..:: New Map - Dry River V10 ::..

IceXuick · Post by **IceXuick** » 27 Apr 2006, 22:39

My new map is in progress, it is called Dry River, and is 10x10 in size. It's a quite small map, for fun little skirmishes. Bertha's can shoot across the whole map.

The first testruns have been completed.

The heightmap is already finished, as much as it comes to pathfinding of the different units, so that every unit can climb or NOT climb a specific slope.

The texture has been redone once now, and looks okay now. If you have suggestions, please feel free to post your comments, so i can change them! Tell me all, so i can finish it.

[EDIT]
Check the 2nd page of this thread to see the final result. Below are the first screenshots..

You can download the final version here:
http://www.fileuniverse.com/?p=showitem&ID=3069
[/EDIT]

[EDIT2]
You can download the enhanced V10 version here:
http://www.fileuniverse.com/?p=showitem&ID=3088
[/EDIT2]

And offcourse one bullshot :)

Let me know what you think.

Ice out.

Egarwaen · Post by **Egarwaen** » 27 Apr 2006, 22:51

Looks nifty!

IceXuick · Post by **IceXuick** » 27 Apr 2006, 22:52

no comments, tips or suggestions? :) (thats a good thing though... right?)

Egarwaen · Post by **Egarwaen** » 27 Apr 2006, 22:54

Well, it looks like you've got a more normal metal distribution. The left side might have an advantage with that big grey bluff in the center, though it looks like they might have enough approach routes to make it through.

IceXuick · Post by **IceXuick** » 27 Apr 2006, 23:02

Yeah, the center hill is more to the left... Well, the whole map is a bit asymmetrical.. But 22% votes for this one.. and it's small and relativly fast to make. I have played it against AAi, and a turtle baser, so i do not have a good idea of how it works with 2-4 people. Only thing i know the routes and passes work well, and make it run smoothly.

zwzsg · Post by **zwzsg** » 27 Apr 2006, 23:23

Can the cliff top edge be less straight? Try adding some round-ness or some jag-ness to them, small enough to not eat on the flat space, but just to visually break those straight lines to make it more natural looking in FPS view.

Also, if possible, try to make a s3o feature representing a bridge and place it over the land bridge. I know units can't walk on features, but it would just be a graphical enhancement over the bridge on the heightmap, because right now it looks odd to have such an perfectly shaped bridge, flat and with straight parallel vertical side, made only of earth.

Otherwise I really like your maps, because:
- They look good
- In top down view, the relief is easily seen.
- They are not just a landscape render, but are built with concern to gameflow, and leaving enough flat area to build and play on.
- Textures are crips, varied, and very closely related to heighmap and metal map.

Bad_Dude · Post by **Bad_Dude** » 27 Apr 2006, 23:26

You rock, cant wait to try AAI on this map.

submarine · Post by **submarine** » 27 Apr 2006, 23:40

@ice:

lol, the rate at which you produce new maps is really astonishing :)

one suggestion: make sure kbots dont get stuck on ramps etc. (happens sometimes on centerrock)

Egarwaen · Post by **Egarwaen** » 27 Apr 2006, 23:46

submarine wrote:one suggestion: make sure kbots dont get stuck on ramps etc. (happens sometimes on centerrock)

I think that's mostly because of Spring's stupid pathing. I find I often have to manually coax units up ramps or they try to climb slopes they obviously can't handle.

IceXuick · Post by **IceXuick** » 27 Apr 2006, 23:51

haha, thank you. I am working on this 24/7, so i ought to produce someting (and this one aint finished yet)

The heigtmap works perfectly now. I have learned to make that one right first. All units move correct. And in this version i DONT have a typemap with impassable terrain, what means that all the terrain has been build around the slopes that the units can walk/drive/hover on. I can slightly adjust some height, because i agree with the flatness on some parts.. unfortunately i think i have to re-render the whole thing once more, after i have 'naturalized' the map.

The first plays that i've had were very fun to do, and im pleased let you guys know that i will/can release this map quite soon. Think saturday/sunday.

I gonna test once more, with 2 added mexes for the rightside, and a bit enhanced texture (more dry-ish, more detail, more highlights)

TA 3D · Post by **TA 3D** » 27 Apr 2006, 23:59

my cents:
> Way too flat looking- I mean a lot like a ported TA map but with more extreme cliffs. Needs some rolling hillness to it, and sloped to cliff side on some of the cliffs. Make the riverbed area less synthetic and more life-like.
> Texture is good, almost a little too greenish in the middle, needs some dryed up mud and dirt spread around especially in the riverbed area.
> Water is too clean, green in up a bit and darken it.
> Features!

