UT3 DM-HardFall

  • Two Factor Authentication is now available on BeyondUnreal Forums. To configure it, visit your Profile and look for the "Two Step Verification" option on the left side. We can send codes via email (may be slower) or you can set up any TOTP Authenticator app on your phone (Authy, Google Authenticator, etc) to deliver codes. It is highly recommended that you configure this to keep your account safe.

SuperAlgae

Tritoxa incurva
Aug 10, 2005
113
0
0
Wow, that look very nice :D

Also it seem to be a lot of effects reading the first post.

Thanks. The effects are pretty subtle. You might not even notice them while playing. I don't have a lot of "wow" effects. Most of them are used for small embellishments and tweaks, like the ones I describe in my first post or like the water making a louder sound when hit at high speed. I also have post-processing like bloom and depth-of-field turn on, but you might not realize it's there unless you look for it.


Right on, I was hoping that more was to come of this map.

Glad you like it, and glad to hear from you again. Sorry for the long delay. :)
 

Grogan

New Member
I got a chance to play this, and I stayed on hardfall for over an hour. With the polishings you've now done, this map is fabulous.

I love the idea of that sniper perch on the building that's in construction, the only trouble is I've not been able to get to it. Am I supposed to use some trick, or is that jump pad too weak? I've tried jumping down from above to land on it, I've tried hitting the space bar while in the air, and I've even tried flapping my arms but I can't get there.

It looks like the right jump pad. I jump down from the ledge into this little niche. On the opposite side I can see a platform with a jump pad, presumably to get back.

That wouldn't be overkill if I could get there. It's easy enough to make the jumps to get the sniper rifle... it would be fun to plan that if only I could get there.
 

SuperAlgae

Tritoxa incurva
Aug 10, 2005
113
0
0
I love the idea of that sniper perch on the building that's in construction, the only trouble is I've not been able to get to it. Am I supposed to use some trick, or is that jump pad too weak? I've tried jumping down from above to land on it, I've tried hitting the space bar while in the air, and I've even tried flapping my arms but I can't get there.

It looks like the right jump pad. I jump down from the ledge into this little niche. On the opposite side I can see a platform with a jump pad, presumably to get back.

You probably are not repeatedly pressing the "flap" key fast enough. :)

Actually, there is another jump pad on that side of the building. There are two niches. The jump pad to the sniper perch is in the one that is farther from the perch.

I can see how it is misleading. Perhaps I should put one of the indicator arrows on the edge of the building above the correct niche. While I like the idea of hidden areas, I also do not want parts of the level to go un-used by having them too hidden. Speaking of which, be sure to try jumping down to the niches on the bright side of the garden building as well.
 

Grogan

New Member
OK, I am sorry then. It was just me being a boob. I'd seen all the other ones, but not that one :eek:

What stuck my mind on it was that it seemed to be going in the right direction, only too weak. Now that I know it's to land on when returning from the adjacent building, I love the way the jumps to and from that sniper perch work.

I don't think there's any need to dumb it down. I'd have figured that out before too long that there are two such places on each side of the garden building, and so will everyone else. (I don't think I had any reason to be in that corner, so I didn't notice that niche.)

I just had a hardfall-fest and loved the sniper spot. Sometimes they jump after you and you can pick them off in the air, like skeet shooting (pull!). I was also surprised to see that bots immediately start shooting at you when you go over there.

Anyway, the map is addicting. I find myself saying "one more round". I get side tracked from trying to get to the sniper spot quite frequently, with all the other cool stuff in the map and the bots that seem to keep coming. (I also love the flak cannon area)

I haven't been playing UT3 much lately (other games had my time) but this renewed my interest. Definitely my new favourite map at the moment.

Bravo! Well done.
 

SuperAlgae

Tritoxa incurva
Aug 10, 2005
113
0
0
I'd seen all the other ones (jump pads), but not that one

Have you tried the jump pads in the couple interior areas of the garden building? One of them can be used with careful air control to get the shield belt.

I tried adding an indicator arrow for the sniper jump pad. I think it works pretty well. I put a sniper ammo pickup next to the indicator as if to say "sniping this direction".

