DM-Getherto alpha layout test

DM-Getherto released

Name: DM-Getherto
Version: final at last ;-)
Download it here: http://deepblue.sk/~virgo/47/downloads/dm-getherto.zip
See release thread: http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=518041

Thank you for your feedback ppl. ;-)

DM-Getherto is "green industrial". Should be best for 2on2, maybe 4on4. Duels are possible (map is not as big as it seems, something like shrinked on Rankin - longer, narrower), but this is not typical duel map because of power-up placement.

Description:
When Liandri corporation opened 'JAR-34' arena (Just Another Rankin - 34th industrial in its possession), no one could expect that players would name the arena on their own. Liandri chose an interesting man to make an arena keeper. Merty Getherto, former gardener and sprayer, surely imprinted his individuality to the face of the arena. Nobody calls it by other name but 'The Getherto'. And he is also funny guy, really. Even Malcolm likes talking with him for a few minutes before he enters another match to win.

[screenshot]http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/7673/gethertorc27hx.jpg[/screenshot]
Super shield room.

[screenshot]http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/7840/gethertorc17nr.jpg[/screenshot]
Super shield room one more time.

[screenshot]http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6397/gethertorc38vs.jpg[/screenshot]
Central area where Merty's friends show their art.

[screenshot]http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/1856/gethertorc71rz.jpg[/screenshot]
On your walk from LG to a50 you can take a look at some graffity.

[screenshot]http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/8042/gethertorc47wn.jpg[/screenshot]
Lower part of the Central area (rocket, health, just you and the action is missing ;-)).

[screenshot]http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/2170/gethertorc65ym.jpg[/screenshot]
DD room alias Cooling Courtyard.

[screenshot]http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9343/gethertorc51xs.jpg[/screenshot]
Upper level of the DD courtyard.

[screenshot]http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9622/gethertorc83pf.jpg[/screenshot]
Bio Passage room.

Thanks/credits:
- Hourences for some HourIndusX textures and some static meshes from Redkin (in addition to retail levels ;-))
- Fan klan 47 and other players from Slovak community that helped me with suggestions
- www.aerosolart.sk for some images placed on "sprayed wall"
- Miramar skybox by Jockum Skoglund aka hipshot (I just changed brightness and contrast for night effect)
- I used some textures by Chavez (chavitex pack)
- Special thanks for feedback goes to: Sjosz, evil<3 and Turret49
- Another people that helped the map to be better: Turns2Ashes, CMan
- Thanks for technical help (forums, tutorials): Hourences, Angel Mapper, Hazel.H
- JP-Studios inspired me to bring gardener into the story
- Unreal Exploiters for feedback
- Any other author of any retail material

The map is little bit longer and narrower than Rankin and when I play it with somebody who played it more times, duels are possible - but I agree, more is better here. Still - it is not Goliath, I hope. Bots are not good, because we both know that they are not able to dodge up any slope we can while running. Here comes you "rely on dodge slopes"... it made me think about it. On the one side, bots can be problem, but when it is possible, I'm playing with players and they can dodge up pretty well. I remember UT2004 demo and Rankin, and my desperation when I was not able so (now I am when I found Taleweaver's site ;-)), so it can be valid point. Mainly in a100 room (which is really most Rankinish).

Long line of sights - I know. In the first map (really does not deserve serious play) everything was small. Even big room was, when I compared it to other maps. In this map I overdo it slightly and then came the problem, how to break space into smaller chunks (added platform with healt near flak, added walls in central area). I like DD room most of them all, reasonable size I hope. In 2on2 line of sight is not so critical (after a few games).

I'm on ski-vacation now with notebook that can handle editor (really desperate times, when I'm so strongy caught by mapping) but I can at least think about some passages which can join a places that are joined only with slopes now. Still dodge slopes will be faster. ;-)

Thanks for comment, I appreciate your one especially. ;-)

Random ideas about this map appeared in dreams tonight. First I will remove slope dodge near flowerpot/tub in a100 room and I'll replace it with wood plank (single one will be enough) - no dodge will be needed. I was thinking about some narrow ledge-ramp, but this will suit better than some "roughinerish" narrow ramp. Another place where I miss connectivity is central area under a50. There is no quick way up. I don't know yet if another jumppad will fit there, but something like that will be added.

When it comes to line of sight, I'm affraid I can't do anything with that now without breaking the map seriously. ;-) On the other hand, there are columns everywhere, you can hide quickly. There is more cover here than in Grendel a50 area. I know that "better than bad" might not be good enough, but this feature of the map will remain.

Beta version

No temporary lights, no temporary textures (maybe ugly ones however ;-)). We're shifting into beta stage!