Thats my 4 cents otherwise looking good.

Dragon45 · Post by **Dragon45** » 28 Apr 2006, 00:04

I liked the old texture better mate!

But it still looks great

zwzsg's suggestion mihgt have some sense too ^_^

IceXuick · Post by **IceXuick** » 28 Apr 2006, 01:02

TA 3D, thanx for the clear, simple yet probably good tips you gave.

Water is one thing i needed to do (direct copy of centerrock), i indeed think it might be to greenish.. in latest texture is is desaturated a bit, as for the rest of the map, which has been 'brownified'.

Hills and cliffs is a thing im going to work on. The only thing i must not touch too muchis the s p a c e in this (already) small map. It plays well as it is, but if i alter it and put too much rolling hills in, than (possibly) unit can't go there, and you will loose valuable (building) space. (however i will naturalize it, too go against the (ugly) flatness).

I could put alot more (cracked) dirt around the river, but that kinda is against the idea... Funny, cause i had cracked there before the test phase began, but removed it.. thougt it was unlogical.. water + (cracked) dirt.

And then, what features would you like to see?

Come and give me more info, so i can complete the design and looks, and you can all have small nice skirmishes :D

Egarwaen · Post by **Egarwaen** » 28 Apr 2006, 01:24

IceXuick wrote:I could put alot more (cracked) dirt around the river, but that kinda is against the idea... Funny, cause i had cracked there before the test phase began, but removed it.. thougt it was unlogical.. water + (cracked) dirt

If you can manage it, a texture with lots of small rocks and sand would look really natural. Most shallow rivers and streams have their bottoms lined with rocks of varying sizes. Having a couple small random rocks sticking up from the water would be good too, especially if they were steep enough to be unbuildable and mostly-unclimbable.

The lushness around the river's a good idea, but it looks a little too lush right now. Having some trees there and making it a tad less green might help.

Also: rocks. Most of the Cavedog OTA maps made really good use of rock features, but very few Spring maps use them.

IceXuick · Post by **IceXuick** » 28 Apr 2006, 01:45

yeah i just going to need to find those features!

the rock texture you're talking about is already at the bottom of the water. There are 6 different high-res textures used in the map, among them the 'lushness'. Problem is, that the compiler and the compression that is used on it, the lushness will be compressed into something less sweet than in the original design (already use a compression of 0.3, normal is between 0.5 and 0.

I'll send some pictures this saturday, unfortunatly i can't work on this tomorrow...

So later this weekend!

(keep the comments coming!)

Egarwaen · Post by **Egarwaen** » 28 Apr 2006, 02:11

Looking at the screenshots, I think the real problem is that the green is approximately the same shade as astroturf.

smoth · Post by **smoth** » 28 Apr 2006, 05:58

wow, I was going to make map like this!

AWESOME! THANKS!

Warlord Zsinj · Post by **Warlord Zsinj** » 28 Apr 2006, 08:05

Mmm, I don't like the green, personally. It doesn't seem to suit the design of the map. I'm not sure if it is that the green is a little 'too green' and looks a bit unrealistic (like, a lush garden green somehow blossoming on a forboding steppe), or whether green itself is just not the right style for the map.

Otherwise, I definitely appreciate the real height differences. They look good, and you've made a pretty good attempt at not having the cliff faces distort too much.

As with your last map, try and avoid centering the map around a few vey easily defendible choke points (access ramps as opposed to river passes this time), as while these are great to have in a map, too much emphasis can lead to restricted gameplay.

Sleksa · Post by **Sleksa** » 28 Apr 2006, 12:14

LathanStanley · Post by **LathanStanley** » 28 Apr 2006, 12:28

good lookin map.... maybe you can think of something to include these tyranid towers I've been working on on your next release??

maybe somebody can....

I'll fix all the textures then too... I should have this tyranid chimney done this weekend... my schedule seems kinda light... for once in the last 5 weeks..

but yeah... the only "small" question I have is.. IF and IF most people use the river as the battlegound and hold territory on opposite sides...

the guy on the right seems to have about 25% - 35% less ground territory.. and from what I see the metal deposits are equilially distributed... now comes the question.. will the guy on the left out resource the guy on the right? what advantages are placed within the map to equal that out? do the metal deposits on the right side have a higher yeild?

just looking and thinking...

I mean, I love the map... and I hate geometrically EQUAL and IDENTICAL maps.... but I do like balanced maps....

maybe with some testing we'll see...

Spring RTS Engine

..:: New Map - Dry River V10 ::..

..:: New Map - Dry River V10 ::..