Posts by MikeGon

  • Opal

    Working on some big changes!

    I spent a lot of time pondering over the core issues, and decided to tackle them:

    • Removing "A chokepoint to Mid" connector (the vaulted tunnel that started under the platform there)
    • Removing "B chokepoint to Mid" connector (the fact that the staircase room was directly linked to the large tunnel below)
    • Adding new connector from Mid directly to bombsite, one for each. They are meant to be faster route than the other ones, and reduce rotation time
    • Reworking layout of lower Mid, especially to make it more compelling for Ts entering the area
    • Reworking layout of A site, namely extending buildings to reduce the number of angles we need to worry about
    • Removing connector near Chokepoint A, that connected to mid (the area where Ts could jump on a white block and directly into a terrasse on upper Mid)
    • Removed vine ladder on CT side of Mid. In short, there's no more awkward skip from the ground level into upper Mid

    Making a few more changes, then uploading that as a separate version on workshop.

    2.0, I guess... ?

    Cheers!

  • Epic Games Store

    Quote from Beck

    1 hour ago, Beck said: Of course I'd love all my games in one place but that's not going to happen anymore. Everyone wants a piece of the pie Valve has been hogging for 15+ years. Steam isn't what it used to be either.

    I bet someone out there is working on some kind of hub software as we speak. A program that regroups and launches games that are on any game launchers...

  • Borderlands 3

    Quote from Castle

    1 hour ago, Castle said: It looks amazing!!

    One Question : Are they following more of a Destiny / Warframe / Anthem live service model? Or are they sticking to their guns and keeping this like Borderlands 2?

    They haven't talked about this yet... can't wait to get the answer to that question as well!

    I'm hearing left and right that people don't like that visual style, but personally I'm glad they're still pushing for it and trying to stand out!

    Props to them for the reveal ?

  • Opal

    Quote from Vaya

    On 3/8/2019 at 6:51 AM, Vaya said: gotta break some eggs to make an omelette dude. just happens you've put the shell in the frying pan too just now ;) Deleting 40% of the map may be a necessary evil here

    Totally. Not sure that's actually necessary here though... I'm factoring in that feedback, but I'm trying not to overreact and set fire to everything on a whim! ?


    Quote from Radu

    On 3/8/2019 at 7:07 AM, Radu said: Mike is too invested in the current layout and in love with the theme to make these drastic changes, even if they are for the best. It would be easier if you guys provided some ideas on what to do about the underground such as new paths and new bombsite B location.

    I'm not attached to it that much honestly, I will happily make drastic changes if necessary. Quality is the top priority, here!

  • Prodeus (random dev stuff)

    Quote from General Vivi

    On 3/5/2019 at 2:33 AM, General Vivi said: Pylon prefab creation : A nice gameplay element that fills a few different functions

    - mid height cover / converts to full height cover

    - Can be used as a quick elevator or boost to gain advantage in combat

    - Can house items

    - looks nice :D

    I like that it serves many purposes, great design and way to leverage gameplay elements!

  • Opal

    Now, about the map!

    Thank you so much for playing and sharing your thoughts, I really appreciate it!!

    I gathered all the feedback not only from here, but outside MC as well. Here's what came up the most, and what I plan to do for each:


    "Underground area doesn't fit the style of the map."

    So in terms of themes, I really like environments that clash 2 themes together in a harsh way, and that's what I am going for here. But perhaps these 2 themes are too contrasted though...

    It had a "dirty industrial" look for a while, but it didn't feel very good... more like a scary ugly place you don't want to be in. I want both sides of the map to be as cool and appealing, only in a different way.

    One possible solution I'm thinking about, is changing the theme for a more stony/sandy "ancient" underground theme, using mostly the Dust2 set. I'll try it and see what it feels like!


    "...Remove the underground space and put bombsite B somewhere else."

    Well, that would be like deleting 40% of the map. Having an underground area was part of the initial ideas/constraints for the project, and making such a change at this stage of production would pull the rug under the castle of cards...

