VCTF-HangingGardens[Pics][PC][PS3]

**rek** · 09-06-2009, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Morgfyre

Hey _N_, I was accused of "map exploiting" when I used the boots to jump to the top level (one jump on breakable glass top 2nd level, then another onto the bars) to run the flag on the roof to my base.

Is this an exploit of your map?

i vote no.

**_N_** · 09-06-2009, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Morgfyre

Hey _N_, I was accused of "map exploiting" when I used the boots to jump to the top level (one jump on breakable glass top 2nd level, then another onto the bars) to run the flag on the roof to my base.

Is this an exploit of your map?

Haha, nope, that's not an exploit. That's fully intended

! You can actually get up there with careful use of the impact hammer too

, but the easiest way by far is simply to take one of the mantas up there. If you look at the map in-editor, you'll see that I put bot-paths up there too, so technically the bots can get up there with jumpboots and vehicles too (though I've only actually seen a bot do it once... they're not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed

).

I personally use that top route all the time myself

.

**FTFSupremacy** · 09-15-2009, 01:32 PM

This is SICK, just SICK!!! What an awesome map.

**Shinamori** · 10-20-2009, 03:18 PM

As a rising level designer. I must ask you. How long did it take? From start to finish? Also, mind putting up and concept drawings of this you did (if any)?

**_N_** · 10-22-2009, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by Shinamori

As a rising level designer. I must ask you. How long did it take? From start to finish? Also, mind putting up and concept drawings of this you did (if any)?

Hey! Always great to meet another mapper.

In total, the map was probably about a month and a half of work, but spread out between the two of us that made the map. I started out early on by making pretty much the entire map in BSP, and also testing out a few concepts like the breakable glass and the energy bridges. The BSP prototype was great for testing out gameplay concepts and getting the scale correct. We did a bunch of gameplay testing on it, and made a bunch of changes until we got something we liked. After that, Andrew took the map prototype and basically "Awesome-ified it" with his m4d modelling skillz converting everything to static mesh models he created himself. He also handled the lighting done with pureLIGHT. After that, it was just a bunch of tweaking leading up to the final build

.

I would probably mention though, that the build process is probably different for collaborative maps compared to maps you make by yourself. Something that is always a good idea though (something that I always use, anyways) is to draw a top-down layout/floorplan of the entire map first so you know exactly where everything is going to go before even opening the editor.

Haha, actually, I just found the mspaint "concept" diagram of the map. Haha, wow, it's almost nostalgic now

.

This Image Was Automatically Resized by using the Screenshot Tag. Click to view the full version

A lot changed since that early mock-up (it was drawn up about 2 months before we even started work on the map) but as you can see, the basic layout is pretty much the same. The original concept called for a much larger map, but we ended up having to tone that back a bit in order to finish in any reasonable amount of time

.

**Fuel33** · 02-15-2010, 11:21 AM

Nice map, thanks for your work!

**KillerSkaarj** · 06-13-2010, 07:43 PM

I know I'm a little late to the party (ok, really late...) but I jsut wanted to say that I quite love this map! I always take the time during a quiet phase of the fight to stare out at the sky and water. Also, I played the night version, and I like the way you used the Infrared picture of the Andromeda Galaxy as the black hole. Very nice looking maps.

I just have one question though. How did you get the global illumination system into the game before Epic even integrated Lightmass? Is it baked into the models and textures?

**Sp4der** · 06-14-2010, 09:51 AM

which kind of global illumination? lightmass doesn't 'look' different than a usually lighted UT3 map (with directional lights, skylights and so on)
Or they just took the emissive channel for their textures.

**Skillz** · 06-24-2010, 03:16 PM

http://ut3.ut-files.com/index.php?di...Gardens1.1.zip

**SkaarjMaster** · 09-17-2010, 09:06 PM

This is a nice bright environment that is good for UT3 and VCTF for a change. This one has good lighting/shadows, great visuals in general as well as architecture and well-executed theme. I don't play VCTF very often but this one was interesting and absorbing (if that makes any sense at all).

The bots are decent (at least on-foot) and there is a good choice of vehicles and like the addition of the Avril weapon and thanks for including the flak cannon.

This map is tight for VCTF but there are many path choices and when it gets crazy you can always go on-foot. A few places can be hard to navigate, but play it enough times and you'll figure it out. I like the energy bridge dynamic and breaking glass options. It was good to finally try this one, now I have to try some more from my list.

**MamiyaOtaru** · 09-18-2010, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by _N_

Hey! Always great to meet another mapper.

In total, the map was probably about a month and a half of work, but spread out between the two of us that made the map. I started out early on by making pretty much the entire map in BSP, and also testing out a few concepts like the breakable glass and the energy bridges. The BSP prototype was great for testing out gameplay concepts and getting the scale correct. We did a bunch of gameplay testing on it, and made a bunch of changes until we got something we liked. After that, Andrew took the map prototype and basically "Awesome-ified it" with his m4d modelling skillz converting everything to static mesh models he created himself. He also handled the lighting done with pureLIGHT. After that, it was just a bunch of tweaking leading up to the final build

.

I would probably mention though, that the build process is probably different for collaborative maps compared to maps you make by yourself. Something that is always a good idea though (something that I always use, anyways) is to draw a top-down layout/floorplan of the entire map first so you know exactly where everything is going to go before even opening the editor.

Haha, actually, I just found the mspaint "concept" diagram of the map. Haha, wow, it's almost nostalgic now

.

A lot changed since that early mock-up (it was drawn up about 2 months before we even started work on the map) but as you can see, the basic layout is pretty much the same. The original concept called for a much larger map, but we ended up having to tone that back a bit in order to finish in any reasonable amount of time

.

I'm late to this, but one of the pics you used in your mspaint mockup was the inspiration for I think my first shacknews post: http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?id=...nchor_16473435

It is a beautiful pic (see top of that thread for larger version) but someone doesn't know physics too well. Cool that it was part of the basis for your level, which I love