[MAP IDEA] Kutu Arms Market (noob in need of guidance)

Discussion in 'Mapping' started by GoodGame, Jan 1, 2009.

  1. GoodGame

    GoodGame Member

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    Alright, I'd like to give back and learn mapping at the same time, but first I want to discuss the map idea to see if it's sound, gameplay and all, so here's a sketch. This is based of the Kutu Arms Market map that shipped with Novalogic's Joint Operations.


    Background: The town of Kutu, in the far fringes of the southern jungle territory of the Brenodi Empire has long been an insignificant adherent of the empire, kowtowing to the BE through shipments of diamonds and ore, but largely autonomous and undeveloped. Semi-tribal peoples, a free-wheeling blackmarket has long been a part of Kutu's culture, and largely unnoticed by the BE. That is, until a BE arms shipment was diverted to Kutu by Somoni pirates who captured a BE shipment of vehicles. The Northern Faction has learned of it and was in the process of securing a trade for the vehicles when the BE decided to raid. The NF and the Kutu black market must hold off the BE raid, as the price of business.

    Game type: similar to Glycencity (no bloom though, mid morning lighting)---capture the spawn point type map, with resource flags. A total of 9 spawn points, with 3 very close to the center square, and 3 progressive points on opposite sides of the map (for each team). NF starts with 1 spawn point in the center, plus 1 on its side of the map. BE starts with only 1 spawn point on its side of the map, but gets a large bonus of resource points. Each side has a Vehicle Factory, but only APCs and Jeeps can be built. Fighting APC configurations are allowed. APCs as spawn points is allowed.

    Map: Primarily urban, with a market in the center with a circular road around the market. A snaky, linear road connects the market circle to opposite sides of the map where the opposing teams start.

    The center of the map is the black market which is a network of short buildings and stalls thoroughly perforated by tight alleyways. The market is a circular and a circular road borders it. Buildings across the street from the market have a little more elevation and limited sniper positions allow some firing into the market; A team would have to control all the sniper spots to effective control movement in the market though.

    A long snaky main street connects the market circle with opposite sides of the map. The street is narrow, urban, and has a few ambush points, but most of the buildings are just obstacles. Vehicles have to travel the road to get to the market. Infantry can take the road or walk a covered route (partly sewers, partly alleys that can't be shot at by vehicles); There may be some murder holes along the covered route so infantry can ambush infantry, and the covered route will make it easy to get to spots that ambush vehicles on the main street.

    Possibly, there will be an external road that encompasses the town, is wider, and connects the opposing sides together directly. Scenery on the outside of town would be hills and jungle, mostly impassable. Relatively high density of resource flags along the jungle road, but no spawn points.


    EDIT: Here's an idea of what the market would look like http://callofduty.filefront.com/screenshots/File/67465/3
    EDIT: trying to post the map http://i484.photobucket.com/albums/rr205/GoodGame_bucket/kutu.gif

    Map key: Yellowish flags are resource capture flags. Pink flags are spawn flags. Purple X's are ambush points where the covered route meets the main street (primarily they will be building interiors that provide cover against the main street.
    The black road is the main street, and the Pink road is the covered route. The red road is the exterior jungle route.
    The arty position will be semi raised and have enough area for an arty tank to shell the market area.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2009
  2. KILLX

    KILLX Banned

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    Decent map idea, horribly flawed backstory.
     
  3. GoodGame

    GoodGame Member

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    Ok, I've made some progress, at least have Hammer working and have started on the tutorials. Got a question though as I make my first world room/skybox. What is the standard for skyboxes for Empires?

    Is it cool to make the level just one big hollow brush, and then line it with some flat brushes bearing sky textures?

    I came across this Sky camera entity thing: Should I try for a 3D skybox? Does Empires support this sky camera entity?

     
  4. kill3rtomato

    kill3rtomato Member

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    It's a Source Engine thing, and since this is a mod for a Half Life 2 (which uses the Source Engine), then yes, it does work c:
     
  5. Omneh

    Omneh Member

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    Don't bother with a 3d skybox until you have the basics of the map down.
     
  6. GoodGame

    GoodGame Member

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    So if I just do a 2d skybox, to start my map, is it cool to just start with a hollowed brush, and texture it with the normal 'skybox'?

    Then just add a flat brush for the ground texture?
     
  7. Metal Smith

    Metal Smith Member

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    Not sure if hollowing out a brush with the hollow tool thingy will make the skybox properly. I'd say just make it manually. Make sure the walls are 16, 32, or 64 units wide. Forget which one people like to use.

    For the floor, It may be a good idea to make the a 16 tall x 512 wide x 512 deep block (or 16x1024x1024) as the base floor, and then copy that (drag +shift) until the floor is the size of the map that you want, then put the skybox around that. Also, if once you get enough space, place a barracks (entity name is emp_building_be(or nf)_barracks) on the ground to get your bearings. Most empires maps are about 30,000x 30,000 give or take, which is nearly the max hammer grid size.
     
  8. TheBoff

    TheBoff Member

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    One of the tutorials I did when I had a passing interest in mapping suggesed hollowing out a box for a skybox I think. I think I tried it too, and it worked :/
     
  9. Metal Smith

    Metal Smith Member

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    but the edges will overlap. not sure if this is a bad thing or not, but it does effect what you see when you run the map and look at the sky.

    I suppose the effect may be negligible, but who knows.
     
  10. -Mayama-

    -Mayama- MANLY MAN BITCH

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    never Ever Touch Hollow, Same For Carve
     
  11. Omneh

    Omneh Member

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    Say CARRRVE to Bumgravy if you want him to go into cardiac arrest.
     
  12. blizzerd

    blizzerd Member

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    hollow works, carve does too if you use it properly
    i prefer not to use it though, due to... "ubercarves"

    anyone making a "box" skybox for empires with more then 5 sides should stop mapping or start learning how to do it properly
     
  13. flounder

    flounder Member

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    http://www.geocities.com/cofrdrbob/vmex.html

    This is a decompiler. Use it to turn a bsp of glycencity, let's say, into a vmf and you can then look at glycen in hammer and get an idea or the scale you'll be working with.

    Interlopers.net has some good vid tutorials (if you haven't looked already).

    Let's not hijack this thread with mapper leet speak about carving and shit, ok?
     

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