THE 512kb MAPPING CONTEST

[Hellkeeper]

Played all the current submisions, should I write some feedback about them?

Please do, feedback is always welcome for the mapper and the other competitors to see what's wanted.

[Waste]

Hey Guys,

here is a quick WIP image from me... my level theme actually is "Thunderdome" ( from MadMax )
there is still a lot work to do

cheers

[Spectra]

Unfortunately, the answer is negative, please re-upload with either the music file included (which will count to the 512k limit), or edit the map that it would use one of UT's umx files.

Hmm, I can't change the music, because I have deleted the brushes (you can check by opening it in Editor). So I have add it separately in the zip file. Also included SGTech1 textures in the zip file.
Probably I guess this music file DigSh came with Monster Hunt. But this is my Favorite Music

Please do, feedback is always welcome for the mapper and the other competitors to see what's wanted.

Can a Mapper give feedback of others Mapper's Map??

Hey Guys,

here is a quick WIP image from me... my level theme actually is "Thunderdome" ( from MadMax )
there is still a lot work to do

cheers

Hi Waste, Welcome to UT forums!
Nice layout of your map. Keep it up!

[Hellkeeper]

Hmm, I can't change the music, because I have deleted the brushes (you can check by opening it in Editor). So I have add it separately in the zip file. Also included SGTech1 textures in the zip file.

That shouldn't be a problem because you don't need to rebuild after changing the music. Open the map, change the song, save that should fix the problem.

Please do, feedback is always welcome for the mapper and the other competitors to see what's wanted.

Can a Mapper give feedback of others Mapper's Map??

I don't see why not.
Completely unrelated: I don't have a capital K in my pseudonyme.

[papercoffee]

Is there a way to do an official admin-locked release thread for the maps as they get submitted? The thread is already six pages and still has a way to go. Having a stand-alone thread that is maps-only would make getting and testing way easier.

Hm... good point.
I think we should do something like that.

What do the other people think?

SGTech1

This is a default package.
Everything else will be added to the file size.

[memsys]

@ Flay,

You said you had a bunch of <25K music files would you mind uploading or linking those?

[FraGnBraG]

i like contests

good stuff so far - that thunder dome looks rather "cage-match" - if space allows, you could add some unevenness to the floor - watchit with the 2dse tho, that thing can add a lot of K to your map

A few reminders (and i can't emphasize this stuff enough):

Here is my CHECKLIST
(yes i know a lot of this has been mentioned or posted here already, but this is what I've always done for 300K etc.):

1. use a higher than normal LEVEL Zonelight, with a hue/saturation than "compliments" the texture sets you are using
(this allows you to use less "area" lights in the map)
2. sometimes for detail lights you can get away with using unlit light unit textures
3. set all surfaces to "low shadow detail" (except unlit surfaces)
4. use 1 light actor set to non-incidence and larger radius for groups of lights, rather than several small radius lights (where appropriate)
(sometimes this technique will look fine)
5. set all surfaces to UNLIT that do not need a lightmap. Includes zoneportals, fakebackdrop and invisble, etc.
6. when building, do FULL BUILDS, the BSP table is often a lot smaller (which of course makes the UNR smaller - and this is good for 512K, lol )
7. before the you push the BUILD button, click the "build only visible actors" checkbox, especially if you keep junk brushes and builders in the map
during development.
8. before the you push the BUILD button, click the "select all brush" button, then click "invert selection" button, then right-click a selected item
and "order to last". Then right click any pathnode and select "select all pathnones, then click "order to last". This makes sure the damn pathnodes
are absolutely last.
9. if you can use a ut deco (for example a "tube light"), re-skinned with a metal texture or a grey base, then you now have a pipe, or railing post.
you can scale the deco to suit your needs, or combine several re-skinned decos together to create wonderful little details that you might normally
do using BSP. You will have to play with the properties (scaleglow etc) of the mesh, but this approach to details will save you TONS of K's.
Oh, you really have to use your imagination when you do this - it's mentally very much like the way you approach an aspect of ut2003/4
mapping, but on a much smaller simpler "UT99" scale, lol.

