ff_egypt

[o_lillbrorsan]

So, while going to and home from a competition yesterday i sat down and started drawing a layout for a CTF map wich i wanted to make for this mod.

I started out a little today using PhilipK (Blazeeer) egyptian textures in HL2DM and i am pretty pleased with the result.
Its not that much to show really but gives you a little idea of what im thinking about and i do have big plans for this map already.
So in a week or two i should have alot more to show including sniper deck, flagroom and outdoor area with plenty of sand and stuff :D

Still trying to get the right lighting i want, looks nowhere near at the moment.

Hope you like it! ;)

Screenshots:

Left is the resupply on the lower level, straigth are the jumppads, right the path to the flagroom:
http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt0000.jpg

Inside the resupply upper level, drop down through the holes in the middle to reach the lower resupply, right is the door out to the hallway:
http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt0001.jpg

Upper level where you get from stepping on the jumppads:
http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt0003.jpg

Looking down to the lower level from upper, jumppads shown:
http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt0004.jpg

Lower level look towards the jumppads:
http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt0005.jpg

(Every shot looks bad due to the bad lighting... :p)

EDIT

I've made a quick layout in PS, i had to enlarge it for easier viewing thats why it looks so weird :p
Far left is the resupply, the jumppads and the corridors leading from it.
The flagroom has a lower and upper area wich is shown here, sniper deck is on upper but the bottom part also
has a stripped down sniper deck area with openings for going in or out fast.

*NOTE*
This is the first version of the layout and things WILL BE CHANGED while im working on the map in hammer.

http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt_layout.jpg

[o_player]

Nice clean texturing there, it reminds of tayconc2 :)

It looks very polished so far, get some decent lighting and you could have yourself a nice looking map. But still, we need more information on the layout.

[o_lillbrorsan]

Hehe thank you, i will try and get the layout finished by tomorrow, will go away from tomorrow until saturday and sunday so i can't really work on the map except for the layout.

[Mulchman MM]

Needs like 20 trap doors / hidden passageways.

[o_lillbrorsan]

Needs like 20 trap doors / hidden passageways.

Joking or?
I must say that it would be cool with such things cause of the theme but im not sure it fits this mod :p

"Needs more cowbell" :D

[o_sidd42]

I like those textures, creates a very nice ott egyptian theme. I would comment that it looks like a maze of narrow square passageways, but that's what the textures lend themselves too.
It will be interesting to see how you keep the theme in more open areas, and what layout you use to fit everything together.

[Mulchman MM]

Joking or?
I must say that it would be cool with such things cause of the theme but im not sure it fits this mod :p

"Needs more cowbell" :D

Not joking. Egypitian shit (in movies anyway) is always riddled w/ traps and secrets

[o_lillbrorsan]

I like those textures, creates a very nice ott egyptian theme. I would comment that it looks like a maze of narrow square passageways, but that's what the textures lend themselves too.
It will be interesting to see how you keep the theme in more open areas, and what layout you use to fit everything together.

This area above and below looks quite like a maze i agree but the part after this will be big and really feel large and spacey (or however you spell that), the middle area between the two bases will be using sand and displacement maps as a first.

I got alot of ideas in my head wich will make the map really fun to play so dont worry :D

Not joking. Egypitian shit (in movies anyway) is always riddled w/ traps and secrets

So you think i should make some kind of secret passageways and traps then? :D

[Mulchman MM]

Yes - at least to the secret passageways. Traps? Eh, they can be too gimmicky.

[Circuitous]

spacey (or however you spell that)

Spacious?

Anyways, looks interesting. The textures are really smooth, almost cartoony, so it gives it an interesting look. A bit dark and blocky, though, hopefully areas other than the respawn will be visible eventually and you'll vary things a bit.

[o_nezumi]

My first thought was that with these textures you really need steep paralax mapping. :)

This map needs huge monoliths too. And lots of columns.

[o_bobmarleyfan]

It would be pimp as hell if you made random trap doors in the floor. Would probably be hard as hell but it would be groundbreaking!

