Releasing map "Alue"

[_Meitsi_]

Here you are, my first map what is good enough to be released :naughty: Comments please! ("alue" is finnish and means "area")

Map BSP file: http://koti.mbnet.fi/square35/alue.zip

Some screenshots:

From the top:

From the ground:

Elevator up...:

...and down:

Barrel spawner:

Health & Battery spawner:

 

[Penguin929]

looks intersting, nice for a first map I guess. Looks kinda yellowy to me, don't know if you were going for that or not

 

[Raeven0]

It's a... cube?

 

[_Meitsi_]

Yep, it's a cube... like a huge silo... This is like "killbox" map...

EDIT: It's cube because i cant make skyboxes with terrain very good... still need practising...

 

[Dead-Inside]

You really succeeded in making it horrible . I mean that with the greatest .. uh.. something.

Development textures on a finished map... Bad idea? Yes.
Anyway, I do like how you throwed in all the props in an unorganized way, honestly, but they don't really do much. And the only reason you'd go up the ramp/elevator is to spawn barrels anyway (I looked at the vmf ealier you know).

The powerlinethingy is a really neat touch because it has nothing to do here to begin with, even less than everything else... One powerline? lol .

I hope you realize noone will be playing this, right? The only good thing about it is the elevator.

--
"I can't make skyboxes with terrain very good", what do you mean by that?

 

[mabufo]

Hey dead inside.. quit it with the asshole bit okay?
I'm a beginner, and I'm sure you were too once - so lay the **** off.
There is a nice way to give constructive criticism, and there is a mean way. You gave the later.

Having said that - I think it's a fantastic map for your first go at one. I like how you incorperated almost everythign from every map tutorial I have glanced at.. it seems liek it's all there! This is something to build off of. Good luck - and have fun.

 

[blinking halo]

as a level its not all that good, the gameplay wouldnt resemble much, but its nice how you tried to incorporate loads of stuff. Now try to make a non-killbox map

 

[COALslaw]

I hope you realize noone will be playing this, right?

COUGH COUGH fy_glassed, stop knocking peoples maps dead, this was probably just like a learning map to get him going, and when he was done he released what he had accomplished, which is neat as far as i can tell.

 

[Raeven0]

No matter which way you cut it, in the end it's a cube with a lot of props in it. Like most first maps.

 

[mabufo]

True, but I don't think dead inside needed to be so blunt. I doubt his first map was much either.

hope you realize noone will be playing this, right? The only good thing about it is the elevator.

You really succeeded in making it horrible

I don't find his sense of humor very appealing.. and I doubt meitsi will either.

 

[Raeven0]

My first map didn't have a floor, so it technically wasn't even a cube.

Time to start thinking outside the box, both literally and figuratively

 

[_Meitsi_]

With "skybox with terrain" I mean skybox with stuff placed in it... like houses, hills... The was dev texture coz it tiled best...

 

[Dead-Inside]

COUGH COUGH fy_glassed, stop knocking peoples maps dead, this was probably just like a learning map to get him going, and when he was done he released what he had accomplished, which is neat as far as i can tell.

As I said, the only good thing is the elevator.
Why release it? He deserves the bitching.

Edit: Oh, you mean 3D skybox, they're really simple once you get the hang of it. You can build all but models and displacementmaps around your map first, and then just scale it down and move it to the side and place it in an enclosed skybox. Don't forget the skybox camera...
http://www.valve-erc.com/srcsdk/Levels/3d_skyboxes.html

Edit 2: I'm so sorry you don't like me anymore, mabufo... Does this mean we're breaking up?

 

[Freelancer]

oh my .. you guys is so mean. Ok its not a good play map but its more of a test thing that shows off what he can do and cant so he can learn more ^^

 

[Dead-Inside]

Yes, Freelancer, and it did it's job as such a map -- BUT WHY RELEASE IT?

Noone will play it and he's bound to get this kind of critique. I'm not saying he did a bad job at what he worked on but I'm saying that it's not a map you'd play and shouldn't have been released at all. Maybe release the VMF so that others can look at it, for learning purposes (The elevator vmf I got from the other thread was great, Meitsi) but not as a playable map.

 

[Freelancer]

release it for fun .. so others might even get an some ideas from it

 

[Dead-Inside]

Then release the VMF, not a .bsp. It's not playable anyway.

 

[SuperHebbe]

U (Dead-Inside) said my map was shitty too, but people loves it Some plays 7 hours on my map. so it can't be as shitty as u told me

BTW: The cubemap-thing, I have looked at the sdk example, and I still can't see any difference after running buildcubemap! Tried catalyst drivers, but they was bad to my fps, but still no change Can anybody please send me a picture what it should look like after running buildcubemaps on the sdk example?? Thanx )

SuperHebbe

 

[COALslaw]

dead-inside how can you relentlessly attack peoples maps? i dont just speak for myself when i say this but this map actually does look like fun, i doubt it was created to support more than 6 or 10 people so look at it from that perspective, may or may not change your mind about it but who cares what you think, these people have worked hard on their first and second maps and then you come here to crush them, i belive this has given you a terrible reputation which is no good for when YOU release a map. Good day ! and good map!

 

[Stigmata]

Then release the VMF, not a .bsp. It's not playable anyway.

Why the hell would he spend time creating a custom map if he's not going to put out a playable version? That's what's called getting zero payoff, and it's definitely not what new mappers are looking for.

