B3LostMarines in UT2003

[blito3]

here is a pic
still beta but adding full blast..another four days
before i submit it completed.

[blito3]

another

[ShirleyFT]

Spooky Blito.

[Kindness]

Will there be an enhanced shock rifle?

[blito3]

i just so happen to have written a song called ORANGE a long time ago it will fit in nicely.
the gib will be hidden well this time.

[Squirrelinabox]

put some shock ammo this time :)

[stapuf]

5x (min) the shock ammo, please. That way we can still combo.

[blito3]

full ammo loads for all weapons...yup

[UltraJounin]

cant...wait...

[Angel_Mapper]

Looks like it's from UT... :angst:

[FBMachine]

Originally posted by Angel_Mapper
Looks like it's from UT... :angst:
Yeah, I hope you plan on adding excessive eye candy Blito3, I want to see people abusing this new engine power. ;)
Dan

[blito3]

tons and tons of eyecandy....i am getting no slow down so far.

[Doofus]

Originally posted by stapuf
5x (min) the shock ammo, please. That way we can still combo.

Nooooooooooo! Don't make defense of the bases a matter of a couple of camping hos.

Put the ammo down in the nasty water somewhere near the middle axis of the map, away from the bases. Make the shock scum suffer to feed their habit.

:evil:

[blito3]

weapons are the last on my list....oh man the atmotsphere is good right now...its got a nice feel just running around the map.
Its sort has allmost the same layout..but not. Ya gotta love the new engine...this is what its made for..no limiting yourself when u make a map...whoohoo!(hmmmm should I download a beta so u guys can run around?)

[blito3]

LOL the beta has been removed.

[uncledumpy]

Looks good! I Like to orange fog look.

[blito3]

holly smokes!(yikes)
this map is gonna weight in at about 20 megs.
So much for my under 5 meg plan.(LOL)

[Freakish]

Would you like an ice cream cone with that super-size?

[Zinia]

Originally posted by blito3
holly smokes!(yikes)
this map is gonna weight in at about 20 megs.
So much for my under 5 meg plan.(LOL)


OMG


Just burn it and mail it to me. That will be faster.

[blito3]

just got the elevator working...damn had to use a friggin premade mesh.(couldnt figure how to use the brush as a mover)

[Unicorn]

blito3 pleeeeeease don't add too much prefabs. The regular maps are waaaay too cluttered up with pointless prefabs. Use them sparsely, you know the saying goes like this: "Less is More".

In my opinion many of the regular maps would been better if they weren't that cluttered with prefabs.

It looks good now. Keep up the work, but... Less is More.

[h0ok]

Originally posted by Unicorn
"Less is More".
In my opinion many of the regular maps would been better if they weren't that cluttered with prefabs.


Like the old old pirate saying! It aint the quantity its the quality!
I agree with Magnus! dont fill your map with 2 many prefabs, gladly none.......if possible.

[blito3]

allmost finished the basic map structure...
just checking for bsp holes...still need to bot pathing(arrggggg).
and i cant find the jump boot actors(unless they dont have them, damn!)
weapon placements.
oh just, great another day or two.
(anyone know how to make lightning strikes, i would like them to randomly hit the towers)
and water problems visability and texture...hmmm(now u die in the when u fall in and stay in too long)

[Angel_Mapper]

No jumpboots for j00!
Open Citadel and see how they made the lightning strikes, I haven't messed around with the new Ed enough to be an expert at it yet :(

I remember that there's no swimming in UT2k3, but you can add a WaterVolume to get players to swim (http://udn.epicgames.com/pub/Content/VolumesTutorial/)

gl Blito :D

[blito3]

well its finished[

[IHopeToGod]

Originally posted by blito3
holly smokes!(yikes)
this map is gonna weight in at about 20 megs.
So much for my under 5 meg plan.(LOL)

...And people thought I was lying months ago when I said decent custom maps would be huge (8-30mb) :D . Of course you could always resort going back to BSP, reduce polycount and cut it down to 5mb.

Guess I'll have to get UT2003 if I want to give feedback ay :scratch:

Looks very interesting. Maybe a red sunset in the background or something would look even better....

[Angel_Mapper]

Originally posted by blito3
well here is the almost finished.
needs botpathing and a few more sounds.
tell me if u disagree with the weapon placements.
and if u spot any BSP holes.
http://www.unrealplayground.com/download.php?mapid=1125
* Rachel feels like she's been completely ignored...

