Ridders

The overall aesthetic is really good. It feels like old Victorian architecture. However, I do feel you've missed a trick, your overall brush work is really pleasing, but theres a lot of opportunity to add detail to the plain, flat and boring walls that are everywhere. some variation in texture and maybe some adornments like drain pipes and the like. Overall really nice! Good luck.

Working on British style terraced housing, might end up as a contest entry? Who knows!

Looks like the rotate from A to B is really short, and the right route to A seems really open.

Middle area I made after getting some inspiration from a few images. Just been playing around with detailing to get a feel of the map, still a long way to go! Some more Screenshots: Reference Image:

Thanks a lot!

I can't seem to find any of the new assets from de_canals within the hammer model/texture browser? Is there any way to make these available for use? Thanks!

Just added WORKSHOP LINK to main post. If you wish to help with a play-test please comment on the workshop page! Also recorded small video of some mid smokes HERE.

Really like the art style!

Re-designed the towers at CT spawn to fit with changing style of map Bombsite A is going to be in ruins

More art-passes on Long A

Not much I have func_detail 'd yet. Although I do know how to use it. I'm still relatively new to Hammer, (I have been messing around with it for a fair few years but never fully finished anything) and I am yet to learn to use area_portals and the hint brushes. I think I watched a video on them in an attempt to educate myself a year or so ago but I need to learn their uses fully.

Currently just using optimising the brushes with nodraw as I go along. I can't seem to change the font once the post is made, I tried to lower the size but it wouldn't let me! I should really be changing the draw distances for the props I'm placing but I don't work sensibly.

This morning I have made suggested changes to the mid area after a small play test (adding other routes for CT to get to upper mid), and roughly art-passed CT spawn to give a feel for the style of the map. Pictures below:

Update to some of the layout today, and some additions around the map, take a look and if you have comments, they are appreciated!

Those barriers are looking better than before but I still think replacing them with suitable props would look much better.

This morning I have made started working on A site and CT side mid, pictures below :

I have a feeling that the Baggage skybox numbers are slightly off because baggage is interior. Try using sky_cs15_daylight01_hdr for a while. Well I would suggest looking for some props that would work for a similar purpose. Some of the railings might fit there. Otherwise maybe make the brush slightly more refined in terms of making it less square block-ish and add more depth to it. Here's a quick example of what I mean: You can see the difference in how it looks just by adding another angle or depth to it.

The lighting seems really dark and dull, I don't know if you want to brighten your light_env slightly as it will help to liven up the colors. Some of your brushes need refining or replacing with props, the barrier on the top here and some of the roofing and the windows needs to be refined as you go along. If you're not already aware, THIS is really useful for skybox settings!

If you have any ideas feel free to merge them with that original layout image, I have some ideas of my own for some of the areas but as always fresh ideas can help!

I appreciate what you've said and I'm going to take it into account. I realize now that my layout looks pretty simple and boring to onlookers, however my intentions with it are simply to give me a basic route to that bombsite, and as i go over areas they will become less 'corridor-like' and more interesting! Hopefully you'll see this change over the next few days.

Thank you for your feedback! It's always nice to know someone appreciates my brushwork! I'm just kind of playing with ideas in my head at the moment, and with the way I work I end up having to detail things or they agitate me. I will try and tone down my OCD tomorrow!

Tonight I have made additions to the mid area, pictures below :

I feel that the exterior lighting is really pale and flat. Is there anyway you can change that up to add some interesting shadows?

Thank you for the quick and detailed reply! The layout is pretty much basic as it comes at the moment, I'm currently working on molding the corridors into (as you put it) game-play areas. I have a bank of reference images for the aesthetics, I just thought that image helped to portray the style I was going for when coupled with the two in-game screenshots!

WORKSHOP LINK Currently unnamed, (mainly because I am avoiding using Chateau for obvious reasons!). Slightly late beginning however I have a number of ideas. Aesthetics is based off this image: Layout as it stands currently (in basic form): This layout is extremely basic and some obvious flaws are already visible (routes to b and mid connector) these are being worked on! Here are some WIP screenshots of in-game areas: