DM-1on1-Anvil

[MortalPlague]

This is my first attempt at a 1 on 1 map. It plays pretty well against bots, but I'm not an expert on dueling gameplay, so there's probably plenty that I'm missing here. I need some feedback on the level, in pretty much all categories.

Click here to download (http://www.fragilicious.com/mortalplague/DM-1on1-Anvil.zip)

Here we find the Rocket Launcher, which in this map, together with some health vials, serves as a rally point against the shield and shock rifle combo on the other side.
http://www.fragilicious.com/mortalplague/Anvil/01.jpg

Visible here is the shield that much of the level revolves around. Also visible is the lift and the biorifle. The shock rifle spawns below.
http://www.fragilicious.com/mortalplague/Anvil/02.jpg

[Angel_Mapper]

It's about time you got another beta out. ;)

Needs more anvils.

[DeRailer]

From an 1on1 player, I think the floorplans for the top levels are very well done, but the bottom levels gameplay value is quite questionable.
It's very confusing when I first fired it up, but once I got the hang of the layout, I really enjoyed myself. Got my frags up to 40 before I finally had enough. :p Apart from Alpu2, little 1on1 maps have held my attention for this long with bots.
The map pace is very fast, and many areas held raw cqc action, something I haven't experienced in 1on1 for a very long time, and I think that's the plus spot of this map. It's handled very nicely.
Good use of ground material. The mix between metal and concrete is nice, produce some good audio ques and made easiler for your competitor to track. The pickup placements are nicely done too, i'm usually more concern about sound effect they gave off rather than their location.
A major gripe of mine is that the bottom level is a little too confusing, too squarish in design. Some curving corridors can boost the overall cqc experience, because turning 90 degrees to face another corridor can get very repetitive and is just uncomfortable. Avoid acute turns at all cost, unless the corridor leads to a bigger room. Use more bevel, by doing this, you'll often get rid of the room-corridor-room feel somewhat.
Also regarding those tile cuttings on the ground, be very careful with them. I 'tripped' over them quite a few times when I uses trickjumps. If possible, just have those cuttings at 4units height, instead of 8(or at least what I estimated).
It have the potential to be a kickass 1on1 map. Great job.

[Gui]

Definitively too much dark for me. Also the red and blue lights tend to confuse when you play TDM. I agree with DeRailer concerning the tile cuttings on the ground: some bevels may help also

Otherwise, it works well. More archi details to give a stronger personnality to the various areas can be welcome to enhance navigation and orientation but please, do something for the static meshes you put behind the Rocket Launcher and the level above: it's easy to get stuck in there

Another Shield at the opposite of the map can be a good plus aswell, to counterbalance the layout: like this, it's too much easy to control the map IMO, even if this Shield is not a huge advantage in itself...

[MortalPlague]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll definately reduce the depth of those tiles to 4 units... I was using 8 for more definition, but if it interferes with gameplay, I'll take them up a few notches. Bevelling some edges is an option I think I will take...

Not sure about the second shield, I'd rather not have this be a "two shields" balance. Do you think the UDamage would help if placed there, perhaps instead of the four health vials?

Also, what do you mean about the meshes behind the RL?

[Gui]

I was talking about all the stuff you put on the wall: this slightly gaps the flow IMO but maybe it's just me :)

Please, no time-based powerups (U-Dam) in tourney maps :blah:

[MortalPlague]

Alright then, how about a keg?

[Gui]

The KEG is a powerful item. You can't even see that the opponent has it... And you'll have to remove a good part of the Health Vials to counterbalance this, or at least to displace them towards the Shield

Seriously, a simple supplementar Shield looks like the best solution IMHO :p

[MortalPlague]

Somehow I thought it might come to that. ;) Well, I'll give it a shot with the added shield. If I don't like it, I'll figure something else out. I've already brightened it in places, and raised the holes in the ground.

[Gui]

Btw, did you envisage to post a test request at ProUnreal (http://www.prounreal.com/)?

The guys in there are pro gamers and very probably the most skilled persons in the community to provide the best feedback concerning layout and item placement: I strongly recommend you to give this a try ;)

[MortalPlague]

I decided to give this a quick test on UP first. That way I get most of the major bugs out before I give it to hardcore duelers. Also, I haven't done 1on1 before, so I wanted to be sure I had a map that potentially worked as such. ;)

Current changes are working out pretty well. :)

[cUnNiNg_StUnTs]

The layout is great you could use some trim in the baseboard areas on walls and then trim to outline walkways flat around the edges, or better yet use some cool static meshes on those edges that are exposed. Look at DM Compressed to see what I mean. All the walkways above the main floor are trimmed with a static mesh metal plate that wraps the corner of the protruding edge of the walkways.