    In other words, one of the main motivations behind this project is to do 3D level design, because I'm not a fan of those flat, "extruded top-downs" maps... Simply put, I like Nuke a lot

    I'm siding more towards fixing it, than scrapping it. Maybe we can go into more details, and fix the small problems one by one...


    "There are way too many angles to check and it's literally possible for the enemies to come from behind."

    The level flow is actually very typical... but with a twist, literally (it's kind of weird to look at, but basically look at how the connections are the same):

    However, there are 2 extra connectors that I added and probably shouldn't have (I don't remember why I did that, I know I had a good reason to do so...):

    • The little vaulted tunnel that goes from Chokepoint A to Alley
    • The fact that Chokepoint B is linked to Staircase room... it shouldn't be

    I think that if I remove those it'll simplify it a bit, and feel closer to your typical CS map. I'll try it and see what it feels like!


    "Map is currently way too big"

    It was actually smaller a long time ago, but when I saw that the spawn-to-chokepoint time on official maps was bigger, I decided to add a few seconds everywhere. Spawn-to-Chokepoint A is 10.5s for both teams, Spawn-to-Chokepoint B is 10s, if I remember correctly.

    I agree that shaving 1-2 seconds there would be great. I might be able to make the spawns a bit closer, I'll see what I can do about that...


    "Rotation takes too much time"

    I totally agree. The biggest mistake I made during blockout is that I forgot to initially plan for a rotation paths, since I had no idea how CSGO worked (I still don't, tbh) ?

    Right now, the rotation route is 14.5s and I wish it was around 11-12s. I could also be more intuitive, because I think the optimal route isn't readable enough. It is:

    (A -> Alley -> InteriorHouse -> Jump through window -> Stairs room -> Connector -> B).

    The solution I'm thinking about, and it will be the first thing I will try, is to create a path through the Bombsite A tower, I like an interior space with a stair and a basement, that leads down under the street in mid. So it would cut a long detour:


    "Stair step are too high"

    The reason why I made them that high is because it worked well with the grid. Also those steps are actually really big on the references I'm looking at. But I totally agree they could be shorter if it feels more natural, I'll see what I can do!


    "...water texture doesn't seem to be packed right. It appears black."

    Will fix this asap!

  • Opal

    Good news!!!!

    I finally got them to deliver:

    Looks like we're back in business!!!

    I guess NYPD finally got to them, because they've been strangely responsive in the last few days...

  • Opal

    Quote from DMU222

    On 2/10/2019 at 3:49 PM, DMU222 said: @MikeGon Damn I don't know what I would do if I lost my PC and all my stuff. Sounds like a complete nightmare, I hope this does not affect your motivation to work on maps. I wish the best for you, and I hope they don't damage your hard drive or worse.

    Thanks! I'll be okay... staying positive. Of course this won't affect my motivation- this is my career and passion afterall :)


    Quote from Vaya

    On 2/11/2019 at 7:20 AM, Vaya said: hope you get it sorted mike. map is always retrievable if it's on the workshop, small comfort just now I know :)

    Yep I hope too, though I would lose all the stuff that was in progress for the future... especially my custom models and making art isn't my speciality at all, and took considerable effort ?

    But hopes aren't lost. Consumer protection has 2 case filed against the moving company, and now the police is on their ass!


    Quote from Interfearance

    On 2/18/2019 at 5:30 PM, Interfearance said: I would pull a mcskillet if that happened and I lost my progress. This is why I frequently upload to workshop, and have cloud backup.

    Smart man! I should have done the same. From now on even my pet projects will be on the cloud I swear!

  • Opal

    Woah okay I'm back, catching up...

    I still don't have my stuff and computer, and I'm still in trouble. Using a work computer for everything atm.

    Resorting to legal actions against the moving company since they have my stuff since almost 2 months now. It's a mess because that's Canadian company an I'm in the US, so I need to show up to a court over there because those here don't take care of that. I'm looking for a lawyer atm to help me with this.

