DM-Phobetor public beta

[BigDragon]

New stuff:

Beta release of DM-Phobetor is now available. You can download the file here: http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/DM-PhobetorBeta.zip (10 mb).

Known issues:
- Music cuts out (Remixed music on the way)
- More "grungification" needed
- Preview picture is black

This file will be available for download for approximately 72 hours.

HOW TO INSTALL
Unzip the ut3, upk, and ini file into C:\Documents and Settings\<YOUR_NAME>\My Documents\My Games\Unreal Tournament 3\UTGame\Published\CookedPC\CustomMaps. When you load up UT3 this map should appear under DM, Team DM, and Duel. If you are using -nohomedir then I'm not really sure where the map goes since it wouldn't even cook for me under -nohomedir.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor011.jpg


Old stuff below
-------------------------
Old build, now discontinued.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/da/MorphBeta001.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/da/MorphBeta002.jpg

[CaptainZap]

Wow! Looks nice! :)

I'll give this a try when I get a chance. :D

[TheIronKnuckle]

For the music you really need something like the original score, that really helped to set the atmosphere in the original version, hope you get a map pic for instant action soon. Also, i like maps to have map descriptions, i am dloading your map now so i don't know if it has one or not, but it had better. lol.

btw @ captain zap:


"The patch will come out when its done... As the game did as well."

I assume this means that we aren't going to be getting a patch that fixes much. LOLLER

EDIT: I open up the ini to find NO DESCRIPTION!?! And the mapname is unprofessional. Of course, this IS a beta, so hopefully the final version will have no "Publicbeta4" in its mapname. And a description that flows with the series canon. AND a screenshot. But other then that, the map is looking good! GJ

[Mr.Suicide]

Just gave this map a run through. First of all, the overall shape of the map was quite boring, especially indoors. Everything was the exact same on them, from the box static mesh placement to the totally out of place oriental dragon. It would be nice if you made each building different in the shape, size and layout. It will add a lot the level and make it seem interesting than the arenaish style you have currently.

Visually the map was very boring indoors. The floor and ceiling was the same thing tiled over and over again while the walls were very plain and did not match up with the doors at the end of the room. Also the oriental plants and dragon statue are way out of place, especially with the walls, floors, and ceiling chosen. The middle walkways leading from each building have some problems, they are clipping and the static meshes below them seem to be random in having no collision. It go really annoying jump towards one to try to do a wall jump off it and to just fly through it and fall to my death.

Seriously, make the rooms interesting at least game play wise to be in. It's really lame just to have it be a subtracted cube with a couple of box meshes thrown in and no reason to even step foot in one half of the room. Looking forward to the next build of the map:)

[threeonefive]

just didn't have the same feel as the morpheus from ut99. 6/10

[darkyautja]

Good remake , yes the feeling is different of the ut99 one but you have done a goodjob !! hope to see more maps by you .

[darkyautja]

do you plan to make a ctf version of it ? that will be very cool

[Knazzer]

Have to check this map out :)

[darkyautja]

OS: Win95 | CPU: 10 Giga Quads | Graphics Card: Voodoo 3 | RAM: 128MB | Monitor: 64" Barbie Princess TV

Lol knazzer your comp rox !

[Vzur]

Been looking forward to a Morpheus remake. Just tried it out, and a few comments..

Right off, running across the long walkway of health vials, it seemed a little too expansive. After jumping from building to building, yeah, definately, too big and spread out. I understand wanting to make it bigger than past versions, but I think at least part of it should be closer together, close-quarters, smaller scale.

Air control seemed too great. Lacked the feel of free falling, hardly ever fell, was too easy to just swim around. (Probably beyond map-maker control, but on a related note, bothered me that when I knocked bots off edges to their deaths, it didn't count as my kill, just their suicides.)

Other than that, I'd just say it needs a little more polish and detail here and there. And a familiar soundtrack, of course :)

[optic_freeze]

Personally, I think this map is great. I loaded it with bots and I didn't get bored with it. Fix the music issue and I am sure a few other minor tweaks and it should be good. But, honestly, I liked it....

[CaptainZap]

btw @ captain zap:

"The patch will come out when its done... As the game did as well."

I assume this means that we aren't going to be getting a patch that fixes much. LOLLER

Heheh :D I quoted what a bonehead posted in an earlier thread a few days ago. I thought it was so funny I put it in my sig. :D

My sig is different now. It's made to remind the whiners to quit b!tching and start filling up some servers. :)

[BigDragon]

Thanks for the feedback so far! I have received quite a bit from this forum and from Beyond Unreal. I currently plan to start the map over from scratch again. This will be the fourth time I've done so (that's where the 0.3 came from since I've had 3 different rebuilds). I'm seeing the following themes in a large number of feedback responses:

- Scaling feels off...map feels over-sized or players feel tiny; lots of travel; too much space.
- The current build is too far off from the original Morpheus and a rename for this map seems to be appropriate (MorpheusXL? NeoMorpheus? MorpheusSE? StratoMorph? etc.).

I currently have a list of known issues and what I'm going to do is scrap this version, like I did the previous 2, and rebuild from scratch again using a different approach. I will be installing UT99 again later today and playing the original, then I want to blend the original DM-Morpheus with my concept. What I hope to achieve is the right balance between the old Morpheus and my vision for what would make it better.

This project changed a lot from the first time I released screenshots of the early version. It will change a bit more before it's done, but incremental change improves things when you listen to ideas and feedback. That's what I aim to do.

Thanks again! I will post updates in a few days once I have the new build looking presentable.

[CameO73]

Great idea! In the meantime I'm quite happy playing this beta... and looking forward to the next iteration!

