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[WIP] Baron's Castle [DEMO] - Printable Version

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Baron's Castle [DEMO] - TheKataKombs - 06-22-2011

My First Map?

As some of you know i posted a very small map on this forum many months ago. Well now i'm back and i'm posting this new Custom Story that i am working on Big Grin it's gonna be around 4-6 maps i guess(dont know yet)

I am still having some problems with scripting and how the scripts are supposed to be, but i still thinks it's fun Smile
The story has some Justine stuffs so if you dont have justine, you probably wont see them(I think)

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?3s6rhulxvk330s7

The file is huge! I dont know why it is so big, so if you find out, please let me know why.
If you look in the file where the .map files is, you should be able to see PLAYGROUND.map and thats just where i try out stuffs. Nothing to care about xD

Enjoy! Smile

[EDIT] I fixed the file now. it shouldnt be that big any longer.
[EDIT] There should be no more lagg issues on the start of the map Main Halls

The full release will come out next month i think ;P


RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - Khyrpa - 06-22-2011

The size is because you included .cache files (just delete them before creating rar). Also I don't think its necessary to include maps that are in developement (not part of the demo at all). Somehow when I tried to check maps through debug I even stumbled upon La Caza's first level.

I couldn't play through everything (cos I'm lazy and impatient) and I want to got to sleep soon so I will only point a "few" things out about the technical stuff of levels.

1. At 00_example.map. Have you ever wondered why fps drops for a short time after loading it? Thousands of books dropping to ground (there might really be a thousand) can be quite heavy for computers. Fix would be just not to rush like you seem to have done and place the books on the ground manually (I don't mind though since this is first map and a demo after all).

2. Minor thing, but there are a lot of walls and other stuff that just can't be seen and as so, could be deleted. Eventually these pieces raise the file size... I gotta say I found some from frictionals maps too!

3. In the Intro.map (outside) you can see a lot of white dots through the rocks and you could have saved time and give it some aesthetic boost by using some normal rocks with different scaling. Spamming one model gives area unnatural and repetitive look, obviously. Also there's 33 sewerduct_waters... And yeah, they look unnatural (good idea, but I guess hard to implement) ^^

4. Tone down them billboards! Its obvious that you don't want to pay too much attention into them, but do pretty bad looking billboards make areas nicer or break the experience? Would it be better to drop them altogether? I'm not saying delete and redo all of your billboards now. Just remember these when you do more of them and ofc: to improve, one must try and experiment as much as possible.

One good tip on creating lighting and billboards is:
Tinker with every color! Every value as 1 gives the areas huge contrast between pitch black and looks... ...yet again unnatural Smile

5. Why do I spam about unnatural? I think that if everything is too weird and out of place, player cant feel immersed.

Keep on working with the editor, observe how frictional made their maps and be creative to improve your maps aesthetics! I hope you take feedback in the right way to keep you rolling and learning.

RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - TheKataKombs - 06-22-2011

(06-22-2011, 07:31 PM)Khyrpa Wrote: The size is because you included .cache files (just delete them before creating rar)
Well that was interesting... Feedback will appear here shortly!
Oh... thx for telling me Smile

(06-22-2011, 07:31 PM)Khyrpa Wrote: The size is because you included .cache files (just delete them before creating rar). Also I don't think its necessary to include maps that are in developement (not part of the demo at all). Somehow when I tried to check maps through debug I even stumbled upon La Caza's first level.

I couldn't play through everything (cos I'm lazy and impatient) and I want to got to sleep soon so I will only point a "few" things out about the technical stuff of levels.

1. At 00_example.map. Have you ever wondered why fps drops for a short time after loading it? Thousands of books dropping to ground (there might really be a thousand) can be quite heavy for computers. Fix would be just not to rush like you seem to have done and place the books on the ground manually (I don't mind though since this is first map and a demo after all).

2. Minor thing, but there are a lot of walls and other stuff that just can't be seen and as so, could be deleted. Eventually these pieces raise the file size... I gotta say I found some from frictionals maps too!

