UT3 WAR-Araja2 - Beta 2

[minifloppy]

WAR-Araja2 - Beta 3 Released!

Name: WAR-Araja2
Version: Beta 3
Compatibility: PC, PS3 version will (maybe) follow. You will need the latest patch and the Titan Pack to play the map.
Description: this is a remake of my napali themed map for UT2004, ONS-Araja.

UPDATE: BETA 3

Download here​

I have decided to switch back to the blue fog theme. This version is mainly intended as a fix for the server issues experienced with the previous beta and to show the reworked visuals. This will be (I hope ) the last beta before final release, planned before the Make Something Unreal Contest deadline.

Changes:

• fixed problems with servers and external music package, thanks Zeus.T32 (titanonslaught) and GOW_PacerX (ut3gow)
• fixed bug with blue crystal strike, thanks Arfa (utforums)
• fixed duplicated orb spawner, thanks RennyManJr (exiles of unrealed)
• added turret rail supports
• added core destruction sequence
• started adding more detail to the core destruction sequence (right now only for the blue core)
• reworked theme for greatly enhanced atmosphere and visuals
• final textures and models have been added for: monk statue, serpent head statue, torch, bridge (texture still needs some work), columns and some other
• added lot of eye candy: new emitters, meshes, projector (only visible when map is played at maximum detail)
• fixed some problems with node turrets
• enhanced performances
• added more sounds from Unreal
• ...a bunch of various other fixes and improvements

[screenshot]http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/beta3-shot01.jpg[/screenshot]
[screenshot]http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/beta3-shot02.jpg[/screenshot]
[screenshot]http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/beta3-shot03.jpg[/screenshot]
[screenshot]http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/beta3-shot04.jpg[/screenshot]

Special features: when the enemy team owns one (or both) your primary nodes you can trigger a "crystal strike" to destroy the primary nodes and have one more chance to win the match. Just go to the big statue in your base, push the button and enjoy the animation.

Credits: me (level design, textures, static meshes), MrFerroni (some concept art, music, help and support). See included readme for full list.

Known bugs/TODO list:
- nali hut
- finish bridge texture and normal
- finish the canyon
- tweak core explosion sequence a little more
- add minimap
- add map selection menu screenshot

BETA 2, outdated
Hi all this is a remake of my napali themed map for UT2004, ONS-Araja.

[Download removed]

Changes:
Map has changed a lot from the first beta version I released some months ago.

• A LOT of vegetation/meshes/various details have been added.
• The layout has been tweaked a little and the map now has a Stealth Bender at the
  
  prime node.
• This version features a preview version of the music track by MrFerroni. Right know
  
  only Intro and Ambient tracks are included, so it can get a little repetitive after some time.
• Added a new node layout called Classic, which has orb spawners only in the bases to
  
  mimic UT2004 gameplay. I plan to add at least another node layout in the final version.
• Added some sounds from the original Unreal

Screenshots:
http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/shot06.jpg
http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/shot07.jpg
http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/shot08.jpg

And just to make a comparison with the ut2004 version...

http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/shot01.jpg
http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/shot02.jpg
http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/shot03.jpg
http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/shot04.jpg
http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/shot05.jpg

Looking forward to some feedback!

 

[Ignotium]

looks really good tbh, i liked the comparisons. But i think the ut3 version feels a bit bland on theme, light, pp and ambience

 

[Kantham]

To be really honest, I liked the blue fog theme better. Nice improvement nonetheless.

 

[minifloppy]

Thank you for your comments!

looks really good tbh, i liked the comparisons. But i think the ut3 version feels a bit bland on theme, light, pp and ambience

Ehm... what's 'pp'?

Speaking of the "bland theme", I know. I can't seem to get good looking and contrasted sky light with UT3. I don't know if it's a problem with light color/brightness or with my materials (I don't like how the light reacts with the rock texture). Right now I like more the dark areas than the lit ones. Any suggestion?

