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.

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