[bn_avit]

Hey I've been on the look out for a morpheus remake and this is nearly there... What i suggest is change the inside parts to be more like the original and move them up abit and therefore remove the jumps which I think are not needed (slows the game down) also put ramps in and another floor between the inside part and the top which will improve gameplay also bring the towers closer together and open up the inside parts at the front so you can either jump across or run up... Also the top platforms seem a little thin if you ask me they dont look like they can hold the weight of the player stood on the top lol ... also I know that you will probs add this at a later date but the sky box needs more e.g. nebulars and planets... I know that this seems alot but on the whole you seem to have quite a nice map here and being a mapper myself this Editor is no walk in the park lol I am still finding my way round lol keep up the good work thank you for this map even if it has flaws its still fun :):):)

[revel911]

Thanks for the feedback so far! I have received quite a bit from this forum and from Beyond Unreal. I currently plan to start the map over from scratch again. This will be the fourth time I've done so (that's where the 0.3 came from since I've had 3 different rebuilds). I'm seeing the following themes in a large number of feedback responses:

- Scaling feels off...map feels over-sized or players feel tiny; lots of travel; too much space.
- The current build is too far off from the original Morpheus and a rename for this map seems to be appropriate (MorpheusXL? NeoMorpheus? MorpheusSE? StratoMorph? etc.).

I currently have a list of known issues and what I'm going to do is scrap this version, like I did the previous 2, and rebuild from scratch again using a different approach. I will be installing UT99 again later today and playing the original, then I want to blend the original DM-Morpheus with my concept. What I hope to achieve is the right balance between the old Morpheus and my vision for what would make it better.

This project changed a lot from the first time I released screenshots of the early version. It will change a bit more before it's done, but incremental change improves things when you listen to ideas and feedback. That's what I aim to do.

Thanks again! I will post updates in a few days once I have the new build looking presentable.

You are definitely on the right rack, but I would like to see twoi things which would greatly improve your map.

- As mentioned by other people, the interiors need to be different, maybe one open, one small rooms, and one a thin corridor.

- Can we vary the tower heights a bit?

[BigDragon]

I went back and played the original DM-Morpheus tonight. I haven't played it in years. Boy did I get this wrong. Time to start over. But I know what needs to be done now! :D

[BigDragon]

If anyone else wishes to try this map, please download it in the next 48 hours. I'm going to pull down the file and remove the download link this weekend.

Here's how things are progressing now:
- Map's name is now DM-Phobetor.
- I went back and played UT99's Morpheus, saw how wrong I got things, and then started over from scratch.
- The new towers are all parts of a large bsp cylinder, but I cut out some polygons to create fully separate towers. I did the same for the ledges on each tower.
- The center platform between the towers is more like the original Morpheus design than what mine was.
- The curved skybridges are now gone since the towers are much closer.
- The height of the towers has been lowered again so you can see more of a city down below.
- Gravity has been increased.
- The stairs are back--no more jump tubes.
- I don't have any new screenshots to post yet because the map isn't presentable yet. I may have screenshots to show over this weekend.
- 1 friend tested the development version and I got a "wow".

[Jagnot]

- Atmosphere is lacking. Ambient sounds and possible sky traffic planned.

That.. would be.. awesome!

Looks great!

[Sunshine1709Str]

i love morpheus, and this map too, but it crashes while loading.why?

[Vzur]

- Gravity has been increased.

Was wondering if this had anything to do with my comment on air control. At first, I thought that must be a map setting, but now I realize UT3 just has more air control than previous versions. It was just more obvious in the reduced gravity. So I'm guessing, unlike gravity, air control isn't even a map setting, but would need to be tied to a mutator?

Second, I was trying out another beta map, "bedroom" and noticed that there, I did get kills for knocking players to environmental deaths. So whether or not environment suicides get attributed to other players is built into the map somehow?

[BigDragon]

i love morpheus, and this map too, but it crashes while loading.why?I have absolutely no idea. It probably has something to do with the folder structure. Epic hasn't fully explained this yet so it's confusing to get everything into the right places so that you don't get any errors or crashes. Sorry :(


Was wondering if this had anything to do with my comment on air control. At first, I thought that must be a map setting, but now I realize UT3 just has more air control than previous versions. It was just more obvious in the reduced gravity. So I'm guessing, unlike gravity, air control isn't even a map setting, but would need to be tied to a mutator?

Second, I was trying out another beta map, "bedroom" and noticed that there, I did get kills for knocking players to environmental deaths. So whether or not environment suicides get attributed to other players is built into the map somehow?I'm honestly not sure on this. I'm still playing around with things to get them working just right. This was my first released UT map ever. The air control on regular jumps is something set by Epic. The air control on the jump pads was set by me. The jump tubes were set at .5 I think while the center main jump pad was set at 1. This is why the jump tubes always deliver you to about the same spot and the center jump pad shoots you off where ever you want to go. There are physics and fluid volumes that I can edit in order to manipulate how traveling through the air feels though. The latest build of this map (which looks nothing like the version I released) is based on the idea that you should be able to single jump between towers like in the original DM-Morpheus.

I'm going to look into the kill volumes and see if I can get the map to credit the right person for kills via falling off the towers.

[vossy]

fu***** awsome, i loved morpheus 3 and at first look of this map i was a bit annoyed but i have to say its amazing and that you shouldnt give up on it as it could well become a popular map in no time and you should continue to improve this map until everyones happy.

Try making a christmas version later on too :P

[MatG]

Wow, this looks awesome :D

[RedSteels_Fury]

Ok, quick bug i found while playing this map, you would go right through the static meshes on the side of the circular walkways; Screenshots:

http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=morpheusbugqj7.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=morpheusbug2rs4.jpg

[NotAgOat]

I gave the map a whirl, heres my input:
It doesn't really feel at all like morpheus did, its much to large and the layout isn't even the same. You cant jump between buildings like you used to, and its just way to huge.
The circular catwalk throws things off.
I dunno, I cant really say. It is just to large and should be renamed to Neo. I look forward to remake 5.

[TheIronKnuckle]

Map is good really, but no skybox? Come on man.

It plays differently to the original. but a bit TOO differently. Introduce more doorways in the buildings, or make the inside of the bridge walkable or something.

[Pepsi]

404 not found :(

[Andeh]

dead link, gg.

