Posts by text_fish

Quote from DMU222

46 minutes ago, DMU222 said: I got closed beta access and boy do I have problems:

1. All automatic weapons have a single spray pattern between them.

2. Armor works the same against all weapons, meaning there aren't tactical decisions you make based on your opponents economy.

3. Cosmetics that change players death animation are very distracting and shouldn't be in the game.

4. The maps feel incredibly bland because everything is on grid, and all the walls and crates are the same 64u scale.

5. There is very little synergy between each hero, making the game be more about solo play then working with your team.

6. This is my biggest issue with Valorant, I feel like the heroes take away the freedom a player has in CS. If you want to do trick jumps, you HAVE to play Jett/Raze. If you want to lurk behind the enemy, you HAVE to play Omen. This especially noticeable in the way Volcano talks about Jett. The inspiration comes from pro CS players who got really good at movement, so they made a character that allows you to copy those cool plays with one ability. (Meanwhile, the map design makes it so that only Jett is able to get to those places, because the map is to clean to allow for any other characters to do a trick jump.) On a basic level, I would say that CS encourages players to forge their own unique play style through discovery, while Valorant forces players to put themselves into one of 10 specific categories.

Overall, the game is like CS:GO with the skill floor dropped substantially down. The remaining question is how high the skill ceiling will go, which will most likely determine the games success as an e-sport.

P.S. Sorry for the long rant.

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I don't have access myself, but honestly I'm heartened by every negative response it gets. Everything about the game, from its initial concept and its marketing to the apparent lack of a level editor screams boring corporate greed to me. I'm especially relieved about point 6 above, as that confirms one of my initial problems with the concept and will hopefully ensure that CS:GO's player-base won't be disappearing anytime soon. I think it's great that Volcano got a well deserved level designer position on such a big title but at the same time, as somebody who once had aspirations in the same direction I can't help but feel like he's sold out -- the only comfort I take is that I'm sure he doesn't have the clout to make Riot release an editor, but I hope he's equally dismayed by their oversight.

Quote from [HP]

2 hours ago, [HP] said:

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I wasn't expecting to watch the full 17 minutes in so much detail, but it is really interesting looking at how their designs change over time.

I think I prefer a lot of the more low-tech designs (not rendering tech, but in-canon tech), especially on the Arachnotron and Mancubus. A lot of the more high-tech designs look a bit ... bubbly?

So for those of us who have yet to experience the delights of HL:A, can "those in the know" share their thoughts on whichever VR kit they own? I refuse to spend the cost of a powerful new gaming rig just to play one game (especially as my industry has shut down for 4-5 months for covid-19 ?) so ideally I'd like to hear peoples thoughts on the budget end of the range, however any info that helps to round out the picture is very welcome.

Please enlighten a complete VR numbskull!

Quote from Buddy

3 hours ago, Buddy said: What did they strip from Doom 3 (for 2016) that made it's way back to Doom Eternal?

I'm confused by some of the complaints here

There are three potential answers to that question that I can think of:

1) People are referring to the canned Doom4 which became Doom2016 after Bethesda stepped in and told ID to simplify.

2) People are referring not just to D3, but FPS games in general over the past decade or so.

3) I dunno, diary entries or something?

For me it's a combination of the above which lead to a general feeling that DOOM 2016 was a very raw and basic experience without any unnecessary clutter or complications, compared to Eternal.

I'm enjoying the combat, though I've only been playing a couple of hours so I can see how it could get boring if the weapon mods and enemy line-up don't sufficiently evolve it.

The story-line doesn't really bother me, but I think it's pretty unnecessary to even have it there in the first place. I know what's going on in the narrative but that doesn't affect how I approach the levels because there's a big shiny yellow diamond telling me where I need to go next.

The biggest let-down for me at this early stage is the level design, largely because there are a shit-ton of invisible walls which makes no sense considering all the acrobatics they've introduced. If I can climb things and jump really high let me use that to explore, rather than signposting specific areas where I can use those abilities and then mysteriously locking them down whenever it's an inconvenience to the environment artist. This all just makes it feel like a heavily disguised corridor shooter. Other than the occasional hidden area here and there, there seems to only be one path.