[blito3]

LOL angel.....ignore u nope, just trying to finish this monstrosity before it gets out of hand.
Cant wait to get it under my belt, relax and work on a map from scratch.

[Susume]

Ok i found a bug in B3LostMarines, Im not sure if you know of it or not. You can walk thru the wall right of blue base by the edge of the map. Not sure if you can anywhere else but Ill look.
http://members.cox.net/susaku666/Shot00053.jpg
http://members.cox.net/susaku666/Shot00054.jpg

[blito3]

tx susume, will hunt that one down.

[Angel_Mapper]

Blaaaargh! Blito, seriously, that is one FUGLY sky. I hope you're not keeping that...

[blito3]

why yes i am.
it fits in with the atmotsphere of the gas giant it takes place on...Next problem. oh and i fixed the the Bsp hole susume found
and i resized the elevators at the flag base so they look like they ride the rails...any other probs(the sky stays...so dont go there)

[stapuf]

I only played it for a couple minutes (sky is ok with me).

Comparing it to the original (IMO) - you will probably be able to catch the EFC easier, as it is only 2 xloc between bases. Wonder how it will play with 14 ppl.?

Can you do any creepy lights in the "holes" and more screens over windows?

Nice feel tho.

puf

[blito3]

screen over the window...like on top
just finished the botpathing
inserting music is easy...
get the easy CD ripper....convert to ogg
put the file into music folder
select level properties select audio u just need to put in the name of song
without the ogg (songname....ok....songname.ogg..not ok)

[HortonsWho]

It's a pretty cool atmosphere B3-- I like the heavy orange sky.... I loaded all weapons and ammo... the blasts of the Ion and Deemer look really sweet against that sky.

There are several lips/edges between areas that you think you should be able to run over but that require a small jump, hinders flow a little.


Nice.

[ShirleyFT]

I like the orange sky and the fog. Reminds me of that shot at dusk in Bladerunner. I like the whole thing.

Some people might say it looks like UT. I disagree. With the new editor and stockpiles of meshes and prefabs, you're going to be seeing a lot of cluttered maps. Maps that look like a yard sale or a cluttered basement. The maps they released with the game are like that. Cluttered, ugly, low gameplay and ultimately boring. I have yet to see one of these cluttered levels that looks believable. Stick to what you're doing, the way you're doing it. Gameplay comes first.

Great job.

[Freakish]

I'm not sure how this one will play.. in the original thanks to the two levels (easily accessible via ramps) in the open areas to the left and right of the middle platform, people could really mix up their routes and where they were going. The upper level provided cover so people below were harder to see. Ramps made it so people could go from the bottom to top easily and then from the top to either of the platforms next to each flag. You've removed some of these ramps (although I think a good double jump makes the move still possible).

Whatever..I can't tell how it will play.. :dunno: I *would* however put lifts at the midpoints of the map as well..it's too far to have to run all the way behind either base to get back up.

[HortonsWho]

Originally posted by Freakish

it's too far to have to run all the way behind either base to get back up.

AGREED-- serious advantage to the attacker at the moment.

[blito3]

yea without the jump boots the game dynamic changes.i have to add 1 elevator near the the first bottom section and where the boots used to be and a second set of elevators in the deep pit section.

[Toonces]

Originally posted by Angel_Mapper
Looks like it's from UT... :angst:

You're right, it does....But is that a bad thing? Blito3's maps have a certain look to them that's pretty unmistakeable. The other really distinctive thing about some of them is that they make for excellent game-play. B3Pull the Trigger Baby and Red Neck Woody were two of the most popular maps we ever ran on the Dead Cat UT server. They weren't the best looking by any stretch, but they ran like like scalded dogs and the players just couldn't seem to get enough of them...:-)

BTW - Your website is stunning...The layout and the graphics are really first rate!

-Toonces

[blito3]

tx toonce..(oh oh u mentioned the RedNeckWoody)

[Toonces]

Originally posted by blito3
tx toonce..(oh oh u mentioned the RedNeckWoody)

Is that a problem here...LOL

-Toonces

[Angel_Mapper]

Originally posted by Toonces


You're right, it does....But is that a bad thing?

BTW - Your website is stunning...The layout and the graphics are really first rate!

