L4D2 Yama b1

    So 5 years after I started, I'm finally releasing this campaign, or at least the first 2.5 maps. I don't think I'm ever going to finish it which is why I'm releasing it as a beta, and also decided two weeks ago to include the 3rd map (minus the last half).

    Anyway, it's a 3-map co-op campaign, starting out in Tokyo before moving west to Kyoto, and then into the mountains via a deserted 1970s mining village.

    Download and info:

    http://www.scorchingcraniums.com/yama/

    Screens:

    [Blocked Image: http://www.scorchingcraniums.com/images/portfolio/maps/yama/yama01_01.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.scorchingcraniums.com/images/portfolio/maps/yama/yama01_03.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.scorchingcraniums.com/images/portfolio/maps/yama/yama13.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.scorchingcraniums.com/images/portfolio/maps/yama/yama15.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.scorchingcraniums.com/images/portfolio/maps/yama/yama18.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.scorchingcraniums.com/images/portfolio/maps/yama/yama_04.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.scorchingcraniums.com/images/portfolio/maps/yama/yama_07.jpg]

    There are more screens here, plus in the WIP thread. I also made a video about 2 months ago, although I've changed a couple of things and added the 3rd level since then:

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    Awesome, was wondering if you will put it together and release, should be one of the better custom maps for L4D.

    Thanks for the CGT love

    Quote from Buddy

    Thanks for the CGT love

    we all love CGT !

    gratz on release, don't have any l4d on me, but this is looking sweet

    Feedback so far (I've played 1,5 level).

    - The path forward could be slightly clearer at times

    - Some invisible walls are visually too low

    - Consider splitting up map2 (very long)

    - At the end of map1, the ambulance contains saferoom supplies; move these to the next level or make sure they are brought from the ambulance. If you close the door behind you, you lose them after the next level loads if you haven't grabbed them.

    Other than that I like it a lot so far. Strong visuals and pretty solid flow and good gameplay.

    Cool, congrats on the release. I also made it past the first map and partway into the second.

    - Nice work on the custom assets, lots of stuff here. Five years is a crazy project!

    - Fireworks were cool, consider even adding some earlier on in a more up front location. Also seemed like the survivor bots were walking right into the explosions.

    - Immersion of being in Japan killed by all the standard vehicles

    - I agree that the main path is hard to find at times, not sure if that was the intent to some degree

    - Overall the map seems a bit too dark

    - Had a number of long stretches with no infected and lots of special infected. In my short experience with l4d that is due to navmesh issues or lack of places out of LOS to spawn more enemies

    - When I think of japan i think of compact, bright, color. This map has a lot of that going on!

    - I had no idea why I opened the elevator doors, when I found out the path I felt it was very contrived. I also had very little health at the time so I didn't want to jump down that long distance.

    - The ladder at the elevator shaft is REALLY bad. I got stuck on it for a while, two of my survivor bots died climbing it, a charger was stuck on it causing my allies to scream endlessly.

    - Allies had a really hard time getting into the ambulance (partly due to jumping into a small crouch area, partly due to being stuck at the ladder)

    - I don't know how I got from an ambulance to a house

    I will get back to the rest some time soon, good luck with the updates!

    If you go left out of the 2nd map saferoom, you see the ambulance behind a roadblock, the idea is they couldn't get through so just camped up in that house. I might put a camera transition to show it more clearly.

    The ladder is really annoying, I can do it fine by looking away and walking over slowly, but a lot of people die or hang onto the edge. I don't think ladders and l4d mix well in general but I'll have to figure another way of doing that. That map will also be split into two, partly because it's way too long and partly because I have zero entities left, and need some spare for versus/survival.

    And about finding the right path - I tried lighting up the main routes or doing things like having a dead body that looks like it was running in that direction, env_sparks etc. I don't think it was helped by giving 2 or 3 routes through an area, some people just followed them all in circles. The paths are really obvious to me since I made it so I wouldn't know, but are there any areas that were especially confusing?

    I will try to get back to the first map to see exactly where I was confused. I played the second map today (excuse the horrible photoshops );

    - Dojo lacks definition to exit, definitely add a light or something to call out SCREEN

    - Bulletproof glass? Would be more dramatic if it could break, doesn't make a whole lot of sense either

    - Medkit box behind door in awkward position

    - Courtyard after dojo especially dark, this whole section is flashlight dependent. Hard to read enemies, eyes need rest

    - Getting off the road blocked by truck + tree... there was a panic event that failed due to infected piling up on closed door leading to village

    - Nice looking village area, non linear and lots of nooks. Just what the game is made for.

    - Village again very dark, player and characters not picking up light. Im standing right next to a ligiht but hardly getting any. Character artsits would be angry! SCREEN

    - Got lost at end and went back to beginning, exit looks like a dead end, had no idea about path. Consider adding strong light spilling out from path SCREEN

    - Cool temple area, framerate definitely taking a hit

    - Top of temple hill, no lights, no infected the entire stretch

    - Dont even know about lift before i am told i need to turn it on, consider routing through here earlier? I also think it might be better if the lift started away and the player had it call it back, rather than to power it on

    - Lift panic event very easy to defend, could use more routes of attack, all infected just came up the stairs

    - Lift ride was cool, nice detail on the middle support, good place for a cool ambient moment

    - Lift had awkward slow exit, two survivor bots died going down ladder, could this be stairs instead?

