Ok, so I was messing with Nem's Terrain Generator, and I made this reletivly quick map. Theme: The Brenodi Empire is sending Supplies over a pass north of Glycen City to snuff out the Factionalist's attacks on the city, but, Unfortunatly, the pass is protected by the Jekotian Second Brigade. The Empire must take control of both the passes, while the Northern Faction must destroy the Imperial forces. Each Side starts out with a pre-built base and no commander. There is 3 neutral flags on the map that will give additional supplies. The team to cap the other teams flag (Inside thier base) wins. Download Link: http://www.kylegar.net/stuff/boreal/emp_boreal.zip Images:
Um, no? never been there. I just was playing around with Nem's terrain generator and this looked good to develop so I did. I'll probably do more to it later, I just wanted to get it out, because there actually arent maps like this. Its reletivly small, multiple flags that dont have to be capped in order, and I think it would play well. I just wanted to get a proof of concept done before I add things.
Did you read the thread about how to optimize terrain for VIS by using nodraw brushes within the terrain and hint brushes on top?
There are nodraw brushes within the terrian (thats how Terrain Gen exported it), but I didnt do any hint brushes, mostly because of the total lack of detail. When I add more to it, Ill get on it, but I'm going with the Release early, release often method on this map. For the next version, I'm going to add some stuff in the passes, and probably work on the walls around the bases.
No, its not ment to be so dark. I made quite a few tweaks, added some cover and some static models (like trees...quite a few trees...and destroyed tanks), as well as some tweaks to the terrain. I'm going to put something on the top of the mountain, to make it mean something to take it.
if this was set almost entirely in a forest, that would be really cool. and a bendy tunnel going through the middle of the mountain from left flag to right flag.
Lighting still needs some work (Read: LOTS), but heres an update. I forgot to mention that I would be adding detail in my first post. Did some work, I'm going for the "Not-So-Kept-up mountain pass that the BE tried to cross once before but failed" look. the NF side has a avalanche with a bunch of destroyed vehicles.
I find that if you compile with "fast compile" you can make huge maps compile very quickly, and if you do your lighting right, indoor lighting will look fine. I don't understand the point of the nodraw brushes.
The whole reason for fast mode is to get an idea while developing so yeah, thats a good idea it does however effect performence and some of the more advanced textures negativly, so the relese of your map should allways be renderd with full vis and rad :p also, the reason that you might use nodraw brushes is that they are not renderd, hence, you can block visability without rendering the stuff that you don't need to see, making the map run smother
So, to use the nodraw brushes, you just make them a size of 1024, and you line them up side by side throughout the entire map? and along the surface of the displacment? I have also noticed that the only thing in the compile that takes an unacceptable ammount of time is "portal flow", which, due to the fast compile setting, I dont really see it being all that neccesary. Will doing this nodraw brush thing reduce the portal flow compile time?
You don't align nodraw brushes like that, you place them so that they mimic the terrain, but without all the same faces. Portalflow is also the most important part of vis, since it calculates exactly which visleafs can see other visleafs from any point inside it.
I usually just put blocks inside the highest point of the displacement. I'll get a pair of shots from my map to show how I do it.
I usually just put blocks inside the highest point of the displacement. I'll get a pair of shots from my map to show how I do it. Edit: Actually this is probably more comprehensive: The black lines are nodraw world geometry, the yellow ones represent 'Hint gates' which are just blocks of hint brushes which control the visleaf splitting, the main visibility areas are numbered, it basically means you can usually only see one or two of them at any one time.
I think there should just be a tutorial for this, anybody have one? EDIT: It looks like you guys use the nodraw brushes the same way I use occluder brushes.
