New Map Review

[Bloodflames]

Hi Guys just like to show you a map I created:

It's a CTF map but can be easily changed to team deathmatch, it has an "ice cave" like style and really just want a couple of peoples opinions

Thanks

Here are some pics (the map is mirrored so flag rooms etc are the same)

Here is the Flag room:

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Main Chamber:



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Roof:



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Underground:



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And the general layout(the huge cylinder is the hole players fell down to enter the cave looking up you can see a snowy skybox:



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Any Feedback would be great , thanks for your time guys

PS Any place where people can play around and generally have a look at the map?

[SGS - professional]

It's alright. It's not commercial quality as in you couldn't sell this in a video game but heck it looks quite fun. Well done.

[darthviper107]

Do you really want opinions?

[Bloodflames]

thanks for the response and yes I do want responses

[haldolium]

It's ok for a start. You know, it's hard for people not to lose relativeness. For a lot around here, this (no offense at all) looks like... well, bad. (thats why darthviper107 asked that rhetorical question). Thus what we tend to forget is that many people started like that. I remember posting photoshop images in forums around 10 years ago and when I look back... nah I rather don't

So I try to judge this rather objectively (as far as possible):

- Lacks variation. Everything is the same material apparently, this should be avoided at all if you're just doing a normal environment.

Ideas here would be at least different textures/shaders for wall/ground - maybe ceiling - elements. Definitely different shaders for your crystals. Lights can also add variation through different coloring and intensity.

- Lacks good geometry.

Did you build it with BSP? Kind of looks like that. Today most engines do not use BSP anymore (I think Source is the last "current" engine that actually uses BSP for important objects) Unreal still offers it, but it's not recommended to use in a game that much (a few UT3 example maps have BSP only for minor, flat wall or ground elements, check them out) - sooner or later you have to learn how to use a 3D tool. That won't be easy at first, but I think it's worth a try if you're serious. For a start you might want to check out www.blender.org, its AFAIK the only free and mature 3D tool.

- Lacks good lighting.

As pointed out above, lights can add an enormous amount of atmosphere. They can guide the player (not unimportant for a symmetrical CTF map) and are in general very important to add a good look to a map or any other environment whatsoever.


I do like the layout though. Simple but it does look like it could work well. I personally like small, symmetrical CTF maps.