Some TIPS on basic BOT pathing:

- just try to use pickup as pathnodes where ever you can, and make sure all pickup (and things like PS, CP and FLAGBASES) the
lines are connected with BLUE LINES, even if there are RED lines as well.
- There MUST be blues paths through ALL doorways. If you can't get a pathline through a door to turn BLUE, then you can use a
LiftExit-LiftCenter-LiftExit through the door or hallway. This ensures a blue line, and YES the bot will then get through the opening.
- Bait the bloody mindless robots - if you want the BOT to move, they need to go get things (especially in deathmatch) make sure there
is always something along any pathway for a bot to get (vials, ammo, powerups etc), and situate weapons fairly close to spawn-points.
- Pay attention to the "Zone-spawn" issue (discussed elsewhere in UT99.org)

- Test (at least a few times) that the BOTS work. Especially in CTF !!!! If a BOT can't CAP then the map is broken. Use just one bot and see
if he can grab the flag and return to base BY HIMSELF without getting "stuck". At least do this for the main route.

Well that's it for now...

Cheers and hope this helps

[Hellkeeper]

I've finished mine. It's 500k without brushes.
Several people have already made nice little maps here. I decided to go the other route and make a slightly larger map with a more complex layout. As a result, it is ugly to the point of being indescribable. I hope this won't be too much of a handicap.

Also, contrarily to all already posted maps, mine has sounds

I'll provide a version with brushes in the zip, once the contest is over. I hate the idea of providing a map without everything.

[Red_Fist]

It don't look that bad, you should use up your last bytes. It does have a theme, but maybe use a few lighter textures to have a more cheery look and not sludge in a basement look.
Like a few statues around, a few funky lights.

[FraGnBraG]

... As a result, it is ugly to the point of being indescribable ...

well i wouldn't worry too much about the looks part of it - it always the gameplay first that will count the most (unless the map is really bad looking, which your's isn't ... dunno about anyone else, but i see great standard gameplay just in your screenies ...
like those "snipy-holes" under the CP - perfect to plug with a flak bomb, heh i'm looking forward to getting in there

... you can always finish it up proper as a V2 after the contest, etc. make it nice and perdy

I should point out that anyone new just joining the thread should go right back to page one and read Higor's notes and advices regarding optimizations, good points in there...

Cheers

[Hellkeeper]

...to have a more cheery look and not sludge in a basement look.

Ahah, but that's the point! I like the dar damp aspect of it.

I'm adding a few masked sheets for decorations but It won't go very far. I'll post a new version in a while.

EDIT: new version :



Download DOM-512K-Qesh

Added some masked sheets and some fog effect, changed some textures, I'm at 511 ko. I want you to snif and feel cold and wet after playing.

[papercoffee]

Looks good. I feel cold already from the screenshots.

[memsys]

Currently working on a revision of CTF-512K-Isotope42, the revised version will have better pathing.

[jay2]

Thank you for the advice I will take it into consideration.

[Red_Fist]

I am sure this is a double post I have no clue but anyway.

Here is a link to the propertychanger actor.
no spam, no ads
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=7 ... file%2czip

This could make a 512k map do some awesome things, and not have to use more space, otherwise.
AND it could be used for some puzzle type things or traps, don't try and use it on movers, they are pretty much set in stone before the build, it also will not work for collision on most things.

The main drawback is you need one for each property and a trigger for each property changer.
Unless you triggered a bunch of things all at once using the same tag.

Not sure if it's ,contest legal.

here is my test map for property changer tests
Not really supposed to be in a contest thread, but I hope people try your own things for other maps later on.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=7 ... file%2cunr

EDIT
I would like to add, if you messed with this map, that the zone light will only affect meshes and not walls, the same for a light radius. Those things are calculated in the build. However it will work for volume radius for lights so my trigger message says radius is the volume not the light.
So the problem, say instead use a trigger light, to get the same effect and show up on a BSP wall after a build, I used Omnibumpmap (for off), but it might work using "none", that is why it shows up using "cloudlight" (for on) since both of those variables can be changed after a build and shows up on walls (BSP)
I went through a lot of things, but the propertychanger has untold power, and you would need to experiment the next time you try and create an idea that can't be done normally and save you mega time trying to fulfill your map goals.