ok, map alpha released! suggestions please (try to get a group of clanmates on to see if everything works right, like the 2 man caps and full capping the flag) tick scoring should work also, but i'm not terribly sure about that.

the only real problem i know of is the skybox which is that of a desert... not exactly right for a beach to lead right into a desert. but that doesn't affect performance and will be fixed when i can.

map is uploaded here;
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/Siracusa.bsp
and here;
http://ftp.phoobarred.net/Siracusa.bsp
*note, phoobarred link doesn't work, will get it to when i can.

screenshots
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/0.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/1.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/2.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/3.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/4.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/5.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/6.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/7.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/8.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/9.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/10.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/11.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/12.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/13.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/14.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/15.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/16.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/17.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/18.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/19.jpg

ps, i know it's not terribly pretty, but i'll do what i can to improve it later on. i'm looking for gameplay feedback mostly for right now.

Whoo! Go HL sky box!

j.k man, nice start, shows promise and looks balanced for clan matches.

GG ^_^

TS

...too...damn...bright.......can't...go...on

its ok but change the skybox and the lighting

Make it so that you can get in the building to the left of axis first flag. Atleast they'll be able to defend it a little better that way.

Also make the water a little deeper, otherwise at the allied first flag ppl will just camp the water.

I think some areas are a little bit too big. They're not like little streets rather big streets with nothing in them.

PLEASE fix that spawn areas. I had a walk around and kept getting killed because I wasn't sure where the spawn barriers were. Put up some sort of ramp for the spawns.

I would try it, but HL textures + skybox = no go area, even if you just want to test the gameplay.

This looks like it could cause eye cancer ;x

Just include some more user friendly textures and skybox so that people don´t need to fear that they might loose their eyesight while testing this. ;)

Sorry m8, don't like the look of it ;-[

First, its an ALPHA. So in this case, you should just make sure it works ok :p

Second, its a clan match map so hes not looking to impress anyone with the looks of the map. Its intended to play well but it does certainly need something to spruce it up a little more but it like as of anzio and crete had a baby. Hopefully we can see some improvements in the comming releases

Of course... i never said anything about how it plays, don't know how it plays... but what i do know is that i do not like the look of it, that's all.

take care ;]

the only thing i can suggest is perhaps add more rubble/objects ...the streets seem rather clean and very open...you need some cover ;)

You either have a leak, or some of the worst lighting I have ever seen.

Are clans blind? This seems to be a trend.

Originally posted by Jello_Biafra
You either have a leak, or some of the worst lighting I have ever seen.

I think he has yellow shadows :)

i think i said this above, but the skybox and lighting will be fixed as best i can, this is an alpha/beta type thing where i'm trying to find out if the layout works for clan play :P

As for the textures, they're from anzio, so it must be the lighting that makes them horrible (or i'm just incompetent, probably that :P) If anyone is willing to make some custom textures that work for this environment i'll be glad to include them, as i would like more variety then just brown and red houses with tiled roofs, and better looks then those ugly whiteish brown and other textures in some of the houses. but i'm working within the anzio wad for now, so resources are limited.

If anyone can tell me the name of the anzio skybox so i can switch that with the HL skybox i'd be very happy. I don't want the map to look like crap(as it does), as i'd like non clanners to enjoy it as well. but the primary audience is clanners, so i kept the r_speeds low, the highst i could find is 423 wpoly and whatever epolies the player models/flags thrown in. which is a very nice start.

and here's the working phoobarred link if anyone needs a different one http://www.phoobarred.net/~monkey/Siracusa.bsp

ok, an update of the beta is ready, your opinions please :)

fixes -
-Changed ladders to be more convenient/functional
-Changed skybox to a more apropriate one
-Altered water depth and shortened the distance you can go back into it
-Added sandbag ramps at spawn exits
-Added neat-o models in the spawns where hitboxes shouldn't be a problem
-fixed lighting so it now looks more white then yellow, and made in house lighting more realistic without being too dark.
-Added two small lumps of rock for cover near the beach, it was too open.
-Added environmental stuff like a bin of fruit and a cabinet at the shop, some ivy and plants in places to perty it up a little.

download here:
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/DoD_Siracusa.bsp
and here:
http://phoobarred.net/~monkey/DoD_Siracusa.bsp

screenshots:
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/20.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/21.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/22.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/23.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/24.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/25.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/26.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/27.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/28.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/29.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/30.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/31.jpg
http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/32.jpg

name is Syracuse

not on the map of italy, the town is called siracusa :P
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/italy_pol96.jpg

but what did you think of the improvements?

Also, i'd really like results from clan play on the new version (like get a scrim going or something with some clan mates and post a demo) so i can see any issues you guys run into and fix them asap, i want this to flow as smooth as i can make it flow, and make sure there isn't any bias. now's the time i need things like that. i'll throw any fixes i make after examining play and making graphical fixes/improvements where i can and make a final version for you all :)

The lighting is still horrible... there are no shadows.. and dont only use textures from the anzio wad. There are better ones in other wads that would probably fit the map.

Hm, it was meant for DoD, really ?

My comments as as player:
- Add more cover and reduce open areas.

