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Anderson

New Member
Jan 25, 2008
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0
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I was just curios what peoples thoughts were on styles of maps. Whats your preference, Oldskool style maps nothing fancy, just a hardcore map, older style textures(or retail textures), simple design, not cluttered with decorations and stuff like that, or Newer maps with detailed textures(hourences packs:)) lots of decoration and attention to little details that kill your computer(mine)

Mine are the oldskool style maps, i love there simplicity in design, when i play a map, i dont want to be looking at all its little decorations, i want a straight forward hardcore map. I view this kinda odd but when i look at less detailed maps, i think that this mapper made one for pure playing, not caring about its looks(to some extent) and wanted to play good. I still like some newskool style maps but being a mapper i stop and i admire these little things too much and it interupts my playing. kinda weird lol. So what do u guys like?
 

Kantham

Fool.
Sep 17, 2004
18,034
2
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Yeah I am one of the players that can't stand up for busy level design. The retail levels in UT3 are horrible for that particular reason, and the fact that they are extremely cramped to death.

Old School is definitively my pic, with some UT3 visuals.
Here's the proof on how Old School still have it's place, even in the next gen.
 

Anderson

New Member
Jan 25, 2008
4
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Forgot to mention i mean for UT, but it still applys for any of them really. From those pics they do look older style they should be converted to UT:)
 

PsyXandeR

Member
Aug 5, 2005
696
0
16
W00ting himself on CTF-AllYourW00T
I view this kinda odd but when i look at less detailed maps, i think that this mapper made one for pure playing, not caring about its looks(to some extent) and wanted to play good.

Well, the thing is that gameplay map can also look pretty sweet although they are not so hi-poly and thus detailed. Check out LowPoly mappacks, these maps provide really good gameplay and also visuals. Believe me, visuals is one of the components of successful map, and your map will be considered crappy without good ones no matter how it plays.

As for UT3, yes, I agree, retail maps are too complex visualwise, and I do really think that StaticMeshes are just... ev0l! No honestly, such detalization is unachievable when using pure BSP stuff, plus it totally ruins the gameplay, I bet most of the player will just wander around and look at this eyecandish stuff instead of fighting.
 

DeathoX 8

Beta Toaster
Jan 20, 2008
247
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In a map you have to create both good gameplay and good visuals. Visuals are what attracts a player to the map, gameplay is what makes the player stay on the map rather than giving it a quick look and dropping it in the recycle bin.
If I had to choose between visuals and gameplay, of course I'd choose gameplay. Games are made to be played, not looked at.
 

Ultimate_Weasel

Noes! My 30 posts! [/sarcasm]
Jan 23, 2008
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DM-Arktos and DM-FoT-Weatherglass. Compare, and you should know my view on this matter. :p

Though I have to say that not all maps need über-leet diddly-doodads and twirly thingies. For example, the LP map packs have good visuals while retaining a reasonable ppv.
 

[VaLkyR]Anubis

Foregone Destruction
Jan 20, 2008
1,489
2
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Gaia
www.youtube.com
I can't make a decision,wellI like both designs,only a map for gaming or a beautiful designed map and a mix of both it doesn't matter,I like both of them.However,in the past there were some very good maps for UT,UT2004 and I really think that now,when you can mapping for UT3,you can make some very incredible maps there.You can give your maps more and more real things,that it looks like in reality,but simple designs of a maps are good,but you just have to know,how you must make that,some people try it and it doesn't look good or they made a good job.=]
 

[VaLkyR]Anubis

Foregone Destruction
Jan 20, 2008
1,489
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Gaia
www.youtube.com
New. With a touch of old (lay-out). But as far as looks go, I prefer new. More detail, no overkill though.
Yep,that's right,with the newer design technologies you can get a beautiful atmosphere in your map and it does really rock,but at first you need the knowledges about it.:)

I guess some people would compare that with women,but why!?;)
 

Adelheid

Bernstein
Jan 23, 2008
1,022
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Nowhere.
For me it is gameplay over visuals; I love the Low Poly Map Packs for their gameplay and their awesome ability to be visually simple yet visually stunning at the same time, however I must admit to liking hi-resolution/custom textures, like the ones produced by Hourences.