I also love the flak cannon area

It's amazing what a few small touches can do. That area used to be rather plain. Adding the custom mesh for the lift, some yellow bands and a couple other things made a huge difference.

i just found the link in stevies corner on Epics(thx steve;)..)

Double thanks to Steve from me. It's great to get the extra exposure.


________________________________________
Jesse (SuperAlgae) Banet
DM-HardFall .. See the first post for the latest download and screenshots.
 

Bl!tz

...ǝp¡s ɹǝɥʇo ǝɥʇ uo
just tryed it and i like the lighting and the shadows; impressive work with a feeling of "realistic vision"....superb, all looks so "clean"

i like the 2 jumps that end in the water (or on the shieldbelt^^) but i wasnt comfortable with the two jumps between the two structures...seems always "too short" so perhaps it was plane to force the player to use the other jumppad ( the one at the bottom on the roof) same inside the two little jumppads are weird ;hard to use them and to escape the place in a "clean" way ( got stuck doing up and down :p)

sounds and item placement are fine to me; with sound on high level :)

the gameplay is pure fun; i had a doubt first because i didnt realise it was 2 structures .
quite easy to do a smaller map using one of the two building btw (with less players...online it s a pain to find enough peeps to play big maps).....but finally after some minutes the fast mooves allowed by the jumppads and the organisation give a nice gameplay with a large gaming area and nice little places like the sniper

big thx for that colorfull map
 
Last edited:

Grogan

New Member
Have you tried the jump pads in the couple interior areas of the garden building? One of them can be used with careful air control to get the shield belt.

Indeed, I love that jump that propels you high above the garden building. I didn't try to control it though, but I will try to use it to get the shield belt tonight. Thanks for the tip.

I tried adding an indicator arrow for the sniper jump pad. I think it works pretty well. I put a sniper ammo pickup next to the indicator as if to say "sniping this direction".

That still wouldn't have helped me, because I just didn't go there. At least that would be a bit eye catching though.

It's amazing what a few small touches can do. That area used to be rather plain. Adding the custom mesh for the lift, some yellow bands and a couple other things made a huge difference.

Yes, that made a big difference visually. Nice polish. It's also a fun area to be in. Always lots of bots seem to be there (I play with 11 bots) to be splattered with my flak cannon. I like to ride the elevator up and down, and lob flak cannon grenades too. Lots of flak cannons from fallen bots to pick up to replenish the ammo, in addition to the pickup down below. When I leave there to go jump to the sniper rifle, I always have 30 flak shells.
 

SuperAlgae

Tritoxa incurva
Aug 10, 2005
113
0
0
i like the 2 jumps that end in the water (or on the shieldbelt^^) but i wasnt comfortable with the two jumps between the two structures...seems always "too short" ... same inside the two little jumppads are weird ;hard to use them and to escape the place in a "clean" way ( got stuck doing up and down :p)

Thanks for the feedback. Which jumps below did you have trouble with?



In regard to the inside jump pads, I always make it unless I really push away from the ledge while in the air. Are you holding down direction keys while in the air? Perhaps I should reduce the air control on those jump pads.



Indeed, I love that jump that propels you high above the garden building. I didn't try to control it though, but I will try to use it to get the shield belt tonight. Thanks for the tip.

The high jump is the most fun, and yes, you can use it to barely get the shield belt before landing in the water, but I was referring to the interior garden jump pads shown below. The second one is a good way to get the shield belt.





Always lots of bots seem to be there (I play with 11 bots)
... quite easy to do a smaller map using one of the two building btw (with less players...online it s a pain to find enough peeps to play big maps)

Wow! Eleven bots is a lot more than I play with. I find 4 keep me busy enough. I like an occasional pause in the action, but if you can go full speed the whole game, then more power to you. :)

I specified 4 to 8 as the recommended player count. I think the map gets "smaller" as you learn it, but I might still need to increase the recommendation some.


________________________________________
Jesse (SuperAlgae) Banet
DM-HardFall .. See the first post for the latest download and screenshots.
 