[BigDragon]

Just to let everyone know, CyMek is working on a version of Morpheus that is faithful to the original layout with an absolute minimum number of changes. His project is DM-MorpheusIV (note the IV instead of 4). Mine is now renamed to DM-Phobetor. I am still going after the Morpheus formula, but I'm not doing it exactly like the older versions.


fu***** awsome, i loved morpheus 3 and at first look of this map i was a bit annoyed but i have to say its amazing and that you shouldnt give up on it as it could well become a popular map in no time and you should continue to improve this map until everyones happy.

Try making a christmas version later on too :PIf you liked this you'll probably like the new version I'm building just as much. :) I've taken the feedback I've gotten from this beta release and applied it to where I'm going with the next build. It's all helped a lot in directing my future plans. Unfortunately, I don't have any screenshots from the new build at the moment. Yes, I have some older ones, but I made more changes last night to render those shots significantly outdated. I may have screenshots of the new build later tonight or tomorrow though.


Ok, quick bug i found while playing this map, you would go right through the static meshes on the side of the circular walkways; Screenshots:

http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=morpheusbugqj7.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=morpheusbug2rs4.jpgThanks for the detailed input. :) That is a known issue due to the blocking volume on the sky bridges not being sized right on the outer part of the ring. I had it right on the inside of the ring but not on the outside unfortunately. The collision boundaries for the entire sky bridge had to be done using custom blocking volumes.


I gave the map a whirl, heres my input:
It doesn't really feel at all like morpheus did, its much to large and the layout isn't even the same. You cant jump between buildings like you used to, and its just way to huge.
The circular catwalk throws things off.
I dunno, I cant really say. It is just to large and should be renamed to Neo. I look forward to remake 5.That's the most common response I got so I went back and played the original UT99 GOTY version of DM-Morpheus. I was surprised how wrong I got things. So now I'm constructing a completely new build plus I'm changing the name of the map since I'm making a significant number of changes.


Map is good really, but no skybox? Come on man.You're the second person to tell me there's an issue with the skybox. I wonder if the meshes are getting culled on your system. There should be a star sphere, a dark planet below with some spots of light for cities, and a little bit of a city directly below the towers. If it's all unlit then things look weird, but when its lit as intended it's alright. I'm going to look into the culling thing. If you get a chance, please let me know what your world detail settings are (I set mine to 3).


404 not found :(

dead link, gg.
I took the file off my server and forgot to remove the link here, sorry! You can still download this map from http://www.ut3modding.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;id=76 . This map was never intended to be a full permanent release. It was more of a checkpoint to see if I was going in the right direction or not.

[BigDragon]

Hey, just a quick update on where I'm going. The lighting still needs work, I'm not happy with the interior space yet, and only one tower is just about fleshed out where I want it. Things are coming along and you can start to see where I'm going. I've made a slight change to the center platform. Now there will be a kind of spaceship landed on the end platform but it'll be on landing struts so players can walk underneath of it. In UT2004 there was a platform between the towers that had a target painter on it. I'm doing something a little different, but similar. I'm not sure if it's going to work out yet though.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/da/003.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/da/004.jpg

[MamiyaOtaru]

Wow. Totally different from morpheus4. I like where you are going with this. The scenery looks great and the layout familiar. I'll be hanging on to morpheus4 as because I thought it was fun, but I'm looking forward to Phobetor.

[CameO73]

WOW! Very nice. Looking forward to actually playing it!

One minor thing, though: I don't know if I like the ceiling texture much ... seems a bit out of place somehow.

[Ignotium]

Amazing one BigDragon i dled the first beta you posted out in BU's forum and really liked most of it. Really liked the new ideas you brought in!

What i think it would be a nice thing to do, is to lower the center catwalks with the jumpad even more, right now they feel like they are just too close and it makes everything to feel a little too "open" while in previous version you knew that it was better to concentrate your firepower in the section you were in. I hope you kinda get what i'm trying to say.

Other thing that maybe goo for eye-candy reasons, would be to add the textures that epic used to define the different zone in Deimos, you know, to do something like defining bounds to the zero gravity zones and the full gravity zones.

And maybe it would also be a good idea to try the "no-gravity-tunnel" thing instead of the jumpads located inside the buildings, in order to reach higher ground. I'm just suggesting to give it a try, it might turn out as a good thing you know, hehehe

Keep up the hard work man! really looking forward to this one.

PD, new beta, when?

[[209]]

can't you just import and edit DM-Morpheus?
no use in changing things around imo, even with crappy textures i would be really happy...

[A11eyKat]

Can you export it for the PS3 please

[BigDragon]

What i think it would be a nice thing to do, is to lower the center catwalks with the jumpad even more, right now they feel like they are just too close and it makes everything to feel a little too "open" while in previous version you knew that it was better to concentrate your firepower in the section you were in. I hope you kinda get what i'm trying to say.

Other thing that maybe goo for eye-candy reasons, would be to add the textures that epic used to define the different zone in Deimos, you know, to do something like defining bounds to the zero gravity zones and the full gravity zones.

PD, new beta, when?I'm going to try out lowering the center platform a bit more. It does seem a little high now that I think about it. Also, I would like to add the forcefield effects to differentiate zones. That's a good idea I've seen come up a couple of times now. I'm going to play with that later today and see how it works out. :)

I've got two towers working and now I'm making adjustments to the third tower. The jump tubes were replaced with stairs and the layouts are a bit more faithful to the original Morpheus, but still changed plenty. I'm thinking I'll have the new build ready for release this weekend, but I'm not sure. I also think I fixed the problem with the skybox disappearing. I think lower detail settings or view distances were causing the skybox meshes to cull.


;25159976']can't you just import and edit DM-Morpheus?
no use in changing things around imo, even with crappy textures i would be really happy...It's already been done by CyMek here: http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?t=192463 . I don't think he posted it on these forums.


Can you export it for the PS3 pleaseYes. That is on my to do list. You'll have to wait until I release the final, but it's not going to be all that much longer.

[_jani_123xxx]

Hi, can u give any date when this map would be ready and for download?

[BigDragon]

Hi, can u give any date when this map would be ready and for download?I am aiming to release this map over this coming weekend. However, that is subject to change due to my end of semester/graduation busy schedule. Depending on what all is working, the map may be released as a beta or it may get released as a final if I'm that happy with it. I have already drawn up plans for a VCTF map I want to start on soon so hopefully I can get this current project wrapped up in a week or two.