Most of my favourite maps for UT2004 are almost pure BSP with very few, if any, meshes.

One of the killers in UT3, in my personal opinion, was the incredible abundance of over-detailed meshes seemingly covered in twiddly bits, for me the game suffered from a bad case of style for styles sake.

Come to think of it I think alot of maps seem to suffer increasingly from the disease of style for the sake of style.
 

[VaLkyR]Anubis

Foregone Destruction
Jan 20, 2008
1,489
2
38
34
Gaia
www.youtube.com
For me it is gameplay over visuals; I love the Low Poly Map Packs for their gameplay and their awesome ability to be visually simple yet visually stunning at the same time, however I must admit to liking hi-resolution/custom textures, like the ones produced by Hourences.

Most of my favourite maps for UT2004 are almost pure BSP with very few, if any, meshes.

One of the killers in UT3, in my personal opinion, was the incredible abundance of over-detailed meshes seemingly covered in twiddly bits, for me the game suffered from a bad case of style for styles sake.

Come to think of it I think alot of maps seem to suffer increasingly from the disease of style for the sake of style.
Of course,the gameplay of any map(s) is very important,I personally don't like it when there is too much Respawn Killing on a map,that gets kinda boring and annoying.For sure,I play Unreal just for fun,but that isn't really fun,it doesn't matter if I play vs bots or real gamers,I don't wanna have an too easy game,if you know what I mean.:)

Hmm,I never ever played any maps of these Low Poly mappack(s),as I told you before,I prefer maps with very nice kinds of themes and designs,so that means much meshes and the other things,but it should be a good quality.Anyway,I know there will be lots of nice maps for UT3 in the future,for example Hourences map(s).:)
 

[VaLkyR]Assassin

Kidneythieves and Poets of The Fall Fan
Jan 20, 2008
436
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Blackpool, England, UK
valkyrgaming.com
I like gameplay more than visuals for the long term. Visuals are nice for the first few tries of the map, then the effect wears off and I will no longer be playing them. Gameplay needs to be good to keep me playing a map, and so it'll be far more important for it to play well than to look fancy, but it does need to look at least nice, and to be well done within the lower-poly constraints.
 

[VaLkyR]Anubis

Foregone Destruction
Jan 20, 2008
1,489
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Gaia
www.youtube.com
You should try the Low Poly Packs, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Oh well,I think I check it out.:)
[VaLkyR]Assassin;2103352 said:
I like gameplay more than visuals for the long term. Visuals are nice for the first few tries of the map, then the effect wears off and I will no longer be playing them. Gameplay needs to be good to keep me playing a map, and so it'll be far more important for it to play well than to look fancy, but it does need to look at least nice, and to be well done within the lower-poly constraints.
Yes,many maps have only a good design,but the whole gameplay on several maps is terrible,to much respawn killing and it can get kinda unfair after awhile.For example,the map DM-Redkin made by Hourences it great designed and also the gameplay is good,it makes much fun to play there,or maps like Deck17 or Rankin are good designed and the gameplay is very good (Deck my favourite map for all time.I hope the maps in UT3 will be good like in UT2004,nah what I'm talking there,it will be the same,but extremely nicer.:)
 

Lungri

New Member
Jun 10, 2008
154
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I do think the UT3 retail maps look to cluttered, and generally just suck, partly in layout, partly in style. In working with Ued3, I've found that the reason the retail ones suck is not just because they're filled with static meshes, but mostly because of bad lighting and no real flow, that make all the little bits and pieces seem much more in the way. Good visuals and details do not need to come at the expense of good gameplay, the retail map makers just have a bad style I think.