WIP:dm_dam

[clarky003]

Id like to try and release this at some stage , when its finished.. the plan is for an interior, .. access to the base of the Dam via cliff stairway.. and interior, + an area at the back of the Dam.

this is it so far.. anyway... im just testing some static entity's and physics objects in key desired places ontop of the dam... so its quite a way from the finish line.. but id like some early input so ive put together 5 screenshots.. as follows.

 

[Jimmeh]

That looks sweet!

Great work dude

 

[keved]

Looking quite good so far. Seems to be impressively built.

I'd definately change the green grass texture though. To me, it makes your terrain look like it's from Super Mario or something (pic 3 in particular). I think you should lose the grass completely and just use rock textures instead.

 

[clarky003]

lol, supermario... i could mod Luigi in aswell.

you know what.. i agree.. im going to atleast put less contrast in the grass to rock transistion.. theres another rock face texture.. for the canals... i actually fancy using that to finalise. ... one thing... where do you guys think the entrance to the inside of the dam should be...? I was thinking of suspended staircase infront, down about 1/8 of the way from the top, to a platform doorway entrance.

 

[fuzzy_aus]

Should be a few entrances, Can't have to many choke points in DM.

 

[Tyguy]

how do you make a huge structure like that curve?

 

[clarky003]

it was made using the arch tool brush, careful alignment and manipulation...even then it wasnt quite right, and i had to do a fair bit of tweaking to get it like that.

 

[Zelnaga]

HOLY SH*T .... thats big.

Good work so far. Cant wait to own people on it ... image ragdolls going down that dam

 

[Thadius Dean]

helpful critisism: the cliffs look a little rounded, both the actual serface and how it curves up to the grass. also add a little variety to the dam's texture, such as stains, crumbling etc.

other than that, super duper work :thumbs:

 

[ZeeM]

awesome
leave the grass in it looks nice

 

[MrMan]

Looks good and pretty huge, how long does it take to compile on full vis?

 

[clarky003]

gosh.. i did it on fast.. and it took 26 minutes. so id guess at the moment, somewhere in the area of 45, to 50 minutes.

when i get the interior of the dam done and more detailing :/.. well ill just have to be patient when it comes to finally compiling it for play.

 

[MrMan]

Mine takes 25 mins on fast and i left it running on full for 10 hours before i got bored and shut it off...just to warn you

 

[Jackathan]

It definitely looks awesome, but I hope you can come up with a way to make it fun

 

[KoreBolteR]

GREAT MAP!
btw did you have Call of duty in mind when you made this map, it looks simular to 1 of the missions/tasks of the single player game. ?

well dont m8

 

[Flyingdebris]

you know what would be uber sweet. If you could add some water in the lake behind the dam, and have some sort of button in the dam that flushes some water through. So if anyone is on the dry river bed they get pushed by a crapload of water into some rocks or something.

 

[clarky003]

great idea.. god knows how you do it though.. but i dont think source will let you have two different brush height levels of 'expensive water' without messing the visuals up,, im going to put a lake in the back if it does work though...

ive began the interior and added some floodlighting inside the main corridor which follows the dam length inside, curving round.. with a few doorways into another coridoor section, so far two entrance points, one a staircase.. from the top of the damn near a tower, the other.. an overhanging stairway down to a platform and door in the front face of the dam, around 150 to 200 inches below the top of wall height.. im tempted to put a funnel in the centre height of the dam , or several , linking to inside access .. like in the 'fugitive' with harrison ford.

 

[clarky003]

Update

 

[FictiousWill]

That looks awesome. Can't think of much feedback, I suppose you could add some catwalks or something to encourage ragdolling down the face of the dam?

Also a custom skybox showing the river winding away would be very very cool.

 

[Shimoneous]

I suppose you could add some catwalks or something to encourage ragdolling down the face of the dam?

Same goes here It would be an awesome idea to have a ledge of somesort going out over the shallow side of the wall where people can battleit out... And then the winner gets to watch the other guy fall 200 stories

Looks nice. How cramped is it inside the dam wall though?? Can you post some more screen shots of the inside?

Catch

 

[clarky003]

atm, there are two adjacent corridors like this , that run the length of the Dam interior... im going to open some more doors/ spaces out of the Dam onto balcony areas front and back.. (nothing too extensive),... after your comments

me a my brother tested it on a Lan, and all i can say is... framerates are good, and rolling down the Dam after death, and slaming and rolling off hills is hilarious. it actually makes you squint and stuff, loling and the same time of course .. anything to get more of that going should be a laugh.. its why i built this map in the first place.

 

[simmo]

wowee!!...smashing work ol' chap :thumbs:

 

[clarky003]

spankyou simmo ill try and keep it up, for the sake of releasing this in a few weeks time.

 

[satch919]

Good job. Looks like a high quality map.

Don't rush it though. Take your time. I'd rather wait for a totally complete one instead of a rushed map. :thumbs:

 

[MigaS_tX]

Good job. Looks like a high quality map.

Don't rush it though. Take your time. I'd rather wait for a totally complete one instead of a rushed map. :thumbs:

I really agree with him. Looks like a awsome map!

 

[Jimbro727]

wowww amazing work! I can't wait! Definitely different, I'm looking forward to its release. I don't know what your plans are weapons-wise, but I think you should put some crossbows on the top of the dam, so people could stand up there and snipe people on the bottom... maybe even some rpgs... Great work, though!