[TheIronKnuckle]

You're the second person to tell me there's an issue with the skybox. I wonder if the meshes are getting culled on your system. There should be a star sphere, a dark planet below with some spots of light for cities, and a little bit of a city directly below the towers. If it's all unlit then things look weird, but when its lit as intended it's alright. I'm going to look into the culling thing. If you get a chance, please let me know what your world detail settings are (I set mine to 3).

I have mine on max. Whatever that is. I suppose it doesn't matter now that you are doing a new map.

Change the name to Morpheobus. Phobetor is cool, but it would have worked if you were sticking with the other map. The new morph that you are doing is closer to the original, so have the mapname a bit closer too. BTW, the skybox in this new version is wacked out, get rid of those buildings. The morpheus towers are supposed to be the only galaxy towers, and it looks to me as if some of those other buildings are coming out of the sea.

edit: just looked at screenies again. You are 1337. Make that spaceship on the end drivable or something (that would be funny, but of course detract from the original morpheus feeling), or release 2 versions: one with a necris plane on the landing pad that CAN be driven (Like in heatray), or maybe a raptor.... The other version would have no vehicles. But if you only want to go for one version only, do it without vehicles. I don't like them in DM. (Ironic eh? considering i just suggested it)

[TheIronKnuckle]

bumpy time

[BigDragon]

New screenshots. :) Bot pathing is complete, bots play the map well, and item placement is done. I'm pretty much waiting on the music file (custom remix offered by a ChaosUT team member :) ), doing some final tests, tweaking some collisions, and generating additional billboard ad things. Also, bloom is on and so is depth of field. They're both set very low. In game you won't notice them. In these screenshots the depth of field creeps up on the distance views in particular. It's very slight though.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor011.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor010.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor009.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor008.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor007.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor006.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor005.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor004.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor003.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor002.jpg
http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/Phobetor001.jpg

[MamiyaOtaru]

That looks awesome. I guess I kinda miss the greater number of other buildings from the last shot but it's clearly up to you. It's still amazing to me how much this level has changed through its iterations.

Question about the level's fiction though. What is the landing pad for? Are the people who use it (executives headed to a meeting or whatever) expected to get into the building by using a jumppad? Or was the pad added solely as a way to get the deathmatch participants (who would be used to jump pads) up there?

If this is to look like a building that just happens to be used for deathmatches, some sort of walkway from the pad to the building(s) with a locked door would make it look a little more real.

Please don't do this though, I'm just being anal. Maps like Carbon Fire show how UT3 levels actually do a pretty good job anymore of looking like the location described in the level fiction, so I wondered about the pad. But seriously, ignore. The level looks great and gameplay is the primary concern and I'll just assume the landing pad is there to bring in the contestants and isn't used by the suits :)

[TheIronKnuckle]

change the name to morpheobus already! Pheobter is too foriegn, nothing like morpheus. This map is closer to morpheus so its name should be closer as well. Phoebter sounds like some sort of phoebus remake.

Otherwise, the map is uber, i will definately dload! Plz make sure it has player count, map screenshot, and a good map description. If you do that i will be in heaven for a long time...........

edit: maybe add some more heavy clouds on certain locations, this will make the clouds around the towers look a bit more natural. You know what i mean? Not natural in a treehugger sense. Natural in the "This fits with the level" sense.

[_jani_123xxx]

nice nice..this map need some advertise so peoples join if somebody host this..any change get this map in some regural DM server?

[BigDragon]

Beta release of DM-Phobetor is now available. You can download the file here: http://www.personal.psu.edu/zjb105/DM-Phobetor/DM-PhobetorBeta.zip (10 mb).

Known issues:
- Music cuts out (Remixed music on the way)
- More "grungification" needed
- Preview picture is black

This file will be available for download for approximately 72 hours.

[revel911]

change the name to morpheobus already! Pheobter is too foriegn, nothing like morpheus. This map is closer to morpheus so its name should be closer as well. Phoebter sounds like some sort of phoebus remake.

Otherwise, the map is uber, i will definately dload! Plz make sure it has player count, map screenshot, and a good map description. If you do that i will be in heaven for a long time...........

edit: maybe add some more heavy clouds on certain locations, this will make the clouds around the towers look a bit more natural. You know what i mean? Not natural in a treehugger sense. Natural in the "This fits with the level" sense.

I agree, change the name back. With as good as this map is, you want people to recognize the name.

[CameO73]

Wow! This map is now a lot more like the original Morpheus. I love it!

I'm only having a little bit of trouble getting to the antenna stuff (UDamage, invisiblity and Redeemer). Somehow I always seem to jump into oblivion :)

Looking forward to the final map (and playing this one to death in the meantime)!

[revel911]

Wow! This map is now a lot more like the original Morpheus. I love it!

I'm only having a little bit of trouble getting to the antenna stuff (UDamage, invisiblity and Redeemer). Somehow I always seem to jump into oblivion :)

Looking forward to the final map (and playing this one to death in the meantime)!

You can get there, I played it a lot last night...... there is just a penalty for messing up which is the challenge.

[_jani_123xxx]

bots seems to be little harder this map than regular ones

[revel911]

bots seems to be little harder this map than regular ones

I noticed that too.

[BigDragon]

Thanks for the feedback so far. :) I recognize there's a problem getting the bots to go after the powerups (redeemer, udamage, and invsibility). There's also some pathing corrections to be made. I'll also tweak the antennas a bit so it's a little harder to overshoot the jump. This will mainly be a slight repositioning. I'm going to go back and play the original DM-Morpheus from UT99 again to check the center jump platform.

I think the bots are a bit harder because you are normally always in their vision radius. They normally know where you are too because only the building BSP occludes.

I'm going to wait for some more feedback through the end of the weekend and then make the final adjustments. Right now I've got finals on Monday to prepare for and another map in the works (not sure if it will be WAR or VCTF).

[Vzur]

Finally got to try this latest iteration, and no real complaints at all, think you really nailed it this time. As you're saying, it's not exactly a Morpheus remake, but it definitely feels pretty close. Great map, regardless, IMHO.

