[Archive: 2013] Fredrikli's Entry

Fredrikli · Feb 28, 2013

Here's my half-hearted entry!

I stressed the map these last days, so there are a couple of brush-errors and models that dissapear.
It's not entirely finished either, but it'll have to do

Thothie · Feb 28, 2013

Re: [Section 1] Fredrikli's Entry

Sweet piece of work!

Nice little spider web bridges too.

Someone may yet give Cal a run for his money.

zeus9860 · Feb 28, 2013

Re: [Section 1] Fredrikli's Entry

I remember seeing those web bridges before in the forums...

This is one hell of a map, most of the screenshots were appealing to me, specially the one part with water, it looks pretty neat!

Also i saw that bookstand in one of the screenshots, things like this should be found more often in maps, they could reveal nice things... (be it either map achievement/goal/secret or lore-wise). It's always fun to see something like that in the middle of the dark, with a torch by the side.

Rickler · Mar 15, 2013

Re: [Section 1] Fredrikli's Entry

Fredrikli,

I like vast feeling of the open cave areas.

Brushwork: The brushwork is lacking an 'extra demension', everything seems to be just flat. But it does allow for better poly counts and in a dark cave like area you aren't going to see much brushwork. So it does make a great feeling of open vastness you can't reach because you're stuck on a raised rock area. 6/10

Lighting: Hard to judge here because it's just a very dark map, as a cave like this should be, also there is no BSP file to look at. 6/10

Textures: Most of the map is a single texture. 4/10

Layout/Looks: There isn't any obvious flowing gameplay layout and my guess it's just a free roam map to explore? 5/10

Overall I'd say 5.5/10

TheOysterHippopotami · Mar 16, 2013

Re: [Section 1] Fredrikli's Entry

Fredrikli

Score: 7/10

Brushwork - 6.5/10

The brushwork in this map is good, although not great. The walls are a bit flat, but in some ways that is advantageous. In dark areas, too much detail can be superfluous, and even subtract from gameplay if things you can barely see are causing a significant decrease in performance.

Entwork - 5.5/10

The map makes good use of entities from an aesthetic standpoint. Many things could be done to optimize this map with entities, however. For example, there are many rock formations and spikes that touch the ground/ceiling and are not func_walls. It should be noted, however, that Fredrikli is primarily a source mapper.

Layout - 8.5/10

I disagree with Rickler here. The kind of layout that this map has is exactly what MSC needs more of. The only drawback here is that the map could be larger, but the layout itself is perfect. Connecting multiple maps with layouts like this together into one 'supermap' will be a breath of fresh air for MSC.

Lighting - 7/10

I think the lighting compliments the map well. For the most part it's logical and light doesn't come out of nowhere. I like the color choice as well.

Textures - 7/10

I also disagree strongly with Rickler here. The map is definitely not just one texture and I think you did a good job blending rock textures. I may disagree with some of the textures chosen, but when and where you choose to change rock types is well done. You do a good job avoiding the bland 'MS Cave effect' that even excellent maps like melanion have elements of.

I give this map a 7/10.

Kuroneko · Mar 16, 2013

Re: [Section 1] Fredrikli's Entry

This map seems to be very basic as far as general layout and design in concerned. Brushwork is also fairly simple and the textures seem to be very simple except in a few choice locations. The lighting, however, certainly compliments the area well and the entity works helps with that as well. Lastly, the area does not feel at all unique, and is just another cave.

Score 5 / 10

Thothie · Mar 22, 2013

Re: [Section 1] Fredrikli's Entry

Judging Fredrikli's Entry

The Good:
• Interesting texturing effects with the webs.
• Good lighting cues here and there (needs moar though).
• Nice consistent and creepy ambiance.

The Bad:
• No BSP provided, so I can't be sure of the settings coming out right.
• Neglected to include some custom textures (again, no BSP, so I can't grab them from said.)
• Bunch of empty-solid func_illusionary's. (Deleted before compile.)
• Since you made me compile, I should doc you for compile time. HLVIS was pretty slow for some reason - Probably that one oversized cave. (So big, it clips with the standard viewdistance.)
• Jump in water near spawn, no way back...
• A few vis-leak errors, here and there - dunno if your own compile params worked better
• Bit too dark. It's a cave, I get that, but there needs to be a tad more guide and hint lighting, de-marking cavern boundaries, offshoots, etc. What lighting you do have is very good though.
• Needs expanding
• Not populated

Suggestions:
• The dim rendering on these webs is a really nice effect, but it sometimes makes it difficult to tell where ladders are, and often they're invisible - maybe a little less dim would be advisable.
• I was going to complain about the lack of texture variety as Lord K did, as it does look awfully dull in Hammer, but in game, it doesn't look that bad. (And there maybe more texture variety than I know about, as I'm missing at least two textures - I S&R'd them with those that had similar names).

Final:
6.5/10 - do hope to see it finished, and would be quite willing to rig up some 'suspended by web' drop-line style spiders for it.

[Archive: 2013] Fredrikli's Entry

Fredrikli

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Thothie

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zeus9860

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Rickler

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TheOysterHippopotami

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Kuroneko

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Thothie

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