Well some guys probably have seen me on the servers recently... I am quite new to Empires, but I like it a lot. I thought of creating a map for empires and I want the advice of more experienced players before I start the map. Since there are many maps with a lot of nature I deceided to create an "artifical" map (at least with a big "artifical" part). I am not 100% sure whether I am going to create an urban map but it is probably going to be one. Also many maps seems to lack any special tactical postions which give an andvantage if owned (in this case I mean advantages like control of certain doors/building) Basic Map layout: My idea for the map is that it is mainly symetric/mirror to ensure that neither nf nor be has an advantage. Both teams will have a big starting base (and I want that they keep the base) with different tactical postions/building. The teams will start with a Barracks, a fully built Radar, a fully built res point, a 25% built armory and a 25% built vehicle factory. Teleporter & Powerplant: One idea is to give each team a teleporter unit and a power plant. The teleporter will allow fast access for infantry to catured tactical points (but not points in the enemy base or some very close to their base). Essential for the teleporter unit is that the power generator in the powerplant is unharmed; so one target for the enemy team is to destroy the enemy power generator (I am not sure, whether it should be possible to rebuild the power generator; maybe you will have to wait about 5-10min to rebuild it). If the power generator is destroyed also doors (they will fully open, granting access to the base for the enemy) or traps will not work anymore. The power generator will have very low hp, but there will a protection which can be built by engineer and has a lot of health. The protection will be automatically destroyed as soon the power generator is destroyed (I'll add env_explosion effects probably). The power plant will be located near to the team's base, but not in the base, so the enemy has a chance to destroy the power generator. Base Security: The teams base is secured against tanks with 3 doors (2 front/1 side), but it is always accessable for infantry. It is also possible to build tank barriers to block incoming tanks if the doors are open. There will be a "tatical point" next to a entrance, so the point is accessible fast if it is under attack and it will have health/ammo crates for the team owing the point. Other Structures/Tactial Points: There will be other structures scattered around the map which will help the team owing them. Some will unlock a teleport in the teleporter unit while others give additional resources or grant access to certain ways to the enemy base(s). I was thinking of adding some points which allow a the team to use traps (against tanks/infantry), but I can't find a filter_team in the editor (and something like explosive traps WILL be used to grief the own team :/) Layout Now I do need suggestions and opinions on what you like or don't like. P.S.: Probably I will label the teleporters with custom decals/overlays like "Power Plant" so you will know where they lead to. EDIT: The map is going to be called emp_tactical. Curse the spelling mistakes! :[ --- Note: below this the post will be updated. Screenshots: Work in Progress (Layout/early state) Work in Progress (BE Base/half-textured, no details) Work in Progress (Teleporter/basic looks) Work in Progress (Power Plant [Side], City) Work in Progress (Trainstation) Work in Progress (Trainstation [other side]) Work in Progress (Beta/Dummy Base Doors) Work in Progress (Middle of city, Trainstaiton outside) Work in Progress (Middle of city, next to Trainstaiton entrance) Work in Progress (Middle of city, Hotel) Changes: - No Armory for the Factions. Since there are enough ammo creates it's not needed. Release Date Estimate: First Beta: This year Unless L4D/GTA4/any other new game is too addicting =P
sorry but every complex map for empires failed... dont say that your map will, but theres a big chance that it will happen...
/slap most of empires' mappers are drunk, or don't know 100% of hammer. You don't know how skilled this guy is.
Just make sure not to make the buildings too high. emp_streetsoffire has the problem where the comm gets 'stuck' in certain buildings while in comm view. Otherwise, I like it.
its not about how skilled the mapper is, its about the fact that empires as a complex game has little room for a more complexity map. I dont say this guy will fail, I only tell him what happened to every complex map for empires... thats because of the skybox not because of the buildings. Make the skybox 1024 units higher than the highest building for a smooth commander view... if you can afford the compile time.
Yeah, I can affort the compile time (I own a Q9450 @ 3,00ghz, in the worst case I'll let it compile overnight or/and use the CST compilers). Anyway, it would be possible to remove some stuff later on if it is going to be too complex (or I could publish 2 versions, a simple one and a complex one).
Your more complex ideas are feasible to an extent but my advice would be to make the layout first and get everything where you want it. You can test the map without all the fancy stuff and decide afterwards if you think it needs it/is feasible to use it given the layout. For example if the designed map is very easy to defend it would not be worht adding traps to make it easier. Bulding very large city maps can be tricky tho, especially if you want it to run well. You really have to make sur your layout is going to be VIS friendly, and you have to know what you are doing to avoid hitting the compiler limits or making something that is unplayable.