Download it here: http://deepblue.sk/~virgo/tmp/DM-Getherto-beta1.zip

You can find images in first post... here only one of them:


And DD once more from other place in central area.

After a week of skiing I'm back and after two days of hard work, something like beta is here. ;-) Your suggestions are still welcome. Bots can take their bearings nicely I think. ;-) Zoning, antiportals, everything is there. Now I'm working on some deco-touches and debugging the map. Sounds are on my todo too... but later.

I have a few problems, but I will address them in distinct threads when I'll be really desperate (e.g. zone borders visible on brushes' light maps).

BTW: I can rename thread on ataricommunity.com... how is it working here? Renaming of the first post has no effect.

Turret49: Right, I will add barrels and block entire under the ramp. There's no reason to be there when I pulled bio few meters out into the middle of the room. (EDIT: eh... I corrected Turret47 to 49... I'm always typing 7 after 4... god knows why ;-))

Turns2Ashes: That grate is intention (Lea has two such grates), but if it is really bad, I can block it of course. Maybe just because you have to know about this feature, because it is not obvious (nor realistic). Maybe I put the hole away so there can be bigger antiporta. ;-)

DD room... I didn't want bright detailed skybox first, but with final decision to open the area, I will think about it. Maybe some moving cloud texture under the skybox will help. There should be added a lot of decos to walls. I don't know what to do about "random walls" - maybe I created room too complex to finish it properly. Are those walls (textures, shapes) bad per se? I know they are empty now, but I don't know if you ment that.

Thank you both for tips and opinion.

Ok, I'm working on beta3 (beta2 is used for online testing, no need to post every iteration on forums ;-)). It has many small tweaks here and there for smoother movement around the level and I worked also on DD room:



No grate (nobody ever used it so far, so it was unnecessery feature ;-)), decos on walls. DD room suppose to be "cooling court" for whatever flows in all those tubes. I will also add some moving clouds texture later.

And I need some long graffity picture usable for wall near minigun ammo - if you know of something, drop me a line. ;-) So far I was not satisfied with net resources. Maybe I'll have to go outside and take a shot of some painted wall. ;-)

I don't know what tutorial is on your mind... but I guess that that pick-up placement one. But I've got my own head for this (what can be not so good sometimes). I don't have long-term weapon placement experience, but when somebody has an idea to move a weapon somewhere, I need a reason.
In case of this map I heard that flak on the upper level does not bring too much action to the basefloor of a100 room. That is just a speculation (weapon placement itself is always kind of mapper's speculation ;-)) - always when I play, there is a lot of action down there (and also thanks to spawned player which took a flak and jumped down there). In addition to this, sometimes you have to guard your head because you know what can flak from up-above make. (Flak head-shot!
Another opinion - man looked at the map and said "links are too close to each other"... I realized, yes they were. But we can't find better configuration in a half of an hour (because you have to shift this there and that here, you know) and when we finally started to play, nobody EVER noticed that they are close. It worked... just because it worked.
But at the end, there are basic thougths there - power weapons are separated (just LG and flak are close to each other, but something had to be close).

Beta 3 is out

See first post for updated info/download link/pics.

Changes:
- Graffity and some writings were added, foliage was consolidated (smesh count reduced).
- DD decorated much better I hope.
- Minor tweaks in bio room (easier jump for 4 vials, bio ammo separeted, one shock core added).
- Some puddles added in a100 room. Three vials on the ledge under the health platform was added in a100 room too.
- Used sunlight actor for a light from the top. Nicer shadows on floors.

Todo:
- Another puddles , wood-screech sounds, some other "now I know where you are" sounds.
- Ambient sounds (last thing on my mind).
- I'm considering complete skybox rework maybe - but if so, it will be one of the last things.
- More deco details, some dirt here and there...

I think this is really playable beta (and we played it a lot already on our server) and now it needs proper burn-in. It looks like layout is final (until some bright idea will hit me).

You're unbelievable! Now I can even remember that I added one more window and centered them all - and forgot about blocking volume. Thanks a lot. I wanted to put the map on Exploiter's forum when it will fulfil closed-beta criterium, but I'm happy that it will have fewer bugs in that time - thanks to you. ;-)

I did not review bot paths for a while, so thanks for this comment. I don't plan to change them, so such a fixes are exactly what I'm going to do. I'll fix it.

EDIT: Oh... there is no path, so I'll see what novice mapper as me can do with this.

Wannabe final beta

I skipped one beta realeas on forums (don't want to boring you ;-)) and now here is the release of the final beta. See first post for full info, DL and pics (a lot of them). There was not too many pickup changes lately, because nobody want anything on forums or in my around. Now it is submitted also to Unreal Exploiters.

Enjoy it!