My only issue is still UT3's air control seeming too high for low grav maps, but I know that can be fixed with a mutator. Even saw one around here somewhere.

You mention the bot difficulty, and the one thing that bothered me in that regard was that they could see through the gravity zone borders, when I couldn't. I kept getting sniped through those, and it was a bit annoying. Maybe reduce their opacity a bit?

[Belgarion213]

Just tried this map and I think its nearly perfect. The game was fast paced but not to quick so I had a chance to play.

My only complaint really was the jump pad at the bottom. While maybe with a bit more experiance I would be able to use it better I felt that it shot me a little to high. I was going way higher than the top of the buildings and was a perfect target for the bots. Maybe tone the jump height down a bit so you can get into one of the rooms or the middle level rather than the true roof?

Well another thing you might want is maybe try some differently colored lights, not by much but a little bit, in each of the rooms. I know I'm being picky here but those two issues were the only real thing that took away from the map.

[revel911]

Dragon, I still would go back to the old name or something similar, so people know how important of a download this is.

[_jani_123xxx]

yeah even this name is cool, map could lose 50% players cuz they dont know that this is morpheus one hehe.

[revel911]

yeah even this name is cool, map could lose 50% players cuz they dont know that this is morpheus one hehe.

Dragon, I think we all like the name, but with remakes..... you want people to make the correlation.

[MamiyaOtaru]

I like Phobetor. The map isn't quite exact enough for me to like calling it Morpheus. That isn't a problem, the map's great fun, but I prefer Phobetor as the name. Just weighing in, to help give the general balance of opinion :)

[BigDragon]

I have no plans to change the map name from DM-Phobetor. I'm also going to make some adjustments to the center jump pad, make the zone divisions more translucent (or ditch them altogether), differentiate the rooms a bit more, and scale up the buildings just a bit. This is in addition to the changes I listed earlier. I won't do this for a couple of days yet due to finals and the fact that playing DM online really makes me hate UT3. :( I did start a VCTF map last night.

Thanks for the feedback thus far. Sorry I'm not doing a longer post. I'm still pretty ticked off from last night's DM matches.

[Skill]

:O awesomeness

[chaos667]

I have no plans to change the map name from DM-Phobetor. I'm also going to make some adjustments to the center jump pad, make the zone divisions more translucent (or ditch them altogether), differentiate the rooms a bit more, and scale up the buildings just a bit. This is in addition to the changes I listed earlier.

thats sad ( map is really coll, i play it almost every day)

[pionata]

Your map is very nice. A Ctf version would be very neat (copy the building, add bridge in middle, change textures/lights).

[AnubanUT2]

Very fun map ... especially a blast when used with the AirControl mutator. I really liked the visuals and the placement for the most part was right on. Some things I would suggest:

- Less health and balance that by having a couple more armor pickups ... this would make for nice variety throughout the towers and make some towers more desirable than others to go to

- No redeemer and instead place a super health pickup there. Redeemers are fun and all don't get me wrong but I feel on this map having the superhealth would be better for players as lots of dying is going to occur while people adjust to low grav fighting. Plus I am always advocate for the big health ... now if you could figure out a way to add the super health and keep the Deemer that would be cool

- Tweak the bots ... they never go for the redeemer or the other major pickups other than the shield belt.

Great use of the next gen blur effect as you come out of the statis fields ... nice touch and really adds to the atmosphere of the level. I also like the signs in the building and the quick access tubes (would be cool if they worked to get you to the roof of the building really quickly.

Thanks man I am really looking forward to the final ... this is really a fun and good looking map with loads of gameplay. It will be very interesting what the final version turns out to be. :) I do hope you don't alter the zone thingies because they are one of the coolest aspects of the map ... they add some nice color so please reconsider making them more translucent.

[MamiyaOtaru]

Fun map. Obvious what it's based on without being a carbon copy. The music was very very welcome.

It's scaled noticably smaller than the original. There's no room for two on any of the roofs. Don't know that it's a problem, but it sure is smaller. I think the way stingers own on this map has to do with the smallness, though stingers are just strong in UT3. Smallness also means I can't load it with as many bots as in Morpheus, but it's cool. The zone transitions are a bit disorienting and make it a little harder to fire through them. Little more transparent might not hurt, or I could get used to it.


- No redeemer and instead place a super health pickup there ... on this map having the superhealth would be better for players as lots of dying is going to occur while people adjust to low grav fighting.
The weapon placement is right out of the original map. That's part of the charm :) People who played the original should have some idea of low grav, though it is of course different in UT3. Doublejump still feels weird on a morpheus map. One more thing to think about while sailing through the air so I don't come up short :-/

I quite liked it overall. Aside from the zones (which I could get used to) any possible complaints I might have have to do with how it is different from Morpheus. That's cool though, since this isn't Morpheus :) It's Phobetor! Someone will undoubtedly make a 1 to 1 copy of Morpheus eventually anyway, for those who want the exact original feel (but don't like firing up UT99 for some reason)

[revel911]

The zone transitions are a bit disorienting and make it a little harder to fire through them. Little more transparent might not hurt, or I could get used to it.

I found the same problem, I wish they were a bit more transparent, so it would be easier to shoot in our out.

[AnubanUT2]

^^ I don't agree ... I think that is what makes this map so exciting and makes the battles so tense. Also it really makes the level unique and since this is NOT a straight port I can't see why you wouldn't some cool next gen feature which differentiates your level from any other remakes that might come along. Anway just my opinion ... of course you have to listen to lots of people because you want your level played by more than one or two people but please consider keeping it as is or just toning it down slightly.

[BigDragon]

I have been very busy with finals, commencement (just got a B.S. in Comp Sci), job hunting, buying a new vehicle, and Christmas preparations so sorry for the silence and slowness on getting this map out to final. Also, sorry if I don't give as detailed as responses as everyone might expect. A lot of things are getting addressed even if I don't make note of it.

