[CS:GO] [WIP] de_badresearch

[Lockdonnen]

de_badresearch

Workshopfile: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=373139263

Screenshots:

With Bad Research it started off as a map purely to get back into mapping as I go in and out of mapping for long years at a time. Originally this map was with a four story office building and the parking garage under that (good luck rotating to the bomb), it was just way to huge even for some side pet project. As time went on I wanted this map to really come through so all the hours I put into it were quickly put into check as I chainsawed through my own level to make it more of a horseshoe shape and the bomb sites were not directly overlapping on the mini-map. It's come a long way and there are still some rough edges left over from completely cutting up the map but I'm to a point where I need some good criticism on how it all flows.

The theme of this map I tried to use the Left 4 Dead approach where there is a bit of a story built into the environment, currently though it's not in there as the basic layout of the map is higher on my priority. So currently the theme is where an unassuming looking office building is doing some questionable research. There will be protest signs on the CT side of the map left abandoned though I'm still wondering if I should apply blood to the signs or not to imply unnecessary force or protest removal or not. Inside of the office building needs more "officeicy" looking work and also the dark steel area is where I'm planning to have containers that are storing a human in stasis but that will have to be the very last thing as that will require a custom made object to look half-way good. Scattered through out the level I plan on having office memos about how no more third party companies can even come close to the building do to the "incident".

Custom textures are in the works and there are a few here and there but I put the texture thing on hold until I feel good about the overall layout.

The lighting in my level currently is...well lets face it, it's drab. I do want a sense of a concrete jungle looming on the player slightly but currently it's just flat, so that is something I really have to work on.

Hope the insight on how things have been made so far in this level helps and can find it interesting.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Lockdonnen
Added overview

[Vaya]

I would post your overview in here. http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/393299684175242403/667DBA9FF7D3CC12D995B6F45458E80BDCAFEC28/

 

 

Other thoughts:

• Name is pretty weird. I would think about renaming to one word. Even De_Misconduct sounds less clumsy
• Going off of the overview the walls seem pretty thin and there's lots of unnecessary space left in the player area. you should thicken up at least the external walls to stop every bullet going through the whole map. Removing space that's not needed also improves pathing and makes the map easier to learn for new players.
• Is the lighting a full compile?

[jackophant]

• Name is pretty weird. I would think about renaming to one word. Even De_Misconduct sounds less clumsy
• Going off of the overview the walls seem pretty thin and there's lots of unnecessary space left in the player area. you should thicken up at least the external walls to stop every bullet going through the whole map. Removing space that's not needed also improves pathing and makes the map easier to learn for new players.
• Is the lighting a full compile?

I like the misconduct name. Trying to find a synonym or a single (preferably pronounceable) word make better names, the less syllables, the sweeter and more punchy it is imo.

Thin walls aren't necessarily a problem as you can run a block bullets texture through them, but it makes wall bangs inconsistent. There is no pathing here, just an open map with a series of doorways

[Lockdonnen]

I would post your overview in here. http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/393299684175242403/667DBA9FF7D3CC12D995B6F45458E80BDCAFEC28/

 

 

Other thoughts:

• Name is pretty weird. I would think about renaming to one word. Even De_Misconduct sounds less clumsy
• Going off of the overview the walls seem pretty thin and there's lots of unnecessary space left in the player area. you should thicken up at least the external walls to stop every bullet going through the whole map. Removing space that's not needed also improves pathing and makes the map easier to learn for new players.
• Is the lighting a full compile?

Forgot the overview, of all the things. Thanks!

• I've been told that the name is off putting as I don't title it de_badresearch in the workshop and it being a 2fer name is completely alien among counter-strike maps. Might have to change the map name early on now to cause less confusion now though so might use the company name de_Ascensus though misconduct is right up there describing the map!
• Wasn't sure if the thin walls were going to be an issue, this will have to change for sure.
• Lighting is a full compile... though I've really slacked off on working on the lighting as I've been wracking my brain on trying to get a good layout first before getting distracted with lighting.

Thanks for the critique!

I like the misconduct name. Trying to find a synonym or a single (preferably pronounceable) word make better names, the less syllables, the sweeter and more punchy it is imo.

Thin walls aren't necessarily a problem as you can run a block bullets texture through them, but it makes wall bangs inconsistent. There is no pathing here, just an open map with a series of doorways

Misconduct might have to be the name as with the earlier statement, de_Ascensus I'm sure sounds just plain weird to others. Going to have to think hard on the name thing for sure.

Will be going through and beefing up some walls for sure!

I've removed quite a few doors sense the early days and yeah there are still to much of it now that you mention it.

Thanks for the critique!

 

Got quite a bit of work to do with just this info alone, but feel quite a bit less blind on what it is.

[Lockdonnen]

As suggested by, Vaya the name should be changed and the sooner this happens the easier for later on. I've got a couple names I'm leaning on but if I left it to just myself I'd pick the complicated sounding one.

Here are the names!

• de_Misconduct (as suggested by, Vaya)
• de_Bioethics
• de_Conduct (play on words with the de_ and misconduct)
• de_Transgression
• de_Malfeasance

Going to get working on the map and when a good review point comes up some names have been debated on. I'm aware there are no single syllable words on the list and only conduct as a double, just couldn't find any. If one comes to mind please do recommend it!

[Vaya]

did you use another map's lighting or did you make your own from scratch? I would check out this - https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Sky_List - and take the settings that match your skybox

Layout wise a playtest is the best way to get a lot of feedback. not sure of alaska>EU time difference?

[Lockdonnen]

did you use another map's lighting or did you make your own from scratch? I would check out this - https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Sky_List - and take the settings that match your skybox

Layout wise a playtest is the best way to get a lot of feedback. not sure of alaska>EU time difference?

Sorry for the crazy late reply!

All I did was grab the global lighting entities from Office as that was the starting idea I was building from. My color and lighting scheme has really been the biggest sore area of my mapping. Been playing Black Mesa and the lighting in the maps have been showing me that I've got some work to do.

The skybox is also pulled from office with a weak attempt to move the buildings around into the gaps between buildings.

As for the layout I haven't had a chance to touch the map for about a month now and today I was able to sit down and just sketch what my current layout looks like and came to the conclusion that the parking lot is just an old bomb site from a WAY early iteration from when the B site was directly under the A site and going to be replacing the parking lot so the layout will be going under another massive change and wouldn't want to waste peoples time with a layout I know is going to be changed.

Will be pretty much remaking the map from scratch at this point, along with the new name.