ctf_compromise V2 Beta 4 release

Time for next release. A part of a new teleporter model is included. The screenshot is all about it.
An improved gameplay of ctf_gate1 is in this pk3 as well. Shader is partly taken from pulchr.

Changelog:

ctf_compromise:

• replace teleporter model
• add new teleporter model
• make sand a bit darker
• ledge sink in RL room
• further improved renderperformance
  
• add easteregg to top towers
• center area jumppads reach to RA now
• minor texture fixes
• additional clipping
• removed nailgun because it does too much damage
• for missionpack kamikaze added (replaces YA in center area)
• support for domination and double domination gametypes
• support for missionpack gametypes 1flag, harvester, and overload

ctf_gate1:

• double domination support
• domination points moved and reduced to 3
• Chaingun removed
• Nailgun replaced by Lightning Gun
• improved item balancing

Download:
http://cosmo.spaceboyz.net/openarena/zctf_compromise_v2b4.pk3 (Save link as ...)

ctf_compromise V2 beta3 released

Testserver is running this map with oaxB41 and brainworkz bots.
Feedback is welcome.

changes:

• fog removed
• blue skybox with clouds
• upper ledges made accessable
• layout of bases changed
• even less patch mesh usage, phong shaded surfaces instead
• texture and lighting improvements
• bases and ways to them are more distinguishable
• improved separation of areas to increase performance
• removed railgun teleporter
• added teleporter to upper ledge
• railgun replaces plasmagun (too close to mega health?)
• plasmagun is located in each base now
• removed small health orbs but added armor shards
• using Neon Knights new cross textures but these should be reworked: Redundancy!
• Gargoyle model exported and added as mapmodel (was missing, just textures are included in OA 0.81)
• Two new playerskins added (beret/headcrash and assasssin/ghost) for FFA
• Regeneration powerup added to each base
• Haste powerup replaces Biosuit in center area
• using Neon Knights new cross textures but these should be reworked: Redundancy!
• gargoyle model exported and added as mapmodel (was missing, just textures are included in OA 0.81)
• two new playerskins added (beret/headcrash and assasssin/ghost) for FFA
  
  

Big credits to Ivan, Feidi, davidd and majorayumi (or what ever his/her name is).

altering ctf_compromise

This is a work in progress screenshot. Ivan and Feidi gave me very helpful hints on ctf_compromise. Strange: This should have happened about a year ago!

More accessible ledges are there now and another teleporter in every base. Item balancing has to be done all over again. :(
I hope to get more vertical action and I am trying to get more focus on the middle area. Maybe I should place a quad there instead of just a biosuit.

I am improving performance more and more. This time the fog had to be banned. Next will be separating the areas so less gets drawn at once.

Included in this screenshots are two new player skins for assassin and beret.

oa_black: Black Magic

First public testing release of oa_black. Need some gameflow tests and item balancing feedback.

This is going to be a small/mid sized tourney/tdm map with Domination gametype support. Don't be scared of by the low visual quality. It took me about 1 hour to create the upper parts and about 1 week to do the lower cave like basement. It is quiet possible to alter the layout in a big way. Spending time on details is not a good idea yet.

This is my playground for upcoming texture creation.

Download: http://cosmo.spaceboyz.net/openarena/oa_black_a1.pk3
Included is next public release of ctf_compromise with hopefully fixed fog density issue and improved lighting.

A testmap server is rotating just these two maps. (/connect spaceboyz.net)
And is running latest oaxB41 including brainworkz bots.

Thanks for testing.

teleporter model sketches

Update to my OA todolist. Time is short so do not expect a lot to be finished soon.
Two new sketches (concept) for two upcoming teleporter models which hopefully will replace my former one and will look way better.

ctf_inyard:
* replace teleporter model with a better one
* playtesting?
* new flag textures
* check for less camping possibilities

ctf_compromise:
* weapon balancing
* replace teleporter model
* lighting improvements
* rename fog shader due deploying issues
* playtesting!

