2MB Mapping Challenge: DXMP_Basment_Flood

[HDD21]

Hello guys, I have been inspired by DXMS_Iceworld and have been working on a map which is similar in size (the size and the way in which cover is not very plentiful outside of spawn areas or around spawn areas. It is okay for augged and zero augged, but not heavy weapons, which have not been added, I do reccomend zero-aug The map has also been designed in a way in which the cloak aug is near enough rendered useless, due to the flooded water. The spawn areas are in sealed rooms, I intend to make the doors only openable on the inside to aid in preventing spawnkilling. The doors out of the spawnrooms are not 'DeusExMovers'
they are normal movers which open by bumping into them.
I also like the basment theme, hence it being a basment and not an 'arena'. Of course the exit is blocked-off.

I have some screenshots of the actual map, and also of the map in the editor 3D window, (no I have NOT made the map using purely the 3D window, I personally cannot do that :O It is at a nice 192kb so far, however I need the opinions of players who are skilled at the game, to say there needs more space to fight in, moving the spawns further away from each other, etc etc.

I have done a poll, upto three answers may be selected. I need critisisms as well as complements, I would like this map to be perfected for the gameplay experience I am trying to acheve for it.
I need honest opinions, I will supply an unprotected copy of the map on PM request, I only protect the hosted ones to keep them out of DOGNY's hands because I would not put it past him to steal any map and there is nothing worse than watching someone else take credit for what you have done!

I had the map hosted earlier with quite a good battle going on, although I am hungover and it made me even more poo at fighting than I usually am! my first test before hand attracted a few players also but had someone spamming for admin and swearing so had to warn them.


http://www.filefactory.com/file/16vt13w ... nshots_zip
http://www.filefactory.com/file/6wkldri ... od_Beta_dx

P.S forum uploader seems to crash when I try uploading files

Uploaded protected version to attachment - Chin.

[Alessi]

Call me dumb but what's DXJM?

[HDD21]

All maps made by me use DXJM JM Being my initials

[ShadowRunner]

Joseph Manderley?

With Unreal movers instead of DX movers, you have to be careful that your audience aren't the average neanderthal player who will not realize the wall is a door. If you texture them to be obviously doors and take other steps, you should avoid the situation of players not realizing the map was actually bigger than it is.

In loading the map I have this trouble. A nasty crash, I could not even read the error message, but the logs say this.