    I've been living in terrible conditions, out of a backpack for the past 2 months. They pulled a bait-and-switch on me, doubling the price compared to the quote, and on top of that, they completely unreachable. They don't answer the phone and don't reply to emails.

    I just looked at reviews, and they're basically a scam company. Obviously I'm deeply regretting and feeling very stupid for not looking that up before letting them take everything that I have. I'm basically experiencing exactly what these people are describing here: https://www.mymovingreviews.com/movers/access-canada-movers-8061

    Now the scary thing is that a lot of them are talking about their stuff being damaged, etc. So if my computer and hard drive are broken or lost, this project and all the source files (and... all my other projects as well) are gone. ?

    The kind of stuff that always happen to "other people", well sometimes it happens to you huh... what a nightmare.


    (This should probably be in a "What's going on with your life?" thread but since it affects the project I'm posting it here.)

  • Opal

    Quick update:

    I won't be able to work on the map since I won't have access to my computer (and 99% of my belongings), for 2-3 more weeks... ?

    The movers were supposed to deliver my stuff this week, but they pushed it back to Jan15 - Jan20. Will keep you guys posted!


    Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR! May your LD/LA skills improve like never before in 2019!! ❤️

    Cheers!

  • Mapcore Job Census

    Quote from AlexM

    On 12/19/2018 at 11:46 AM, AlexM said: So I decided to leave the games industry for a while. I'm working with the Unreal engine though so it's not a HUGE change. I'm in medical tech now.

    Senior programmer at PrecisionOS

    Congrats @AlexM!! I wish you all the luck!


    This week, I moved to Brooklyn NY and started on a new gig, level designer at Defiant Studios!

    A very talented, agile, and passionate little team we have here- I love it! ?

  • Opal

    Quote from Vaya

    5 hours ago, Vaya said: hey @MikeGon

    We're looking to add this map on the mapcore faceit hub in the near future, let us know what you think about that

    Absolutely, I would be honored! ?

    I would like to polish it up a little bit more before if that's okay - I want this to be a pleasant experience!

    (Unless you are on a tight schedule, then I guess we could go with this version...)

    I'm moving to the US at the moment, and the movers will keep my stuff 2 weeks - I won't have access to my computer for a while, so I'm looking at December 29-30 for version 1.17 - would that work for you?


    Quote from blackdog

    4 hours ago, blackdog said: Awesome, nice upgrade all around @MikeGon, looking forward to see the final.

    Thank you @blackdog ! Yeah lighting in particular still needs a lot of work, especially in the underground areas. Trying to strike that right balance between mood and visibility. :)

  • Opal

    Quote from Serialmapper

    7 minutes ago, Serialmapper said: I found a place where if the bomb is dropped, it cannot be recovered.

    aaaand fixed!

    (I just removed that brush, it wasn't really needed)

    That will be part of v1.17 - Thank you @Serialmapper and feel free to let me know if you find more issues! :D

  • Opal

    v1.16 is up!!

    I am trying to finish that map once and for all before the end of the year - This is very hectic period for me since I am in the process of moving to another country for a new gig. More info on that later :)

    Here are the main improvements that come with this update:

    • Replaced all out-of-bounds houses by models (they were previously Instances, which caused a multitude of problems)
    • Fix a lot of "bad shadow on brush surface" issue all across the map
    • Started replacing brushes uses to make buildings by displacements - It should be done for all buildings in v1.17
    • Replaced the dark, ugly rock cliffs near TS with much a better model. It is the same as the one shown here. Thank you @Serialmapper !!
    • Replaced water material with a much better looking one, made by @Yanzl , as shown here. Thank you!!
    • Color correction is now done using a LUT instead of a .raw file. Thanks again @Yanzl for the great explanation of how LUT works in Source :)

    v1.17 is already on the way! I'm making big changes to lighting - Stay tuned! :D