-Toonces

I hate to keep bringing this up, but I'm a mapper, I hardly ever play the game. I look at maps completely differently, and I'm probably one of very few people here that do. It IS possible to have maps that both play great and look beautiful as well. That's what I hope for every time I make a map, but it's something that I don't see a lot of here at the Playground :(

Thanks for the comments about my site btw :D

[Toonces]

Originally posted by Angel_Mapper


I hate to keep bringing this up, but I'm a mapper, I hardly ever play the game. I look at maps completely differently, and I'm probably one of very few people here that do. It IS possible to have maps that both play great and look beautiful as well. That's what I hope for every time I make a map, but it's something that I don't see a lot of here at the Playground :(

Thanks for the comments about my site btw :D

Well if it softens things to any degree, it's the first time I've heard you say it...;)

I suppose I have a similar take with the exception that I used to be a player that turned into a mapper. I do believe that game-play in a map is the most critical element. Eye candy and the rest of the aesthetics run a very close second, but they will always be a hair behind. You stated, "It IS possible to have maps that both play great and look beautiful as well." I really WANT to agree with you, but reality tells me otherwise if you view it across a broad spectrum.

I suppose the difference between making a map that just looks good versus one that plays well in a specific set of physics is like playing checkers as opposed to playing chess...and before you get miffed, please understand that's not a judgement value, just a set of facts. I don't know if you play either checkers or chess, but in my experience...and I enjoy both games...checkers has to flow out of you. If you think too much, it's easy to spoil the rhythm of the moves. When I draw it's like checkers. When creating textures, I don't really think about it...it just flows.

With chess, on the other hand, you have to be way ahead of where you actually are at any given moment or all is quickly lost. In my humble opinion, mapping is much more like chess especially when considered in the context of a moves-based game like UT2003. In the sense of player movement it is night and day different from UT. In Low Gravity, which is the phyics set I map for, every dimension is critical and that includes the verticals as well as the horizontals. The layout of the map must be based on a set of dimensions that works for that environment. It must reward the skilled player for his abilities and punish the wankers for their ineptitude.

My point being that if you can't play the game, then you can't really map for it. Now having said that, it doesn't mean you have to hold down the #1 spot on ngWorldStats for a week to qualify as a mapper. You must, however, have a solid grasp of the mechanics of the game and be able to put into practice what you understand in theory.

I am really curious now as to how you approach a design. Here, I'll show you mine and then you show me yours...LOL

.1) Develop a concept whether through hours of intense concentration, or have it drop in your lap in an epiphany...:evil:

.2) Create a set of dimensions that will allow the concept to take on a tangible form.

.3) Build a framework around those dimensions and then flesh them out with alternate paths, multiple routes on multiple levels to achieve the degree of physical complexity that suits the idea.

.4) Then, after all of that is functional, do your very best to make it as beautiful as is possible without disturbing even the slightest bit of that functionality.

Can a map be both functional and beautiful? I surely hope so. If it cannot be both, then I would easily accept a few aesthetic shortfalls before I would accept any compromise in function that hampers the game-play.

-Toonces

[HortonsWho]

Originally posted by Angel_Mapper

That's what I hope for every time I make a map, but it's something that I don't see a lot of here at the Playground


It's probably better said: "It's something I don't see much of. (period).

I have spent three years trolling all the sites looking at maps trying everything once. We all live for that .2% of maps that play like CTF-433 and look like it was made by Lruce... there aren't a lot. I've also run across many "pretty" maps that seriously suxxored in the gameplay department.

Gameplay keeps you coming back to a map... and coming back to maps keeps you coming back to the game... and since Lruce only makes about one map every 18 months :p we're left with lots of average-looking maps... but lots of fun. I prefer gorgeous and lot's of fun whenever I can get it but at $500 a night I'd go broke... :D

[Zinia]

Originally posted by HortonsWho
I prefer gorgeous and lot's of fun whenever I can get it but at $500 a night I'd go broke... :D

lol


$500 a night? Not much for both. My luck I would get the girl from Bachelor Party that stands to pee.

[HailtheGoat]

Z you always kill me! :D :D :D :D :eek:

[Switch]

Originally posted by Angel_Mapper
Blaaaargh! Blito, seriously, that is one FUGLY sky. I hope you're not keeping that...
Originally posted by blito3
why yes i am.
it fits in with the atmotsphere of the gas giant it takes place on...(the sky stays...so dont go there)

Hey, and it's almost Halloween! :D