Need help with my new map!

First, I wan't to say hi to you all!
As I may guess most of you have already seen me in game and probraly know(a bit) who I am.
Anywayz, I am making a map for empires, or atleast - trying.

First thing I would like to have a copy(vmf) of the map district and glycencity, the reason for this is that I wan't a close look at how the map is made and it's architecture(I need this for my new urban map). This is because I have been unable to recreate the architecture seen in district and glycen.

Second thing I would like to ask is how I can use the skyboxes that came with Empires in my maps(I am unable to find out how).

And third, I have seen the textures used on duststorm and I loved them! I would really like to use them in my map because all other sand textures look horrible compared to those! But again, I can't seem to find them anywhere.

Also, if I release my map I plan on releasing the VMF aswel - so that people may get inspired and everyone can see how it's made and use it for their future mapping projects!

And if the makers of District, Glycen and the lovely textures made for the new duststorm wan't credit for their work then I will add them to a list to people that helped me with the map and post it at the release of my map.

EDIT: Oops, wrong forum - someone please move this.

 

I'd suggest decompiling the maps you want to look at how it's put together.

Just don't copy-paste stuff, decompiling ruins brushes.

 

Talk to keef about the textures.

 

I wouldn't bother replicating the architecture in district and glycen - its ugly, blocky, poorly made, unoriginal and in both cases a terrible example of mapping.

Try making something nice instead.

 

From the maker of emp_insurrection and emp_slaughtered2.something

 

Yes, exactly. Although I didn't really "make" slaughtered and I also made silo, and did some work on emp_hazard.

Shall we discuss the map you made RKB?

 

It's easier to talk to someone rather than making a tutorial. Also, he may have experience mapping, but no "Empires" mapping experience (difference being empires breaks most of these mapping no no's that I see from places like interlopers).

In other words, you should never use tons of displacements, make large open out door areas, leave huge skyboxes with nothing in them, etc, unless you are making an empires map

Also, if you are interested in using the vehicle spawner entity, check out my useful FGD modification.

 

allo there jones, well the default duststorm sand is materials/nature/blendrocksand008d, that is the current duststorm sand.

I dont know if your talking about the duststorm I reworked, you wont be able to find those sand textures in your materials directory, they are pakrat'd into the emp_duststorm_225_b2.bsp

Now for an urban map I would say the architecture of glycencity and district buildings is ok but I wouldnt copy the kinda layout, there are too many long ass stretches of unbroken vis, you shouldnt have any strait area be long at all(even if there is tons of cover around its a 'blotch' effect if its too long and leaves no free run to front line anywhere, just jump cover to cover until you can engage). Do some zig-zaging and dancing around the block alot more, district has the feel a general layout was dropped with huge brushes then just fine tuned down with detail, which is what I think causes more of a problem with the nade spam and lvl 3 turrets everyone complains about on district rather than the nade spam or level 3 turrets themselves. There is too much no mans land on district.

Glycen city also fails alot in this regaurd as well but its more difficult to counter since you need room for vehicles to run around in. Though Glycen doesnt suffer as condensed a problem as district cause its much wider.

Anyway we sorta run a empires mappers hotline, feel free to add me on steam '[LoDw]Keef' if you need something.