Bl!tz

...ǝp¡s ɹǝɥʇo ǝɥʇ uo
the jump pads 2 and 3 seems "too short" to me; the only way i used them "well" was while holding front key; else it was too short

for the "smaller" map lol; it s just that the main tower rocks ....with a symetrical classical organisation....first idea was "wow nice 1v1 map" but with the two towers it nice DM too....so no probs haha

thx again and keep up the good work ;)
 
Last edited:

SuperAlgae

Tritoxa incurva
Aug 10, 2005
113
0
0
{BFG}Bl!tz~,
It is somewhat concerning that you seem to be seeing different jump pad behavior than I do. I have uploaded a new version of the map that includes jump pad adjustments. Can you give it a try and let me know if it addresses the issues you saw?

This version also includes a number of other changes such as my rework of the adjacent building seen here.



________________________________________
Jesse (SuperAlgae) Banet
DM-HardFall .. See the first post for the latest download and screenshots.
 

Bl!tz

...ǝp¡s ɹǝɥʇo ǝɥʇ uo
yeah mate the two jumppads work nicely now (no more that "too short") feeling

i prefer the sniper now but perhaps is it a little surpowered ; the sniper is enough lol^^
the only thing i m not sure to like is the access to the sniper in two jumps ; it s nice for the feeling of fall haha but i think it will slow the game with no improvement of it; but it s a personal opinion of course ( i had prefer a direct jump to the sniper and for the visual symetric effect on the roof, i had keep the other jumppad at the bottom but with another affectation...because visually just deleting that second jp can looks disgracious and no more symetrical

i forgot to mention that the post process effect while falling just before the death is pure kick a** !

the buildings are superb and i feeled comfortable with all the map in all places; i will install it on our server when final with no doubts

thx for that new beta and srry for my crappy english ;)
 
Last edited:

SuperAlgae

Tritoxa incurva
Aug 10, 2005
113
0
0
yeah mate the two jumppads work nicely now (no more that "too short") feeling

Good to hear. Do the small interior jump pads work better now also?

i prefer the sniper now but perhaps is it a little surpowered ; the sniper is enough lol^^

I think you are referring to the berserk on the ledge with the sniper rifle. That was there in the previous version as well. That is why I made the process of getting to and from that ledge a little slow.

the only thing i m not sure to like is the access to the sniper in two jumps ; it s nice for the feeling of fall haha but i think it will slow the game with no improvement of it; but it s a personal opinion of course ( i had prefer a direct jump to the sniper and for the visual symetric effect on the roof, i had keep the other jumppad at the bottom but with another affectation...because visually just deleting that second jp can looks disgracious and no more symetrical

I agree that for just the sniper rifle the time to get to and from the ledge is too long. It is really the berserk that justifies the extra time. Perhaps I should move the sniper rifle somewhere else that is a little easier to get to.

i forgot to mention that the post process effect while falling just before the death is pure kick a** !

:) Thanks. That's a case of necessity being the mother of invention. I did not want to have a lot of detail at ground level. The blurring and color distortion of the post-processing removes the need for a lot of detail and has the added benefit of making falling feel more intense.

thx for that new beta and srry for my crappy english ;)

Any English that helps me improve the map is good English. :D
 

stevelois

Member
Aug 31, 2009
181
0
16
stevelois.com
Hey dude,

My turn to tests yours.

Played 60 rounds, 15 mins so the post won't be to long.

I found several things while playing. Some more annoying than others for me but at least, by describing them :

Gameplay

For the most part, it's fine. I'm not a fan of weapon in double except in CTF/VCTF & WAR maps but since the layout is "split" into 2 main building it's ok (there is room for the Dual Enforcer he he...). In all I can say that :

- The weapon base are well placed.
- The Udamage spot is ok but I would tend to place it in a more dangerous area.
- There is to much armor at the same spot (tights + vest + belt).
- About armor / ammo :

I suggest you to split half the armor on the 2 buildings because it's unbalanced. Going from the bigger building to the smaller must be worthy & it's not the case at the moment. I can grab only the rocket launcher & stay on the main building at all time without going out of ammo, armor, health making the other building useless. Another thing I found to much is ammo. While it's ok to have 1-2 ammo for the weapon nearby, I suggest you put only 1 ammo of the weapon & put another more far away. In your case, to obtain a better gameplay, it would be better to split the ammo in each building if you want the player to move building to building. While I was playing in 1 building, killing my opponents only make me collect the same weapon instead of the others one in the other building which would be cool & less repetitive.