--Jimbro

 

[Vegeta897]

OK, WHY do you people keep making these AWESOME LOOKING maps into DM maps!?!?

GAHHH!!! It boggles the mind!

From what I can see, this wouldn't make a good DM map at all.

There's no room to move.. The top is just a long hall. No room to maneuver or use anything creativly.

The insides look a bit boring. Plain old square halls.

Ok, here's what I think you should do, and it would be AMAZING if you can pull it off.

Make it wrecked. (Fits, because of combine invasion and all)
HUGE collapse near the middle. It can serve as a way to get down to the lake bed. And it opens up the innards of the dam for more passages. Linear passages are bad.

I am sure you can build something off of that. All I am seeing these days are pretty pictures, but no gameplay mechanics. I really have to pat you on the back for building this though, its is EXCELLENT. But you really need to consider how this will play out.

PLEASE don't ruin this. If you keep it the way it is it will be a disaster.

This is coming from a guy who plays alot of HL2DM every day. Please consider.

 

[MigaS_tX]

OK, WHY do you people keep making these AWESOME LOOKING maps into DM maps!?!?

GAHHH!!! It boggles the mind!

From what I can see, this wouldn't make a good DM map at all.

There's no room to move.. The top is just a long hall. No room to maneuver or use anything creativly.

The insides look a bit boring. Plain old square halls.

Ok, here's what I think you should do, and it would be AMAZING if you can pull it off.

Make it wrecked. (Fits, because of combine invasion and all)
HUGE collapse near the middle. It can serve as a way to get down to the lake bed. And it opens up the innards of the dam for more passages. Linear passages are bad.

I am sure you can build something off of that. All I am seeing these days are pretty pictures, but no gameplay mechanics. I really have to pat you on the back for building this though, its is EXCELLENT. But you really need to consider how this will play out.

PLEASE don't ruin this. If you keep it the way it is it will be a disaster.

This is coming from a guy who plays alot of HL2DM every day. Please consider.

OMG excelent idea. Make it.

 

[Vegeta897]

OMG excelent idea. Make it.

Heh wow thanks, I was expecting you to say like "STFU VEGETA YOU ARE GAY LIKE DBZ LOL I DONT SEE ANY MAPS FROM YOU!!!111"

 

[clarky003]

I am considering it, thats why im asking for input! at an early stage... you see, this is my first real.. all out go, at making a map after 3 weeks of getting to grips with the hammer intermitantly,, im no expert at gameplay mechanics, im a designer, and form and function dont always have to follow each other line for line, and in this case.. im thinking thats a great idea.. but im inexperianced.. not to say , I wont do my best.. but me and my bro had so much fun blasting each other left and right off the Dam, so.. from a 'how much more fun can you make it' point of view I cant actually see how a smashed and broken Dam will create the extra fun factor, .. for starters, the map is vast in all dimensions. and Id like everyone who might play this to have a lovely smooth performance on it,, so too much detail could just suck.. Like I said im not that great anyway.. so that could prove a problem.

its a fantastic idea... and im sure you would love it as much as I would love to try... but

1. I havnt finished this yet, and im not that good
2. I was inspired by a COD map, (where the Dam is complete) thinking 'heck' it would be fun to ragdoll down something similar. Simple fun
3. The theme of HL2 or HL doesnt have to limit my design idea's. (or storywise, have to 'make sense' as an excuse for building it in such a way)

 

[joule]

Looks feckin awesome. I can imagine myself playing in that map right now. Great work.

 

[Vegeta897]

You built THAT and you think you are inexperienced?

You could really turn this into something amazing. I really want you to give up and just let it be what it is, just a "mess around ragdoll" like map.

I would volunteer to work on it a bit but right now I am already working on another map.

 

[EpicZeRo]

Lookin niiiiiiice. Can't wait to see how this final product turns out. All these great looking maps, I'm excited

 

[Vegeta897]

OOPS I messed up on my post, I meant to say "I really DONT want you to give up and just let it be what it is, just a 'mess around ragdoll' like map."

Hehe sorry, please make this map all that it can be!!!

 

[cchjoe]

a definate 2 thumbs up, i can't wait till you send it out for testing. a haven't had the nerve to try something that big.
:thumbs: :thumbs:
(i only have 2 thumbs or i could give you more) how about a 9.5

 

[clarky003]

okay this is getting close to testing time, heres an update

all I have to do is add a valley to the 3D skybox, and few interior lighting and prop placement tweaks, and were in buisness.

 

[FictiousWill]

Brilliant concept and execution. Looking great!

I especially like the new ledge on the dam face!

One more thing: the grass could do with some alpha painting.

 

[blinking halo]

THIS IS AMAZING WORK. I tried making a map very similar to this, but i was bogged down by the scale of the thing. This is almost exactly how i had envisioned my map to be, its a shame im too inexperienced to make anything like it but VERY good work, i must congratulate you. The grass is the only thing i can complain about, its a little too obvious that its not seamless, maybe you should up the texture scale a bit, or use a different texture.

 

[FictiousWill]

Just out of curiosity, how many displacement surfaces would you estimate you have there?

 

[clarky003]

oo, gosh, around 20. or so.....

but i definately agree with the comments on the grass.. :/, i need to learn howto alpha paint. to give it a more natural look.. if i replaced it with rock, it would just make the map more dull... and i dont want that... so any good tips on getting it looking more natural.. (alpha painting techniques) and ill goto work when i can.