.:New Map:. Small Pass

[Forboding Angel]

OP has been updated as well as the file. Behe, do a happy dance, I've complied with your requests. Next time you want something, don't be an ahole about it.

Regarding feature usage, I'm using roughly about 40%+ of the ones in featureplacer. If you have trouble believing that, then crack open the map and have a look at my feature lists.

Moreover, if you really want to make yourself really useful, figure out a way that I can call a map dependency from within feature placer (If you do this, there is a good chance of me humping your leg for a solid week).

#2, write me some map options lua that will allow players to change the heights (BUT IT MUST BE DONE WITHOUT CONFLICTING WITH THE FEATUREPLACER DEFS! - Specifically config/map/general.lua - It must default to what I have set in there but be editable by the players).

Hope you like it.

[Forboding Angel]

...of all people didnt have the time/will/effort to just launch upspring?

You know damn well that there is a lot mroe to it than just this. Are you forgetting the upspring forgets which textures a model has the moment you open it? That right there adds at least another minute per model. Considering that there are well over 294 models in feature placer, you can imagine any reluctance to screw with upspring.

[Beherith]

Sorry about the tone, but it was because you refuted all criticism so strongly in your previous post.

I really like the clustering of trees now.
I dont know how to make featureplacer call a dependecy, but the idea is good, since the new treesets that have been released really need them.

Whenever I have to edit multiple models in upspring, I just copy all the textures next to the objects. That way it doesnt lose them. When Im done, or ready or release, I just purge the objects3d dir.

[Argh]

Or... settings-->set spring texture directory-->paste in path to unittextures-->done

Then it is set for all the models until you close UpSpring.

...how can people who have been here this long not know these things? <sigh>

[Forboding Angel]

Sorry about the tone, but it was because you refuted all criticism so strongly in your previous post.

I really like the clustering of trees now.
I dont know how to make featureplacer call a dependecy, but the idea is good, since the new treesets that have been released really need them.

Whenever I have to edit multiple models in upspring, I just copy all the textures next to the objects. That way it doesnt lose them. When Im done, or ready or release, I just purge the objects3d dir.

Sorry for my tone back, it wasn't called for. Just the way you were saying stuff really got on my nerves.

I wasn't sure that that clustering looked natural, but on the other hand, I figured it was close enough. I'll probably use that sort of patterning from now on.

Well that was my thought about the dependency. Featureplacer is genius in the fact that adding new things to it is as simple as dumping the models, textures, and defs into it. One caveat though, the defs must be luadefs (which is why I haven't added your trees yet).

Packed up, the dependency would be roughly 30 some odd megs, and if it were a default download option in the installer (plus SD would pick it up too) that would open up a lot of options to mappers (I would make the same argument for worldbuilder inclusion as well).

The requirements for using featureplacer are simple. Just unpack one of my maps with featureplacer in it (this one would be best because it has my latest updates), replace the smt and the smf in the maps folder (and while placing features give it a fake .smd). In the feature config featurelists, just wipe out all the placements. Load up your map in gundam sandbox mode, select the shiny tree and start placing stuff

There is more to it than that, and if anyone wants I can write a set of instructions for it. Featureplacer in it's current form was meant to be included in a mod, not in the map (Smoth went to great lengths to help me extract it from gundam in a form that would allow for map inclusion), which is why a few hoops have to be hurdled to get your map ready, but once you've done it once, it's a piece of cake.

This is the mapinfo.lua that featureplacer uses: http://pastebin.com/k5PXyz1t I tried adding a dependency according to the wiki instructions, but I don't know enough about lua to do it properly. You have any idea?

BTW I really appreciate the tips about upspring, I had no idea that you could set the unittextures directory (just tried it out and it's FUKWIN), nor did I know that if the model and texture were in the same directory it would work as advertised.

@argh's tiny text, tbh, it's one of the most underdocumented things about upspring. Upspring itself is an enigma of sorts, and tbh, if it weren't for various rant and request threads that you've made I would never have known most of the things I do know about it. So, for what it's worth, thanks

On a sidenote, this map is really really neat if you invert the heightmap

[Gota]

ok.Tested v4.
Huge improvement,nice.
If you have the patience and really wanna make this map feel finished I'd suggest making a v5 and consider making the following changes.