ctf_gate1:
* weapon balancing seems to be bad. Put chaingun to a different spot?
* better: remove nailgun and replace it with chaingun. :)
* Weapon balancing!
* put GL to the sides
* replace Chaingun with LG
* Remove Nailgun from Domination gametypes
* put Domination Points to different locations

oa_koth2:
* new asset flag textures
* 1 additional rocket ammo in outer area
* check TDM gameplay
* smoother outer stonewalls

oa_koth1:
* retexture most of the crappy textures as it was intended originally
* add domination support
* replace teleporter model
* ask for player feedback

oa_black:
* finish cave brushwork
* do rough item placement
* release first gameplay alpha

slimefac:
* put respawn time for Haste to 120s
* remove randomized respawn times of items
* have Invisibility teamed up with Haste so they spawn in turns
* remove two staircases and alter lower rooms to have one additional big room
* put LG in new room
* move shortgun to where the large health powerup is located
* add megahealth to former LG position
* lava should not be a trap/thread anymore and be eyecandy only


playermodels:
* leather skin for beret
* ghost skin for assassin (like Q3A Bones)
* better Team skin for grism/sarge


powerups:
* model missing powerups and the ones schlorri created new 2D artwork

Planning and drawing

Although the pressure of creating better map models and textures is high, an idea of a temple based, fast paced tourney map was in my mind for weeks now. These stone monoliths are not the end of the line and better light and teleporter models will follow. I just cannot put myself in front of blender these days.

This drawing presents a rough shape of the mid level floor which has been created already. Alterations and new ideas went into it while I worked on it just for a few hours.

An alpha testing release will come soon together with an improved version of slimefac.

ctf_inyard_v3_b2 release

download (Save link as...)

changes:

• large health items replaced by multiple normal (+25hp) ones
• better jump pad behaviour
• domination gametype support
• double domination support removed (doesn't suit that map)
• missionpack gametypes support (one flag, harvester)
• additional spawnpoints
• added a torch at the now blocked hallways
• visual polish and other compile options
• rocketlauncher in the central yard near MH
• music (sonic1) meta entry in worldspawn
• alphamod yard ground texture, the evil skull is shown there
  
• roof to main platform added, it is becoming a balcony
• no railgun slugs anymore
• armor shards added to lower floor
• additional dom points
  

ctf_compromise V2 beta1 release

download (Save link as...)
Removed blue sky and skybox. The whole floor is made of brushes now because I hoped to have less impact on framerates that way. Removed patch meshes with decorative purposes only and added a few more hints which help a bit regarding to performance issues. Still a bit tweaking is possible.

An additional shotgun and the grenadelauncher have been placed in each base as well as support for One Flag CTF, Domination, and Double Domination gametypes.

The new passages could be improved by better lighting.

long time no see

Due only sporadic progress I was lazy adding my changes and ideas to this blog. Time to list up what has been done. This screenshot shows an experimental state of ctf_compromise. I am working on it at the moment to fix the sky clipping problem allowing players to exit the map and enter it at the enemy base. While on it I thought of improving the overall appearance and playability of it. Still it bothers me a bit not seeing it online at all.

Additional changes went into the other maps. See linked screenshots of ctf_gate1 and oa_koth2. I give a changelog below.

ctf_compromise:
-done

• ground patch meshes replaced by phong shaded brushes.
• renderperformance increased slightly but I am not satisfied yet
• many patchmeshes replaced by brushes
• nailgun replaces grenadelauncher
• additional way to every base added
• fog less dense now
• foghull removed (bad performance impact)
• skybox added (see screenshots) but it looks silly

-todo

• fix the sky bug - no clipping at the moment at all
  
• weapon balancing
• replace teleporter model
• reduce patch meshes or their visibility even further
  

ctf_gate1:
-done

• main layout changed, less pillars, less jumpy
• less obstacles, better reachability, faster
  
• additional ways to the sides of each base
• weapon spawn textures
• a trap
• texture improvements
• brush cleanup
• clipping bug fixed
• double domination support
  

-todo

• weapon balancing seems to be bad. Put chaingun to a different spot?
• better: remove nailgun and replace it with chaingun. :)

oa_koth2:
-done

• music (sonic1) meta entry in worldspawn
• domination support
• smoother outer stonewalls
• alphamod of outer groundtexture not looking like being cut with a knife
  

-todo

• new flag textures

Invasion Mod on OA?

Invasion is a mod for Q3A inspired by the Alien movies. Two fractions (marines and aliens) fight against each other and try to accomplish a certain goal, which for the marines can be destroying all alien eggs or grabbing an egg and getting to a teleporter. As players can chose among various marine types (armor and weapons) and alien races (different abilities) it's interesting if cooperative play is possible. All human players can join one team and bots will fill the opposing one, but don't expect a clever AI behind it. It works and that's important. Especially the aliens respawn all together, which leads into an aggressive bunch of foes approaching into the crowd of egg searching marines who cannot respawn.

