Hello everyone, I've been working on a city...ish map for a while now, and I need some input from professionals, and maybe some amateurs, if they would like to request something. (Nothing ridiculous >_>)
Anyways, I've been working on this just about every day for the past few weeks. Before then, I worked on it a bit, but stumbled upon a compiling error having to do with Vrad. The problem was solved through settings textures lightmap scales to a much larger number.
Anyways, enough rambling, here are some screenshots on my current progress.
[IMG]http://imgur.com/6Oixl.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/yGuxJ.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/etfZM.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/cWzPb.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/DjDZX.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/miZLj.jpg[/IMG]
Feedback and advice would be appreciated.
This actually looks quite nice, what type of weather do you have in mind?
I haven't decided yet, I was thinking about adding just a bit of fog, because the last time I was in New York.... it was uh.... well, polluted, smoggy. A light, yet still visible blueish grey smog that can be seen by looking down about 4-5 blocks.
As for the time of day, I'm pretty sure I'm going with almost mid-day, morning kinda. Cool colors really calm me down, and I'm sure with everything lightened with cool colors, it would be easy on the eyes.
I would go with somewhere around 6-9AM, but the shadows would be covering too much of the map, it'd be too dark.
....Although... I could add some "street lights" and such.
Very nice map but street lights are a good idea
Not really into the textures, most are too contrasting/repetitive, and could really benefit from speculars + env_cubemap entities instead.
I was afraid the textures would get too repetitive... but by splitting the brushes up and trying to get a little more detail going on.. the visleafs would be pretty damn messy... hmm... Cubemaps WILL be placed all over, but I'm trying to keep optimization in mind too... I want this map to be nice looking, and playable.
Ahh nevermind, I got it. I'll just rope together a shitload of dynamic lights and have them swinging around in random areas.
500 sounds good.
Oh, btw, is it possible to func_detail a brush, then place a nodraw brush inside the exact space to create one neat visleaf?
Add two versions. Rain, and snow.
[QUOTE=ZZREZZ;24253788]I was afraid the textures would get too repetitive... but by splitting the brushes up and trying to get a little more detail going on.. the visleafs would be pretty damn messy... hmm... Cubemaps WILL be placed all over, but I'm trying to keep optimization in mind too... I want this map to be nice looking, and playable.
Ahh nevermind, I got it. I'll just rope together a shitload of dynamic lights and have them swinging around in random areas.
500 sounds good.
Oh, btw, is it possible to func_detail a brush, then place a nodraw brush inside the exact space to create one neat visleaf?[/QUOTE]
Your idea of optimization is so fucked up.
Put low amount of fog with rain.
I agree with the reflective buildings.
This sounds awesome. I think a sunny morning, but in the fog would be so awesome. It might also be a viable explanation for the lack of people.
[QUOTE=Rehukotsa;24268996]I agree with the reflective buildings.[/QUOTE]
I'm gonna.... need some help on making textures uhm.. "shiny" in specific spots.... please.
I've seen the HL2 building textures, and.... it DOES look good..
So yeah, help please?
Looks great so far, one thing i will say is gone forget the ground floor details.
I've seen alot of big city maps that skip out on the details down on the ground like streetlights, dumpsters and boxes in back allys, maybe a hotdog stand here and there.
[QUOTE=madmanmad;24273715]Looks great so far, one thing i will say is gone forget the ground floor details.
I've seen alot of big city maps that skip out on the details down on the ground like streetlights, dumpsters and boxes in back allys, maybe a hotdog stand here and there.[/QUOTE]
He means don't forget the ground details. You cannot gone a detail (Unless you fancy the delete key).
Everything looks good apart from the dock sand, Change it to a muddy texture, City ports do not have sand underneath the water. Also perhaps get rid of the car? Its annoying when your drving along a city road and BAM someone parked their blown up car right there.
This looks fairly promising. I hope to see more updates soon.
[QUOTE=ben bellis;24274117]Everything looks good apart from the dock sand, Change it to a muddy texture, City ports do not have sand underneath the water. Also perhaps get rid of the car? Its annoying when your drving along a city road and BAM someone parked their blown up car right there.[/QUOTE]
hah... the car was only there for size reference... y'know, when I was working on the road.
The sand texture was the shittiest I could find, it blends into muddy brownish.. goop stuff.
ANYWAYS, I'll be posting more screenshots as I build. I've finished all the roadwork, so that's a long process done....
[QUOTE=DireAvenger;24274004]He means don't forget the ground details. You cannot gone a detail (Unless you fancy the delete key).[/QUOTE]
I think he knew perfectly well what he meant. The reason there's missing ground details is Hammer has limits, although there isn't really an entdata limit, there is an edict limit. An edict is basically each individual entity. Prop_Statics don't count however, so you can have as many as those. Plus adding detail all around would be a giant pain in the ass, although it'd be great to do.
[QUOTE=Zally13;24281572]I think he knew perfectly well what he meant. The reason there's missing ground details is Hammer has limits, although there isn't really an entdata limit, there is an edict limit. An edict is basically each individual entity. Prop_Statics don't count however, so you can have as many as those. Plus adding detail all around would be a giant pain in the ass, although it'd be great to do.[/QUOTE]
I'd love to add a few trees and whatnot, but I don't want them being rendered when you're far away.... but then again I DO...
Don't want shit slowing down, but I also don't want it just to look like... boring flat grass when you get to a certain distance. Pretty sure I'm just gonna go with some decals to liven things up.
Oh and.... speculars.. working on em, might change the window textures for some of the buildings.
...here's a little update on the map.
