CTF-Volatile][

[legacy-hellfirexq]

Name: CTF-Volatile][
Version: 1
Compatibility: UT2k4
Description: The volatile atmosphere of the planet Ghadamac has produced many large fissures and canyons eroded by the intense acidic rain. The constantly gnawing pain of the rain pelting your skin will be the last of your worries.
Comments: Hey All. Well, I'm back to mapping, and I've pumped out my first map for UT2k4, I remake of a map I did for the original UT, but I put a lot of work into pumping this one up. Grab it here, and tell me what you think. Thanks.
Screenshot:
http://www.planetunreal.com/dmcb/site/ctf_volatile][_large.jpg
http://www.planetunreal.com/dmcb/site/ctf_volatile][_large2.jpg
http://www.planetunreal.com/dmcb/site/ctf_volatile][_large3.jpg
Credits: Myself
Homepage: http://www.planetunreal.com/dmcb/
Download: http://www.fileplanet.com/dl.aspx?planethalflife/dmcb/addons/unrealt2k4/ctf-volatile][.zip

[legacy-Boris2000]

From what I've played of this map, the layout seems to have a pretty decent flow. But this map is really badly optimized, and one nitpick I have was that the rain fell trough the ceiling in several places.

Also, how come the map is over 60+ mb extracted? :weird:

Anyways, correct these problems and the map can be gold! :cool: :up:

[legacy-Penguin]

Nice looking map hellfirexq.

I've edited your post using the screenshot tags, please use them in the future for images over the allowed size.

[ shot] [ /shot] without the spaces. Thank you.

[legacy-hellfirexq]

Thanks penguin.

Boris, I didn't know how to optiimze it any further, I used antiportals where I was able too. I cut down on detail in the center to help speed it up. The 60 mb size is upsetting, but I added my own static meshes and their are 6 cube maps I added for reflections, so that unfortunately adds on a lot of overhead. It's either that or have seperate texture packages, which I think is worse since it will still be the same size, but in many files, not one.

[legacy-Boris2000]

If I were you, I would check to see how many poly's the mountains at the sides are made of. Seeing as it's only simple scenery, those shouldn't get much attention anyways.

Can't wait 'til these problems are fixed, then I'm sure I'll play this map many times. ;) :up:

[legacy-ChaosWolfs]

plz get a DL mirror plz.

[legacy-hellfirexq]

Ask and you shall receieve. This goes to both Boris and Chaos...
Here's a non file planet link, http://www.unrealplayground.com/download.php?mapid=5949

And it is the new version, I fixed the rain issues, I lowered the terrains detail without a visual difference, lowered the file size from 60 to 45 mb (17 to 11 in compressed form), and did a touch more optimizing, it does run much smoother.

Thanks for the feedback.

[legacy-DimensionSeven]

I played ctf-volatile][b, but it was SO horrible on fps, i had to delete it. 8-9fps :bulb: with my standard settings, that give 30-40 on an average map. :sour:

[legacy-SirJusticE]

i love this map, just what i was looking for, thanks

[legacy-hellfirexq]

Originally posted by d-7
I played ctf-volatile][b, but it was SO horrible on fps, i had to delete it. 8-9fps :bulb: with my standard settings, that give 30-40 on an average map. :sour:

Hmm, I have heard reports of it running slow on some machines, and I still haven't figured out why. It's optimized, and on my machine it runs faster than a lot of standard UT2k4 maps. I think the water in it may be hurting some machines performance, but its strange because only certain machines are being affected. Does any one have more information about this?

I assume it ran well for you then, SirJusticE?

[legacy-Shakuurn]

Might be the fluidsurfaceinfo(s). You can make them faster by scaling them up and reducing USize and VSize in the fluidsurfaceinfo properties, as well as setting the polygon type to non-hexagonal.

[legacy-hellfirexq]

I will try that. Hopefully I can find someone to help me test if that makes a difference, since my machine runs fine through it all.

[legacy-hellfirexq]

Okay, third time is the charm hopefully. I reduced detail of the fluidsurfaceinfo and stretched it out. The waves are less pretty now, but it is far more playable on lower end machines. I now know why large fluidsurfaces aren't used much if ever in UT2k4. I'm sorry for people suffering through the first two versions. Grab the new one here:
http://www.unrealplayground.com/maps.php?mapid=6044

[legacy-hellfirexq]

Any feedback on this version? It should be playable now, so now you can actually tell me what you think of it.

[legacy-NeoPhoenix]

I have some feed back. It's a really nice map, and runs/plays smooth... However the file size is way too large for a map such as this. 44MB is way to large. I mean look at the recent map on this site DM-Keggerparty. The map is much larger than your map, has way more custom meshes and textures, and it is half the size of your map. This map should have been no larger than 15MB. Either keep that in mind for your next map, or if you want, learn how to fix this map and resubmit it. I know I would play this if it were a smaller file size, and I'm sure some servers would run it as well ;).

[legacy-hellfirexq]

It can be reduced a little more, but not much. I added about six reflective cube maps, and thats what takes up so much memory. I really wanted to keep those. I'm not sure of any other techniques to reduce the file size, if you could suggest a few I'd love to hear them. I can lower the light maps, but I like the sharp lighting, and I already lowered light maps on surfaces that didn't matter.

[legacy-Yournan2000]

nice water effects:up:

use a moonlight actor as well to give better lighting, your map mostly has white-ish lighting.

a nice sunlight actor with a moonlight colour would work wonders and produce some ncie shadows as well

also make your light "glow" besides using a corona. to do this use a high brightness light low saturation to make it darker and a low radius.

hope that helps

MsM

[legacy-SealClubber]

Looks cool. :)

[legacy-hellfirexq]

Originally posted by Yournan2000
nice water effects:up:
a nice sunlight actor with a moonlight colour would work wonders and produce some ncie shadows as well


You mean a sunlight actor right? One is used, but not heavily, because its extremely cloudy, so the light that comes down is very dull, which is how it should be if its cloudy. I'd only want strong shadows if the sun was clearly visible. Thanks for the comments.

[Xyx]

Great UT99 CTF gameplay! :up:

I didn't get those cool water effects seen in the top screenie. :( I did enable high world and physics detail, but all I get is a very slight undulation. Do I need higher than normal texture detail? Any suggestions?

[legacy-hellfirexq]

Thanks

That screenshot is a touch old, I had to lower the detail on the waves quite a bit because apparently it really hurt lower end machines, which is unfortunate since on my machine it ran better than most standard ut2k4 maps, and it looked awesome.

You should still be experiencing more than 'very slight undulation', but I don't know what settings would change that, I have everything maxed out myself.