My comments as a mapper:
- set compile option Full in RAD settings
- add light_environment entity, even with default settings it will look far better than it looks now
- add some details (erm, and roofs), make rocks less vertical
- I think map meant "for clans" doesn't require to making it ugly, take dod_solitude as good example.
- look more at pics of italian architecture

Originally posted by Craftos
Hm, it was meant for DoD, really ?

My comments as as player:
- Add more cover and reduce open areas.

My comments as a mapper:
- set compile option Full in RAD settings
- add light_environment entity, even with default settings it will look far better than it looks now
- add some details (erm, and roofs), make rocks less vertical
- I think map meant "for clans" doesn't require to making it ugly, take dod_solitude as good example.
- look more at pics of italian architecture


Aggreed on most subjects. But as any Clan player will say; "I don't care what the map looks like".

That is why they love dod_anzio ... the most played Clan map ever and it still dosen't have a sandbag model on the bridge.

btw ... It looks like he has got full rad: http://plobe.com/~orb/ss/s/26.jpg

I see shadows in the building ... must be -full or -fast to get them shadows.

Try using the water from escape, they look great.
And also try to make the map look less... less arabic ? it's italy, more green could help the map.

try looking at pictures, get inspired... GL ;-)

i could just switch it to north africa and shut the lot of you up about the greenness :P

i'm working in the anzio wad though because it's simpler. also, the people who are claiming there aren't any shadows.... please either view all the screenshots or download the map before shooting your mouth off. my gamma may be a little high, because it looks exactly like anzio does on my pc lighting wise, except anzio has a 'dusty' color to it's lighting. you might try downloading the map and seeing it on your settings.

the only complaint i'm hearing from 1911 with the new release is that the skyboxes are a little low for grenade tossing. surprising, i figured they would say omg no trees, tanks and shadows :x

so if you're not going to download the map and try it, i'm not going to listen to what i've already told you being regurgitated. this map isn't primarily for looks, as i update it i will improve it as i can, but my primary concern is gameplay. stop posting stuff like the lighting is still horrible, i know it isn't great, but if you aren't even going to download the map or at the least look at all the screenshots before espousing your almighty infallible opinions and judgements, withhold your comments please

:)

-open up 2-3 more buildings w/ some mg spots, because at the moment there is only a handful of mg spots (if clans opt to use machine gunners while playing this map)

-add some more cover(boxes, crates, 3.1 sandbags, minimal rubble and craters) around the two man flags

-in the mg spot near the grassy ledge has several grass sprites that obscure a mg's limited field of view... perhaps delete the sprites in the immediate view of the window

-add a little more detail... (clotheslines, multistory buildings, etc.)

Keep the map's progress up.

Edit: I believe Syracuse, Sicily was captured by the British during Operation Husky... but hey it's just a map name;)

North Africa is also green :)

see, there's the kinda input i'm looking for.

open up 2-3 more buildings w/ some mg spots, because at the moment there is only a handful of mg spots (if clans opt to use machine gunners while playing this map)

i'm currently thinking about this as it's a somewhat common complaint that there could be more buildings opened. i'll see what can be done.

the mg spot near the grassy ledge has several grass sprites that obscure a mg's limited field of view... perhaps delete the sprites in the immediate view of the window

Technically there isn't an mg deploy in this window. it's intended as an advanced spot to hold enemies at the axis 2nd flag, but it does need reworking as the view is very obscured (due to realignment i did later after making the building). i will fix it as best i can.

every opinion given on this map is one that would make it more camper friendly. Please dont orb, the map is great, just refine the textures and lighting and it will be great. I'll try and scrim it later today to see if theres a bias or not.

i know a lot of them are, which is why i'm not listening to a lot of them, no dark windows or loads of rubble all over for cover, as that would be retrograde to the purpose of the map, as clan members have made it clear they do not like to play on maps with those features in a match. i will be opening up 1 or 2 buildings though to make the map look better, although gameplay will remain roughly the same. primarily i'm working on making the map graphically better, i've decided to bring in krafstoff and vicenza textures because anzio simply doesn't have enough variety for good looking house textures. the only other major rework i have planned other then the lighting, textures, and a couple houses is the skyboxes, so nades will be more useful.

ramps >>>>>> ladders

Wouldn't the more open buildings make it less camper friendly, that way players can travel freely through buildings or on the streets flanking mg positions and any campers. Also any buildings joined, you could have the wall bazooka capable. Blow the wall up with a bazooka so u can go into the next buildings. If your feelings even more daring try to make an entire building bazooka structable. lol I can imagin it now allies are across a road and shooting bazookas into a building watching it blow up, k im just blabbling gj so far, and i guess i was wrong on syracuse o well.

The focus of these clans boggles my mind. Is the objective still to camp flags a lot?

the objective is to cap out
CAL uses a system of only giving timed holding points for holding flags past the middle, and a huge point bonus for capping out
no team holds 4/5 flags anymore
its more worthwhile to cap

dark area + 90 degree angles = campable unless i make it a completely empty room. and bazookas in a clan match are also a no-no. detpacks maybe, but not bazookas. either way, destructables are better left for larger maps and they need to be so only one team can open them, this way that team can determine what strategy they want to use regarding destructable walls (blow this one but not this one to channel the enemy throuhg here or rush through here etc)