Wouldnt be great for clan matches but would be nice for pubs prolly.

[Lost]

Yeah, it does need more to add some atmosphere, heiroglyphics on the walls, a few broken sarcophagi strewn about. But I bet those would take quite a bit of modelling to make, so just add some cool pillars.

[Mulchman MM]

Some fryguy map had traps so it's not a new concept by any means, bobmarleyfan.

[o_frenchtoast]

Pillars would be cool, but could mess up the gameplay a bit.

Architecture looks a little too blocky, so here's my suggestion. Being that this is egypt, just have litle piles of sand everywhere, and piled up in corners, to break it up a bit. It would pretty effectively cover some of the blockyness.

Looks awesome so far. Keep up the good work.

[o_geokill----->]

I think Pillars on corners may look good
BTW good looking map ;)

[o_frenchtoast]

Indeed, pillars in strategically placed locations would really add to it.

Ah well, only playtesting will truly find the correct placement.

[o_lillbrorsan]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions people! :D

I've made good progress so far today, started to add the connection between the resupp + corridors to the big flagroom, i will hopefully have something to show later today and if not maybe this weekend or in worst case next week :p

Added a layout in first post.

I will go to my dads place today and will be there working my ass off until saturday or sunday so i have no ability to work on the map except for the layout.

[o_carnifex]

Looks very nice. Reminds me of a map called rage.
As others said, its a bit flat and empty now, needs some filling :).
Looking forward to play this map already !

[o_bokko]

I'd say trapdoors and secret passageways would be preety crap for your standard CTF map. What if you drop the flag in one of the traps or in the long passageway opened up by shooting the sphinx's eye 4 rooms away. In a CTF map it would just disrupt the flow of the gameplay, they are probably good elements for a civi exploring map. That's not to say you could make a CTF map with an egyptian theme though.

[o_frenchtoast]

If you drop a flag in a trap it could be insta-returned to the flagroom. I'm sure there'll be a way to do that.

[o_tercel]

take a look at the map Pharoahs...pretty much the exact same concept

looks good so far :)

[o_lillbrorsan]

I've actually added 2 "secret" passageways but they are pretty easy to find since i don't want the gameplay to be bad or even destroyed because some players know the secrets and others dont wich, i think, would also be unbalanced and unfair :p

Still have to think about traps though.

I know it feels flat now but it fits the theme a bit and i want to lay the ground first and then add all the details later when im happy with it.

Now i'm playing around with the bottom flagroom to get a good feel to it, not sure if i can get new screenshots or maybe even a video today before i go to my dad.

[o_lillbrorsan]

I figured i'd post screenshots now since theres less then 4 hours left until i have to go.
These are taken directly from hammer, the first one shows what i am playing around with from above and the second is the exact same picture but with all the ceiling removed.

http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt_above.jpg

http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt_above_noroof.jpg

You can see my test on making a secret passageway on the bottom of the screens, i also tried a detail out wich basicly is a hole in the wall where the sun shines in, small dust flakes falling from the hole and outside a bit, at the bottom theres a medium sized pile wich has built up due to the dust falling in from the hole, looks pretty cool if you ask me :D

I got this idea that the flag cap for each team could be in the middle on the floor going right through as you can see on those screens.

So i have already changed the layout of the map but i will probably change many of the things on the above screenshots.

[Mulchman MM]

Are you texturing the top of your ceilings or the outside of walls that face into the void? Like, in the one screenshot where the roof/ceiling brushes are on you've got them textured and all aligned neatly... why?

[o_kam]

the lighting looks too dull

[o_lillbrorsan]

Ah yes, the reason they are aligned perfect and stuff is because they are the same in the bottom and top part, so the roof in the bottom is also the floor on the top, thats why it looks like that when you copy it :p

the lighting looks too dull

If you mean in the last two pictures its because its in the editor and not ingame, the ones ingame are really bad like i mentioned in the beginning.

