Folks, Do we still have access to the map source files? If so, is there a possibility of updating them so they use the latest Source textures? As per how HL2 Episode 2's textures look like, we should port some of those over and update our maps.
We don't have access to episode 1 or episode 2 content (materials and models etc.), only good old HL2 stuff that ships with the source sdk base. All the Empires map source files are still around, however, and many can stand to be improved; many of the first Empires maps on source (district, SoF) use almost exclusively textures that were made specifically for Empires, and many of these are just straight up ugly or haven't aged well. I'm working on SoF specifically right now and it's going to be much more diverse when it comes to textures, using lesser seen HL2 textures in more creative ways.
Hmm, how come is it that we don't have access to those textures, etc.? I do agree on your points that we need new HD textures and work on the official maps. The models could also use some work with some new textures. But that's a heck of a job.
everyone would need ep1&2 to have those textures, so either its a requirement or if you would rip and redistribute them you run into the risk of upsetting valve. unless that changed over the years ...
icawall is a good texture and i wont have anyone say otherwise everytime someone tries to show off a new texture it looks like garbage
ICAwall and all the other concrete and building textures in materials/common/ have some unnecessary crap like environment maps (reflections), normal maps scaled higher than their nominal resolution, and mostly blank envmap masks. These things maybe would be good in a much more realistic rendering engine but they don't produce anything worthwhile in Source, and they add enough to the rendering load that Streets of Fire has problems displaying them all in spite of aggressive VIS optimization.
its just 1024x1024 not 512x512 like most hl2 textures. i like silks 2048x2048 textures more, only downside is they have no trims. thats something hl2 lacks most, trim textures. most are on-texture and its really only 3 or 4 dofferent in total.
im not a texture guy but it sounds like the problem is the vtfs/vmts and not the actual image of the textures themselves