Cmd: HIDELOG
Cmd: APP SET ProgressBar=393858 ProgressText=852802
Cmd: APP HIDE
Cmd: MAP GRID X=16 Y=16 Z=16 BASE=ABSOLUTE SHOW2D=ON SHOW3D=OFF
Cmd: MAP ROTGRID PITCH=4 YAW=4 ROLL=4
Cmd: MODE CAMERAMOVE GRID=ON ROTGRID=ON SNAPTOPIVOT=ON SNAPDIST=10
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN HWND=394022 X=0 Y=0 XR=391 YR=454 FLAGS=1737 REN=13 NAME="Standard1V"
Init: Input system initialized for Standard1V
Log: Opened viewport
Log: Bound to SoftDrv.dll
Cmd: SETPAUSE 0
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN HWND=394022 X=400 Y=0 XR=271 YR=391 FLAGS=1737 REN=14 NAME="Standard2V"
Init: Input system initialized for Standard2V
Log: Opened viewport
Cmd: SETPAUSE 1
Cmd: SETPAUSE 0
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN HWND=394022 X=0 Y=464 XR=391 YR=241 FLAGS=1993 REN=5 NAME="Standard3V"
Init: Input system initialized for Standard3V
Log: Opened viewport
Cmd: SETPAUSE 1
Cmd: SETPAUSE 0
DevAudio: Galaxy SetViewport: Standard3V
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN HWND=394022 X=400 Y=401 XR=271 YR=304 FLAGS=1737 REN=15 NAME="Standard4V"
Init: Input system initialized for Standard4V
Log: Opened viewport
Cmd: SETPAUSE 1
Cmd: SETPAUSE 0
Cmd: SETPAUSE 1
Cmd: MODE CAMERAMOVE
Cmd: CAMERA UPDATE X=10 Y=0 XR=144 YR=551 FLAGS=8777 HWND=459466 MISC1=64 MISC2=0 REN=17 NAME=BrowserCam PACKAGE="(All)" GROUP="(All)"
Init: Input system initialized for BrowserCam
Log: Opened viewport
Cmd: SETPAUSE 0
Cmd: CAMERA UPDATE X=10 Y=0 XR=144 YR=551 FLAGS=8777 HWND=459466 MISC1=64 MISC2=0 REN=17 NAME=BrowserCam PACKAGE="(All)" GROUP="(All)"
Cmd: SETPAUSE 1
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN X=10 Y=0 XR=144 YR=551 FLAGS=8777 HWND=459466 MISC1=64 MISC2=0 REN=17 NAME=BrowserCam PACKAGE="(All)" GROUP="(All)"
Log: Closed viewport
Cmd: CAMERA UPDATE X=10 Y=0 XR=144 YR=551 FLAGS=8777 HWND=852536 MISC1=64 MISC2=0 REN=17 NAME=BrowserCam PACKAGE="(All)" GROUP="(All)"
Init: Input system initialized for BrowserCam
Log: Opened viewport
Cmd: SETPAUSE 0
Cmd: CAMERA UPDATE X=10 Y=0 XR=144 YR=551 FLAGS=8777 HWND=852536 MISC1=64 MISC2=0 REN=17 NAME=BrowserCam PACKAGE="(All)" GROUP="(All)"
Cmd: SETPAUSE 1
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN X=10 Y=0 XR=144 YR=551 FLAGS=8777 HWND=852536 MISC1=64 MISC2=0 REN=17 NAME=BrowserCam PACKAGE="(All)" GROUP="(All)"
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN HWND=394022 X=0 Y=0 XR=391 YR=454 NAME="Standard1V"
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN HWND=394022 X=400 Y=0 XR=271 YR=391 NAME="Standard2V"
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN HWND=394022 X=0 Y=464 XR=391 YR=241 NAME="Standard3V"
DevAudio: Galaxy SetViewport: Standard3V
Cmd: CAMERA OPEN HWND=394022 X=400 Y=401 XR=271 YR=304 NAME="Standard4V"
Cmd: MAP LOAD FILE="C:\DeusEx\Maps\DXJM_Basment_Flood_Beta.dx" REDRAW=OFF
Log: New File, Existing Package (Package MyLevel, Package DXJM_Basment_Flood_Beta)
Log: Loading: Package MyLevel
Log: Loading: Package V_Com_Center
Log: Loading: Package CoreTexDetail
Log: Loading: Package CoreTexMetal
Log: Loading: Package G_Station
Log: Loading: Package CoreTexMisc
Log: Loading: Package CoreTexWater
Log: Loading: Package area51textures
Log: Loading: Package HK_MJ12Lab
Log: Loading: Package Tunnels_Music
DevAudio: Galaxy SetViewport: Standard3V
Critical: appError called:
Critical: Assertion failed: Actors(1)!=NULL [File:..\Inc\UnLevel.h] [Line: 223]
Critical: Windows GetLastError: The system cannot find the file specified. (2)
Exit: Executing UObject::StaticShutdownAfterError
Exit: UGalaxyAudioSubsystem::ShutdownAfterError
Exit: Executing UWindowsClient::ShutdownAfterError
Critical: UEditorEngine::Exec
Critical: (MAP LOAD FILE="C:\DeusEx\Maps\DXJM_Basment_Flood_Beta.dx" REDRAW=OFF)
Critical: WM_USER_EXEC
Critical: VbWindowProc
Critical: MessagePump
Critical: MainLoop
Cmd: CAMERA UPDATE X=10 Y=0 XR=144 YR=551 FLAGS=8777 HWND=393778 MISC1=64 MISC2=0 REN=17 NAME=BrowserCam PACKAGE="(All)" GROUP="(All)"
Critical: Error reentered: Assertion failed: Actors(1)!=NULL [File:..\..\Engine\Inc\UnLevel.h] [Line: 223]
Log: appRequestExit(1)
Log: Log file closed, 05/20/12 15:56:57

So I wonder what is this

Cmd: APP SET ProgressBar=393858 ProgressText=852802

Also I am not sure what specific advice or help you are requesting. The screenshots are rather huge in filesize and need downloading, so I am not sure how much input you will get in this thread from people because the map is unreadable too.

It sounds like a nice idea to make cloaking difficult though. For augs, I do believe you need to think in all directions though.

With the flood, try to find the balance between playable and something that is unusual.

[HDD21]

Have you attempted to open it in the editor as that hosted verson is protected, i can PM you the unprotected one. If you have tried to play it directly and it is causing the error I will rebuild geometry and resave, that version I uploaded can be played from the games console using the open command from the title screen.

EDIT: Have PMED you unprotected version. Plus the doors are textured as metal doors in answer to your question

[chin.democ.]

Okay I spawned in the little spawn room and first of all I would say that you absolutely need to have weapon boards, I don't want to see anymore maps released that have weapons just thrown on the floor please! You can simply copy and paste them from the default DXMP maps!

Staying in the spawn room I will have to say the ceiling is perhaps too low as it's only the height of the door. Assuming your door is 128 units high your ceiling should be either 160 or 192 units high. I like the fact that your spawn room has different texture for the floor, walls and ceiling, good job. The water around my feet is an interesting touch, I'm now wondering if it continues beyond the spawn room as I haven't yet opened the spawn room door! The cage light does the job well in this small spawn room, it doesn't have to be on the ceiling and so where you have it on the wall is fine I think.