Olivier asked me after reading my HUNT post if there is an option to get Invasion running on Open Arena. Besides the missing textures, which will hopefully be only a matter of time, exact replacements of Q3A playermodels won't be created. Unlike HUNT in Invasion, playermodels are fixed to the chosen armor class or alien race and are hard coded into the game logic.

On Open Arena it runs actually with default models at least if you enable cg_forcemodel and only the missing textures are a problem. If you are really into getting it working just get the sourcecode from the Invasion website and change the playermodels yourself. You will just miss a few nice skins for Orbb, Klesk and others.

Comparing its coop qualities I enjoy the fast gameplay, a nice HUD, and great weapons (no Q3A guns are used). A real Alien feeling emerges when playing Xenomorph and running across the ceiling, being the death from above. Too bad the places where eggs have to be destroyed are always the same so provided maps, which are great, get pretty repetitive. Anyway for me it is entertaining and I would prefer it over HUNT "Save the Universe". On the other hand the latter offers tons of randomized stuff you can never predict and especially "Escape from Hell" is my favourite, when it comes to coop.

Olivier did you check Tremolous and an Invasion mod for it? Maybe you will get what you are looking for. I have not tried any of these yet but I remember I had good times playing AvP1+2 multiplayer a long time ago.

ctf_inyard_v3 beta 1

It's time to release a first beta. I had a few tests already and it seems gameplay changed elementary. I'm looking forward to receive a few more hints on that. Item placement could be improved. Domination and missionpack gametypes are not supported yet.

A few more details will be added if everything is stated okay.

Download: http://cosmo.spaceboyz.net/openarena/ctf_inyard_v3_b1.pk3 (Save link as ...)

Work in progress

HUNT OA Server is up and running again. I cannot promise it will 24/7 but I am glad to have it working. Highscores will be tracked and put online every few days. I see quiet a lot people connecting and disconnecting seconds afterwards. Seems not everybody is able to get it running or just didn't enable auto download?

Improvements of maps are on the way. The biggest overhaul will be on ctf_inyard where I hope to release a version 3 beta soon. To have a more interesting and less straight map I want it to be more arena like which means that there will be no fog of death anymore. The centre of the map is becoming a big yard with a 90° turn in it. The pillars in every base will be moved aside so freedom of movement is gained. A serious change in weapon placement is on my list too.

Other changes and bugfixes will be on ctf_compromise (no hidden passage through the void anymore) and the clipping problem in ctf_gate1. Thanks to the people reporting this.

I hope to get a good teleportermodel done for these maps.

Stone Monolith

What's the ideal teleporter in a first person shooter?

A plain tube with a fancy texture applied to it?

The usual doorframe floating in the middle of the room?

Some scifi device that looks suspicious?

This is a draft. Two 'magical' monoliths which spawn a portal in between. A few red glowing runes would be nice.

Blender md3 exporter still is not as good as it could be regarding to two materials on one model.

oa_koth2 beta 3

download beta 3 release: http://cosmo.spaceboyz.net/openarena/oa_koth2_b3.pk3 (save target as ...)

Guys at OA forums gave me valuable hints. So here are my changes.

• candleholder models added. Updated my blender to latest version and discovered that the md3 exporter doesn't work anymore. Had to google for a different one which is not as good as the former exporter. :(
• BFG floats now and is reachable by rocketjumps and a harder to reach jumppad. I'm aware that there's now a 3rd way to reach the top floor from mid section of the map by a well executed rocketjump.
• BFG and Quad are now 'disconnected'
• green bobbing orb on top floor
• sound added to the orbs
• fixed 'squishing' respawn point
• replaced medkit with battlesuit so BFG usage is less dominating
• fixed problem of bots staying in front of closed door by adding donotenter brushes to the door sides.
• prevent bots from falling into abyss by adding donotenter brushes
• cobwebs. unsure to leave them in for final release. maybe a different shader would make them look better. need to discuss this.
• diamond blue shader problem solved
• reduced texture usage
• sky clipping. no more quad-proxy-mine-jumping out of the map. ;)
• tweaking compilation parameters: darker and moodier in certain spots.
• double domination gametype dropped

Most time went into mapmodel creation and texture painting. Less time was spend on testing as I state it mostly balanced now.

Give it a try. If I don't get more hints I'm releasing it as final with double domination support.