[MAPS-ALL]Problem On Many Custom Maps-Level Designers Please Read[DEFICIENCY]

[legacy-Toonces T. Cat]

Level Designers...I'm posting this not as a mapper, but as a server admin.

If you are interested in having your maps used on large public servers, please consider the following. Spoon's Sniper Arena has introduced the UT Sniper Rifle into UT2K3. Whether you are personally a fan of the weapon or not, it is now a fact on the ground and is going to be a big part of the game from this point on. In addition to the weapon itself, Melaneus has created SwitchArsenal and Kangus has released WoRM2k3...both of which allow the UT Sniper Rifle to be used in a non-arena mode and as a replacement for the UT2003 Assault Rifle.

Here's the rub and what all of this has to with level design. Both of the weapon replacement mutators convert the UT2003 Assault Rifle ammo into pick-ups for the UT Sniper Rifle. Of all the Epic CTF maps, only Maul and Orbital2 contain ammo pick-ups for the Assault Rifle. On the Dead Cats' UT2003 server, I had to discontinue using Bucky's Marsbase-3000, Slick_Willy's Halls of Anubis, Comm Array, and Forest of Giants...I also had to drop Baykal2003. All five were very popular maps that I hated taking out of the rotation.

So, please consider adding a few Assault Rifle ammo pick-ups to your new levels or updating your existing work, as without them, servers that run these weapon mutators may have to abandon your maps.

Thanks for listening...:D

-Toonces...

[legacy-Teddie]

:up: thanks for the info
(I'm glad that I throw those suckers in there to mix up the pickups in my maps)...

[legacy-Toonces T. Cat]

Originally posted by Teddie
:up: thanks for the info
(I'm glad that I throw those suckers in there to mix up the pickups in my maps)...

Teddie,

NP...I had really hoped that you would do a CTF version of your Xmas map...:cry:

I had my Xmas map and Sharpfish's up, but I don't run DM so I couldn't use yours. If you ever do a CTF version, let me know and I'll even put it up in June....I LOVE XMAS!

-Toonces...:D

[legacy-Teddie]

Thanks toonces,

Yeah, dirty bob's been begging me to make December24th into a CTF...

I probably will.

[legacy-Buckyfg]

You know whats funny Toonces T. Cat, I never thought of putting that ammo in, dont know why.

Guess because its a default weapon it never entered my mind.
I'll make sure its in my CTF-Shire due out soon.

Glad you posted this before I released my new one, I can see those mods becoming popular

edit, if I get the time I might do a big update on marsbase3000
Call it marsbase3000SE or something, that was my firstmap ever and didnt really know what I was doing. It came out well but I can now do alot more.

[legacy-Toonces T. Cat]

Originally posted by Buckyfg
You know whats funny Toonces T. Cat, I never thought of putting that ammo in, dont know why.

Guess because its a default weapon it never entered my mind.
I'll make sure its in my CTF-Shire due out soon.

Glad you posted this before I released my new one, I can see those mods becoming popular

Excellent! How about tossing a few packs into MarsBase3000 and re-releasing it...Just rename it to MarsBase3000][ or something that won't create a version conflict. I would very much like to have it back on the server.

-Toonces...:D

[Sharpfish]

Toonces,
I always/Usually stick a couple extra rounds of assult ammo in as I do realise its already a pain to run out of grenades. At least they were in festive Ridge and Starfall but not in tropica... ah well.. will try to remember for any future stuff.

Sharpfish

[legacy-Buckyfg]

Originally posted by Toonces T. Cat
Excellent! How about tossing a few packs into MarsBase3000 and re-releasing it...Just rename it to MarsBase3000][ or something that won't create a version conflict. I would very much like to have it back on the server.

-Toonces...:D

I need to get CTF-Shire out "should be soon" and I have a kool BR map thats about 80% done. If I change marsbase3000 I will be doing more than just the ammo :) , and I'll make sure its named differently.

Thanks again for the post

[legacy-Toonces T. Cat]

Originally posted by sharpfish
Toonces,
I always/Usually stick a couple extra rounds of assult ammo in as I do realise its already a pain to run out of grenades. At least they were in festive Ridge and Starfall but not in tropica... ah well.. will try to remember for any future stuff.

Sharpfish

Yes you do...and that's why Festive Ridge is still up and running with the mutators in place...:D

-Toonces

[legacy-JaFO(JBE)]

*eh* it's a sniperrifle ... doesn't it make more sense to use/replace the lightninggun + ammo ?
It'll be a lot easier to fix/write a mutator that does that then asking a dozen map-authors to adapt their maps to weapons they may not even like.