- The sniper spot is odd, it's lower than the 2 buildings which take away the fun of being on top & shoot below. Putting a powerup just beside isn't fun neither. The player collect 2 things at the same time instead of making is way to collect the goodies. Powerup must be a risky things & deliver more fun if the player work a bit to collect it.

Flow

While jumpads are very fun, beginning with the sniper spot, I don't really enjoy the path to collect the sniper by jumping 2 times. It doesn't feel right for me. It would feel more natural if the player would be landing straight where the sniper is located (from spot 4 to 5 in your pic) instead of falling down to jump up in the air... Also, the arrow is confusing. I didn't take that path since I thought I would be landing on the bigger building. You can move the arrow angle a bit to show the direction to the player.

[screenshot]http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/2536/screenshot00003lm.jpg[/screenshot]

It's always a good idea to put blocking volume where you don't want the player to go / see. I was able to go way out of the play area :(

[screenshot]http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/3583/screenshot00001e.jpg[/screenshot]

Same thing for the area on the left. Also, a had to double jump to much time here & there to go on some spots that would be nicer if there was stairs. I do double jump very often in all maps but there are spots that is rather annoying for me. This jumpad is an example. I have to double jump to land on a jumpad that will throw me in the air... it's like to much "bugs bunny" & it's like that for a lot of the jumpads. I suggest you make the access "softer" like a false stair if you like (my damn limited english) so the player as only to walk.

[screenshot]http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/4617/screenshot00004i.jpg[/screenshot]

The water junction are very noticeable, not a big deal but anyway.

[screenshot]http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4278/screenshot00002.jpg[/screenshot]

About the building where you found the sniper ammo. What is the use of going there ??? Also, using 2 jumpad to get back is to much imho.

My last comment is about all the jumpads around the bigger building. I didn't found the use why they throw me a couple of feet forward ??? What did I miss ???

Some textures could have more definition, mostly the red bricks.

Now, this post may sound a bit negative, but don't get me wrong dude, it's a very good map & take my post as a grain of salt, I just want to provide you another POV. You just can't please everyone but even if you don't apply anything of what I suggest, it's fine ;)

The layout is very nice, it's only the spots that required double jumping that is arther annoying for me but I like the layout very much. The mesh work is also well done, simple & clean. I really like your PP effects when you die by falling off the buildings & in the pool. The way the lift move is also cool. Sounds are great & fit well. FPS is great.
 

Bl!tz

...ǝp¡s ɹǝɥʇo ǝɥʇ uo
Hey dude,



My last comment is about all the jumpads around the bigger building. I didn't found the use why they throw me a couple of feet forward ??? What did I miss ???


wow nice feedback cousin...i agree with all ur "analyse" on all points except here about thoses jumpads: i found them very usefull.... they are gameplay accelerators imho
 

SuperAlgae

Tritoxa incurva
Aug 10, 2005
113
0
0
Wow! Thanks for the thorough feedback Steve.

Hey dude,- The Udamage spot is ok but I would tend to place it in a more dangerous area.

Agreed. I put it on a pedestal, but the area as a whole is not as exposed as I would like. However, I am not sure how to improve its placement short of a significant architectural change someplace. Hopefully some smaller changes with other item placement, etc will be enough. Maybe further elevating the pedestal would help.

- There is to much armor at the same spot (tights + vest + belt).
- About armor / ammo :

I suggest you to split half the armor on the 2 buildings because it's unbalanced. Going from the bigger building to the smaller must be worthy & it's not the case at the moment. I can grab only the rocket launcher & stay on the main building at all time without going out of ammo, armor, health making the other building useless.

Yes, I was noticing when playing that I rarely cared to go to the smaller building. All it has of value is the flak cannon, helmet, and jump pads leading to the shield belt on the other building. At the least, I think I will move the vest and thigh pads to the smaller building.