I did get the zone divisions to be more transparent by using a different texture. The new zone divisions are identical to the clear ones in Diemos. I fixed a stair collision issue and scaled up the map by 10%. I'm also extending the towers outwards a little to give more roof space. Some of the decorative features and textures have been changed a little. There's still a bit more that needs polish, but it's coming together quickly.

I'll post an update here when I release the final version. I'll be starting a thread in the full releases section too. My target is to release this map on 12/23 or 12/24. Merry Christmas or other holiday. ;)

[AnubanUT2]

I have been very busy with finals, commencement (just got a B.S. in Comp Sci), job hunting, buying a new vehicle, and Christmas preparations so sorry for the silence and slowness on getting this map out to final.

I did get the zone divisions to be more transparent by using a different texture. The new zone divisions are identical to the clear ones in Diemos. I fixed a stair collision issue and scaled up the map by 10%. I'm also extending the towers outwards a little to give more roof space. Some of the decorative features and textures have been changed a little. There's still a bit more that needs polish, but it's coming together quickly.

I'll post an update here when I release the final version. I'll be starting a thread in the full releases section too. My target is to release this map on 12/23 or 12/24. Merry Christmas or other holiday. ;)

Cool. Actually using the clear ones in Diemos is a very good design choice so that is cool ... a bit less color on the level but that is cool ... maybe you can find another place to make up for that? ;). I just got done playing the level and it is indeed very addictive ... I even showed my cousin the level who doesn't play games at all but who appreciates artistic levels and he was very impressed ... especially with how you have other buildings to give a better sense of just how enormous the structure is. We have a bet maybe you can settle. I say the tower reaches 100 miles into the sky he says only 25 miles as he says 100 is just plain impossible no matter how unreal a game is. So which is it? :D

[BigDragon]

Cool. Actually using the clear ones in Diemos is a very good design choice so that is cool ... a bit less color on the level but that is cool ... maybe you can find another place to make up for that? ;). I just got done playing the level and it is indeed very addictive ... I even showed my cousin the level who doesn't play games at all but who appreciates artistic levels and he was very impressed ... especially with how you have other buildings to give a better sense of just how enormous the structure is. We have a bet maybe you can settle. I say the tower reaches 100 miles into the sky he says only 25 miles as he says 100 is just plain impossible no matter how unreal a game is. So which is it? :DSomewhere around 60 miles which is pretty close to right between your two guesses. At least...that's how high it looks to me.

And, I'm pretty sure we do have the engineering technology now to build buildings that are as tall as either of your numbers. The problem is that it's too expensive and impractical. A lot of things are possible, but just not practical.

[AnubanUT2]

Thanks for the reply ... interesting that you think we have the technology .. somehow I don't see us being able to build something that high. I think some country would have tried no matter how impractical it seems but ahhh who cares. I actually prefer to think they can't simply because it makes it seem so much more UNREAL and also fits in better with being centuries into the future. I don't think that the structures in Star Wars were even this tall and they had amazing technology in that fiction. Do you recall seeing any buildings this tall?

[Vzur]

The sheer weight of it would be enormous. I don't think we can create material that'd be both light and strong enough to support itself. That's not even considering the wind pressure something that big would have to be able to absorb.

Looking forward to final release, though! :)

[AnubanUT2]

Okay here is some info which I also posted on another thread. I really think you could use this info .. take what you will. :)

Alright I just got down playing Morpheus3 from UT2K4 ... I am also going to play the Morpheus from UT2K3 later on ... and here is what the deal is.

- The towers here definitely need to be much taller. Currently they are shorter than some of the surrounding structures and while they don't have to dwarf them they do need to be noticeably taller than anything else on the level

- Well Mamiya was right about there not being any Flak cannon but I really wish you would still consider it ... anyway on one Building the design was as follows:
- Very Top - Redeemer
- Rooftop - Rocket Launcher (here is where I think the Flak would be fine)
- Next level down - health only
- Next floor inside the building - Stinger (not that the Bio or Flak could go here instead of another stinger which is on the next building)

- Next Building
- Top most thing - Armor 100 strength (so the shield belt would be best)
- Rooftop - Stinger (minigun)
- Next level - health only
- Inside building next floor - Link Gun

- Final Building
- Top most thing - UDamage
- Rooftop - Shock Rifle
- Next level - Health only
- Inside structure - Sniper

Platform level at bottom - Dual platform - top most is a superweapon - The Ion Painter in UT2K4 so that could be replaced with a powerup from UT3 like Berserk or Invisibility
- Bottom most is a Rocket Launcher

So yeah that is the real layout.

Looking forward to the next beta ... this is such a fun map and I love the visuals. Although if you look at Morpheus from UT2K4 the buildings are even taller and the ones around the three main structures are actually not all that much shorter like in this one. Make of that what you will ... maybe make the buildings a bit taller ... or not .... it is not that huge of an issue ... it really depends on how close of a remake you want to do. :)

[AnubanUT2]

After playing the UT2k3 version of Morpheus I see where the Flak cannon comes from and it is because there is no ripjack ...

It looks like it is really based off of the UT99 version because there is no UDamage like in this one which is more like the UT2K4 version ...

if you were going to go for more of a UT99 flavor you would have the Armor/shield belt on the tower where the stinger is and no Udamage on the tower of the Shock Rifle but the Invisibility pickup would go there instead and the redeemer would stay where it is ... the only other thing would be to actually place the Udamage on the top of the Space ship on the platform to make it more of a risk to get it ... alternatively you could make a little raised platform at the opposite end of the platform next to the jumppad and place the Udamage at the top of that little structure so that someone would jump up to get to the Udamage right before they took the jumppad back up to the main towers.

Now the other way is to go the UT2K4 route and use the Udamage but place it where the Shock Rifle is and have the Armor be where the stinger is and place the Invisibility where the shield belt is now and where I have suggested the Udamage be placed in the other scenario right above.

Or leave well enough and have this be your version that doesn't exactly follow the layout of other Morpheus levels. In any event the level is great and lots of fun so those little things are something you have to determine but I wanted to give you more info to help you. The last thing I would say is I like how in your take the towers completely dwarf all other towers around them ... it reminds me of the enormous structure in Morpheus5 and 6 ... two remakes that I didn't like at all. Anyway I hope that this info helps you in some way. Looking forward to the next beta or final. :)

[TheIronKnuckle]

I have no plans to change the map name from DM-Phobetor.