And considering the complaints about 'spam' ... I doubt that a map with a lot of that ammo will be fun to play without the sniperrifle-mutator ...

Having it replace the defaultweapon & grenades seems pretty stupid given it's job ...

[legacy-XxXvegasXxX]

Jafo's right. Wouldn't it make more since to replace the LG with the Sniper Rifle along with it's respective ammo, rather than having two different types of SRs and nixing all the Assault Rifle ammo?

[legacy-BaleFire]

[Originally posted by JaFO(JBE)
*eh* it's a sniperrifle ... doesn't it make more sense to use/replace the lightninggun + ammo ?
It'll be a lot easier to fix/write a mutator that does that then asking a dozen map-authors to adapt their maps to weapons they may not even like.

And considering the complaints about 'spam' ... I doubt that a map with a lot of that ammo will be fun to play without the sniperrifle-mutator ...

Having it replace the defaultweapon & grenades seems pretty stupid given it's job ...


Posted by Supun (The Mutator Author for SniperRifle) in another thread

Still waiting on a static mesh for the ammo and sniper rifle pickup. Translocator works in both modes (arena and non arena). I've made it so you can replace any weapon with the sniper rifle in non-arena mode. Once I get the static meshes I'll release 108.



Thats on its way.

[DC] BaleFire

[legacy-Toonces T. Cat]

Originally posted by XxXvegasXxX
Jafo's right. Wouldn't it make more since to replace the LG with the Sniper Rifle along with it's respective ammo, rather than having two different types of SRs and nixing all the Assault Rifle ammo?


:haha: ...There's actually a pretty darned good reason. As there's no mesh for the UT Sniper Rifle and Ammo for UT2003, it can only be used as a "Starting Weapon." And, as the Shield Gun has no ammo pick-ups, it's not really an option...Finally, some players actually like (although I'll never understand why...;) ) the Lightning Gun. Using the UT Sniper Rifle as a start-up weapon allows both of them to be in the game at the same time.

Once someone cooks up the proper meshes, it can be made into a sub-class and be it's own weapon without replacing something else...But, for now it's replace the Assault Rifle or don't use the mutes in combination.

-Toonces...:)

[legacy-Capt_13M]

Originally posted by Toonces T. Cat
:haha: ...There's actually a pretty darned good reason. As there's no mesh for the UT Sniper Rifle and Ammo for UT2003, it can only be used as a "Starting Weapon." And, as the Shield Gun has no ammo pick-ups, it's not really an option...Finally, some players actually like (although I'll never understand why...;) ) the Lightning Gun. Using the UT Sniper Rifle as a start-up weapon allows both of them to be in the game at the same time.


-Toonces...:)

Couldn't someone that maps or models make a mesh in Gmax or 3DSM? Maybe MaYa? Then write it into the game code ?? I don't know It's just a thought ??

[legacy-Toonces T. Cat]

Originally posted by Capt_13M
Couldn't someone that maps or models make a mesh in Gmax or 3DSM? Maybe MaYa? Then write it into the game code ?? I don't know It's just a thought ??

...and actually it's a very good thought...;) If you'll check Balefire's post above, you'll see that folks are already working on it.

-Toonces...:D

[legacy-JaFO(JBE)]

Originally posted by Toonces T. Cat
:haha: ...There's actually a pretty darned good reason. As there's no mesh for the UT Sniper Rifle and Ammo for UT2003, it can only be used as a "Starting Weapon." And, as the Shield Gun has no ammo pick-ups, it's not really an option...Finally, some players actually like (although I'll never understand why...;) ) the Lightning Gun. Using the UT Sniper Rifle as a start-up weapon allows both of them to be in the game at the same time.

Once someone cooks up the proper meshes, it can be made into a sub-class and be it's own weapon without replacing something else...But, for now it's replace the Assault Rifle or don't use the mutes in combination.

-Toonces...:)
Still of all the weapons available ... I still think that picking the lightninggun-mesh, -pickups & ammo as a placeholder-graphics would have been a lot better (and easier for server-admins ;)).
I guess you just have to wait for the next version before adding that ugly thing on your servers ... ;)

[legacy-Melaneus]

SwitchArsenal v 3b supports any weapon to be a starting weapon. So you can set the Minigun to sniper rifle and have ammo for the Sniper rifle on the map, for example.