holy crap dude quite a lot of views

quote:

Originally posted by deathchild28:
holy crap dude quite a lot of views

I know! I think it is like 1400 + or - 5ish. Maybe I should create another level like Serpent Alley because it is continuing to get all this attention?

yep, thats a lot...but i did notice you kept it at the top by posting several times in a row...lol nice trick but we all know it.

Nonetheless, its an accomplishment since it hasnt really been that long since you showed up here. It seems to be right up there with Mikk Q's work and a few other well known guys. Keep up the good work FC2 needs all the great, AAA mappers it can get!

quote:

Originally posted by Agent00Kevin:
It seems to be right up there with Mikk Q's work and a few other well known guys. Keep up the good work FC2 needs all the great, AAA mappers it can get!

Thank you very much.

wait...did you crank out another map? I didn't read the other pages, maybe I should have. Might have mentioned it somewhere. I just noticed that the name is different.

quote:

Originally posted by drskotal:
wait...did you crank out another map?

Another... not really. I just tighted up the map I had out there by fixing some small issues and addressing all the out of world issues that people were finding. Also, I updated the screenshot at the begining of the thread to say Serpent Alley instead of SR Serpent Alley. It is still the same ole map we know and love, just pushed to perform better and play faster.

Well how much faster can a map actually go? I mean you are going to hit a point where you can't make it go faster, unless you somehow discover how to use the speed of light in a 360. And what was wrong with the map? This map has been around for months and I haven't had much trouble with it. Were there clipping issues? People getting caugth on things? Spawners not doing there job? And I did notice you changed the name...made me sad cause I really liked the SR in the name. Cause it paid tribute to your inspiration.

quote:

Originally posted by drskotal:
Well how much faster can a map actually go? I mean you are going to hit a point where you can't make it go faster, unless you somehow discover how to use the speed of light in a 360. And what was wrong with the map? This map has been around for months and I haven't had much trouble with it. Were there clipping issues? People getting caugth on things? Spawners not doing there job? And I did notice you changed the name...made me sad cause I really liked the SR in the name. Cause it paid tribute to your inspiration.

Quite a talker tonight!
The map had a couple changes like the name neokinesis that scales the giant rocket on the APR side that can be seen from everywhere on the map. By adding that, it caused some slight issues when passing through the up-side-down/flipped room. I have masked most of the areas around that room so that it plays faster especially there where the gunfire gets heavy.

Before, if the UFLL plays their cards right they could affectively put the pressure on APR and keep them locked down in the junkyard/scrap yard area. It is much harder to do that now. The balance for that was the alley near the yellow buildings on the UFLL side, just outside the church. That area often turned into a suicide hallway which was intended but has been made more fair to counter the stronger APR side.

Small cosmetic things have been fixed also. Before there was an ammo crate that was surrounded by boards when you played diamond. The players still recognized the ammo crate and would try and access it often getting killed. To make the map more noob-friendly I instead boarded up the doorway so the players can’t get to the ammo at all. I also boarded up many of the church windows that were allowing players to get out of the map.

It is faster yes but the speed of light unfortunately is unattainable. It would be nice though.

Nothing was really wrong with the map. I just noticed that there were areas that people understood as having a certain function and would often play their part in those areas. There are other areas that I originally had a different plan for how they would be used and have made many of those areas more obvious. For example, the Church now has ramps leading to windows instead of dark desks that you must jump to in order to use. It makes the stronghold of that fountain corner much more easy to understand and also pulls the players out of the suicide hallway so that they can enjoy the game a bit more.

I added a number of ladders and ramps throughout the level. There were areas where players were jumping to get too. So that they could flow from one area to another more easily I changed some of those access points. The roof over the flipped room has a ramp now to help focus the players to the right area so they can get on the roof without getting their feet caught. Same with the APR Scrap Yard, the objects littering the terrain were making it harder to navigate. After going over the area with a fine tooth comb, it is now much easier to slide around that area without too much fear of getting hung up or stuck on anything.

Some of the spawn points were adjusted to help orient the players when they appear. The rotations on a couple of them made the map disorienting when spawning so hopefully that is fixed. Many of the APR spawns have been fudged around a little to keep that element of surprise!

All of these changes are minor but helpful. The level plays very well and the rooms I host and feedback I keep getting back is that people really like it. I just felt like I could do, even better. Updates to maps are something I try and stay away from but if it really does make a better game, I’ll republish. To keep players from having to download too often, if I decided to make changes I keep the map for a while and make lots of little changes so that when it’s re-released it isn’t too similar. I also spend a lot of time testing them, but you already know that.

The SR just made it hard to search in the custom map download tool. It really wasn’t necessary at this point so I dropped the SR. Haven’t you been to Santana Row?

Yes, I can be quite the talker when I have things that just come to me. Can you really blame me?