Well, while the map is as leet as it is, i personally am not going to appreciate it as much if the name isn't closer to "Morpheus" in the final product. It doesn't have to be "morpheus" specifically, but something much closer than "phobetor" at any rate.

[Madmanxan]

looks like a new version of Morpheus to me :) still looks badass tho by the pics :D

[revel911]

Well, while the map is as leet as it is, i personally am not going to appreciate it as much if the name isn't closer to "Morpheus" in the final product. It doesn't have to be "morpheus" specifically, but something much closer than "phobetor" at any rate.

Appreciate a name? Wow.... that's some Emo BS if I have ever heard. I don't personally care what the name is, as long as the game play is well done and it looks nice.

Now, don't get me wrong, I wish it was closer to the original name for shear download numbers. As someone mentioned earlier, he will probably lose 50% of his downloads since no one will know to even check it out, which means less servers running it.

[AnubanUT2]

Dude he won't lose not one single download ... you folks forget that we are still in the very early life of UT3 and that people want good solid fun content. So if there are good maps people are going to get them right now simply because there isn't that many quality maps available atm. So when a users sees a map like this or even hears about a good map they will be all over it. Now yeah if it was a year or two later and there were lots of good DM maps out already sure I could see this maybe getting overlooked but at this stage no way. Us UT gamers are still starved for good content so this is not an issue with this level. Well at least not imo.

[AnubanUT2]

Bump ... this needs to stay on the front page.

[mrkz]

Liandri is powerful corporation, what a huge skyscraper...it seems Liandri is alter ego for Microsoft :D

[TheIronKnuckle]

Appreciate a name? Wow.... that's some Emo BS if I have ever heard. I don't personally care what the name is, as long as the game play is well done and it looks nice.

Now, don't get me wrong, I wish it was closer to the original name for shear download numbers. As someone mentioned earlier, he will probably lose 50% of his downloads since no one will know to even check it out, which means less servers running it.

I am not appreciating the name, i am appreciating the level, but i would seriously prefer it if the name was closer to morpheus. Emo BS my ass....

Agree with last paragraph.

[TheIronKnuckle]

OK's, played the map again. I'll give some "detailed" feedback.

PROBLEMSPROBLEMSPROBLEMS!!!!! OMG!!!!

1. I don't know if UT3 even uses skyboxes any more, i opened up a few levels in the editor and it appears that skyboxes have been made redundant by the new engine. The thing is, this is not helping with this maps visuals. When i fall off the towers the planet texture comes up to meet me and looks extremely unrealistic up close. This was a partial problem with morpheus 3: Whoever designed the skybox there was a fahgxor.

The skybox from morpheus classic is where you should be taking notes: In that skybox, the planet was only lit around one edge, so the 3 towers were dissappearing into darkness. While this happened, enough of the planet was lit to give the right impression. This solved the graphical issue described above. It also made the towers appear stationary. Also, if it is unlit, when i fall off the towers i will be swalled by darkness, not by a big planet texture that looks crap up close.
The other thing about morpheus classic is that it lost lights the further you fell down the towers. This was great as it added to the "Swalled by darkness" effect and was extremely realistic cause the towers were dissapearing into the darkness as well. This is better then having them surrounded by fog.
Essentially: Kill the lights on the planet texture and have lights around one edge so as to have a more realistic effect when people fall off the tower, while still getting across the idea that you are fighting on a set of galaxy scrapers. Also kill the lights as you go further down the tower, if possible kill the fog completely in addition to this.

2. This is obviously caused by the "No skyboxes in this engine" thing: That moon texture is horrible. You should move it back closer to the stars so that it doesn't give the shoddy movement look. It is hard to describe the graphical anomaly properly but not so hard for the fix: Move the moon REALLY far back, so that it doesn't appear so close. (lol)

3. Others have said it in this thread already: Kill the other buildings or make them smaller. They also suffer from the unrealistic effect described in point 1. Kill the fog and buildings completely and do everything in point one is what i would do, but this is your call.


4. I've said it already: change the name!!! :) I don't REALLY care too much, but i still am going to yell it in every post i make.


Otherwise, it plays fairly well and the arena itself is graphically great. The main problem is the skybox issues as described above. These skybox issues were in morpheus 3 too, why don't you be the one to fix them?

edit: (I knew i forgot something)

5. The music is way too soft. Increase volume please. I know you are working on making it repeat so good luck with that. Also, not a bug but i thought someone was REMIXING the save me track, it seems like you have just ripped the original and stuck it in this map. I don't care cause the song is great anyway but what's happening?

[AnubanUT2]

Wow ... I actually like the atmosphere ... but I did layout out how the different Morpheus levels are. Still this one could be its own unique take on it ... it really doesn't have to be the same especially since the name is different.

[TheIronKnuckle]

Yarce, although i'm not recomending the fixes so that it is a total copy of morpheus. I am recommending them so that it looks much better graphically.

I have also decided to stop badgering dragon about the map name, cause i see he has have cleared it up in the map description. Seeing as there is a good explanation and a reference to the original morpheus, i am content. Unfortunately it doesn't show up on game.

[AnubanUT2]

Man you dudes with your Morpheus remakes have me totally hooked now ... I just got done playing two different versions for UT2K3 one of which is a daytime take and I just downloaded a third version for Ut2K3 (and no I am not talking about 5 & 6 which I don't like), I actually like these remakes and now appreciate this map and the Stalker like one even more ... especially when all the little bugs get worked out. I can't stop playing these maps now. :) And I haven't even gotten around to playing UT3 today ...

[AnubanUT2]

You know I really like how you put in the signs with malcolm and Xan on them just like they were (almost) in the original. That is a nice touch I wonder how many people picked up on that. In a sense that is what makes it like a great remake that is really being faithful to the original. (Except for the armor of course ;) ). Just had to say that as I am going through various remakes. This map really captures the feel of the original (based on the UT2K3 map that is exactly like the original ... well almost ... there is no Invisibility of course).