The underbelly area specifically the smaller tunnel through the middle adds good connectivity but needs more light. Also your lighting theme could me more uniform, you have red in the lower area white in the upper area and light blue in one of the corners, yet not enough lighting in the lower tunnels.

One last thing I might add is don't label this a 1v1 I think it will do better as a FFA DM map, but if you do go against that suggestion then there should only be one BOT when I play the map in single player if it is to be a 1v1.

In summary, layout and item placement kick butt. This map has much potential, but please finish it well. I wouldn't have bothered typing this much if I didn't like it.

[MortalPlague]

Thanks Cunning...

I don't think the "1on1" tag necessarily discounts FFA deathmatch... If you look at DM-1on1-Mixer, the player count is 2-8. I don't think the playercount needs to be adjusted here.

Lighting overall is being brightened a little, I'm working with the challenge of brightening the level and keeping the colours distinct from one another. It's particularly tough going on the minigun room.

Thanks for the tip about Compressed, I'll look into it. And I hope to have another beta version of this out soon.

[MortalPlague]

Here's the latest beta, the link at the top of the thread's been updated. Made changes to lighting and decoration mostly, and layout a little bit. Here's a few screenshots.

Here is the updated minigun room ceiling.
http://www.fragilicious.com/mortalplague/04.jpg

The updated lighting scheme in the low room. Here you can see one of the two health chargers in the map.
http://www.fragilicious.com/mortalplague/03.jpg

[MortalPlague]

*Quietly bumps the thread*

So... is there anything which needs to be fixed up before I bring this over to ProUnreal?

[Scourgem]

DOH! Sorry... I'm on it. *clicks download link*

[Gui]

Ooops... sorry, man: I totally forgot you :p

The only issue for me is some of the little substracts into the floor whose we already talked about: they sometimes prevent double-jumps to reach an upper floor and slightly hinder the flow, though it's a minor default (if you really want to leave them here, maybe you'll get a better resut in putting adds into the floor instead of substracts: like this you'll draw the same things but without any problems gameplay-wise...)

Otherwise, it works really better IMO :D

[MortalPlague]

Adds! That's a good idea... :p

I'll give that a shot.

[Scourgem]

Gave it a spin, not much to say really... it's getting there.

Could use a few blocking volumes here and there - I backed into some staticmeshes a few times and got stuck. Where? Just try running around the map, bumping into the meshes and BV anything that snags. It's only a few spots, really.

Also, it'd be nice to see some more trim, either with textures or BSP, to sort of outline the map, give it a more defined "shape"... some kind of metal plates along the edges of those concrete blocks, perhaps?

[Blitz]

I gave you most of my comments in IRC, but having spent some more time with the map yesterday, I have a couple of things to add....

I agree with Scourgem that some simple BSP trim would really help the look of this map. Considering the framerates are very good right now, I think there's plenty of room for more detail. The only other complaint I have is some of the floor texture choices. The top one is misaligned, but even aligned I think it looks a little out of place. The bottom one doesn't seem to fit in with all the concrete. :dunno:

[MortalPlague]

I'm working on fixing up the map, but there's one problem which keeps coming back to haunt me. Every time I add a projector, it winds up screwing up somehow. Is anyone particularly good with projectors who I could send this to to have a look?

[Blitz]

Can you be more specific?

[MortalPlague]

In some cases, I tried to project a grated texture, but instead the projector projected darkness, blotting out the light. I've also tried projecting a custom projector from the upper lights (an "x") but this makes the rest of that level almost pitch black, which looks very awkward and even if I add lights, it doesn't quite achieve the desired effect. It seems that everything I'm trying with projectors is messing up.

[Gui]

Projectors can be pure hell: avoid them at all costs... :p

But seriously, did you chek Angel_Mapper's tuts? They were very useful when I had to deal with htese things in Hardcore

[cUnNiNg_StUnTs]

You screenshots after my first reply say, "Here's the latest beta" but I don't see a new download link is the original link now pointing to beta 2 or where can I get beta2?

[Spiffness]

You screenshots after my first reply say, "Here's the latest beta" but I don't see a new download link is the original link now pointing to beta 2 or where can I get beta2?

MP always changes the origonal link:)

Or here (http://www.fragilicious.com/mortalplague/DM-1on1-Anvil.zip) will get you the desired effect ;)

[MortalPlague]

Yep, that I do. I think I will have a look at Angel Mapper's tutorials, and if that doesn't do it, well... I suppose the map works without them. Projectors are the work of the devil... :loopy: