Hi!

Here is direct link to current test version:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwxYkKdSD855TUFHRTVTRHZRd3c

Requires quoth mod, yet better to replace the ones that are in, if that is possible (I'm not familiar with this stuff yet).

Jam7:
http://www.celephais.net/board/view_thread.php?id=61347&start=44
or Quoth:
https://www.quaddicted.com/reviews/quoth.html


I tweaked balancing, ammunition (feeding player more), and fixing trigger_counter mistake I made - now easy mode works, but it would be great to hear from others too. You can record or just tell how does it feels now. I have to say, because there is only 3 main skill levels I want to satisfy even skillful players. So I'm not quite sure am I giving too much ammunition or not, so let me know and I will try my best.

Also if the map is still too dark, just let me know. As long as the darkness doesn't make the map unplayable - I intended my map to be dark that player can't see everything and enemies can hide in darkness (sometimes). 

Fixed one flickering light I placed in place, doors don't block lights, and light comes through on ground level if you know what I mean. So it that bothers here is same test version without that flickering light thing:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwxYkKdSD855TWJ2cV9nYUdiRDA/view?usp=sharing 

Also I thought that it might be better to give almost every player change to get rocket launcher, considering that this map is quite hard, because all those enemies. So now rocket launcher is also behind glass doors in control center.. so let me know if or not that is making the map too easy to beat. 

3/7 secrets

- Blue key near flame guys
- Megahealth near RL
- RL


113 / 115 enemies

on hard difficulty

This playthough was much better than the last, it didn't seem as dark and I get a better feel for the atmosphere you were trying to create. I still feel like it needs more white lights with the coloured lights as accents. But again, much better.

Are the grates in the airduct system you start in supposed to break? because you shoot them and they have the blood particle effect, then nothing.

The battle style in this map is very encounter focused. Rather than having a few tricky mobs along your path, your map has large encounters of mobs. This isn't a judgement of that style of map design, however it does make resource management very tricky. I found that my ammunition would get extremely low, then spike hugely with an ammo cache somewhere.

The only time I had difficulties with ammo this time around was mid game, however I managed to get through this and ended up finishing the game with heaps. In part because I found the RL.

I think it would have been a different story if I had finished without finding the RL. I have mixed emotions with this, the first playthrough I found neither the double barrelled shotgun nor the rocket launcher. I really liked the choice between (normal) shotgun and lightning gun. On the other hand the flexibility that having the extra guns gave was huge. I'm a little torn.

On the blue key secret near the flame guys, the addition of extra light helps see what to do. I would move the smallest crate away from the others so a skill jump is still required to get that one.

It was a much better experience than last time, I enjoyed it a lot more. Keep it up. 

Very big thanks Shamblernaut. Which one of glass windows you picked by using that silver key? So you managed to find rocket launcher from behind secret door? Or was it from control center? 

Ionous - A real treat for the eyes. A bit on the easy side, but theres no denying the visuals are stunning. There are some spots on the ground that have perfectly square lighting, which seemed a bit odd but didn't detract from the overall experience.

Khreathor - I loved the vending machines, a very novel idea that I took great advantage of. Good use of Quoth's breakable boxes, it always makes a map feel more alive. My only complaint would be the map is too flat, no height variation whatsoever, not even a single staircase. Save for the drop in the sewer though.

Mjb - Climbing waterfalls, who'da thought? I'm sorry to say that I noclipped at a few points because I fell into the void. Of course it wasn't until later that I would have just teleported back up. I felt dumb... I did get lost a few times, just trying to find my way of where to go next. Gameplay was tough but fair, though I did die from the gug at the end.

Newhouse - As others have said, its quite dark, but I assumed that's just the theme of the map, so I went with it. It didn't bother me too much, as I never really got lost. I died a really bizarre way at the end, a shambler just seemed to appear out of nowhere from behind and clobbered me.

Tens - That giant heart set piece was really neat, it gave me the impression I was at the very core of some intense secret underground facility, and I just discovered the truth of whatever had happened. Don't think I didn't notice that awesome owl statue hidden behind the cliff. Monster count was a bit short, a few more could have spiced things up. The map was over before I knew it.

