I like the style and the structures, I find the contrast a bit much though. 

onetruepurple: shot 2 looks cool, but I also think that it needs other textures for lights, maybe even torches.

mechtech: the shots are awesome, seems like a very nice map, can't wait to play :) 

OTP's shots... first is a bit dark. Second shot is great, I love the lighting, and the contrast. Not so wrapped in the textures though.

I still don't understand why soooo many mappers just stick with the same old id textures that have been used 1000 times before, while there's so much underused custom stuff out there, that's better than id's textures. 

The underground void idea was from TLOR Balrog sequence. Towers of stone in an immense cavern. The progression of the map, starts in a stone cave, as the player ascends I add more Castle/stone type stuff. The end will be the player reaching daylight in a Quake medieval setting using the Quoth Death Brigade enemies.

Screen shot 1 is admittedly boring. Needs some texture variance.

I hope to have my maps out before the end of 2014. At the rate I'm going working 70 hour weeks... we'll see

I'll get a beta release going soon. 

Shot 1looks like a bloody basement, nice coloured lighting in there..
Shot 2 has some texture problems, they just dont blend.
Quake has a very limited palette, mind you... 

Nice curves you have there, but in shot 1 i dont like the skull texture in the left ... most of it is covered by the 2 brushes, so why such an ambigious texture there? 

on the nockles map. i'm all for mixing up textures/themes, providing it's kept consistent across the map 

Thanks everyone who has given me feedback so far, I really appreciate it, and the feedback has absolutely helped me make more progress quicker, and making this map has been an absolute blast. I hope to have the level finished on Saturday. That could slip. But it would be brilliant if everything went smooth and it was simply finished on time! :)

Here's a newer shot taken from that location, the geometry is still fairly similar, but the texturing and lighting is new. It's still absolutely work in progress, but I think it shows the kind of direction I'm going in now:

http://i.imgur.com/o7uZIHY.jpg

I think letting it own the medieval theme is a great idea, as was removing the tech lights. I was absolutely trying to juggle too many themes at once, visually, it was a mess, and was not doing the map any favours!

I have decided to have a go at sticking with the cream/brown brick contrast because I think it helps make the outline of the geometry pop, but most of the metal/blue textures that were being used are being replaced with Quake medieval.

I've cut the old lighting and I've replaced it with torches, and used small dimmer unsourced lights to simulate light bounce and get rid of really dark patches. 

I like all of the changes, except I liked the light coming from under the stairs in the original shots - you could probably keep that, the medieval maps in e4 do that if I recall correctly. 

Firstly don't worry about an imminent release. Take your time and work on polishing it up - gameplay and design.

Secondly, under the arches with the new pale blocks - make sure it looks like the arches are made out of the blocks, continue the joins between the blocks underneath. At the moment it looks like the smoother texture underneath is just painted on. A common mistake but one that is well worth avoiding.

Other than that, looking cool, keep it going. 

OR release early and often to get more experience instead of pursuing perfection. 

Cool. The torches looks even better than I expected, congrats on the changes, everything looks much better now, it's "natural". 

has a good amount of experience? 

 

Spirit was right to be fair. I am absolutely refinding my feet with Quake SP level building, and happily making tons of mistakes along the way. Genuinely plenty! :)

I suppose I am really rushing to get this one out. Afterwards I'll take what I've learned while making this map, go it a bit slower and make the next one a bit more focused. 

i really excited to see maps from all the news names. :) 

...but i preferred the original look. it wasn't perfect but it felt different; the new version is fine but just seems a bit.. generic i guess?

to be fair i'm working on a traditionally textured episode at the moment so i'm not against that kind of thing; i just liked the experimentation in the first version, and if anything would have probably lost the medieval elements in favour of a metal/tech/green brick combo. something for a future release maybe? :) 

I think you find yourself entirely alone.

But maybe experimenting with different texture combinations is a good idea, though you need a consistent theme for it to work. 

I was a fan of the electric spotlights, myself. 

People employing unusual texture combinations should be encouraged, not told to reproduce the same old themes we've been seeing all along. There's still a lot of potential in the stock sets with a little shuffling - Doom mappers have been doing it for ages, with success. In Quake, the only maps coming to mind that really show some imagination with settings and themes in recent years are Tronyn's.

In Luke's new screenshot the contrast is better, but the old shot (the one that's not pitch black) looks more interesting themewise. 

I'm not saying that people shouldn't experiment, but I don't think the textures went well together at all. Though he has gone with different texture choices than I had imagined.

In terms of themes I haven't seen, I made a metal test map with lots of wood and runic lights with purple and yellow lighting that went together immensely well. I'm shocked no-one thought of putting those together, although it's admittedly a more "UT" feel than Quake. 

city5_2 + twall1_2.

wbrick1_5 + Ogro floors.

Knave + Zer.

Rubicon 2 + Jackboot, like sm161_distrans.

Metal + the green ropey set from kdmh. People should be using Kell's deathmatch sets more, anyway. 

I liked the fusion of medieval and tech too. it's one of my favourite themes. 

I have a couple lame-ass maps lying around that I'd like some aesthetic advice on. I don't want to post shots since they mostly look like shit, but if you are interested in walking around some empty, ugly-ass architecture, let me know and I should have something in the next few weeks, etc (djg164@mail.usask.ca). Especially lighting advice since I suck at that horribly. 

I am always down to help a brother out :)