CS:S Map WiP

[Primo]

Hey everybody I'm new to these forums. I've been playing CS since BETA and have worked on some maps before but am just starting to get serious about one. I don't have a name for it yet, but it takes place in New Hampshire during the spring.

I wanted to combine the visual elements of cs_office and cs_assault, as well as the straightforward gameplay of de_dust. It will be a hostage rescue map.

It is set on a street with a few commercial and manufacturing buildings. The CTs will start in a parking lot with a large building separating them and the Ts which are in the main focus point which is the office/warehouse building where the hostages are located.

The CTs will have 4 paths to take to the main building: Through a car repair garage with 2 exits, through the middle building through a window across the wooden beams and onto the roof, and down the street itself.

I have thought very carefully about the layout and strategic points, as well as the tone for the map. I've been working on this off and on for about 2 months. If I had to guess, I would say I am about 65% done with the whole project.

I am including some of the prettier areas of the map, but everything needs a lot of work.

I would really appreciate some feedback and possibly some encouragement. I look forward to contributing to this community and these forums and I think people will really like my map if I can pull it off.

Here they are:

 

[Hells Angel]

Yeah generally a nice map just one main thing that struck me, use the advantages of the source engine in your map. everything seems quite blocky and wierd try use some curves and things otherwise nice map

 

[Primo]

Oh yeah I know what you mean but a lot of what you see are placeholders or unfinished objects that I need to work on. I intend to get the geometry laid, then add detail (models, decals), then adjust the lighting. I haven't placed any cubemaps or occluders or hints or anything like that and I am still working within a large rectangle skybox. I am basing this on an actual place, obviously with certain changes for gameplay, but everything in the map is there in real life more or less. For example, the front of the building is almost exactly the same shape as it is in real life with the sharp edges and such. I also do not like how it looks and am almost certainly going to round the edges to give it a better look.

I was hesitant in putting up these pics because I thought it might have been to early and not much looks that great yet. The vision I have for it is to be a small, but very realistic and detailed looking map for 8 or more players at a time.

Thanks a lot for the feedback!

 

[Flippage]

Looks really good mate, keep working on it

 

[Bash]

yeah I like it too... keep it comin

 

[blinking halo]

looks ok, work on your texturing and geometry a bit, but otherwise nice
oh and one thing: i can tell those screenshots are resized, makes them look worse than they have to.. dont resize next time, and youll have less of those jaggies in the screens.

 

[fearian]

I think as long as you put details like glass windows, ans prehaps window frames in the map then it should be fine. remember to use models when needed as they give a map more of a source feel and less of a 1.6 feel...

 

[Ranga]

lookin good! :thumbs: can't wait for the final release

 

[Dead-Inside]

1. Cubemaps.
2. Lighting, you could do a lot better. It doesn't look very good mainly because the light isn't fitting for the map. I'd say make the sun a little yellowish to the light, add some env_lightglow (I believe it is?).
3. More displacementmapping would be nice. The outdoor areas, concrete or not, do look best if they're not completely flat. It doesn't have to be that distinctive it just has to be there.
4. On the third picture, to the left, you must do something about the house which's windows are being cut in half on the second floor.
5. From the screens, the map looks too square, boxy... You should angle some buildings or corners at a 45 degree angel opposed to the regular grid and get some rounded corners and alike.
6. On the second image, why isn't there any glass on the windows to the right? I'm sure you'll fix that. I have to say it does look good apart from the windows .

If you want more critique I could study the images some more but that's probably all I have for now. Can't say I'm impressed by the current state of it but it's got potential and I trust the gameplay's good?

Regards
Dead-Inside

 

[silentbob]

Dead-Inside #6... i think thats a door,

anyway the map looks great just needs some detailed toughups. the first pic, that house is really white and square. maybe curve that wall next to the stairs and add a window frame. use decals to add rust, durt, chipped bricks, leaves, signs, etc.

love the telephone lines and the street is cool, and that cross walk, but that house really stands out, maybe a darker color wall or something,

good luck!

 

[Dead-Inside]

I wasn't talking about the doorway I was talking about the small windows, if you look deeper into the image.

I forgot to mention decals, because I'm a moron, but that's a really good point. Just filter for decal when browsing textures, and use the decal tool.

 

[Primo]

Hey thanks a lot for the feedback I really appreciate it! Keep it coming! I'll put up more pics as the map gets better looking. Like I said, I'm just working with a lot of placeholders right now....the map isn't even close to where I want it to be yet and everything you expect to be there will be. I almost regret putting these up so early in it's development, since all you really get to see is one alley and a couple crappy looking buildings, but I am definitely going to make this map look good. I gotta have a strong first impression with this map .