3. In the Intro.map (outside) you can see a lot of white dots through the rocks and you could have saved time and give it some aesthetic boost by using some normal rocks with different scaling. Spamming one model gives area unnatural and repetitive look, obviously. Also there's 33 sewerduct_waters... And yeah, they look unnatural (good idea, but I guess hard to implement) ^^

4. Tone down them billboards! Its obvious that you don't want to pay too much attention into them, but do pretty bad looking billboards make areas nicer or break the experience? Would it be better to drop them altogether? I'm not saying delete and redo all of your billboards now. Just remember these when you do more of them and ofc: to improve, one must try and experiment as much as possible.

One good tip on creating lighting and billboards is:
Tinker with every color! Every value as 1 gives the areas huge contrast between pitch black and looks... ...yet again unnatural Smile

5. Why do I spam about unnatural? I think that if everything is too weird and out of place, player cant feel immersed.

Keep on working with the editor, observe how frictional made their maps and be creative to improve your maps aesthetics! I hope you take feedback in the right way to keep you rolling and learning.
WOW! this was of great help! i will try to make everything you said better Smile i'm going experiment alot more with the billboards, put the books on the ground and do the outside area a better Big Grin why did i use the sewerduct_water? because that the only waterfall i found that i could make a big waterfall out of. i agree it doesn't look good tho xD

Thx for the feedback! Smile





RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - Dark Knight - 06-22-2011

awesome map!

can"t imagine, how to solve puzzle -
Spoiler below!
in the secret room in library.
" missing piece, initial R.A.H"
what do you mean about peace, what puzzle and need to do??


RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - TheKataKombs - 06-22-2011

(06-22-2011, 09:41 PM)Dark Knight Wrote: awesome map!

can"t imagine, how to solve puzzle -
Spoiler below!
in the secret room in library.
" missing piece, initial R.A.H"
what do you mean about peace, what puzzle and need to do??
There is no puzzle.
Spoiler below!
In the secret room there is a display which you look at and get a quest. when you pick up the note in the display, you get a new quest. That quest is for later in the story, not in this demo Smile



RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - HumiliatioN - 06-22-2011

Very decent desing of the map. I like it very much especially "Billboards and lighting"

Very good demo waiting full release as always every Custom Story Smile


RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - TheKataKombs - 06-22-2011

(06-22-2011, 10:22 PM)HumiliatioN Wrote: Very decent desing of the map. I like it very much especially "Billboards and lighting"

Very good demo waiting full release as always every Custom Story Smile
Thx! Glad you liked it Smile I love to work on my Custom Story and seeing things like this is very supporting and makes me wanna do alot more Big Grin
Spoiler below!
Next map is gonna be basement/cellar ;P



RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - HumiliatioN - 06-22-2011

(06-22-2011, 10:40 PM)TheKataKombs Wrote:
(06-22-2011, 10:22 PM)HumiliatioN Wrote: Very decent desing of the map. I like it very much especially "Billboards and lighting"

Very good demo waiting full release as always every Custom Story Smile
Thx! Glad you liked it Smile I love to work on my Custom Story and seeing things like this is very supporting and makes me wanna do alot more Big Grin
Spoiler below!
Next map is gonna be basement/cellar ;P

Same here, i have good map coming on my custom story. But I'm running out any cool puzzle ideas. I dont know how to do "different puzzles" i only can do scripting like "Enemies chasing, lever, key to unlock doors and few scares. Pretty much only basics. Damn. Undecided

RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - Shadowfied - 06-23-2011

Great map, very nice mapping, except for the brutal billboards.

Spoiler below!

I feel like an idiot. I can't find how to get in the secret room behind the bookcase. I've searched like 10 times around the huge library (which is also very well made) and the other room next to it but I can't find a lever or anything to interact with or pick up..


RE: Baron's Castle [DEMO] [WIP] - TheKataKombs - 06-23-2011

(06-23-2011, 09:24 AM)Shadowfied Wrote: Great map, very nice mapping, except for the brutal billboards.

Spoiler below!

I feel like an idiot. I can't find how to get in the secret room behind the bookcase. I've searched like 10 times around the huge library (which is also very well made) and the other room next to it but I can't find a lever or anything to interact with or pick up..
Spoiler below!
there is a secret bookshelf which you can drag away in the library and the lever for the secret thing is in the room with the statues and paper rolls Big Grin