[WIP] Dm_cloudcity (updated 2006-09-05) (Final beta)

[Taylor Swift]

The city looks not bad, but you should use heavy light_spots and maybye 2 or 3 in the same spot. This map needs some tune up in lighting, overall it looks dark.

work more on the light dude.

[ReNo]

To be fair, the light backgrounds at mapcore do the map no favours - check out its post on snarkpit to see it against a black background and it really isn't looking too dark...

http://www.snarkpit.net/forums.php?foru ... t#newposts

That said, I'd recommend more colour. Maybe you are planning on adding that in with your textures rather than your lighting, but the flat white spotlights aren't doing it for me. Personally I think it might be cool to vary your point_spotlights a bit - have some fatter, others shorter, and different in colour. Not each and every one of them obviously as it would be garish, but differences between "sets" of them, such as those two pointing up near the top of the third screenshot.

Keep up the good work anyway, it's looking better and better

[Crackerjack]

Yeah it doesnt look to dark for on the snarkpit forums. But damn does this map look fun to play on, alot of nice z-axis action, wide open areas but with restricted paths. Looks real nice. Maybe dont even add textures but instead color the map with different shades of blue for lighting?

[hamst3r]

how are you gonna texture this beast? looking good by the way, great geometry.

[Grinwhrl]

i like the city, looks very cool. I hope u use some custom textures for this one.

[misterbister]

The city looks not bad, but you should use heavy light_spots and maybye 2 or 3 in the same spot. This map needs some tune up in lighting, overall it looks dark.

work more on the light dude.

Indeed I will. ive got some nice plans for lighting, hopefully, theyll turn out as i hope for. Thanks for the feedback.

That said, I'd recommend more colour. Maybe you are planning on adding that in with your textures rather than your lighting, but the flat white spotlights aren't doing it for me. Personally I think it might be cool to vary your point_spotlights a bit - have some fatter, others shorter, and different in colour. Not each and every one of them obviously as it would be garish, but differences between "sets" of them, such as those two pointing up near the top of the third screenshot.

Keep up the good work anyway, it's looking better and better

ive got more contrast with the dev textures, and now im moving over to lighting. Im going to add more colours, right now im planning to have light blue, white, red, and perhaps orange. But well see in what extent i will use the colours.

The spotlights are going to be completely remade, thanks for the tips.

Yeah it doesnt look to dark for on the snarkpit forums. But damn does this map look fun to play on, alot of nice z-axis action, wide open areas but with restricted paths. Looks real nice. Maybe dont even add textures but instead color the map with different shades of blue for lighting?

This was exactly what I was thinking about then i drawed the map. I wanted Z-axis action and a big open chokepoint in the middle. Nice to see that others like that too.

I dont exactly understand what youre trying to say here: "color the map with different shades of blue for lighting?", could you try to explain that?

how are you gonna texture this beast? looking good by the way, great geometry.

Hell i dont know.. right now ive got a friend who has made 2 textures and is working on a few more, but i dont think hell have the motivation to make textures for everything. Ill try to get some textures from IZaNaGI, who made dm_neon (very nice piece of artwork there, you should check it out if you havent already).

He has agreed on letting me use his textures, however i havent been able to extract them from the BSP yet..

i like the city, looks very cool. I hope u use some custom textures for this one.

There are no other choice than making my own textures for this map =).

[misterbister]

Allright everyone, time for an update.

Ive managed to make the map fully playable with weapons and all, and have playtested it with some friends.

The current Alphaversion is 44. Theres no real visual changes since the last update I made, I just made it playable.

You can download the alphaversion here:

http://www.home.no/misterbister/maps/dm ... ty_a44.zip

Below is info pasted from the .txt document that follows the .zipfile:

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

Dm_cloudcity Alpha 44

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

Release date: December 31 2005, Gothenburg, Sweden

Half-Life 2 Deathmatch (HL2DM)

====================================================

Title: Dm_cloudcity Alpha version 44

Name: dm_cloudcity_a44

Author: Filip "MisterBister" Coulianos

Email address: f_misterbister@hotmail.com

URL: none specific.

