De_Forest

[PhilipK]

Saw some of the map at work. Will be nice to see the final result. This one could become really popular hopefully.

got any good pictures of a forest fire watch tower? I could use another landmark.

Perhaps something like:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/201/5006 ... 0646_b.jpg

or:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/3765 ... 520a_o.jpg

or even:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1416/809 ... 11e2_b.jpg

Tho for this map I think a more basic than the last one would be preferable.

[Trolyk]

Hi all,

As I am fond of your map, I have been starting a server dedicated to de_forest_rc1 map, in order to test it.

The ip adresse is 82.67.58.97:27016, the name is : DE_FOREST TEST TICK 100

Have fun!

EDIT : you didn't make the .nav file... that is not good for the server!

[CptDobey]

Hello,

Just downloaded and tested it a bit. Very very nice, doesn't look like any other CSS map I know, huge... I'm curious about the gameplay...

I noticed this:

- My console was full of this kind of messages:

SOLID_VPHYSICS static prop with no vphysics model! (models/plants/yukka_001a_large.mdl)

- Both yellow areas on the radar are too big. The B especially.

- The rock behind the B house are weird. Their shape change when you move toward them. As you are very close, it is very noticeable.

- Why can we climb on the roof of house A ? Very frustrating IMHO: we got a ladder and a trap, but no, you can't climb

[robert.briscoe]

Hi all,

As I am fond of your map, I have been starting a server dedicated to de_forest_rc1 map, in order to test it.

The ip adresse is 82.67.58.97:27016, the name is : DE_FOREST TEST TICK 100

Have fun!

EDIT : you didn't make the .nav file... that is not good for the server!

Will a server not run without it? I didnt make one because I only want to test with real people not bots as they ignore transparent materials (i.e. foliage) atm which give them a bit of an unfair advantage. If you really need one let me know and I can still build one tonight if it is only for stability reasons

Really need to set up a playtest with more than 8 people soon, cant believe are playing and testing it right now

[Buddy]

I joined but it started to calculate bot navs so i skipped it.

[kitycath]

wow nice work

[robert.briscoe]

cant you just disable bots?!

[Buddy]

He needs to host bots-less server. I joined just after he posted it, i don't know how it is now.

[Trolyk]

I leave a few bots (4) on the server, thus if anybody want to test the map and there is nobody on the server at this time, he could play and enjoy your gameplay's map.

The serve is now available. 82.67.58.97:27016

[robert.briscoe]

How do you join the server? when I try I get a server not responding messege even though i see it in the browser...

Edit seems to be working now

[BioPulse]

indeed the name is a bit limited, it doesn't nearly attract me as much as the map! lovely visuals there man, i the gameplay works it'll be such an awsome map to run around in.

maybe something like de_flora or de_jungle is more interesting not having checked any of the mare taken.

[JamesL]

I had a run about on the map at lunch hour today with some colleagues and got the following impressions.

First off, the map is obviously a skilled piece of work so I won't bother giving you nice to hear but ultimately worthless praise, rather I will concentrate on the things that I think need attention.

--------------------------------------------

In no particular order and likely half of this is covered previously in this thread...

The map is overly large. Takes too long to get around and I had no idea where I was most of the time. You need stronger telegraphing of position to the player, communication of where the bomb sites are, and how far it is too them from where ever the player is currently stood. This is something that is probably going to be extremely difficult to fix at an RC stage since it needs designing in at the early layout stages of mapping. However some kind of prop or colour based signifiers could still potentially be added guiding the player to and from each site.

-------

The map is very campy. It's pretty easy to hide just off one of the tracks and catch people unawares as they run past you. This compounds the problem of the map being very large, since players are already forced to sprint between sites, and to have to worry about every nook and cranny along the way whilst covering a large distance will likely conspire to make Gameplay predictable. Once a bomb is planted I expect that most of the time a defuse will be extremely difficult, resulting in the map generally being played as a straight CT bombsite camp, since otherwise they will likely lose.

-------

This has definitely been mentioned previously, and is part of my first point. The map requires more landmarks. Not just large visible from a distance type ones, but also small scattered along the route kinds of thing. I would suggest taking an overview of the map, drawing a grid over the top of it, and making each square of the grid themed in some way to give it a unique identity.

• A small clearing with a burnt out campfire and tent.
  A grove with tree stumps and some logging equipment scattered about
  A widening of the path flanked by brightly coloured flowers.
  Et cetera
  

All these will help players orientate themselves relative to the other areas and routes in the map and create a more navigable environment.

-------

Another point that has been raised already, is that as you mention, bots can see through the alpha’d foliage. This is a particular sore point for me as all the servers I run have bots on them, which effectively stops me being able to run this map. Perhaps it would be an option to model up some wooden fences to tighten the routes, adding player clips to prevent players, and particularly bots from accessing them. I don’t think this style of map is ever going to be especially bot friendly, but it could certainly be improved.

-------

A trivial point, but one that struck me the moment I loaded up the map, was that the overall colour pallet being used for the greenery was rather monochromatic. The detail props (the stuff that grows randomly up out of displacements) was very much all one shade of green. A forest floor generally has a range of greens and browns that seems to be missing here. Its probably just me but this really stuck out throughout the time I was running about the map.

I'll stop there as you are probably already calling me a cnut

[JamesL]

As for names how about

de_backcountry

de_backwoods

de_ranger

de_arboreal

de_canopy

de_evergreen

de_treeline

[Minos]

de_phyton

de_wilderness

de_raoni

de_tapio

de_virbius

de_sucellos

de_briscoefalls

[Grin]

de_campsite