da_megachat updated look [released]

[-=JespeR=-]

Hi guys!

So the last couple of days I have had some time for mapping and I wanted to make something. Unfortunately I haven´t had any inspiration to create anything from scratch so I just decided to create some more detail for one of my favorite DAB-maps, da_megachat. I am not really done yet but I have gotten some detail work done and optimised a bunch of brushwork. I want to add more detail, especially to the buildings that cordon off the map, to the 3dskybox, and inside each structure, and I would also like to add some more routes of movement and fiddle with the lighting.


Update:
Alright, I feel like I have done enough for now and would like to move on to other levels lol.
Here are some pictures and all the files in case anybody wants to mess around with it or play it or anything. If you wanna try playing it, keep the original version somewhere on your ´puter so that you can roll back to the original version for later online play.

Comparison pictures before/after
http://imgur.com/a/XhhWh

All the level files in a .zip folder
http://www.filedropper.com/damegachat

Want me to do this to any of the other levels? I have some time to do some mapping for the next couple of weeks before I go to america all of June, and I only have like one idea for a level which is only gonna take a couple of days to build I think.

[l-homme-d-action]

It looks nice you could add some details on this floor
and maybe breakable wood stuff on the walls

[Black_Stormy]

Looking good man! A few suggestions if I may.

Make sure that you can shoot through the fence you added in that interior spot - the one in the warehouse outside blocks bullets, which I have been meaning to fix. You might need to disable collision on the model and then put a tool brush of some sort over it. I don't think that is a very good spot for an obstacle though, people coming out of the warehousey area will get stuck, but it might funnel them through a window instead. Playtest it

That scaffold is nice, but it might cause some collision issues if you stunt about near it. Make sure the collision on any structures is as blocky as possible. A way to do that is instead of having a single crossbeam, make a whole section of wall, or even a handrail with a half wall underneath it. I worry that anything less than 16 units across will cause issues in the heat of battle. You can keep a high level of geometrical detail while having simple collisions if you create more dense details and put a tool brush over the whole thing, as opposed to thinner gaps and collide-able pieces (if that makes sense).

I love the garbage chute. There is already a stock dumpster model though, the same one that is on top of the construction site on streets.

With the wooden framework in the construction area, you'll get more detail out of it if you add a bit of higgle and piggle. For instance, the studs (the short horizontal bits of wood) are usually offset so the builder can get a tool in the end, for punching in nails, like in this image. Also some cables are nice. I've been meaning to make some cable models for all our construction site areas...

Finally, for the underground area with the shipping containers and the boxes, that whole area never really made sense. I was going to make it a workshop area with cars on hoists and such, but I never got around to it. In any case, change the textures and boxes up a bit. We have a whole bunch of crate models (search in the model browser for 'wpncrate' or some derivative) that could spice that area up if you plan on leaving it as a warehouse.

I'm liking your touch up, it's great to see someone doing something. Progress is slow atm.

[-=JespeR=-]

Hah, that´s awesome, I´ve already made most of those changes! The underground warehouse area felt a bit odd, but I figured it could be turned into a sort of depot/storage type of thing, with shelving, more organized storage but still kinda gritty and lots of stuff to take cover behind and stunt over.

I have managed to fix the environment lighting to make it more dusky, there turned out to be a light_env inside the 3d skybox that was turning everything almost fullbright.

I´m trying to add nice lighting and more details and stuff at the moment, and I will try and do that thing with the construction area, and I am trying to make it so that i´ts easy to keep a good flow throughout the level.

[-=JespeR=-]

Update complete

[Black_Stormy]

Yeah that lighting looks sweet man. Good details to it all too, and I see you did some skybox work, feel free to put plenty of detail in the skybox - it doesn't affect performance much and it makes the map look way more believable. I'll playtest it and post.

Also I made a new tool brush recently that is invisible but collideable and backflip-off-able, it's called da_invis_stuntable. I usually put it over detailed areas like I was saying about the scaffolding. If you have any issues with clipping into stuff or getting stuck, throw a cube brush over it with that texture to simplify the collision.