Okay I'm going out of the spawn room door now! Ah nice you have an automatic door, normally these doors can be a little slow to open and I personally increase the speed of the doors opening to about half a second or so. If you're interested in doing this you can right click the mover then click on properties, here expand the "mover" category and here you can change the "movetime" which is 1 by default and can be changed to fractions such as 0.5. I'm glad to hear the door has sounds so that's a really nice touch.

I am out the spawn room and I'm met by corridors, I notice the floor texture is either clean or dirty metal, it looks a little odd as there's no consistency there, perhaps make all of it clean or dirty? There's a boulder? blocking the exit I notice so perhaps you could have the door that was previously there on the floor? The signs tell me I'm at level 2 so that's nice touch, okay now I'm ready to descend to level one down those stairs...

Water everywhere! water coming out of the pipe even! I personally don't believe water works well in multiplayer, it's good to have alternate routes that involve swimming (like CMD has an underwater section for additional access to two buildings) but to give the player no option but to go through the deep water is perhaps the wrong move in my opinion. Okay just one vent seems to be the only way through this area which means a huge bottleneck in the map!

BTW I like the blue floor texture in the level 1 section, perhaps you could have that same floor texture for level2? or perhaps something similarly plain but a different shade or colour if you wanted to distinguish between the two floors. Okay now to tackle that vent...ah one thing I have spotted in level one flooded area is that now your ceiling is the same as your floor texture which is a big nono in my books, you should change the ceiling texture of the flooded level one area...ok that vent.....

Gone through the vent am I am blocked off however I do have some goodies for my little vent exploring, now I'm wondering how I managed to not see another route out..time to go back to the flooded area and look for another route....the only other route I can see is another vent but it's locked and doesn't allow the use of lockpicks...so unless I've missed something I am stuck in this area??

[ShadowRunner]

I think for the layout issues, I just assumed the map was unfinished.

I made the same point about water although it is innovative and I'm interested to see how it works.

Wep racks, yes, if you want a map to be taken at all seriously, weps on floors are prohibited, by order of FGS!

except crowbar, which of course you must place in such a way not to remind me of the last map to do this.

[Alessi]

Joseph Manderley?

LOL

[~][FGS][Nobody~]

All maps made by me use DXJM JM Being my initials

You should stick to DXMP convention. Imagine everybody would prefix his/her maps with the initials.

[chin.democ.]

All maps made by me use DXJM JM Being my initials

You should stick to DXMP convention. Imagine everybody would prefix his/her maps with the initials.

+1

I used to do it myself and now I cringe at the very thought, at worst it's egotistical and at best it's scruffy, stick with DXMP you wont regret it.

[ShadowRunner]

+2, very good point, "DXMP" for a ton of reasons, is sensible. Scruffy is a very good way of putting it, can mess up archives.

[HDD21]

Ill be changing it to DXMP in the next beta, I kinda kept the JM prefix because of previous maps but I see what you mean,
In response to chinnys post, wep racks are planned but in the beta stage id popped the weps on the floor for the time being.
The vent that is infinte locked is nearly impossible for the player to get into it so while im working out a way (climbable texture, pipe etc) to get into it im keeping it locked or might omit that one, plus am redoing the working vent as its a little glitchy. The server had like 6 players and even then the map was too crowded. Working on floor levels is also another thing I am working on. Level one is going to be a higher basment floor, I am formatting it as

B1 (Level 1) B2 (Level 2) so technically down the stairs is B3 (level 3). The water area I plan to link to the upper and rooms outside of spawns by means of vents. Maybe some boxes in the rooms outside of the spawns to give cover. The exit that is blocked off will be opened up and an upper floor with more space and two extra spawns will be added

[ShadowRunner]

wep racks are planned but in the beta stage id popped the weps on the floor for the time being.

Love your sense of humour.


So, plenty of time for you to enter this into the map challenge

[HDD21]

You know, I might enter this, I do not think my skills will win it by far but A. I really would like to enter and B. The ideas I have for this map are mainly original, it will even involve the ability to climb a rope to get between two sub-levels if i can fine-tune it. Floor and cieling textures have had a massive overhaul and vents are now connecting other parts of the map, plus there is another floor and plenty of cover. There is damage to the floor in some areas making it uneven.

Will keep you all posted!

EDIT: Are we allowed seperate package files? (for the rope/ladder texture)? if not it is easily remidied, I can embed the UTX file with the map using the MyLevel method

Plus, screenshots of the rope design, i can make the texture file available to everyone; in this case however i embedded it with the map:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15 ... 008lw.png/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/21 ... 009uj.png/

Yes, you can get to the upper floor by other means, the blocked EXIT is now unblocked, also a vent shaft is in the making note the change of texture for the cieling, the floor of the main map is now similar to B3

[Magus]

Might I suggest using a Trigger to handle door-opening instead of mover collision?

You can see CMD for an example on the main doors. I find it's better because you don't have to break your stride by running into a closed door.