RP_London | UK-themed roleplay map [WIP]

Garry's Mod mapping
#1

I’ve decided to finally make a thread for this map, which I’ve been planning on for a long time (and which still won’t be finished for a while). It’s an idea that’s been in my mind ever since I started mapping for Source (circa 2011), and I’ve carried it with me through the last six years. Now I feel like I’ve got far enough with this current iteration of the project to be able to show some of it off. So, without further ado, introducing……

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Set entirely in the West End of London, this medium-sized map will try to present a more realistic and immersive mood than most other RP maps. I want to make the player feel like they’re living in a true microcosm of the real London, with all the diversity and vibrancy of the actual place, whilst still retaining the roleplaying functionality and familiarity of other maps (and avoiding common and unpopular RP clichés too).

Planned features include:

  • Hotel with swimming pool, conference room, and stunning views of the Thames
  • Central marketplace area with many shop spaces
  • TV studio including rooms for chroma key screens and news broadcasts
  • Subterranean area with sewers, a London Underground station (with disused platform) and tunnels (watch out for the trains!)
  • A map-wide emergency button system connected to a switchboard in the police station
  • Geographically accurate 3D skybox with many landmarks to see
  • Other standard RP map features: apartments, bank, police station/jail, courtroom/mayor’s office, computer shop, disused buildings, hospital, cinema, and more
  • Plenty of custom textures to give the whole place an authentic London sheen

I’ll be sure to update this thread with more info and screenshots as they come, but for now, here’s some teasers of what I’ve got so far:

https://i.imgur.com/a7t4Ntq.jpg[/t][T]https://i.imgur.com/2S1vMaf.jpg[/T][t]https://i.imgur.com/QelydzT.jpg[/t]
[t]https://i.imgur.com/KoeQN5w.jpg[/t][t]https://i.imgur.com/8L2PGNb.jpg[/t][t]https://i.imgur.com/Robi6TE.jpg[/t]
[t]https://i.imgur.com/afZd4Ib.jpg[/t][t]https://i.imgur.com/eT4ib8G.jpg[/t]
[t]https://i.imgur.com/Eks5yHi.jpg

1 Like
#2

Looks awesome cant wait to playtest it

#3

looks fucking brilliant

#4

This looks really promising!

Stoked.

Also, wat

#5

This actually looks really damn nice! Can’t wait to see further progress.

#6

Incredible. This is the kind of map I’ve always wanted to see. How did you do those textures in the last picture? Google Earth, photography or ported from something?

#7

Wheres all arabic sings? Just kidding looks great

#8

Thanks for all the kind comments so far! Glad to hear people are looking forward to it.

They’re a combination of sources: some are modifications of pre-existing HL2/L4D/etc textures (the wall and floor tiles, the rooftops), some are taken from photos or pre-existing online textures (the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral), and some are completely made from scratch (almost all the signs).

Hey, a bit of early 2000s flair never hurt anybody :v:
(technically there’s no specific year for when this map is set, but I imagine it’s some point within the past 15 years)

I’m using photos and my own memories of living in London as my primary reference sources for this map; I may include a multi-faith worship building with signage partially in Arabic, to reflect the diversity and vibrancy of London’s population. Trust me, I’d have made all the signs in Arabic if my primary reference sources were Fox News and Breitbart instead. (and thank fuck they aren’t)

#9

I’m curious, despite this map obviously being for Gmod, are you open to the idea of making an SFM version of it? I’d be surprised if I’m the only one who wants to make The Getaway-esque shit in SFM with a map that isn’t TF2 related.

Speaking of The Getaway, it’s a crying shame that game’s only for the PS2, I can imagine having some of the assets from that game would be a big help for this map.

#10

I’ve considered making a SFM version, but releasing the RP version will take priority; same for any other gamemode versions (I’ve had suggestions to make a TTT version, which could be interesting). And yeah, it is a shame there aren’t that many London assets for Source; if I could model then there’d be a lot more, but for the moment it seems it’s Propper or nothing :frowning:

#11

Yea that’s understandable that the RP gets priority, I just wanted to know if you’d make an official SFM version in the future because most good RP maps don’t have official SFM releases and decompiles are really buggy.

I know they made really good UK-based train models for Gmod but they’re all 50s looking steam trains and single axle wagons, none of this modern sprinter shit that would fit in the modern era you were mentioning. Maybe porting some stuff from MW3 would be a possibility if that’s doable? They had some nice looking London shit.

#12

What did you use to make the signs from scratch?

#13

Ooo yeah, MW3 props could work really well for this. I know someone ported the MW3 London policemen to GMod a while back, so it’s definitely doable.

Paint.NET (with real photo references and a bit of weathering from stock HL2 textures)

#14

This looks fantastic so far, especially the tube station.

Do you have a top down view of the map or something to show the map layout?

#15

So having talked with some server owners/RP players and gotten an idea of what contemporary GMod RP’ers are looking for in their maps, I’ve decided to start from scratch with the layout (keeping the buildings and assets though) and, mostly importantly, expand it. Therefore, the map will now feature not one, but three full areas - as well as the West End area of Leslie Green, the map will also include the south-of-the-Thames residential neighbourhood of Holden, and the East End docklands area of Branning. I’ve done this to spread out the map’s buildings and to provide even more features for players to enjoy, one such feature being a functional Tube line linking the three areas; here’s what the station buildings for the new areas will look like:

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Sure thing - here’s a rough plan for the new incarnation of this map:

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(white areas are playable; roads with dashes are tunnels; landmarks will be in the skybox, though some are only drawn here for geographic reference)

#16

That looks very cool! I love the idea of having the tube actually function.

Free offer: Right now I’m very busy, but If you want, I can have a go at modelling the tube train when I have enough time.

#17

I’m gonna go off on a guess and assume that Branning is an expy of Canary Wharf

#18

More an expy of Milwall and the rest of the Isle of Dogs; the iconic towers of Canary Wharf will definitely be visible in the skybox from the Branning area. Each area’s being designed to capture the flavour and aesthetic of that general region of London, but without being a 1 on 1 recreation of a specific location or borough.

Blimey, that’s quite an offer! Add me on Steam (or if possible send me your Discord ID if you have one) and we can talk it over :dance:

#19

Where’s Blackice? He’d have a fit at that rail system :weeb:

#20

Shhh don’t say his name or you’ll summon him, it’s like Beetlejuice rules :shh:

(nah but really, both the rails and the train are placeholder models; there’ll probably be full custom models for both in the final map)