A great effort by all involved! First run demos on hard skill, recorded in Quakespasm: http://qrf.servequake.com/~orl/misc/orl_jam7.7z 

Grates bleed maybe because they has trigger that has hp.. not sure about blood.. but there is invisible plate that blocks enemies look raycast thing so they will not spot you immediately.. unless you shoot them or walk through basic trigger.. then trigger kills this viewblock.. it might be something I need to remove after getting RL for example.. even though it is 0.01% possible.. some might try that and shit happens. 

The grates kinda look that you can break them. So there's probably enough people who tried to axe or shoot them. 

If you are putting those triggers there to block the view of enemies just turn that trigger until a func_wall with something like .001 alpha or similar.

func_wall blocks enemy sight and won't bleed :D 

To be honest I want to make them 'grates' be breakable in final attempt. To other end before "GK" path I will put maybe wood or boxes. The way viewblock works, works just fine but I put in might that I could use func_walls as well like I used already in places. And for lighting I indeed should place basic bright white light to increase brightness. I am not very good at colors yet, but very eager to learn new stuff. 

I mean I will replace viewblocks by using func_wall if it is possible to set it whole tranparent 0.0% 

Full transparent* sorry typos, and also I am on phone. 

Is there anything about that config file that means I have to use it? 

i deleted all *.cfg and *.rc 

From memory I grabbed the centre power-up with the blue key.

Also I got the rocket launcher from the bright blue lit corner with the crates that you need to access it. 

 

Thanks, it is good to see people having different decisions other than just super shotgun.. are those lockers equal to each other in your opinion? Yet, in this smaller vision of my attempt, should I place all blue keys before that path to GK, or is it better to keep the last one just for that last vore+sentinel battle (if player finds that last key). I quess Gk path blue key is still too well hidden. 

I don't think there's a good reason for that map to be boxed. Just plug windows with sky brushes. If you really need a little space above the transparent ceilings then build a shallow box above them made from sky brushes. It'll look the same in the end and should drastically cut down on vis times.

It's still too dark. You need more (nearly) white lighting, put some wall or ceiling light panels here and there for overall light.

Reduce the range but increase the intensity of the more saturated color accent lighting.

Rethink pulsing and blinking of lights. It's usually better if those styles are not used too much or over too large of an area.

It seems like you use func_trains in places where doors would work as well or better (more control). 

Thanks, didn't understood what boxed meant in this content earlier, I thought you were talking about rooms/hallways/layout that is too boxed looking. I'm going to remove that large skybox over everything.. I just start working maps that way so I don't get warnings/errors I am still unexperienced in that sense.

Then again we are talking about artistic choices, which aren't yet that well executed. Only problem with lights is lack of color teory and experience of screen color/brightness default levels/settings. I will do what I can, to make it appeal more core audience that possible has not that good screens or are using very dark settings. But there is limitations what I can do or understand, because most of this is still very new to me.

About doors vs func_train.. only reason why I preferred using func_train over doors was that I couldn't figure out how to make close and open and just stay there when using logic gate. I know -1 makes stay still, but didn't close when I raised goldkeyalert/after vores dropping down in that main area.. it simply didn't close from that open position. But in func_train it has path corners.. for some reason those worked immediately.. if both had -1 in wait key.. I wad able to toggle it almost same way as doors worked.. only problem wad sounds. But then again maybe I am just too unexperienced, but I am eager to know how much control actual func_door has in this case* 

Too bad life won't let me play your maps, let alone finishing mine. But one thing is sure:after this one, no more attempts to make long epics. From now on, just short and explorations of themes and ideas. I'm still on greybox, it's gonna be a big one... or at least long to make.

Ionous, I managed to get stuck on pipes after falling from the upper level. You need a clip brush to fill the gap between those pipes and the wall.

Beautiful job everyone. 

i just checked your .map file, the pipes made of tris are awesome. And they are hollow?!?
Crazy shit dude. 

Pipes are generated from OBJ-2-MAP.
Unfortunately I didn't managed to implement auto convexer on time, that's why I had to use old methodology => each model's face turns into a brush.

It looks messy and it's hard to modify later, but it works :) 

i know of the obj2map converter stuff myself a bit to say thats pretty ..... pretty with phong shading.
Good job there! 

 

Somehow I fell into the lava and died the first time I tried to enter nightmare difficulty. I couldn't reproduce it though after a few more tries.