Description:

This time its about Clouds, and a BIG sci-fi city high enough to reach them.

The map takes place on "streets" between the skyskrapers aswell as indoors.

In addition to the cool outdoor fighting, the players battle through scientific labs,

cargo areas aswell as elevator shafts.

====================================================

Play information

Deathmatch: Yes (4-12+)

Team deathmatch: No real support yet

New sounds: no

New music: no

New textures Yes, by skurmedel.

====================================================

Construction:

Base: none

Editor: Hammer World Editor V4

Other progs: Batchcompiler and CST

Known bugs: none

Build time: 4 months and counting

====================================================

Installation notes:

Unzip the dm_cloudcity_a44.zip file into this directory:

Steam\SteamApps\youraccountname\half-life 2 deathmatch\hl2mp

====================================================

Other notes:

This is an alpha-version and is compiled for playtesting purposes only.

If you have suggestions, feedback or anything you want to tell me, please don't hesitate to send me an email:

f_misterbister@hotmail.com

© 2005 Filip "MisterBister" Coulianos

====================================================

[FrieChamp]

Arg too bad I don't have hl2 installed on this machine, those shots look REALLY promising. Nice, fresh architecture (at least for a hl2 map), keep it up man!

[Zacker]

The idea is good, but try to stick more to it. It is not very visible in those shots that the map is set above the skies.

[misterbister]

Zacker:

Yes, I know, its just that I havent found out how to make the clouds look good yet.

Time for another update!

Ive been experimenting with alot of colors back and forth, aswell as learning how to make textures.

Right now ive been stuck with the warm ones orange, red and so on.

Ive also changed the ambient light to a more blueish one. Feels like a good contrast to the warm lights I added.

Everything is very experimental, so please say what you think of it.

I have added a bunch of spotlights to the left, aswell as given them a cold blue color.

Works pretty well with the red i think. The "bridge" in the lower part of the picture has

gotten blueish lights aswell.

As you can see, ive added colours here aswell. Im not sure about the red ones though, i think i will make them more orange.

The orange spots are too small, or too few i think..

Here is an overview, the big tower in the middle is very grey compared to the rest, ill change that.

The red lights in the middle looks a bit out of place i think, probably going to make them more orange aswell.

Here is a sample of an orange texture my friend made, i thought it was quite cool with gold-like metal so i added them.

If theyre going to stay there they need some more detail though.

Ah, heres some result of my texture struggle. To the left is a failed attempt to bumpmap. To the right is a crate texture i made..

Im afraid it would have looked alright seven years ago.. Hopefully ill improve =).

Ah, finally another overview. The red spots are quite nice i think, aswell as the smoke above them.

Im planning to add more smoke from other chimneys in the map later on.

[General Vivi]

nice stuff man

[Meotwister]

Looks really cool dude. Can't wait to see that schtuff done.

[RD]

I still think its too dark. Its not like you cant see anything, just cant see it good enough. Maybe its just the textures

[misterbister]

I read the "bens small bible of realistic multiplayer design" the other day and it really blowed me away.

Im currently looking at the map from a whole new perspective gameplay-wise, and its really exciting.

I also found out that it lacks lots of gameplay tweaks that I havent thought of before. Solutions to these issues has bombarded me today, and ive got lots of new great ideas. Im currently playing around with them.

It feels a bit funny too.

You have been a leveldesigner for about five years and you "think" you know it all, and then something like this shows up just totally turns everything upside down.

I have to email the author and thank him. Its a must read, doesnt matter if youre a hardcore mapper or not.

It can be found here:

http://www.crymod.com/uploads/tutorials ... Design.pdf

Im currently struggling with the textures aswell. Ive done lots of progress, but its a loong road. Im getting help from a friend who is very talented though. Hopefully, some of the textures in the final version will be by myself =).

[PhilipK]

Very nice work there.

Defenitely an interesting concept you've got.

I'm looking forward to see a finished version of this one