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 :) 

Send it to me too 

As I hoped my comments indicated before, I also really liked the wonkier version of Luke's map. I think that it captures a certain strand or element of old school custom mapping which gets diminished with improving "taste" and certain communally accepted standards re texture combos. Again, that was one thing I liked about ShadoW's maps - in a way it *is* noobish or whatever, but that is part of the appeal. 

Onetruepurple, i liked the previous shot better (the second one) for its spotlights and because it has more character, the newer one is better for the more coherent theme, but loses its special touch and i don't find the lighting with enough contrast.
I do think as others pointed that ou should put again the light below the stairs, it adds a point that calls for the people to look, making them thinking if it hides something or not, eyecandy or item.

Mechtech, that looks gorgeous, the second shot made me remember of the underground part of Alone in the Dark 1, but as you have pointed, both look a bit simple, not only for the textures, maybe it needs another type of detail, from lighting or from detail in brushwork.

About the textures, i prefer to make experiments, as much as possible, there is always new possibilities to find, even with iD textures.

For example, I am currently using some medieval/wizard textures in a base map, mainly for details. 

Not my shots, but I pretty much agree. 

I forgot about that. Sorry, LukeN. 

I have a Q1 map that needs some input on the item placement etc.

http://spawnhost.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/greybox_rmqe.jpg

It is literally a greybox.

Files:

https://anonfiles.com/file/a4da656b2eef6bf697011eba0a753b4e

Includes Frikbot waypoints. 

No problem Cocerello.

Part of the reason I decided to go more traditional medieval was that I think that it's important with this level to work within pretty tight creative restrictions. So creating a new visual look is way out of scope. For this same reason I've decided to go with stock quake progs, no quoth monsters for instance. Similarly, what I could have done is taken the textures I was using and colorize them in photoshop to work together, but that'd take more time. It's a good idea for another level design.

Restrictions are good. Restrictions mean that the toybox I'm learning is smaller, more managable. It also means that working to a tight self-imposed schedule is doable. Restrictions get stuff finished.

That said, I was going to release last Saturday, but decided to delay while the forums was down until this coming Saturday so I can release it here.

A restriction that I wanted to work to but failed, was to stick with original Quake map limits. This hasn't happened, the map is too big. Only just though.

Next level, sure I'll go way more adventurous.