To be really honest, I liked the blue fog theme better. Nice improvement nonetheless.

You're not the first one who says this! I decided to go for a dawn-look to give more contrast to map, but as I said above I'm not really satisfied with it. Right now I have to finish the work on some of the meshes (I have some good ideas for the nali hut, and below is a work in progress of the bridge), but before releasing the final version I will make a try with the blue theme.

After all this is my first map for UT3 and I had to learn a lot of things about high poly modeling, normals, the new editor etc, so I think next map will be better.

[screenshot]http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/new_woodbridge.jpg[/screenshot]

 

[Ignotium]

Thank you for your comments!


Ehm... what's 'pp'?

Speaking of the "bland theme", I know. I can't seem to get good looking and contrasted sky light with UT3. I don't know if it's a problem with light color/brightness or with my materials (I don't like how the light reacts with the rock texture). Right now I like more the dark areas than the lit ones. Any suggestion?

For the interaction with the light, tweak the specular channels, play around with it, most of the times that's quite useful for rocks and so on.

PP stands for post processing. PP is great for defining the atmosphere, which imo, is what i meant in the first post

 

[minifloppy]

For the interaction with the light, tweak the specular channels, play around with it, most of the times that's quite useful for rocks and so on.

PP stands for post processing. PP is great for defining the atmosphere, which imo, is what i meant in the first post

Oh ok, I know about post processing, just didn't get the acronym. I'll work on the specular map of the rock and tweak the highlights and shadows on the post processing volume. Thanks

 

[minifloppy]

Hi all

I have released Beta 3 version of the map. You can find more details and the download link in the first post.

Hope to get some more feedback before final release.

 

[keaukrine]

Oh, I still haven't tested beta2. Gonna d/l beta3.

 

[acapulco]

I really like this map. Its really fun to play with 24 bots. It's kinda warfare. All narrow, really like it. Meshs look good too!

 

[minifloppy]

Oh, I still haven't tested beta2. Gonna d/l beta3.

Thanks, I look forward to comments/critics.

I really like this map. Its really fun to play with 24 bots. It's kinda warfare. All narrow, really like it. Meshs look good too!

Thanks acapulco!

 

[keaukrine]

Comments about Beta2 (still haven't played Beta3):
Overall, it looks very impressive. Creeks are great, sounds are taken directly from Unreal, and statues have 2 pairs of arms, which correct (in Unreal1 they looked like they had only 1 pair of arms).
Sounds of Nali. It was very pleasant to hear those guys too.
Rocks are kick-ass. In UT2004 Araja you've made rocks with terrain, which doesn't give the "Unreal" feel. In UT3 edition you implemented them with static meshes, so they look much closer to Unreal1, vertical and canyon-like. I was flying around the map for a few minutes just to contemplate the beauty of Na Pali. OMG, IMO that's the way Na Pali should be done with Unreal Engine 3, not the WAR-Hostile (which still is quite a good map).

But...
1. Skybox doesn't have second sun. Please look at the "Gallery" section of this page: http://liandri.beyondunreal.com/Na_Pali , there have to be two suns. May be I'm blind, but I wasn't able to find a blue one. You may want fix the sky yourself or download free skybox made by Hourences ( http://book.hourences.com/authornews.htm, look for "Unreal Sky for UT3"; download link: http://files.filefront.com/HourUnrealSkyzip/;9780681;/fileinfo.html ).
2. I was playing as red, and effect for destroying blue core was missing, there were no explosion, just a sound of it.
3. Nali huts have default material on them (but I guess that is only because it's beta2).

 

[Waffnuffly]

I downloaded this a few days ago (beta 2; will get beta 3) and played it with a buddy and BattleRPG and about 20 bots. The visuals look great so far, save for the incomplete stuff which you obviously still are working on, so I don't have much to comment on that other than I really like all the vegetation. The gameplay is what I'll mostly talk about.