Does these spiral stairs on each side fit in or should i do the old style blocky way?
(Don't mind the textures, just a test)
http://toffe.kladdpapper.com/ff_egypt/ff_egypt_above_stairs.jpg

Like you can see, they connect from the bottom corridor that goes right through and connects to the platform at the top wich i have yet to make.

[Mulchman MM]

the spiral might work depending on the textures on the spiral. the birds eye view doesn't show much.

[o_lillbrorsan]

the spiral might work depending on the textures on the spiral. the birds eye view doesn't show much.

True, i chose this way of these stairs because it would break the feel of everything being flat.
I haven't decided on the textures yet, have to make it look good you know :p

Im off to my dad now, i will be checking the forum and work on the layout when i can wich will probably be on the evenings if im not totally passed out :p

[o_etzell]

If you want to break up the flatness, have a few crumbling walls with some debris all over the place. Random debris is great for distracting people.

[o_afx]

Its all a bit square, Add a few curves. Also whilst the textures are nice, theres a bit too much of a sandstone overload, break it up a bit more with some of the grey.

[o_nezumi]

I think that everything being very square fits the egyptian theme, and having crumbling walls 'n piles of sand and stuff could help it avoid being boxy.

[o_ma|2io]

I really liek the idea... Im not into CTf but liek this map. I really like the look and feel. Make an escape map, or series, with those textures :)

[o_lillbrorsan]

Came home yesterday so i will continue working on the map now and thank you guys for your input :)

[o_donny]

Your textures could use bumpmaps or it'll look like something that was pulled from hl1.
Also round thouse corners up and add more detail on the brushwork even the textures are pretty detailed.
I didnt want to sound like ass though if I did :)

I have visited a pyramide once and there was no traps :P Only very hot... reminded me of sauna without the steam and stuff.
Only long walk way down into the ground and then few rooms and another ramp down and more rooms. Toobad some religeous arabs had bombed all the walls with their axes so there was no drawnings left :cry:

[o_luminous]

maybe for the "traps" you could have something like on voltage/voltage2, a corridor with a button on one end that kills everything inside. maybe have the button trigger 2 walls of spikes to close in from either side or something? or something along those lines would be cool

[o_kam]

or maybe the roof falls down a block at a time so you can try to out run it
and some fake floor tiles but with a pattern you can learn to get across
OR SOMETHING!

[o_caesium]

or maybe the roof falls down a block at a time so you can try to out run it and some fake floor tiles but with a pattern you can learn to get across OR SOMETHING!

Yeah, that would be awesome for a "alternative" rarely used attack route. Just like on the temple level on goldeneye! Then you get the golden gun no?

[o_stino]

just play a little tombraider and you'll get lots of ideas for traps :p

[Circuitous]

Do Mario-esque blocks, where the longer you stay on them the faster they fall. And if you jump onto one, it falls even faster!

That might not work with bhopping, actually.

[own3r]

Updates!

[Doughnut-4|4-]

Curse2 for TFC did have some awesome textures and models... artistically i give the map a 10 but it lacked in design so much that it was really stupid to play on a server. Unreal Tournament 2k3 also had a great pharoah design map where they basically had three pyramids in the sky; two bases and a middle pyramid to separate them. I'd draw artist influence from both maps if possible.

[stino]

Curse2 for TFC did have some awesome textures and models... artistically i give the map a 10 but it lacked in design so much that it was really stupid to play on a server. Unreal Tournament 2k3 also had a great pharoah design map where they basically had three pyramids in the sky; two bases and a middle pyramid to separate them. I'd draw artist influence from both maps if possible.

face, and face3 in ut2k4 :D, i'm remaking them for the source engine and i could really use those textures :D my plans are to modify face3 so whould fit in ff gameplay

[Doughnut-4|4-]

Ya the flatter wider map styles in Unreal created a vastly different style of deathmatching. Those maps and some other maps from Unreal are beautiful. I actually think those games though years old surpass some current games being released today when talking about graphics.