DM-Blacktoe

[sarge mat]

Hello all,

This is my first post here after just finding these forums today; I come from game-aritst.net and recognise a few people here. Realistically I have been starting to head in the right direction in terms of level design for a little under a year but have been into games development for several. Anyway down to business this is blacktoe it has been in development from the start of September and I am putting out beta 3 today and am very much looking forward to getting some feedback from you lot. The map was inspired by global warming and another Unreal map (gateway). I am quite happy with how it’s coming on so far but there are still loads of details to add and bits to fix so let me know what you think. Lighting could be better at the moment and I think spawns and AI paths should have improved from the last beta, but weapon spawns need to change, the first sound effects just got added too but I am having issues with their radius at the moment. Parts of the level are still lacking detail as well.

I am aware of a place where you can get out of the level and will be fixing that. Also the little ice islands, I am playing around with the idea of having them sink or a wave wash over them every so often.

Anyway enough with chat, here are some screens and a download link

Blacktoe beta 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/?lm1j5kzwzmy

[Nurb]

Judging by the screenshots the environment seems really unfinished. The light (as you mentioned) is really boring and washed out. There is snow on the ground but nowhere else (roofs? piers? on top of objects). Making a snow level is a bit hard this way, since there needs to be a lot of custom assets, but it really doesnt look good when there is snow in one logical place but not in another. The power cords in the 5:th screen look bulky, like you've made them out of brushes. The fog works somewhat outdoors but not indoors at all. From a level point of view this level seems like an excersice in placing square buildings and containers on a generally flat surface, there seem to be very little vertical gameplay going on which is a very important aspect to UT3 levels.

Keep trying though, you'll get there (but probably not with this map).

[sarge mat]

Thanks for you feedback I agree with everything you said. I am going to have to remove that fog from the side as well. I will finish this one no matter what even if it does not turn out that great (but i am not going to let it drag on). I have started reading, The hows and whys of level design SE, which will be a big help on future projects.

I should add as its not in the screenshots, you can jump down under one of the boats into a dry dock type area.