First off, the gameplay is fantastic. I'm really really glad you didn't mix up the Axon / Necris vehicles the way so many mappers seem to do. I like thematic consistency better; either Axon vs. Necris, Necris vs. Necris, or Axon vs. Axon; somehow it just feels silly when you have all of them smashed together, and it often makes the gameplay a little less interesting despite the extra variety of vehicles. I don't mind as much when certain nodes give you a certain kind (like Downtown Necris), but when you have pretty much every single thing available at the start (Bittersands) it's just overkill. I know some people will disagree with me and that's fine, but I'm glad you kept it all uniform.

I also really liked the interactions between aircraft and ground combat, especially since you kept the Na Pali theme strong with the high cliffs and deep waterfall ravines. I only wish there was something to do down there, but it's ultimately better for the gameplay if you die when you fall down and then start back over, putting you back into the game quickly.

The weapon choice seems to be fine. Plenty of miniguns for dealing with Raptors and Cicadas, Longbows, etc. I don't know if you included anything special like Spider Mines or whatnot, but I think the map is fine so far without them (only played it once). If you add anything, though, please don't add the slow field or X-Ray generator (not sure if the latter is even a pickup or only available in Stealthbenders). Those things are so stupid

Node layout seems pretty good, and the cores are pretty well defensible without being impossible to attack either. Good balance. I can tell you've playtested this a lot! Keep at it, and I'll be sure to grab beta 3 and see how that is compared to beta 2.

 

[minifloppy]

Thanks guys for taking the time to test the map!

Comments about Beta2 (still haven't played Beta3):
Overall, it looks very impressive. Creeks are great, sounds are taken directly from Unreal, and statues have 2 pairs of arms, which correct (in Unreal1 they looked like they had only 1 pair of arms).
Sounds of Nali. It was very pleasant to hear those guys too.
Rocks are kick-ass. In UT2004 Araja you've made rocks with terrain, which doesn't give the "Unreal" feel. In UT3 edition you implemented them with static meshes, so they look much closer to Unreal1, vertical and canyon-like. I was flying around the map for a few minutes just to contemplate the beauty of Na Pali. OMG, IMO that's the way Na Pali should be done with Unreal Engine 3, not the WAR-Hostile (which still is quite a good map).

Thanks! I tried to stay close to Unreal theme as much as possible.. I spent nearly 3 days trying to figure out what was the best way of recreating the rock cliffs. In UT2004 I was forced to use terrain because of performances. I never really liked Hostile as it was way too dark and dull.

But...
1. Skybox doesn't have second sun. Please look at the "Gallery" section of this page: http://liandri.beyondunreal.com/Na_Pali , there have to be two suns. May be I'm blind, but I wasn't able to find a blue one. You may want fix the sky yourself or download free skybox made by Hourences ( http://book.hourences.com/authornews.htm, look for "Unreal Sky for UT3"; download link: http://files.filefront.com/HourUnrealSkyzip/;9780681;/fileinfo.html ).
2. I was playing as red, and effect for destroying blue core was missing, there were no explosion, just a sound of it.
3. Nali huts have default material on them (but I guess that is only because it's beta2).

1. Will add the sun in final release Thanks for the links, Hourences' work is very inspiring.

2. I've added the core explosion in beta 3.

3. I'm completing the huts right now

I downloaded this a few days ago (beta 2; will get beta 3) and played it with a buddy and BattleRPG and about 20 bots. The visuals look great so far, save for the incomplete stuff which you obviously still are working on, so I don't have much to comment on that other than I really like all the vegetation. The gameplay is what I'll mostly talk about.

First off, the gameplay is fantastic. I'm really really glad you didn't mix up the Axon / Necris vehicles the way so many mappers seem to do. I like thematic consistency better; either Axon vs. Necris, Necris vs. Necris, or Axon vs. Axon; somehow it just feels silly when you have all of them smashed together, and it often makes the gameplay a little less interesting despite the extra variety of vehicles. I don't mind as much when certain nodes give you a certain kind (like Downtown Necris), but when you have pretty much every single thing available at the start (Bittersands) it's just overkill. I know some people will disagree with me and that's fine, but I'm glad you kept it all uniform.