What was wrong with the up-side-down room/flipped room before? In all honestly I hardly ever go that way when playing. I tend to sneak around a different way. Though now it seems that the gameplay is now even out across all enemy lines. Though I have noticed that if the APR doesn’t get out of their area soon, then they are still in that area when the opposing team comes knocking on their door.

And this whole faster business… You may have to explain this to me in person. Maybe I am just special and don’t see what other people are seeing. Or simply don’t care and just want to have fun. (Speed of light is attainable…we just haven’t reached it yet!)

So mostly the changes where for those that played in diamond mode?

Suicide hallway? Is that between the smoke house and the post office?

Okay good for the spawn points. There were a few times I was turned around. Or was that in a different map? Either the case, I do like a spawn point that points me in the right direction.

Neo, you were getting great reviews from people who have been playing this map since day one. I was completely blown away when you first showed me this map, the original one.

SR wasn’t necessary or did you just like the new name better? :P And yes I have been to the real place that the original map was named after. I still don’t see the similarities.

quote:

Originally posted by drskotal:
(Speed of light is attainable…we just haven’t reached it yet!)

It sounds to me like you are confusing yourself with your own imagination. 'Speed of light' the way you used it in reference to videogames doesn't make any sense. The level has objects in it so it is not playing at the fastest possible FPS. However, it is pretty darn smooth.

quote:

So mostly the changes where for those that played in diamond mode?

No, the changes allow new things for people in all modes. The major changes were geared toward fixing Lag/FPS and keeping players from cheating by existing the level. The changes were not catered to any one mode. They instead expanded on everything to make an even better, more immersive experience. The diamond mode does have a couple extra ramps, boxes, and balconies but that is something separate.

quote:

Suicide hallway? Is that between the smoke house and the post office?

No, it is between the Kiosks and the Church on the UFLL side. It is a high traffic area in most games. A lot of people die there.

quote:

Neo, you were getting great reviews from people who have been playing this map since day one. I was completely blown away when you first showed me this map, the original one.

You are starting to repeat yourself. But thank you again! I am glad you like the level, still.

quote:

SR wasn’t necessary or did you just like the new name better?

Please read the thread. I have explained the name changes a couple times now. SR stood for Santana Row, which is an outdoor Park/Mall near my home in Sillicon Valley. The level is inspired by that place but doesn't have the same layout or designs.

No confusion. No imagination. Just trying to be funny and failed. I suppose.

quote:

No, the changes allow new things for people in all modes. The major changes were geared toward fixing Lag/FPS and keeping players from cheating by existing the level. The changes were not catered to any one mode. They instead expanded on everything to make an even better, more immersive experience. The diamond mode does have a couple extra ramps, boxes, and balconies but that is something separate.

Okay, sweet. I’ll have to relook and observe more fully on the levels.

quote:

No, it is between the Kiosks and the Church on the UFLL side. It is a high traffic area in most games. A lot of people die there.

Gott’yah. And to think that’s my favorite area. xD

quote:

You are starting to repeat yourself. But thank you again! I am glad you like the level, still.

Then I shall stop. 

quote:

Please read the thread. I have explained the name changes a couple times now. SR stood for Santana Row, which is an outdoor Park/Mall near my home in Sillicon Valley. The level is inspired by that place but doesn't have the same layout or designs.

Yes., I worded my words wrong. I am slightly having vertigo and dizzy and I can’t think straight. Thanks for making me feel stupid. 

quote:

Originally posted by drskotal:
Thanks for making me feel stupid.

That wasn't my intension at all. You have stated your lack of involvement is due to laziness. I understand this thread has been around for some time and is getting rather long. There is no need for you to feel stupid. You came to say you liked the level, and asked some questions. Thank you very much, don't be a stranger, and I hope I was able to answer them.

Just asking that you be less lazy in the future.

Yea, I went back and read everything that was written. But knowing me I like to get more in depth of what has been changed, call it a habit. Laziness will no longer be an issue.

I would also appreciate you keeping a timeline of each brush change for all of your maps, moving forward. For example:

5:31:07 moved platform#3 2 inches to the left
5:31:19 no good, platform moved too far. Shifted back the other way
5:31:47 added 3 meters of grass in the lower left quadrant of grid D6.

And so on.

Thanks in advance

quote:

Originally posted by CrazyUncleDave:
I would also appreciate you keeping a timeline of each brush change for all of your maps, moving forward.

Ha haa! It is not too far from the truth... I have to do that type of testing, over and over until it feels just right.

I have considered taking screenshots of my levels as I build them to show how many versions of something I go through before posting/publishing. [360] O i l A r s e n i c had like 20 versions of base before the three of us (INF3C71ON, myself, and EROCK)could settle on an idea/theory.

I wouldn't normally give it a second thought but a couple people have asked me privately to show them more of my process because my results are often so 'unique' (I think that means good). If they believe they can turn my level building process into a formula, make like NIKE and ...!