1/3 new"
Don't expect huge outdoor environments. (as they would hugely impact gameplay and would not fit into his rule of thumb)

I hope that the classics will get ported to NS2. We just don't know if the "1/3 new" will include features that require big map changes. (like more dynamic hive placement or multiple marine starting locations)

Andos · January 2007

It would be interesting to see if the devs can make NS2 look like it is much better than the engine it runs in. NS for example looks a whole lot better than many other HL1 games out there because of the lighting/gamma/contrast.
IMHO the HL2 engine is amazing, but it still looks a little rough in the edges so you loose that 'smooth' feeling many modern engines has.

Also I'm a bit sad that Valve hasn't done more to provide better tools to ease the creation of materials. I wish they made a full-blown material editor with were you can see the changes you make to it in a realtime 3D view.
It really frustrates me how I have to make changes in photoshop, edit some text files, drag and drop files into some command-line exe files, copy paste some files, compile and run a test-map and finally rebuild cubemaps in order to see if my material looks right. It just sucks.. Sorry <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />

> "1/3 same, 1/3 similar. 1/3 new"
In the beginning I hope they keep close to the NS gameplay style and then in public betas try out some wild ideas to see how it works out.

KungFuDiscoMonkey · January 2007

I'm rather disapointed in the Source tools as well. Source isn't as fun to map for as Goldsrc was <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />

Baraek · January 2007

All olschool maps should be converted...
Hera, caged, nancy, nothing, tanith, eclipse!!!! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />

Old good memories...

I used to play these on my Celeron 400, fps 10 ftw! Usually i was gorge, due to lack of framerate...
I would be very happy, to see those maps in NS2! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

aeroripper · January 2007

The best we could probably hope for is a remake of the map in the source engine. Not everything will be the same, but the general 'flow' of the map will be recognizable, that is assuming NS2 will have a similar objectives model that current NS has.

RuBy · January 2007

I would be extremely disappointed if all NS2 brought to the table, was a sourcified version of NS, including all the same maps. Of course for the sake of nostalgia and curiosity I would love to see some of the classics remade, but to be honest I'm expecting mostly new maps that really take advantage of Source. I'm not a mapper myself, but I imagine the limitations of the HL1 engine will affect your process as a level designer from start to finish - from the basic framework to the smallest details. That's why I would like to see new maps built from the ground up.

It's not that I dislike the originals, in fact I love them, but I've played them all a million times - keep the gameplay and let's see some new scenery.

Kouji_San · January 2007

Well porting a map from hl1 to hl2 is not as simple by just recompiling the map with the hl2 tools ^^

It could be possible to simply copy the brushes used to create the map into Hammer. Then adding more detail, retexturing them (both are essential) and as you said adding effects, which make use of the source engine.

This would in essence be the same map, only better looking while being able to use the source engine to the max. So I guess if it would happen it wouldn't be a simple port of the ns1 map...

However since we still have no real idea what NS2 is going to be like (2/3 different/new additions). Designing or recreating maps would be a futile thing to do <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

--> We still don't even have a official texture set to work with yet <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

quazilin · February 2007

Yeah we need some cool ns2 texture-pack, would be fun to make some high detailed ns2 map.

KungFuDiscoMonkey · February 2007

At one point some people were trying to make a few high res versions of the ns wad files. I don't think they got too far.

Mendasp · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Baraek @ Jan 16 2007, 01:30 PM) [snapback]1599249[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
All olschool maps should be converted...
Hera, caged, nancy, nothing, tanith, eclipse!!!! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />
</div>
You forgot one, heh.

SloppyKisses · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(1stdayplaying @ Jan 14 2007, 06:12 PM) [snapback]1598701[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
NS wasn't meant to be played in the dark, that would unbalance the game towards aliens so much...
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and i will say this to you good sir.

Having maps that are always so freaking bright favor the marine side!!!

I bet you never thought about that >.>

I only play marines, but i personally love dark maps myself. It gives the game a more realistic and creepy/scary feel to it.

Goldenprize · February 2007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(quazilin @ Feb 16 2007, 04:19 PM) [snapback]1607161[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'>
Yeah we need some cool ns2 texture-pack, would be fun to make some high detailed ns2 map.
</div>
maybe start a contest.

Lt.Realness · February 2007

I think that nearly every classic map should be ported since they're so popular <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
And hopefully the amount of light will get back to the roots <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />

Corporal_Fortier · February 2007

Like some others said, we don't know what's going to change and what's going to stay (following the 1/3 rule), so keep in mind that a very well balanced map in NS1 could very easily become biased if there are new units, buildings, movement speed, etc. I'd prefer seeing a bunch of new maps built for NS2 in the official release rather than some "fixed" old school maps.

This is going to be NS2, not NS:Source, so expect something new. I'm pretty sure that if old school maps don't make it into the release, it won't be long for the community to create its custom content and recreate the maps they liked. Hell, maybe the new maps will be so good you won't want to play the old ones!

@Mendasp: bast FTW!

N_3 · February 2007

i liked the old original bast too. i think i've got the map files for the older versions of bast, hera, eclipse, veil, and caged i think. was gonna put them onto the nsplayer server, guess i never got round to doing it :s

Will there be ported versions of NS maps?

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