I also really liked the interactions between aircraft and ground combat, especially since you kept the Na Pali theme strong with the high cliffs and deep waterfall ravines. I only wish there was something to do down there, but it's ultimately better for the gameplay if you die when you fall down and then start back over, putting you back into the game quickly.

I tried some options before deciding not to make the lower zone od the canyon playable, but I didn't like the results. So if you fall down you die.

The weapon choice seems to be fine. Plenty of miniguns for dealing with Raptors and Cicadas, Longbows, etc. I don't know if you included anything special like Spider Mines or whatnot, but I think the map is fine so far without them (only played it once). If you add anything, though, please don't add the slow field or X-Ray generator (not sure if the latter is even a pickup or only available in Stealthbenders). Those things are so stupid

Node layout seems pretty good, and the cores are pretty well defensible without being impossible to attack either. Good balance. I can tell you've playtested this a lot! Keep at it, and I'll be sure to grab beta 3 and see how that is compared to beta 2.

Thanks! I released beta 3 yesterday, but I was unable to update the topic title.

I tried to keep the gameplay as close as possible to the UT2004 one, so no isolated nodes, only Axon vehicles e no "strange" pickup. There is a stealthbender in the map though.

As the map has a lot of vehicles I decided to include a lot of long range anti-vehicle weapons such as shock rifle, stinger and avril, so even if you are on foot you have a chance to win a fight with a vehicle.

Hopefully final released is not far away!

 

[keaukrine]

Comments on Beta3:

1. Still no second sun

2. A huge hole you can fall into:
[SCREENSHOT]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/sp_plateau/shots/ScreenShot00002.jpg[/SCREENSHOT]
[SCREENSHOT]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/sp_plateau/shots/ScreenShot00003.jpg[/SCREENSHOT]

3. I was able to fall down to the canyon without dying here:
[SCREENSHOT]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/sp_plateau/shots/ScreenShot00004.jpg[/SCREENSHOT]
[SCREENSHOT]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/sp_plateau/shots/ScreenShot00005.jpg[/SCREENSHOT]
Going lower, however, I successfully died.

4. Edges of canyon look bad:
[SCREENSHOT]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/sp_plateau/shots/ScreenShot00006.jpg[/SCREENSHOT]
[SCREENSHOT]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/sp_plateau/shots/ScreenShot00007.jpg[/SCREENSHOT]
[SCREENSHOT]http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d155/sp_plateau/shots/ScreenShot00008.jpg[/SCREENSHOT]
Add some more foliage there or spread terrain to cover it a bit, this plain rock texture look really bad.

You can see the location of glitches on the mini-map.

 

[minifloppy]

Thanks keaukrine for testing beta 3!

1. I added the second sun yesterday. In the end I decided to use some of textures by hourences for the sky. I've done some editing to the material to fit the textures with the map atmosphere though. WIP teaser:
   [screenshot]http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/newsky01.jpg[/screenshot][screenshot]http://www.minifloppy.it/maps/araja2/newsky02.jpg[/screenshot]
   
2. As written in the todo list in the first post, I still have to finish the canyon. Right now it is already much better than beta 3 version
   
3. Will look into the problem!
   
4. See #2.

 

[cosmix]

I know ONS-Araja very good in the olden UT2004 days but your remake looks 10 times better. Nice work!

 

[minifloppy]

I know ONS-Araja very good in the olden UT2004 days but your remake looks 10 times better. Nice work!

Thanks cosmix, glad you like it!

I will release final version in a day or two.

 

[keaukrine]

Is it ready?

 

[minifloppy]

Yes the map is finished, but I still got to fix two minor issues with collisions. The problem now is that my graphic card stopped working on monday, so I can't get UED to work with the old ATI X550 I use right now. I hope to get a new GPU tomorrow and finally finish the map!

 

[Kantham]

NOW that is way better.