Another thing I found to much is ammo. While it's ok to have 1-2 ammo for the weapon nearby, I suggest you put only 1 ammo of the weapon & put another more far away. In your case, to obtain a better gameplay, it would be better to split the ammo in each building if you want the player to move building to building. While I was playing in 1 building, killing my opponents only make me collect the same weapon instead of the others one in the other building which would be cool & less repetitive

Agreed again. I'll mix up the ammo some.

- The sniper spot is odd, it's lower than the 2 buildings which take away the fun of being on top & shoot below. Putting a powerup just beside isn't fun neither. The player collect 2 things at the same time instead of making is way to collect the goodies. Powerup must be a risky things & deliver more fun if the player work a bit to collect it.
...
About the building where you found the sniper ammo. What is the use of going there ???

The ledge with the sniper rifle is not actually for sniping. The idea is to grab the sniper rifle and go to the under-construction area (with the sniper ammo) for sniping. I think I will move the sniper rifle and leave just the berserk on the small ledge.

While jumpads are very fun, beginning with the sniper spot, I don't really enjoy the path to collect the sniper by jumping 2 times. It doesn't feel right for me. It would feel more natural if the player would be landing straight where the sniper is located (from spot 4 to 5 in your pic) instead of falling down to jump up in the air... Also, the arrow is confusing. I didn't take that path since I thought I would be landing on the bigger building. You can move the arrow angle a bit to show the direction to the player.
...
Also, using 2 jumpad to get back [from the elevated sniping area] is to much imho.

I made some jumps 2-stage because I really wanted that feeling of height/danger as you fall to the second jump pad. If I am moving the sniper rifle someplace else and leaving only berserk on that ledge, do you think that addresses the issue?

Regarding the arrows, I just put those there so that people would not overlook the jump pads. I will try rotating it a little to avoid misleading the player.

It's always a good idea to put blocking volume where you don't want the player to go / see. I was able to go way out of the play area :(

Same thing for the area on the left.

I put enough blocking volumes to keep people contained during normal play, but I will add a few more to keep spectators in-bounds.

I had left the area on the left (over the railing) accessible because it visually looked like it would be, but there is no point to go there. I can expand the blocking volume that I already have around the railing to fill the whole space.

Also, a had to double jump to much time here & there to go on some spots that would be nicer if there was stairs. I do double jump very often in all maps but there are spots that is rather annoying for me. This jumpad is an example. I have to double jump to land on a jumpad that will throw me in the air...

Since those jump pads have a lot of air control, it is easy to push yourself off course if you just run onto them. By jumping onto them (a non-double jump should be enough), it gives a chance for you to let go of the direction keys before hitting the jump pad. I elevated those jump pads to encourage that behavior, but maybe it is not having the desired effect. I could just reduce the air control. The only real value to the air control on those particular pads is that the one in your screenshot can be used to access the shield belt, which is probably bad for gameplay anyway.

Can you point out other places where you think too much jumping is required? I'd like to target the places that you find problematic.

The water junction are very noticeable, not a big deal but anyway.

Yeah, improving the waterfall textures is still on my to-do list. Aside from the seam, the water also appears to fall too slowly.

My last comment is about all the jumpads around the bigger building. I didn't found the use why they throw me a couple of feet forward ??? What did I miss ???

As {BFG}Bl!tz~ commented, those pads accelerate movement along the length of the building. Each one should launch you about 1/3 the length of the building. They can also be used to get some height on your opponent (useful if you have the rocket launcher). They have pretty high air control, so you can even use them to jump towards the interior of the building.

Some textures could have more definition, mostly the red bricks.

Do you mean the red bricks used more towards the edges of the garden building or the more orangish bricks used in the center corridor? I noticed that the orangish ones are rather low-res.

Now, this post may sound a bit negative, but don't get me wrong dude, it's a very good map & take my post as a grain of salt, I just want to provide you another POV. You just can't please everyone but even if you don't apply anything of what I suggest, it's fine ;)

The layout is very nice, it's only the spots that required double jumping that is arther annoying for me but I like the layout very much. The mesh work is also well done, simple & clean. I really like your PP effects when you die by falling off the buildings & in the pool. The way the lift move is also cool. Sounds are great & fit well. FPS is great.

