Posts by Skybex

  • Instancing

    I used instances a lot with my recent csgo map, It comes with its fair share of both pros and cons depending on how you use them. I used them for entire buildings as well as small lamps and building signs.

    For things like lamps/lights there is no real downside. They are excellent for throwing in as an instance, and if later your environment light changes, its a simple edit to have everything map wide to change with it, also good for things like light glows/sprites being too bright when changing the bloom on HDR.

    Works out as such a huge time saver and helps unify a lot of things. And probably even more so on a company wide project.

    For buildings, I like using them because I prefer working on large structures in isolation so I don't get side tracked with other parts of the level. They are also useful in source if you have buildings that doesn't sit on the 90 degree grid. So you can make it in an instance on the grid, but then rotate the instance in the main map so its off the grid. any changes you need to do can then be done in the clean instance file.

    The problems mostly kick in later when you are trying to do a proper skybox or using hint brushes and area portals for optimisation. You can either connect portals/hints in the main map with the instanced geometry, or add them in the instance with the building you are optimising. Both methods feel like a very messy way to work.

    Also vis groups don't work with instances. If you click on the group to hide all props for example, it will only hide ones in the main map file. Anything inside an instance will stay making things a little more awkward.

    This was all done in a multi player setting so I didn't have need to instance any single player elements, but I imagine this is where they will become most valuable.

  • MapCore CS:GO Playtesting 3.0

    Ruins

    The map was quite fun, had good approaches and clear choke points. But I thought quite a few minor things combined really let the map down. The darkness of the map combined with green CT skins made it quite hard to detect enemies, and I don't know how many times I was shooting at a plant or barrel. Also both of the sites seem to have so many tiny areas to to hide in, and some are opposite each other, so you look at one and get shot from the other. And although it didn't happen in the test, I feel that a competent AWPer could alone hold down the open bomb site.

    When looking at the overview in the WIP thread I also thought there would be too many routes into each site, but while playing I didn't feel that at all

    Bermuda

    First time I have seen anything about this map. I am liking the direction of the visuals.

    I feel I cant comment too heavily on this because even after 2 rounds in the test, I don't feel I know the map well enough to say a lot. But I did feel that the sites needed some more cover. Not stuff to camp behind but just small places you can try and put between you and an enemy in a firefight, or to duck into for a reload

  • de_chinatown

    Another update on the map. Progress slowed a little due to work but now here is some of the latest screens and a version on the workshop.

    As you can see I decided against the darker light, made the map look a lot worse than it really was. The new lighting in csgo just cant really be ignored or your making the map look worse for the sake of being different.

    Also made a whole bunch of changes based on the Mapcore tests so now the gameplay is a lot more solid and the map quite balanced.

    Still a lot more work to do, but I am quite happy how its progressing

    Visit the Map on the workshop here

    Votes are much appreciated. And more images on the workshop.

    [Blocked Image: http://skybex.com/images2/chinatown004.jpg][Blocked Image: http://skybex.com/images2/chinatown007.jpg][Blocked Image: http://skybex.com/images2/chinatown001.jpg][Blocked Image: http://skybex.com/images2/de_chinatown_radar_spectate.jpg]

  • MapCore CS:GO Playtesting 3.0

    Print

    Solid map, nice routes and predictable choke points. But I feel there are too many AWP options in the map. But has very good run ups to the sites, and good defensive options as CTs when protecting the sites

    Oldtown

    First thing that stood out for me was that teams met so quickly after spawning, but at such extreme distances that if you had anything other than an AWP you didn't really have many options. Second thing whs that it felt that in almost all cases, when you were keeping an eye on a route/choke, you could often get shot at from a totally different area. For example trying to push the small B arch as T and getting shot by CTs at the top of the stairs in mid. And then finally some areas being a bit too open that smoking a choke only covers part of the route in some areas.

    Mass

    Not sure what to say about this map, I had a lot of trouble getting to grips with it and finding routes I enjoyed going. It felt like after the first 30 seconds or so, the map was a beehive of players all over the place, enemies and allies. So I felt my only options were to either camp the hostages or push to the rescue zone. Anywhere in between and I had no idea where enemies might appear.

  • de_chinatown

    I tried some more night settings and closer to dusk and dawn settings, but I am coming to the realisation that with the new CSGO lighting, dark maps are not really possible. Any slightly dark settings looks quite stupid with the super crisp shadows that the game has now. And the light is more dictated by the colour of the light environment, and not so much the brightness.

  • de_chinatown

    Some stuff I did over the weekend, and did a lot of changes based on information from the tests.

    Also Squad, made some attempt to make things a little more like in the images you posted. Still needs a lot of work to get looking right, but I think its going in the right direction.

    Also modelled the railway bridge finally

    [Blocked Image: http://skybex.com/images2/chinatown10.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://skybex.com/images2/chinatown11.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://skybex.com/images2/chinatown12.jpg]

    [Blocked Image: http://skybex.com/images2/chinatown13.jpg]

  • de_ali (working name)

    Visuals look so much more unified now in these screens, much better looking than before.

    Are we going to see this in Mapcore tests any time soon? Was only able to play your map with bots before, be good to have some humans on it.

  • MapCore CS:GO Playtesting 2.0

    Had loads of fun playing finally with a decent ping.

    Venezia


    I mostly have to echo what Tarry had to say, I loved mid and its connecting routes as well as the chokes and hold off points. But the bomb sites need work to be more interesting and combat friendly. And yes A route was very under used. Also I heard someone in voice saying that the map felt too complicated, but I would have to disagree, I enjoyed having an option for almost any situation that was presented. Probably its just all the high walls at the moment making you feel closed in.

    I really liked the main combat areas (mid, the routes between and before the bombsites) but I didn't like the bombsites themselves. They were pretty small and flat, and the actual planting zones were really tiny and oddly placed, especially at A. Also a minor complaint, but it seemed like the way the spawns were oriented made very few terrorists take the direct route to A, since you have to make an awkward u-turn to get there straight out of spawn. Overall fun though.

    Chinatown

    And then?

    Transit

    I also had loads of fun on this map as well, but I fear in the hands of the public it will be Ts getting owned every round by AWPers, especially at B site. The combat distance was so long that AWPers would dominate, and it was very hard to get smokes off accurately at that distance, and frags/flashes would blow before they have reached the enemy.

    Underpass is a nice touch, but i would have liked to see a more direct connecting ground level route as well. When going from A to B as a CT, if the bomb is already down your only real option is the underpass. But there is so many places that Ts can hide, as well as drop frags on your head without you seeing them.

    I did like A site, plenty of options to defend, as well as predictable ones so experienced players will know what to expect when entering. But again would like to see a more direct ground level route, the underpass has a 1.6 dust 1 element to it where as a defender you see the players feet long before they can see you.

    I loved the timing of the map, when running from spawn you knew precisely where to expect enemy encounters, and the A area had good options to use smoke and fire grenades. Also, even though its a somewhat large map, its easy to learn in just the one round.

    In a nutshell, I like A, B is too big/open, underpass is too dangerous.