Hey,
I've got some free time over the next couple of months to start on a new project, I hope to document all progress on this thread.
So this is going to be a small 2-4 person deathmatch level set on a medieval look out point set deep in the frozen heights of a mountain. To make things more interesting every couple of minutes a lava flow will cover the lower area's of the map (shown as the medium green area's) and the underfloor passages.
I want the map to be fast paced but also quite tactical, with plenty of cover from snipers, ways to flank the snipers and make use of kismet triggers to allow clever players to see signs of where players are situated (sounds/emitters).

This map will probably require all new assets which is why the map is going to be relatively small.
So here's the maps layout, its a bit basic but I know exactly how it will be in my mind ;)

Not much to comment on yet, but I have some advice (I'm currently working on my first REAL attempt at a map and I've re worked the layout 3 times already ).

If you're going to make this a 'sniper' level, make sure you give the sniper areas more than 1 way to get in and out. If you give a point only 1 entrance and exit, it makes it really easy to camp and dominate the map. I'm not doing this to self promote, but people have left some great comments in my map thread (just ignore my work and listen to what was said http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=68394 ).

Block your level out in BSP, have a run through and see how it plays!

Also, don't get in the mindset that a bigger map is always better. That's exactly what happened when I was in college, all huge maps, and they usually weren't balanced very well either.

Before getting into anything technical, block out everything in a very basic form, and test it with friends or something to make sure the flow and dimensions work well.

I second mLichy's advice, I started to go too big too fast and it made my map very boring. Anyway, the real reason I was replying again was to give you this link:

http://gearsofwar.wikia.com/wiki/Gears_of_War_Wiki

Look through the Gears 1 maps, they have the original layouts posted on most of them. It gives you a real good sense of layouts when you can see them without all the meshes in them

DarthNater: Don't worry this is far from my first map ;) Its not going to be sniper orientated, but a sniper tower is situated in the map but due to having 4-5 openings, little protection and a shock rifle opposite it is no camp area. And thanks for the GOW layouts, if only UT3 was a tactical and paced like GOW ;)
mLicky: As I said this will be a small map, with quite a lot of vertical levels.



http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/q...ckOutThree.jpg

About the 3rd revision on the layout, working quite nicely but I need to test with a few more people. I'm offering two Steam keys for UT3 for anyone with the time to help test.

you have a lot of weird shapes, like the ramps, that may be problematic when it comes to covering holes up with your SMs

Of course it will all be replaced with Static Meshes.

Didn't have much of a chance to work on the layout today so I did one of the materials that will be required for the exterior flooring.


http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/q...lMarterial.jpg

Need a bit more work on the specular for the steps but for the most part I'm pleased.
Oh and yeah the snow looks a little like plaster but its a mixture of snow and ice, and the specular would handel the material definition. Also the textures use a mixture of photo's and painting but I made use of the normals to really sell them.

Sorry for calling you a noob The BSP layout looks great! Textures looking good too. I assume you're going to throw some dirt in that block texture too?

A little here and there, but that will be done with decals.
I finished my Cliff today, it needs some optimising and the UV needs a few fixes, also probably could do with a proper unique normal map, but all that will be done on my last week with any left over time. I will also break up the cliff with smaller rocks later on.





Its my first time modelling a cliff but I think it came out okay, I used lots of triangles to try and make it feel more rocky. Its quite a complex material but if anyone wants I will put together some images.
Next is to move onto the flooring mesh.. wish me luck!

You should cut your rocks into smaller meshes. It's better for several reasons

Yeah I will do optimization near the end. Carried on replacing bsp with meshes... yawn

Looking good so far

Pretty cool, how about some climbing rungs from the lower to the top cave?

Edit : just seen your wire and the dark area above the cave looked like another opening but isn't. You should really make another cave above, that looks like the perfect spot and would be nice for gameplay

some roof cover on the main level would be nice for trying to hide, especially if you put a good weapon exposed in the middle down there.

psychoticprankster : Cheers!
GCMP : Thanks for the idea, but I don't think theres much room for adding another sniper point up there. But It did give me the idea of having some nice big thick ropes hanging down from there!
ZacD : Yep, that area in the middle spawns a UDamage. Where exactly do you expect roof cover? There will be a barn area at the back.

Anyway here is a bit of an update, not much becuause I had to get some other work done today. I added the cave and have started on the stone wall highpoly.

Are those textures you have on the ramps the ones you'll actually be using? They don't look very natural to be just large rocks like that, and they dont look uniform or planned out enough to be man made. I'd suggest rethinking what they're made of.

Have you played through this with people yet and made sure you can't get stuck in weird places , and that it's balanced gameplay?

Krynn72: Not too sure what your on about tbh. The textures used on the ramp are flag stones, using the same texture as the rest of the floor. This is a medieval map.
mLichy: Played to be balanced, but no point in testing for glitches/ exploits till the art pass is done.

Talking about art pass, this is what I've got so far, posting this to keep me motivated, seems to be taking a while to get shit done,

That pile of stone/brick is way too hi poly. I would just make it one single mesh for the pile and outline it. The bags on the back of the cart look a little high too. Other than what others have said, you're looking pretty good otherwise

I say that, because if you are making this to be playable and flow properly, you really really should grey box it completely first, and test the hell out of it, and make sure it's going to work, and THEN do the art. Otherwise you could spend weeks doing art, then find out something doesn't work, and have wasted that time.

Originally Posted by mLichy

I say that, because if you are making this to be playable and flow properly, you really really should grey box it completely first, and test the hell out of it, and make sure it's going to work, and THEN do the art. Otherwise you could spend weeks doing art, then find out something doesn't work, and have wasted that time.

Agreed. I made that mistake with my map and the first two runs sucked real bad Bot's are your friends (even though they try to kill you) and it's even better if you can get friends to play along. You need to make sure you place a few weapons and health packs around the map too. That way, you're bots have a 'reason' to go an area. I noticed bots would flock to the middle and always fight there, but as soon as I gave them a reason not to, the battle's were spread out all over the map.

Originally Posted by mLichy

I say that, because if you are making this to be playable and flow properly, you really really should grey box it completely first, and test the hell out of it, and make sure it's going to work, and THEN do the art. Otherwise you could spend weeks doing art, then find out something doesn't work, and have wasted that time.

+1