1)the autumn/purplish brownish trees.
I suggest replacing them since they only look ok when you completely zoom on them.
From gameplay distance they look like stones.

2)the Map ATM is pretty unbalanced because if you press f2 you'll see the upper side entrance to the middle is much much narrower than bottom entrance.
IMO make the small hill at the top entrance lower so its kbot passable.
Note that this is not a major thing IMO,and im not always against slightly unbalanced maps,you can also have the bottom side have a bit more metal to compensate.

3)there is still a path on the right hill near the edge of the map where kbots and the com can cross completely.
This is very important for TA mods and just a slight heightmap edit can fix that.

4)If you will actually make a V5 maybe try to smooth some of the heightmap so those height lines disappear or are less visible.

5)The texture ATM is nice however,just from my experience as a player it is hard to play maps with very sharp contrast and a very busy texturemap.
The original Small divide's texture was made using terragen and was very very easy on the eyes and was,yes, a bit blend.
It was very easy to see units on it.
I noticed that with carrera textures the map looks very picturesque but it makes gameplay on it hard especially when strong shading is applied like say on Behe's map zion and this version of Small divide has this as well.
Personally I'd like this map to be popular just like the original small divide but from noticing how people react to these high contrast textures on maps I think chances of it are lower than they could be.

IMO make the texture a bit more blend(maybe better phrasing would be "more monotone" or "less contrasted")so units are easy to see on it and it isn't so hard on the eyes.

[Forboding Angel]

1: What settings are you playing at? I play with all on and have no trouble whatsoever. Are you playing with reflective units and shadows off? If so, then that is a huge issue. In fact, maps in spring are rendered completely differently with shadows off (that is to say a large portion of the lighting foes off). And no, blob shadows is not shadows on. I'm talking about real spring shadowmaps.

2: It's still big enough to get a gollie through (in fact that's how I won yesterday). The north also has a lot more high up real estate to build defenses on, so from my standpoint, the north gets the advantage as the south is harder to take the middle. However, the south has easy access to a mex spot whereas the north has 2 available in the middle, but they have to work to hold them.

^^ This does not translate into "Pretty Unbalanced". It only translates into slightly different.

3: Fuck. It wasn't passable before, but I smoothed that portion of the heightmap before compiling this time and inadvertantly made the path slightly wider (enough to get a 2x2 unit through it).

4: The contours are there for a reason, and that is so you don't have to keep hitting F1 to tell slope values.

5: The original small divide texture looked like rotten jello. If I have to choose between a crap texture and a pretty one, I'll take the pretty one any day of the week. Think about this, you're blaming a map with good texturing for you not being able to tell apart crap 13 year old models and unit textures. How does that make any sense at all? Also, if you don't have shadows and reflective units on, that's the problem.

Regarding popularity, it's not gonna happen. I'll tell you why. It's not dsd, and it doesn't look like crap. Altored divide is the only good looking spring map that has ever been uber popular (and tbh I still really like that map, yes it's porcy, but the layout gives me a warm fuzzy). DSD is just plain fugly. Lot of good artwork, horrible color choices. Like playing football in a field of sulfur.

Something may have to be done about #3 though, that's annoying, but I'm not sure it's 42mb worth of annoying if you know what I mean. If I could use dependencies with feature placer it wouldn't be a big deal, and tbh atm it really isn't, I have plenty of fast upload bandwidth, but I don't like the waste of the extra 32mb, and then people having to dl it over and over and over again for no real gain.

If I have some time tonight I'll host some BA games on it and get a feel for whether changes need to happen or not.

[Gota]

I tried looking at the map with all settings,shadows on and off.
I still think It's hard to see units there.
Just open up the old small divide and compare how easy it is to spot units fast.

When i say popular I mean relatively,like small divide was relatively popular once even though most games were played on altored and speedmetal.
I still think texture should be a bit less contrasted and those purple trees need to be replaced.