Also, if you're going to critique somebody's map, you generally turn off the "everybody sucks but me" train of thought, and maybe point out some positive things in a non-ironic way for once.

Meitsi: The props make it look hilariously random. And the lighting is pretty dim and monotonous. However, the props themselves are placed pretty well and create a nice junkyard-ish atmosphere, and it's much better than any of my first few maps in Hammer. Keep mapping :thumbs:

 

[mabufo]

Yes, Freelancer, and it did it's job as such a map -- BUT WHY RELEASE IT?

Noone will play it and he's bound to get this kind of critique. I'm not saying he did a bad job at what he worked on but I'm saying that it's not a map you'd play and shouldn't have been released at all. Maybe release the VMF so that others can look at it, for learning purposes (The elevator vmf I got from the other thread was great, Meitsi) but not as a playable map.

What map did you make that was so ****ing great? Get off your white horse dude...

 

[silentbob]

Yes, Freelancer, and it did it's job as such a map -- BUT WHY RELEASE IT?

Noone will play it and he's bound to get this kind of critique. I'm not saying he did a bad job at what he worked on but I'm saying that it's not a map you'd play and shouldn't have been released at all. Maybe release the VMF so that others can look at it, for learning purposes (The elevator vmf I got from the other thread was great, Meitsi) but not as a playable map.

im willing to play. anyone got a server? i wonder how many people i can kill on my way down (falling)

 

[Dead-Inside]

What map did you make that was so ****ing great? Get off your white horse dude...

I never said I've released something better. It's not my place to claim I can even do better. All I can say is that this is a map that shouldn't have been released. If you don't agree with me on that then you have no taste.

@ stigmata,

The payoff would be a great learning experience. This would be a good map to show to a few friends and impress them with "I can make stuff that looks this good", and then keep on improving.

@ COALslaw

True that my choise of words sometimes can seem hard but I do tell them what they did wrong. They should learn from that, I sure did when I released MY first map. (A fullbright version fy_glassed. Later fy_glassed_final with some lights and other stuff). If you release a crappy map, you get a crappy response.

@ SuperHebbe

About the cubemaps.. Did you place one or several in your map? It takes pictures of your sorroundings so it's pretty much dependant on placing.

@ Everyone

I think the bitching's over now. How about we burry the hatches and move along?

 

[Deleter]

True that my choice of words sometimes can seem hard but I do tell them what they did wrong. They should learn from that, I sure did when I released MY first map. (A fullbright version fy_glassed. Later fy_glassed_final with some lights and other stuff). If you release a crappy map, you get a crappy response.

If you release a crappy map you get a crappy response...right...and do you think its your job to make sure his response is crappy? it sure seems like every new map released thread that comes out has you a couple of posts down telling him to get down to earth and realize that his map sucks. and then the next five posts all mention your fy_glassed. it is getting very annoying. its called constructive critism, not destructive. meaning positive, not negative. if you can't figure out how to give it, maybe you should lay off unless someone asks for brutal critism, you are very good at that.
now, im not insulting you, or at least trying not to, but when you say that people get better from it, thats bs if all you are saying is "your map is crap". don't be so bitter.
as far as the map is concerned a killbox filled with random props and junk, not bad. i would have to play it to tell you about gameplay maybe this map won't give the community anything to buzz about, but seeing as you seem to understand a lot of the nuances of mapping, i can see a map with a point released by you being quite decent. keep going at it. :thumbs:

 

[Phisionary]

i Like the lighting. the elevator is vertaintly cool. You should work on making things less square. Rounding over or beveling the edges could make things looks a bit better. Spend some time and try to figure out how to make a unified map layout, something that has a smooth rhythm to gameplay. I get how this is kind of a test map more than the real deal, but layout is what's tough. Keep it up/

 

[_Meitsi_]

Yep thanks for the comments. I already started making new map. I have one beveled edge now and more coming , I have props placed "better" and I this time made little sketches to paper before starting to map It's gonna be little like cs_italy, but this time im not gonna release it before it's really ready...

 

[Dead-Inside]

Yep thanks for the comments. I already started making new map. I have one beveled edge now and more coming , I have props placed "better" and I this time made little sketches to paper before starting to map It's gonna be little like cs_italy, but this time im not gonna release it before it's really ready...

You could always make a WIP thread. It'd probably be the best learning experience for you, having people comment your work as you go along.

That way you can get "professional" tips from people on the board to help you get the right look on stuff .

 

[Mechagodzilla]

I'm new to the mapping process too. My first practice map wasn't even playable, and I'm just beginning the second.

From what I can see from the screens, that's the best killbox I've ever seen. Still a killbox though. The lowest form of map.

You've definitely got the hang of placing the props and lighting, and making complex stuff like elevators, but the actual brush architecture is lacking. Also, the textures are plain crappy. As good as the props are, brushes and textures are a hundred times more important to a map.

On this next map, I'd suggest polishing the brushwork and textures first, and then adding the props. Sketching out your ideas in advance is definitely a good plan too, and basing some sections off of phot-refs of buildings would be useful for making things as realistic as possible.

 

[Dead-Inside]

I have to say that some sparadically placed colored lights don't substitute for good lighting, Mechagodzilla, even though it might seem so in a BOX map as you said. (I'm not trying to piss anyone off here but I don't want new mappers to get the wrong idea).

The rest of your points = excellent.