Oh and speaking of hidden areas, what's with the giant yellow question marks? You made an asset for the toy, just fucking use it in the level.

So far I'd say it's a fun shooter, but nowhere near as great as 2016. Kinda wished I'd waited for a sale too.

Quote from blackdog

7 hours ago, blackdog said: Is Project A actually to be thanked for this?

Probably not, seeing as Valve haven't made any significant updates since Project A started getting hyped, AFAIK? I'm more inclined to think the panic around Covid-19 is driving people on to their computers.

As for any competitors coming along to unseat CS:GO, I think they're going to have a hard fucking time if they don't ship with level editors and other similar community engagement features.

I imagine the easiest method would be to make the terrain out of props rather than displacements.

Quote from spa

54 minutes ago, spa said: Would be really cool if the background could scroll by slowly but probably not in this engine ?

Probably wouldn't be that hard to get 3 mins worth of very slow scroll, especially if you reduce the resolution of the 3D skybox.

I'd say the proliferation of "clean" maps in CS has more to do with readability than technology. The kind of grime Interfearance seems to desire is visually noisy, which just isn't a good fit for classic CS gameplay.

Don't expend too much energy on beautifying the graybox. With a gruelling artpass on the horizon, there's no sense in duplicating your workload.

Yeah I think there is a place for water in CS:GO maps, but it definitely has to be an intentional part of the gameplay design.

Quote from blackdog

8 minutes ago, blackdog said: So is mid all water then? Seems very cool if it comes out the way I’m imagining it

Heh. Nah, I can see how you'd think that from the radar, but the sea-level ends at about the second gridline (15) from the bottom, though there will be some evidence of flooding further up from high tides. An earlier version had more water in the playable area, but thematically I thought it felt a little gimmicky, and also meant I couldn't have a big sandy beach to run around on.

Quote from Vaya

2 minutes ago, Vaya said: when we testing this

Someday!

I realise that may have sounded a bit like "Sunday", but I'm happy to confirm that it will not be Sunday, as I will be holidaying in real Cornwall and hopefully taking some useful reference shots.

People keep employing me (don't they know I have a very important mapping competition to lose?) which has slowed down progress, but I got a chance to experiment with my English seaside village aesthetic the last few days:

[Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/TqklIlO.jpg]

I want to add a bit more volume to that wisteria tree, but it's already heavier on the poly's than I intended so I'm going to need to get a bit more creative with it.

[Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/W4ivRzE.jpg]

Not too happy with that fence, but it's important to control movement and sight-lines. I might try raising the wall and if all else fails I'll add "Slightly less ugly fence" to my ever-growing list of assets to create.

[Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/R6aMlf1.jpg]

The beginnings of a seaside ice cream stand. The finished piece will have a nicer base, and some signage.

[Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/Fu8tZ5D.jpg]

Salty's Wholesale Fishing Supply Co. because in another life people know me as Salty instead of Text Fish. Gotta change that horrible orange text at some point. To the bottom left you'll see where I've been experimenting with hacky ways to make a sea-wall out of displacements and Valve props, but I think I just need to open Blender and make something bespoke.

That's all for now folks, see you next time.

You should probably sell yourself a bit more if you're looking for somebody to team up with. Nobody wants to work with an "ideas guy", so what substantial technical and creative skills do you bring to the table?

Everyone in 2013 was a cunt. Nowonder humanity's on a terminal spiral in to the depths of mediocrity.

There was a hostage map years ago (possibly Condition Zero if not 1.6) that had a crashed plane in a jungle. It was a cool theme, I can't really remember if the layout was any good though.

Something about the layout (probably mid, if that's a bridge?) makes me think of de_losttemple which was one of my favourite css maps, so I can't wait to have a run around this!

Quote from Vaya

Just now, Vaya said: I hope you start losing health the higher you go in this map

Also you have to queue to get in to the higher bombsite! [Blocked Image: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/10869/production/_107098676_1c45dac3-bf7e-4663-bdec-099ec9d8e199.jpg]