[IMG]XXXX[/IMG]
'nother update.
[IMG]XXXX[/IMG]
[url]http://imgur.com/xD2ZH.png[/url]
Realistically speaking, I don't think a building would need that many supports unless the internal supports are really weak, especially where they connect one part of the building to another.(Those would most likely just damage the building from the weight of them since they're so bulky.)
Other than that I really like this map.
Add Air and ground NPC nodes for i can spawn the Combine Gunships and fly them around.
[QUOTE=ZZREZZ;24253788]Oh, btw, is it possible to func_detail a brush, then place a nodraw brush inside the exact space to create one neat visleaf?[/QUOTE]
Yes. This is actually what you should do. But IIRC your nodraw brush should be placed right behind the func_detail; however, inside is acceptable but not proper.
[QUOTE=CaptainQuirk;24441249]Yes. This is actually what you should do. But IIRC your nodraw brush should be placed right behind the func_detail; however, inside is acceptable but not proper.[/QUOTE]
I'm assuming the func_detail'd building pieces would have to be split into 4, so looking at one side of the building wouldn't be rendering the entire thing.
ALSO, NEWS, STUFF, YEP.
First off, my damned SATA drive died.. 250GBs worth of shit down the drain. |:
Luckily I saved the textures, VMF, and some other stuff on a flash drive.
Anyways, I'm back up and running, not that anyone knew or cared that I wasn't in the first place, but the lighthouse has been remade, it was looking way too plain the way it looks in the screenshots.
OH!
Easter eggs, I slapping them all over the damn place.
Uhm... besides the whole "building" process, I've got a few more textures finished. Added specular and normal maps for some stuff.
Lost a handful of the work, but hell, they weren't my textures to begin with, I had it coming I guess.
NEW STUFF.
[IMG]XXXX[/IMG]
[IMG]XXXX[/IMG]
This looks good, any progress in the past few days?
[QUOTE=Korro Bravin;24942737]This looks good, any progress in the past few days?[/QUOTE]
Starting my GED shit now, so, I won't be working on this as much as I used to be able to.
BUT YEAH, progress, I've been testing lighting and fog, I think the fog is pretty well set so far. As for the lighting, I'm not so sure.... maybe a little more colour...
SKYBOX, I'm not so sure I want a blandish skybox, all grey and what-not... I might end up making my own.. just smear a hint of blue with some cloudish smogs at the top.... not really all that detailed, but it might come out nice. I won't be sticking to anything that looks like shit just because I worked hard on it, so don't worry about that.
Uhm, what else..
Oh uhh, screenshots I guess, if anyone's interested.
Adding a little... factory place, giving it an interior. too, sooo... yep.
OH, and, removing old screenshots because, well, I don't want a whole array of every little detail shown in my map, let the players find the little things themselves rather than just look through screenshots and see everything, y'know?
ALRIGHTY, SCREENSHOTS.
[B][U]!CHECK FIRST POST FOR SCREENSHOTS![/U][/B]
Lighting and fog test:
[IMG]http://imgur.com/9kcLl.jpg[/IMG]
There's no skybox viewable because I went outside, had to use the cordon tool to just compile that one part... Y axis fog testing, wanted to see what it'd look like from atop a building.
I don't want the fog to ever reach an opaque level.
WANT. Be sure to add some houses (apartments and such) taht look run-down, and possibly alot of grafitie (i know i can't spell) on the walls? I really like the architecture on taht tower btw.
Who rated in-hammer shots as artistic?
There's a rule in the wip thread that it must be compiled, that ought to be extended to new threads too.
No it shouldn't. Sometimes there's a reason for not compiling, like terrible optimisation.
[editline]04:39PM[/editline]
Besides, it's not even an official rule.
[QUOTE=Korro Bravin;25003590]WANT. Be sure to add some houses (apartments and such) taht look run-down, and possibly alot of grafitie (i know i can't spell) on the walls? I really like the architecture on taht tower btw.[/QUOTE]
Sounds good, let's just hope there's enough room on this damn island for urban decay. I gotta say, it's one of my favorite themes.
I'm not talking about HL2 urban decay either... I'm talking about like... [URL="http://www.maths.ed.ac.uk/~s0571100/bilders/ToLeith/UrbanDecay2.jpg"]THIS kind.[/URL]
"You're not allowed here, there's reconstruction going on." When in reality, it's all just.. rotting away.
It's also interesting to think of all the lives that were there in the past... people could've had their most memorable moments there... where they met their love, or where they lost them.
Seeing memories fade away, to just be forgotten by people that don't have the slightest care, because it doesn't concern them. Emulating this feeling is only possible with some people by giving them... "clues" and such... which is what I intend on doing with some places.
Notes from my one love... 10 hidden sticky notes in my room before she left, all of which............
RAMBLING, sorry for that, I tend to get lost in thought when I find something interesting...
ANYWAYS, there WILL be some run-down old building areas... can't put too much detail into it all though sadly... lag cuts the fun % down into about a quarter.
As for current progress, I'm working on an office-ish area on the corner of the island. feeling like I'm putting WAY too much detail into it though, so it... might be a bit downgraded before final release..
Here are some screenshots of what I have going on right now.
[IMG]http://imgur.com/BRAxT.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/gtDOe.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/KHfht.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/ntOkh.jpg[/IMG]
So how about some feedback, buuuuuuddies.
Please be honest if something looks shitty in looks, or optimization. I'd rather remake something that looks like crap or runs like crap than.... have it... exist...
...You all know what I mean. >_>
I think it looks awesome, so keep up the good work! ^^
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
