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.

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.

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 ...)

Reload and rewrite

I was able to show Astro the last progress of ctf_gate1 which I tested several times but stopped working on as nasty licence issues and bad treatment of talented artists occured. Seems he likes it but had his own oppinion about the pillars. Leaving me thinking about them on my way home. Anyway as I returned from my vacation Gerbil did a run through my last release of this map and gave me several good hints how improvements could be done. I appreatiate that and as leilol asked for an updated singleplayer file I suggested a while ago I knew that release of OA 0.81 will be soon.

Two hours later I fixed things Astro and Gerbil mentioned and retextured the whole map. I'm not so pleased with my outcome as I created everything regarding to the textures I was given and OA lacks versatile and themed textures again after the ban.

I want the map to be in 0.81 and I hope it will be more accepted then my last two ctf maps as it offers a different gameplay. Still I fear it's relies too much on jumping skills. The next one won't I promise. :)

I rearanged the OA singleplayer maps to be more themed in their tiers but there is still work to be done. A lot of finetuning and tourney maps should be part of that.

Texture issues, ctf_inyard updated and new mapmodel

Okay,
time to get some things done. I created a new mapobject helping me to illuminate in blender although I have no map to put it in yet. ;)
I guess Armageddonman does.

TRaKs textures are gone now and lei didn't put the rest of the new additions for OA 0.81 to SVN yet. It's a bit hard for me to use it now.

New fixes on ctf_inyard:
- nailgun and shotgun switched places (I hope it improves balance)
- banned textures replaced
- different lightning parameters for mapcompile.

Updated version will be in OA 0.81

Symmetry and Jumping

I cannot deny that my last maps (especially ctf_inyard and ctf_gate1) are jump-intensive as the player has to be able to jump periodical to travel through the map. This can be a problem for new players and it distracts from the main gameplay as you have to concentrate on your movement and less on your foes and you're more prone to railshots as your movement gets more predictable. On the other hand I'm sure it helps improving skills.
Future maps will include less forced jumping.

In ctf_gate1 it seems my pillars are still too heavy in details and are not subtle enough as they are the only thing that catches the eye. I'm thinking about to break this symmetry a bit to have one or two pillars different and to move the top level gateentrance less centered. I shall test this in various ways.

Anyway I added missionpack gametypes support and various items.
Gameplaywise I think those special missionpack items (Guard, Doubler, Speed) are wrong in ctf_gate1. I'm not sure about the nailgun. First I'm going to remove the Speed item.

ctf_gate1 increasing gameplay

As the two bases are connected with just one long yard the gameplay is a bit too simple. Thinking about how I solved this didn't make me happy so I choose to change that. Dropping the current flagrooms as they were small, goodlooking because of TRaKs filth textureset and using the opposite ends as new flag bases sounds okay. The blue base is rotated by 180° and connected directly to the red pillar room just having the big wall / new gate between them.

I hope to get a straighter and faster gameplay.

ctf_gate1 beta 2

After reducing details of each pillar and hinting severe spots frames got decent and the map becomes playable. I just mirrored everything and autoreplaced the textures to get a blue base. Additional details are added to the walls, items and powerups changed and constantly tests against bots help me fixing lots of issues.
I discovered another bug in OA 0.8 as I think Double Domination points should not be in the same place where CTF flags are.

The next beta release: ctf_gate1_b2.pk3 (save link as...)

Still things can be improved.
Edittime so far: 10h

ctf_gate1 beta 1

The name is misleading as there is just one base to have some deathmatch in. I want to release this as an early beta as just in this version my pillars keep high detailed. I'm going to simplify them for performance reasons so additional details can be added to the yet plain walls. Deathmatch is playable against bots and map source file is included. Lightning could be a bit brighter in some places. The map is pretty dark themed so the red lights are a bit piercing.

Worktime: 6h (testing requires a lot)

file: ctf_gate1_b1.pk3 (save link as ...)

As this map is a small one and I'm using TRaKs fantastic textures it won't take me long to finish once I fixed performance issues and get a decent balancing done.