[MamiyaOtaru]

It's a real shame the graphics in UT99 bother you so much. Morpheus99 is a blast, and is the reason all these remakes keep happening.

It's cool that you're converted though ;)

*edit* screwy grammar error in a three sentence post? Argh

[AnubanUT2]

I just don't have it anymore and I am not about to pay $30 just for that. I will get it again one day and until then I will have to hope that some of these remakes give me a good enough feel in case I haven't seen the original. Like I said I am really enjoying playing this map ... and don't have any real issues with it any longer. I'm just waiting for the final to be completed.

[BigDragon]

Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't been posting. I have been reading though. I've been busy with family and other things (just bought a newer SUV). I didn't quite get this map finished yesterday when I wanted, but it'll be out soon! I'm still tweaking things and making adjustments.

TheIronKnuckle, I like your skybox idea. I'm going to see what I can do.

On my PC I have both UT99 GOTY and UT2004 installed so both the original Morpheus and Morpheus3 are playable. I've been aiming for the feel of UT99's Morpheus but remember this is not an exact remake which is why I changed the name. More info coming soon!

[AnubanUT2]

Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't been posting. I have been reading though. I've been busy with family and other things (just bought a newer SUV). I didn't quite get this map finished yesterday when I wanted, but it'll be out soon! I'm still tweaking things and making adjustments.

TheIronKnuckle, I like your skybox idea. I'm going to see what I can do.

On my PC I have both UT99 GOTY and UT2004 installed so both the original Morpheus and Morpheus3 are playable. I've been aiming for the feel of UT99's Morpheus but remember this is not an exact remake which is why I changed the name. More info coming soon!

Cool man ... thanks for giving us an update on Christmas no less. I really didn't expect anyone to be around except for the few of us who are totally obsessed with this game. :D I just played this map about 45 minutes ago so it is funny that you wrote this ... now you have me all anxious again knowing that the final is not so far off. You know what Christmas is to a UT junkie? When he/she wakes up and all the really good Beta levels have become final versions. LOL. :)

[revel911]

Cool man ... thanks for giving us an update on Christmas no less. I really didn't expect anyone to be around except for the few of us who are totally obsessed with this game. :D I just played this map about 45 minutes ago so it is funny that you wrote this ... now you have me all anxious again knowing that the final is not so far off. You know what Christmas is to a UT junkie? When he/she wakes up and all the really good Beta levels have become final versions. LOL. :)

Amen, I have been checking threads throughout the day every time I can get near a computer.

[AnubanUT2]

Please tell me this is still being worked on ... I am still playing this beta at least once a day it is so much fun. :) Any idea on when we might expect a final?

[NightEye]

Please tell me this is still being worked on ... I am still playing this beta at least once a day it is so much fun. :) Any idea on when we might expect a final?

+1... Anuban, I am starting to think everything is crazy, since we are agreeing on too many things today.

[BigDragon]

Expect to see a final posted this weekend, probably Saturday evening or Sunday at the absolute latest. I came down with a nasty cold a few days ago and am just now getting around to playing with Christmas gifts and that new Escape. I have no intention of stopping this project as I would very much enjoy seeing this show up on all the servers. It's a nice change of pace from the stock maps.

More updates soon. Thanks for the concern. :)

[AnubanUT2]

Expect to see a final posted this weekend, probably Saturday evening or Sunday at the absolute latest. I came down with a nasty cold a few days ago and am just now getting around to playing with Christmas gifts and that new Escape. I have no intention of stopping this project as I would very much enjoy seeing this show up on all the servers. It's a nice change of pace from the stock maps.

More updates soon. Thanks for the concern. :)


Great news ... glad to hear you are feeling better ... thanks for the update.

[NightEye]

Expect to see a final posted this weekend, probably Saturday evening or Sunday at the absolute latest. I came down with a nasty cold a few days ago and am just now getting around to playing with Christmas gifts and that new Escape. I have no intention of stopping this project as I would very much enjoy seeing this show up on all the servers. It's a nice change of pace from the stock maps.

More updates soon. Thanks for the concern. :)

Good to hear you are feeling better.

[Bl!tz~]

nice job..........i have the morpheus4beta in my computer and i love playin it 2 so thx a lot for the 2 nice maps u ve built....i llset a server in short time ....could it be possible to use phobetor & morpheus4beta on ?
same request than to pripyat author if one day u have time to loose i think it could be nice to do a pure copy of mp3 from ut2k4.........thx again for fun

[AnubanUT2]

So any word on the final being posted tonight as you promised us? :D

[NightEye]

So any word on the final being posted tonight as you promised us? :D

Damn, Anuban.......... you are on the ball. Dragon, do NOT listen to him and make the map how you want!

[AnubanUT2]

^^^ Man relax ... I am always telling these dudes to hurry up and I never mean it ... of course I want them to take their time and do the levels as they want to ... it is just my way of showing how much I like a level and how badly I want to play it.

[NightEye]

^^^ I was just in a posting mood, after reading so many of your post, I know you want quality above all.

[BigDragon]

Look for a DM-Phobetor post in the Full Release forum within the next 30 minutes, tops. I'm just tweaking a couple of last minute things to my liking. :)

[AnubanUT2]

Look for a DM-Phobetor post in the Full Release forum within the next 30 minutes, tops. I'm just tweaking a couple of last minute things to my liking. :)

I am still up watching some Futurama in between playing ... should we still expect this tonight?

[BigDragon]

It's been done for a while now...I just had to create screenshots and documentation. I'm getting to submitting it to map sites and to my server now. Sorry it's taking so long. It's been a while since I finished a map like this. I'll have the new thread going in just a couple of minutes...I'm waiting on the upload to my server.

[AnubanUT2]

^^^ Cool ... I'll be one of the first on the new thread you can count on that. I have really been looking forward to this level as you know so thanks man this is a nice way to start off a Monday. :)

[BigDragon]

Posted :) http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?p=25205344#post25205344

[AnubanUT2]

Check that new thread ... unfortunately the new final crashed UT3. :(