For more general details, info on the story behind this and how this information works and how its made, go to:
leray.proboards.com/post/27943/thread
Items found:
1 weapon of each type, ammo for all in ID maps like amounts
GA, 2x yA, RA. 6x armor shards
2x health packs, 5x large health packs, MH, 6x small health packs
Quad damage
Review:
Solid very Quake 2 like medium sized map, heavily inspired by q2dm4 with some bits from q2dm5 and q2dm6. Very Id like in type and quality of brushwork with a mix of rockwork, base and lava, varied layout done in two floors with some side areas, with variety in classic solutions for going up and down in floors and heights (ramps, ladders and elevators, so it just lacks windpads and stairs to complete the pack), and plenty or places that stand out planned with what is placed in them in mind. A bit darker than q2dm4 overall brightness, with lots of what seems random use of colors on light textures. Variety in mainly 2D combats, half in rooms with some of them with some up-down combat, half in corridors. Item placement is quite good overall, well placed and with the characteristics of the items placed and the layout in mind, with some that could get a bit better. Small selection of well placed and chosen sounds.
Solid very good map with a classic feeling and very influenced by q2dm4 in theme and ideas, with some bits from q2dm5 and q2dm6, one can clearly see Giftmatcher way of mapping here, with some of his own ideas and ideas that seem to be getting from some profesional layout maps i can't identify. This mapper seems to do maps in a technical way, but has the freshness of a non-experienced mapper too.
Is a bit restricted in its verticality (only two floors), as ramps done that way don't add floors. If the player can't see easily the change in floor it isn't subconsciously noticed, so for the player to notice the change in floor, and the floors themselves should be visible on the same room, in a way that the ramp isn't a continuation of the floor in a room, more like a break of it. But don't misunderstand, its way better ramps done the way was used here than no change in heights at all.
It has lots of interesting places, MG placement, BFG and yA area, GL placement, CG placement, some not good not bad (SSG and GA placement), and some a bit questionable ones or just not exactly good or special given the item there is (upper yA too near of the RG, MH, Quad). The added difficulty at obtaining the BFG or cross the room is perfect. RA placement is also good, and way better with the use of glass between it and the RL.
The choice of colored lights seems a bit random: looks like it was made to make the map more colorful, which isn't bad by itself.
Suggestions:- Make the map a bit brighter by turning some lights up (no general more brightness settings, please).
- The yA near the RG is too close too it, that weapon is powerful enough without giving some medium tier armor. Change its placement with the GA for example.
- Rockwork should look more like rocks, so don't make them on axis faces. Stray from on faces axis and geometry and go random with rockwork. Take a look at the outdoor room in Kitsune's map or spirit2dm3, or the ceilings of the cave corridors in my first map as an example.
- Make some changes in height, just one step from time to time is good enough, your map is too 2D sometimes. Having used q2dm4 as a reference wasn't a so good idea, as its one of its flaws. This is difficult to do with Id textures, so i'll explain it in the next suggestion.
- Separate the floor from the walls: right now, the floor is too dependent on where the walls goes, so you need to separate the floor from it. An example would be the corridors with stairs in my first map for the contest, where the main floor is separated by a canal-like brush from the walls, that gives me freedom in this case to use stairs on the grid with angled walls, and not depend on vertical walls with 64 or 128 in size.Another example would be to make the floor a bridge, and put something below (void, darkness, lava, slime, water, flowers, ...). Make it so the player can't reach what's below and you'll have the same room gameplay wise but you'll have more freedom on what to make on the walls.
- Add another floor, even if it is a single room, and make it accessible only by teleporters/windpads/elevators as those are better at separating and defining floors than ramps/stairs/ladders, like the highest tower in WizardExt map, for example. Better if it is far away from the rest of the map, but not necessarily a place to snipe from, but should be visible from another places in the map so the player desires to reach it. This can be accentuated by placing a powerful item or something in need in that part of the map.
- Give one or two of the indoor rooms more height. It isn't necessary to make that height make them connect other areas, as it is just to add variety to the map and give more personalty and character to the rooms to make them stand out more from the rest.
Right now revising my work process and doing maps differently now, a lot slower but some interesting results so far.