    - Confused why i had to call a lift that was broken, especially when there is another forced panic event right after

    - No instruction about generator, just turned it on because it was glowing, enemies clipping through exit door

    - This is one loooong map! This is killer for player fatigue, especially if the team wipes

    Finished it up tonight;

    Map3

    - Skyportal issue near start

    - Confused why I was getting back on the lift? I never felt like that was my goal, I just went there because there was nothing else. There was a boomer just standing there at the top and I couldn't do anything about it. awkward

    - Right away at the lift exit I wasn't being drawn anywhere so I went to the right and didn't think I could get through so I went to the left. Turns out the right is just large enough to fit through. Are both intended routes? here

    - Lots of great detail in the buildings though much of it lost in the darkness

    - Missed just about every single exit in this map, got near it, didn't see it, went back after getting stuck, found it

    - Ironically the one spot that looked like an exit was a death pit (blinky red tube)

    - Whole map is really dark overall, no real light parts to rest eyes with

    - I felt like the size of this map was just about right

    To get back about direction with the first map, there were two main areas I got stuck;

    here next to the bar.

    - I think the majority of the problems are from this. While I think the area with the fire escape stairs leading into some apartments may add extra confusion, going up these stairs and having your back to the exit which is hidden in darkness is the main problem.

    ...and here on the street with the bus.

    - This actually does a nice job at forcing you to explore, but I feel as though that is due to looking for an exit in all the areas where there is no exit. It's possible the line of cars is a bit too forced and could have a gap in there somewhere for the main route.

    - At the far left of the car detour there is nothing really on the exit route to pull you that way. The last car next to the bus has the potential for a headline to create some interest maybe like this.

    Other areas of feedback;

    - The start of the map has a bit of a lighting conflict like this.

    - Even at the bottom I am still not pulled anywhere because it is evenly dark

    - Was just an idea I had.. maybe turn the car 180* so the brake lights are casting down the street instead. Could serve as subtle hint of closed road in addition to the roadblocks.

    - This room could definitely use a strong light in the back

    - Some nice story telling in the last main street area

    - At least two cases I saw of the roll up doors easily being crouch height but are blocked off to players

    - First time I played I encountered a tank by the street bar and that went very badly when my whole team was in a small dead end. The second time a tank appeared in the last street intersection and it went very well because there was plenty of space to maneuver. Maybe that's life

    - Could really use a medkit or two at the elevator

    Great looking map you've got with some minor flow issues that can turn into a solid map! Congrats on your milestone and best of luck.

    Well I took the time to test it.

    Here are some feedbacks - essentially about the visual.

    Overall :

    - You did a good work on all the customs assets. Your campaign is rich!

    - Overall it's a nice made campaign. I didn't really liked the first map compared to the other ones but...it's well done.

    - Your transitions between the levels are strange. I had some difficulty to see the link between each of your maps.

    - The transition between the second and the third map is a good idea but I don't think it's really functional in term of gameplay. I didn't test it with other guys, I was with bots but I met a problem. A smoker grabbed one of our guy through the cabin when we were inside of it. So we were unable to save it. At the end of the cable road a tank were waiting for us and killed us at the exit.

    I really think that this part should be in the second map, so the third map will begin at the end of the cable car.

    - The end is strange. I think it's because it's still in beta so I'll don't say more about that.

    - Lack of direction. Put some lights / signs or other things to help the player is his way.

    Map 1 :

    - I think you should rework some parts of your lighting. I found this level flat while you have all these ads, rests of lights to make a good contrast in this level.

    - The grounds and the walls are too clean. We are in an apocalypse world where zombies are in the streets. Before that, people had to fight them, the army and SEDA have occupied these place,...so you should tell this story with more dirty things / blood, trashes, dirty decals / some fire in windows, etc,. telling a story. If you don't, I advice you to read "World War Z". One part of the story is in the Japan. It describes some scene in Tokyo (I think it was in Tokyo) when the "hero" have to get out of his house. You could have some good idea.

    - In some area clip brushes are missing. I was able to go on the roof by the stairs path of the apartments. At the end of the stairs you just have to jump to the ground. The game will attached you to the balcony and there, a teammate will come to help you. Then, you are able to go to the roof. I didn't test anything else with the clips.

    - This map is long, perhaps too long? Take it as a personal remark.

    - The end of the map is difficult for the bots. I think a garage with a truck will be better that a truck only.

    Map 2 :

    - Really good looking level. Your village was really amazing! Details are everywhere! Well done temple area!

    - The fog and the sky don't match together. Again this map looks flat in some are. Perhaps because of the rain? In this regards, I think you should not add the rain and work on a beautiful dawn atmosphere but again, this is a personal remark there.

    - Stop your level at the end of the cable car road, where you include the stop event in the middle.

    Map 3 :

    - Start it inside the cable car house.

    - Very well done abandoned area. I was really amazed by your job !

    - Too colorcorrection effect...the level lost his color and it's sad.

    - As I said the end is strange. I think you have to make it but currently nothing is saying that we have to close the door to finish this part of the campaign.

    - In this map, and much than the others, I felt the lack of direction. You should work on that.

    Well, it's finish for me

    Overall a good campaign man !

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