Thanks. The feedback is much appreciated. I think most of it can be addressed. Some of the jump pad sequences are important to the feel of the level, but at the same time I want to make sure they do not annoy.
 

stevelois

Member
Aug 31, 2009
181
0
16
stevelois.com
Wow! Thanks for the thorough feedback Steve.

Your welcome dude :)

Agreed. I put it on a pedestal, but the area as a whole is not as exposed as I would like. However, I am not sure how to improve its placement short of a significant architectural change someplace. Hopefully some smaller changes with other item placement, etc will be enough. Maybe further elevating the pedestal would help.

I don't think you must change any geometry but rather disperse the weapons / powerups. I just think of switching the powerup with the belt or putting on the building where you have sniper ammo would me more appropriate. Personnaly, I would :

- Place the sniper at the udamage spot leaving the bezerk alone.
- Put the udamage where the sniper ammo is located in the other building so powerups are at the opposite.
- Put another sniper weapon base on top of the smaller building so at least you will have more fun to kill the sniper player on the other side & also take out the player from your own building if he goes to the bezerk.
- Move the vest in the smaller building in a tight place.
- Add the dual enforcer weapon in the bigger building.

The ledge with the sniper rifle is not actually for sniping. The idea is to grab the sniper rifle and go to the under-construction area (with the sniper ammo) for sniping. I think I will move the sniper rifle and leave just the berserk on the small ledge.

Now I understand. Still, I don't really see the fun of doing all that traveling. I don't see the sniper weapon more worthy than all others so picking up a weapon & traveling to the opposit of the map to snipe on a tiny platform doesn't feel right for me.

I made some jumps 2-stage because I really wanted that feeling of height/danger as you fall to the second jump pad. If I am moving the sniper rifle someplace else and leaving only berserk on that ledge, do you think that addresses the issue?

Yep, that I would do.

Since those jump pads have a lot of air control, it is easy to push yourself off course if you just run onto them. By jumping onto them (a non-double jump should be enough), it gives a chance for you to let go of the direction keys before hitting the jump pad. I elevated those jump pads to encourage that behavior, but maybe it is not having the desired effect. I could just reduce the air control. The only real value to the air control on those particular pads is that the one in your screenshot can be used to access the shield belt, which is probably bad for gameplay anyway.

Can you point out other places where you think too much jumping is required? I'd like to target the places that you find problematic.

As {BFG}Bl!tz~ commented, those pads accelerate movement along the length of the building. Each one should launch you about 1/3 the length of the building. They can also be used to get some height on your opponent (useful if you have the rocket launcher). They have pretty high air control, so you can even use them to jump towards the interior of the building.

Ha, I understand now. But it's rather the fact that they are "in the way" so it's like I'm in the obligation to take them if I want to pass there since they occupied like 80% of the space. It's not related of having more or less air control but to give the chance the player to use them or not. Also since the adjacents walls are rather high, I don't really see the use of taking them since I don't see the player on the other side of the wall. So instead of just take a chance of maybe & use them to shoot my opponent while in the air (which never happened), I prefer to walk & take them after the corner if I ear them approaching. I'll post a pics later about the annoying double jump places.

Do you mean the red bricks used more towards the edges of the garden building or the more orangish bricks used in the center corridor? I noticed that the orangish ones are rather low-res.

I'll post a pic later.

Thanks. The feedback is much appreciated. I think most of it can be addressed. Some of the jump pad sequences are important to the feel of the level, but at the same time I want to make sure they do not annoy.

Bah, it's not much but I'm happy it can help you. BTW, you didn't answer my questions about Nano ?
 

stevelois

Member
Aug 31, 2009
181
0
16
stevelois.com
Hey dude,

I take some pics of the spots where I found double jump annoying. The yellow circle is to show you where, free to you to make it look like stairs or simply like 45 degree or whatever you like :

[screenshot]http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/1356/screenshot00001c.jpg[/screenshot] [screenshot]http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/9504/screenshot00002wi.jpg[/screenshot]

That one is to show wich material look washed out compare with the nice bricks above :

[screenshot]http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7448/screenshot00003d.jpg[/screenshot]