JPL, looks good, big up medieval style, keep it going.

Sock, very nice. What's happening to MOTEOF?? 

@Sock: Why not center the windows in the outside shots so that they aren't immediately next to the towers?

@JPL: I think the drabness might be the textures. Those columns against that brick wall over that tiled floor...nothing pops! 

to nitpick, please replace that cobweb/marble or whatever it's supposed to be, texture on the pillars. I've always wondered how TF that texture got into the otherwise great DKTE3 set when it looks like something ripped from Duke3d. seriously, go for something more solid looking. Second, and this might be heresy, put the minlight up so that the shadowed areas actually still have some texture - BUT at the same time, add more real light sources. I realize that this is how I do things and I do mostly outdoors, but you've built the architecture now let us see it, and your map does appear outdoorsish. Indoor dungeon/zer/elder world darkness is different but in this case, let us see the architecture. 

Starbuck: yey! hope they won't be too big to destroy the original image ;)

sock: that castle is impressive! 

Is http://www.simonoc.com/pages/materials/tpmedieval/index.htm not intended for download yet? I cannot find the link but I really want those! 

@Starbuck: Oh I did not realise that texture alignment issue was in the original map. I never really noticed all those years ago. I look at maps a lot different nowadays.

@JPL: You need a bright sky, the black sky + dark textures makes everything too dark and bland. Also can you get higher resolution textures? The existing one's look very blurry. I like the architecture and attention to detail with broken pillars but you need to make it feel outdoors. I am never a fan of the black sky thing, it just seems a waste of pixels when you could create a cool sky vista instead.

@negke: The map is just a doodle, nothing special just an experiment with architecture. Find a photo of something you like and just build it, instead of getting involved in gameplay all the time.

@Zwiffle: Thanks :)

@Shambler: Edge of forever is nearly ready, I have been waiting for the VO to be recorded. If things go right with testers it should be available this weekend! :)

@generic: The windows outside line up with the architecture inside and the original source image of Hampton Court placed the windows next to the outside wall support. Initial position of everything came from the source image.

@Vondur, thanks :) 

@Spirit, I will release the textures once I release the edge of forever map. I have been waiting for the VO to be recorded, everything is finished. The texture pack page is just a placeholder at the moment, I will add the download link soon. 

Nice shots - the map looks very evil and hellish.
Possibly the smoothest arch in Quake 1 eva?
As for the textures, well the marble pillar texture looks no worse than the texture you have used for the walls.
I think you could spend a bit of time experimenting with some nicer textures. Or touch up the ones yu are using.
As for the lighting - well I dont think you should use any more minlight - add some very low level light entities with a low (>1) wait value near to any totally black areas which you want to be lighter. Remove all minlight from the map. Thats what I would do.

To be fair the textures I am using are ported Quake 2 textures and I am well aware that I will have to re-touch them all before I can say that they look good.

Sock - you rock. Very realistic architecture.
Just a shame its not Q1SP :P 

@negke & RickyT23: I already tried to not use minlight, but the map becomes really really dark.. minlinght value is set to 20 if I remember well, so maybe the fact I increased brightness and contrast of the pictures makes this "washing-out" effect.. though.. Actually ingame it is better (visually speaking) ;)

@Zwiffle & generic: It is intentional if it looks "drab" (I would have said gloomy).. as it is a CDA sequel, and that the map is supposed to take place in Hell, it has to be drab/gloomy.. Also I guess you are right: you played too much Mirror's edge ;)

@Tronyn: You are an "anti-negke" in term of minlight setting :P Seriously, the visual effect I want to achieve is a really a doom-ish/gloomy/dark-ish/evil-ish level... with a really oppressive and scary ambience.. like it I suppose it is in Hell (just missing people suffering here and there) :P

@sock: I understand you point... and the skybox is particularly dark (I am using Doom3's Hell Guardian skybox)... Nevertheless at its bottom, there is a kind of burning lava that is awesome...

@Shambler: Thanks for the support ;)

So to let you know (if didn't have found it by yourself), textures comes 99% from DKT3 and Doom3 converted texture set.

So, thanks a lot for the comments, I'll try to adjust minlight and light value to something nicer... also, I didn't enabled the "extra" process for light tool.. that may explain the lightning does not look as good as you are expecting it... anyway, thanks a lot for the comments ;) 

beautiful!

and if anyone finds those images too dark, their monitor is not calibrated right. 

shots 2 and 3 are nice. shot 1 feels a bit bland. 

It's supposed to be marble I think, but without being able to look glossy it loses the intention some. 

I'd Make the pillars a lighter colour than the walls - not white, it should still look gritty. I'd also make them flush to the walls, cos pillars are never placed that close without being attached.

Can tell the contrast of the image has been modified - makes it difficult to make comments, especially since you're seeing a different version from everyone here.

Final thing - why does the arch have so many brushes? Is it mdl? Personally I'd use the faces on (you guessed it) the pillars. Just because they're closer to the eye line - players don't look up constantly. 

Sorry, I was talking crap - I had my monitor gamma set high. Reset now, and the shots look ok for lighting.

Though maybe delay 5 would help provide softer edges.

Have you tried r_lightmap 1 ? 

Use low-value light entities instead. This will make the map less dark while at the same time making the dim areas not look as washed out, because there'll be very subtle variations in contrast. It's more work, but it'll pay off. Don't be afraid of dark corners.

I agree there's something odd about the marble texture. If you keep it, make sure it's properly aligned on each face. 

Don't be afraid of dark corners.

With spawn hiding in them... 

and Shambler... 

looking at your crotch.


I think the shots look great JPL - I really like the lava. definitely agree about it needing to be darker though - and I have pretty mixed emotions regarding the pillars. 

... I reused same texture set I used in CDA for sequel consistency reasons (hence walls and pillar textures choice)... Now I have to test different lightning settings (without minlight first) in order to see whether it looks better or not... and I'll try to align the pillar textures (I think it is possible with Quark using a tagged face and the "around pillar" function... let's make a try)

And I take notes abour spawn hidden in dark corners... sounds interesting in term of insecurity feeling >D

OK, so thanks a lot for the comments: you rock ! 

"classname" "item_soap"
"target" "Shambler" 

 

Might help in open areas, but you will have to be more creative indoors ;) 

Your new map, negke?? 

Yes. 

You are demented, you know that??