Some ideas for a mapping noob

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 20-05-2003 14:30

Here is a pic that shows what the level looks like textured. You'll notice that there are no roof support beams at the top, because this is in fact an older screenshot I took. The lighting has not yet been done, I've simply put a few in to work with, so I can get some sort of idea how a texture will look when lit. I will make it brighter. The skybox out the window will not stay like the one you can see, it was just a temporary measure, until I decide on what textures im going to use in it.

Rens2Sea · Post by **Rens2Sea** » 20-05-2003 14:37

waaaaaay too dark

Brighten up the screenshot

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 20-05-2003 15:25

In the game it looks much brighter. I'll post a new screenie soon.

cajuncook · Post by **cajuncook** » 20-05-2003 23:48

I've never been too fond of the texture you used for your walls, but whatever. Whenever I was attempting to make my own really crappy maps for fun, I would always stay away from that texture. It just looks ugly in my opinion.

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 21-05-2003 05:20

I'll look and see if there are any textures that better the theme. Personally I think it looks fine. But then again, I wouldn't be a very good mapper if I didn't heed the opinions of the public. Heck, im only a noob so I'm already not a very good mapper.

YoYo789 · Post by **YoYo789** » 21-05-2003 08:18

mapping is not for the opinions of the public! bah!, think of it as either creative expression, and then pure luck whether people like it, or boring simplicity (not mentioning any simple 3d shaped maps here) and ppl will commend you on you 0ld-sk00lness.

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 25-05-2003 09:09

I'm just giving everyone an update on the map progress. I've nearly finished the the physical layout of the level, just a few more things to add (eg. Ramps or boxes to climb up onto the center platform). I've got 2 screenies for ya.

Here's the first.

And this one is just to give you all an idea of what the goals are gonna be like.

EDIT: I still get a very nice framerate on this map, so low-spec players can relax.

cajuncook · Post by **cajuncook** » 25-05-2003 15:10

Yeh, definately starting to look very nice. I still disagree about your choice of textures, but that is not mine to choose. Hopefully it'll play well and find its way onto some servers soon after you release.

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 26-05-2003 05:38

I found a bug in the map (as it stands so far) that has been annoying me.

Because the boxes in the goals, and the center platform are static meshes, dead bodies don't hit them when they fly at them. Instead they go through them until they hit the floor. You can still walk on, or bump into them when you're alive. Is there any way I can make them completely solid so dead bodies collide with them? Is there a property that I can actvate that makes it so these static meshes affect the karma physics (during the body's fall to the ground does it hit the box)? I've noticed it's not like this with all the static meshes, the body does collide with some of the others. It annoys me really because people are more likely to have their bodies sent flying into the goal boxes or the center platform, than they are to have them knocked into any of the objects behind the goals.

I know it ain't a big problem, and it doesn't intefere with the flow of the game, it just annoys me. One of the things I loved most about UT2003 has always been the way the dead bodies fall realistically. It has long been a great source of amusement when I have fallen and my dead body has gotten stuck in a ridiculous position.

I'm at school right now so I can't check the bug out properly yet.

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 26-05-2003 06:00

I have also been thinking about the areas behind goals. I'm making it so that people can run through the goals opposite to them (so if someone has the ball they can score in this manner). But rather than putting a blocking volume a short distance in so they can't go further than that specified distance, I'm instead going to put a trigger that inflicts pain every second (like the one on top of the goals in DB-nightstorm, or the areas behind them in Dendrophile). This way people still can explore them for a few seconds if they want, they'll just die. This also should discourage cherry picking.

As this map is progressing, looking better and better, my confidence in my mapping ability is growing.

Granted I have not made any textures or static meshes of my own (don't bother pointing this out to me DavidM), but this IS my first map. Chances are I will start making some textures on a later map. As for static meshes, I don't think I will be able to, even if I wanted to do it. I don't have any of the applications that are used for making them. Then again, it's not the actual static meshes that matter (granted that they are a big part of making a level look good), it's how good the actual level is, that matters. Well, that's my opinion anyway.

beefsack · Post by **beefsack** » 26-05-2003 07:33

there is a property in the static mesh browser which says what it affects, i dont remember what it is atm but ill icq it to ya when i get home.

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 26-05-2003 09:06

Thx mate.

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 26-05-2003 17:12

Didn't get around to ICQing me Beefsack? Can someone please tell me, I'm really quite eager to get rid of this bug. The more I think about it, the more it annoys me.

The Hermit · Post by **The Hermit** » 26-05-2003 18:06

What Static Mesh is it?
If it's one of your own don't change any of the settings in the Browser as that will only effect it on your PC!

I'll have a look through the properties for Static Meshes and see what I can find.

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 26-05-2003 18:37

One thing I have just realised about the problem is that both the static meshes that have the dead bodies flying through them are both from the DBShipwur static mesh pack. The ones I am using are containerwur and woodennazicrate.