Posts by AkatsukiUK

  • Henry Tofts - Level Designer

    Hi all,

    Been a while but I have got round to sorting this out! The website has finally been dragged kicking and screaming out of flash and into html.

    Changes:

    - Re-made site from ground up in html. - Made it lightweight and fast (No more load buffering like last time). - Took on your feedback and removed all the distracting text and photoshop stuff from the pages. - Streamlined much of the project content and set it up so that each projects full content sits on one page. (No more looking for next page buttons). - Works better for mobile phones now. - Simpler and cleaner look overall.

    Phew!

    Thanks all

  • de_subliminal

    Hi all,

    This map is a bit of a mad experiment in making a level indoors only. There is just two places where I have a skybox material to open up the ceiling a little but otherwise the level is lit by around 180+ lights in total. Visually it wont win any awards but a lot of work in the last few months went into improving the flow, spaces, general readability and performance. This is also my first cs map and using Source sdk, so I was initially a bit worried about entering this contest.

    I finished the map around June this year, although there are still improvements that could be made from the helpful feedback I received here in the original thread:


    Steam Workshop Link:

    http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/fi…s/?id=446927952

    Some really nice looking maps in the contest and I wish everyone all the best!


    [Blocked Image: http://www.henrytoftsdesign.co.uk/communities/4/004/010/070/274/images/4621137677.swf]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.henrytoftsdesign.co.uk/communities/4/004/010/070/274/images/4621229850.swf]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.henrytoftsdesign.co.uk/communities/4/004/010/070/274/images/4621137682.swf]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.henrytoftsdesign.co.uk/communities/4/004/010/070/274/images/4621229851.swf]

    [Blocked Image: http://www.henrytoftsdesign.co.uk/communities/4/004/010/070/274/images/4621137650.swf]

  • Henry Tofts - Level Designer

    Changed all the font to Arial. Has helped I think make everything a lot easier to read, and removed the home page and swapped it over for the projects tab.

    I found having the contact details in a separate tab reduced the amount of spam I was receiving :).

    Looked further into the way the page displayed for you Dux. The only time I have seen my webpage appear like that is when you try to open it on a mobile phone. So the issue is likely flash related/your browser and not my provider. When I eventually move my site to html this should clear up any future issues like this.

    My feedback from interviews recently have been really positive, but your suggestions will continue to help me moving forward. Now I just need to figure out how to jump over that final hurdle and get the job.

  • Henry Tofts - Level Designer

    Heya both,

    Thanks for swinging by and taking a look. I will have a tinker with it when I get a free weekend. I will move/remove some tabs at the top. Think only reason I kept that projects tab was just to give the user the option of getting back.

    The page not loading is related to moonfruits servers. This year they had a fair few problems. When I get the time I will move the portfolio into html from flash.

    Thanks for your feedback

  • How to break in the games industry - an insiders' guide

    Perhaps my experience was better because I went through a developer on mapcore.

    I guess when the system works they were pretty good and prompt in responding to e-mails.

    Really it's communication that needs to improve, especially studio sites that say you can ask the team/about the role email here or phone! ... half the time a receptionist hangs up or the most insulting response. An automated email several months after you apply. Great...

  • How to break in the games industry - an insiders' guide

    Poor HR departments drive me insane. SO tired of hearing nothing back and putting time into writing personal cover letters.

    All HR should follow the same structure CD Projekt have in processing your application. You get told what stage your at and when your portfolio gets reviewed. Plus when you get feedback of any kind at least you know where you might need to improve.

    Shit HR has to stop!

  • Paul Edmiston - Level Designer

    Look pretty cool from the shots you have. Will you be adding your work to a dedicated website with your name?

    Hope you don't mind me saying but you have yourself titled as a level designer but your work comes across strongly as a 3d/Environment artist (I know making your own game comes with making assets yourself). Some might get the wrong idea otherwise :).

  • [CS:GO] - de_subliminal - Defusal map

    Nice ideas Vaya thanks. I was thinking the same for the CT spawn in terms of the image you linked, but started to think it was getting too busy on the eye.

    Truth be told I am feeling quite worn out at the moment. Recently finished a prototype of a game I was making and went straight onto this, so candle has been burnt at both ends, all the while trying to get work.

    Will work on the last polish after a much needed break from hammer and add your suggestions.

  • [CSGO] De_Marketplace help with design

    To help get more responses if you could attach a layout/map of how it is currently that would be cool. Even a hand drawn layout would be handy.

    From your only screenshot I got a medieval marketplace vibe. That could be quite a fun theme especially with plenty of films like Robin Hood and Merlin etc with locations like these to use as reference.

    Sometimes when I get stuck I think about implementing function with theme. So a place like a markeplace, if this area is used regularly for food stalls then they would have an area for storing any excess. Perhaps some sort of car park or trade entrance. Think along those lines and it will help when adding new paths + areas.

  • [CS:GO] - Bedtime - competitive defusal map

    Quote from TheGuma

    Maybe add some color changes, different scale / form?

    The buildings also seem to be a bit bland... Maybe add some depth to them, trims.

    It seems like the wall is completely flat. Adding some shape to it might help. Add pipes, try to have colors more uniform on the buildings.

    I had a quick play on this just now :).

    Guma has a good set of points. I think you do have a good range of colours, just right now they are quite flat due to the noise on the surface of the textures themselves being quite plain.

    In-game they're a bit better but that's because you can see some dirt/cracks on the surface of the walls. Perhaps if you raised the contrast of the noise on the cracks/dirt the textures might feel more real and less model village. You will find also that any lighting you put in will seemingly make this look worse until you bring up the quality/resolution of your house textures.

    As a quick thing to implement I would suggest using env_sprites to create glows on the small lantern lights that you have midway up each of the houses faces. This will draw the players attention to the lights in a better way depth wise and not so much to the plain/clean looking houses.