And don't plan on smart players, I've made a few maps [pretty shit but meh] where I intended certain points to be chokepoints, defensible positions, important places, when it comes down to it, nobody actually used them :_:
Okay I've started with some basic stuff, but I've been testing some stuff with the doors (and the empires decals/overlays) too. The base doors will damage the players vehicles, if the vehicles of a player are between both door parts will be crushed, so players can't block them with vehicles. Anyone has objections if I add a point_servercommand to change the amount of turrets which can be build per team? 24 doesn't seem to be enough since I'd cover the main base with 12 turrets (2mg/2ml each door), and the powerplant with 2mg (inside). Work in Progress (the orange textures are dev textures and will be replaced of course)
and changing a server cvar, is also a major no no, you dont' know what that server can handle. So forcing the server to allow more buildings can have very bad consequences. The layout looks ok, looks a lot like the lostcity map. Onlly thing i ask is i would love to be able to go into some of the buildings!!! SCOUT PWN!
Why don't you just find out if it would work? fresh ideas are always worth looking into but the success of this map will mainly depend on how you approach it
2 more Work in Progress screenshots; those things are not finshed yet, but I want to show them anyway: Work in Progress (Teleporter) The Teleporter Units turned out to be a bit difficult since there are many "potential" issues with them. For example you could telefrag / get stuck in other players if you use them, so I added a delay between the uses. To make it clear, whether a teleporter is useable or not I added green and red lights; it should be self-explaining that red means "NOT USABLE" and green "USEABLE". In addition a "shield" will emerge as soon the teleporter is unusable to prevent players from entering (that's not necessary, but it is a nice addition to the red light). As soon a teleporter is used a sound (at teleporter unit and at target)will be played, too. To prevent players standing in the teleporter exit I added a trigger_push which pushes them away from the target platform. These teleporters will be disabled as soon the powerplant is destroyed or the target location is captured by the enemy fraction. Work in Progress (BE Base) I am going to add some more details later (BE Flags, Crates, Lamps, Cables, etc) depending on the overall frame rate. Okay, I'll only place a few turrents at the powerplant and no turrets at the main base. I know the door can crush the CV, I tried it out :D. I gave the doors damage because I want to prevnt people blocking the doors with tanks. I see your point, I won't do it. Yes, you will be able to go into some of the buildings, but I am not sure how many of them will be accesable. Since some will act as capture points they have to be enterable by infantry, but I planned to add some more (and some kind of "infantry bridges" above the road, useful for ambushing tanks from above)
I am beta-finished (= basic stuff, texturing) with the NF and BE Bases; currently I am working on a part of the City and the Power Plants. Work in Progress (Power Plant [Side], City) I might try to improve looks later, but I doubt it since I will get very close to the engine limits. Stuff might be even simplified later on (for example: right now I have quite complex doors in the bases. They take about 120 brushes right now, but this might be reduced to very simple doors using 12 brushes total [big moving blocks ]...). If possible I'll try to achieve the same looks with less brushes/faces to free up some space for overall increased detail. Map will be optimised later on aswell, for now the props just have fade distances. I am going to add some occulders, areaportals and hints later on to improve fps further. As you can see 270fps is quite okay right now; I get 80-160fps on cyclopean or other demanding maps... I said that the map will be symetric and it is, but it's not like that the mirrored part will look the same. Only the key postions (Main Bases, Powerplants) will be copied and altered according to the team (different decals, textured, props). The city itself will look different, but I'll try to keep it balanced. I intended to create 2 Breondi Empire Banks, but I think it's kind of wierd to have 2 banks owned by the same "company" in a city. Probably I will turn that Bank into a trainstation instead on the NF side of the city, though I will try to keep the basic layout similar; some entrances (probably 3, 2 surface, 1 underground), a flag room, a teleporter room nearby, etc. The "underground" I planned will be reduced to 2 tunnels to simplify the map and free up resources. Those tunnels probably can be accessed though the bank/trainstation, neutral bases and from the surface where the tunnels are open. Feel free to suggest stuff as long it's possible
Some more screenshots: Work in Progress (Trainstation) Work in Progress (Trainstation [other side]) And 1 of the doors (6x 20 brushes = 120 total): Work in Progress (Beta/Dummy Base Doors) I think I'll be albe to finish the trainstation this weekend (complelty, RC quality). [Basiacally a test how much detail in interior areas I can use.. works very very well so far since the area is sealed off with area portals, aswell as "visfriendly" made]. Hm, I am not sure when the first beta will be out, but I think I may finish end of next month (autumn holidays =]). Also I have not deceided yet how much detail I'll put into the beta release since it would take way longer with more details.
Well, the same effect could be done with some "excessive" vertex manipulation, but that would fill the Vertex count a lot (depending on how that would be done it could result in bugged brushed aswell).
