This is my first dod map, and the first I've made at all using hammer 3.5 (I've made 2 maps so far in the new source hammer though). I've spent about 3 or 4 days on this map so far, I made the roads and basic buildings to test the scale and flag distance etc, then spent today adding in all the details. I had the idea since i went to Bayeux in August, and thought it'd make a good map with it's narrow roads and medieval buildings. I drew a quick layout plan, which I was going to make just for dod:s and start right away, but then thought I'd make it for dod 1.3 so I could test the flags and balance and other things, and now I've just decided that I might aswell release it for the current dod, aslong as it actually works out ok.
And also, I know no fighting at all went on in Bayeux, but as I said I wanted to make a map based on Bayeux and the style of buildings there. If anyone has any suggestions for names i could do with some help, I can never think up names for my maps

I don't know when I'll release the first version. There's not many more things i need to add, but as other people have said it looks a bit plain in some areas (although that yesterday before i added any details). And as I've never made or released as dod map before, I don't know how it works with all the _b versions.



Here's the screenshots anyway. I'll post some more, and anything else i've forgotten tomorrow, I'm too tired to do anything else at 3:30am.

http://img59.exs.cx/img59/6338/allied3rd7nu.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/5941/axisstreet13rq.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/2065/axiscorner1xb.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/2715/britcorner2ki.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/6198/house12xe.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/740/middle19rf.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/6755/middle20oh.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/7729/thefield6gy.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/7096/underpass2bb.jpg
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/4904/watermill6ee.jpg


and here's an overview I made yesterday, so it's just plain buildings and straight roads, but it shows where the flags are and the layout.
http://img59.exs.cx/img59/9690/dodbayeux7rs.jpg



and now i need to go and sleep.

First pic just looks like the left exit of the Allied spawn of dod_jagd.

Looks good, add a lot of detail to the beast and you got a winner map.

Looks pretty good.

If you don't mind constructive critisism then read on:

-Looks like a rifle dominated map. Not bad per se, but you might want to make it viable for other classes.

-Some of your buildings are HUGE. The textures look a bit ugly when they are repeated that much. Take a look at jagd to see how to avoid it looking repetitive.

The roofs need work, add trims to them to make them not look like textured wedges.

Looks like it has a good potential.

Carefully read the given feedback, add transparecy to the water and use a different texure for the sidewalks.

Then give us the link :p

i'm still adding details to the map. before yesterday all the buildings had the same texture, with less enterable buildings. i'm used to making maps for games like call of duty so it wont be hard to add trims and other details.

the buildings will also be smaller, like small terraced houses with different heights, like in these photos:
http://img104.exs.cx/img104/1111/18027982wv.jpg
http://img104.exs.cx/img104/1622/view20of20the20cathedral20baye.jpg

and i've also made a model of the cathedral in the background of the 2nd one, but that'll only be for the source version.

for making it better for other classes, i'm probably going to add more cover on the streets like rubble and cars and destroy a few more houses.

Reminds me of schwetz and heutau.

The lightning looks a bit bland.

here's some more screenshots. i've cut a lot of the buildings up into smaller ones, retextured a lot of it (which has given me plenty of rad errors) and added some details. i don't know what else to add, i need to know how it plays with more than 3 people, to see how easy it for each team to capture the flags.


anyway the screenshots:

http://img168.exs.cx/img168/9307/watermill7yy.jpg
http://img168.exs.cx/img168/7730/watermill22gh.jpg
http://img168.exs.cx/img168/7638/firstflag9tk.jpg
http://img168.exs.cx/img168/9910/underpass0pk.jpg
http://img168.exs.cx/img168/3028/room8ja.jpg
http://img168.exs.cx/img168/9311/middle23ir.jpg
http://img168.exs.cx/img168/9856/middle1bk.jpg

and a new overview
http://img168.exs.cx/img168/8695/dodoverview1kc.jpg

It looks like you have a bunch of bugs with the solids that make up your roof-tops. Make sure you don't have any invalid solids.

Great job surgeon!

I think thoss last screenshots look promising. Keep fiddling with the light and textures abit. Try to improve some brushes here and there and I'll be downloading that map very soon!

I hope ;)

i haven't done much today, just some more details and fixes. i did add another route on the axis flank and some more to the allied flank though, i still need to add another way around on the allied side which is only a small area that shouldn't take long. i also tried changing some settings for the light, but it didn't do much. does anyone have any suggestions for the light? i've just got a slightly yellow colour for the brightness and diffuse, both with the last numbers set to 60. and also is diffuse like ambient light? the insides of the houses where there's no light entities are very dark.
and also, is there a nocull/nodraw/caulk texture in dod? i've textured most of the hidden faces with null, but that still shows up ingame. i've also stretched the skybox to touch most of the hidden walls, but they still show up aswell, which i read somewhere stops those faces from being drawn.

2 new screenshots anyway, nothing much though. i'll test it out tonight or tomorrow again and then might release a first version tomorrow or the day after. and btw is there a certain suffix i should give the first release, so it doesn't get confused with later versions?

http://img181.exs.cx/img181/3460/fieldflagnew1fx.jpg
http://img181.exs.cx/img181/8232/house24ej.jpg

Diffuse is the colour of your shadows. Best to make it a grey or dark brown colour so it looks more neutral.

Nice stuff you make there what did you think how much its done now?

Iam looking forward to this.

im impressed, it looks nice and unique - a rare quality in dod maps these days, i dont know if i like your middle area with the entrances to buildings on each side just seems like it would be a little too campy especially with the current lighting. Fix that water too mate ;)

Originally posted by TheSurgeon
and btw is there a certain suffix i should give the first release, so it doesn't get confused with later versions?


since no one else has answered this...my understanding is that _b is for beta versions. so dod_bayeux_b1 would be the beta 1 version of your map. then if you have fixes, updates, ect..you can just change to _b2, _b3... as needed. once you are sure you are done, then simply drop the _b.

your map looks very grey and tan, not too colorful. Id suggest finding some different sidewalks and cobbles and try to do something a bit different here and there. Definately needs more diversity texture wise.

Your overview also hints at a choke point. I say "point" and not "points" because there seem to be no alleys or alternate routs and just one main road.

if you've ever played a map like this you no it becomes a grenade fest and boring very quick. So i would defineately suggest adding a alley here and there, different routes, dead ends, etc.

http://img166.exs.cx/img166/1733/layout4py.jpg


there's the layout with all the routes drawn on

the 2nd allied flag, the one in the field type area is the allied flank that leads right round to the middle street, the watermill flag leads over the 3rd axis flag through some houses to the middle street. there's also another way past the middle through some houses, aswell as a route through the buildings on the street after the first flag for each team.


also, it's set in a medieval town/city, so a lot of the buildings are made of stone. i was going for the same look as in jagd texturewise, and most of the buildings are textured from the jagd .wad. i don't know what else i can do to change them.


and here's some more screenshots anyway. not much new in them, just some people in them this time and some different views.

http://img166.exs.cx/img166/8575/field4jg.jpg
http://img166.exs.cx/img166/4249/fight17ls.jpg
http://img185.exs.cx/img185/5012/middle13lv0gb.jpg
http://img166.exs.cx/img166/1045/middle26ap.jpg
http://img166.exs.cx/img166/3683/sniper1bw.jpg
http://img166.exs.cx/img166/6970/underpass0xu.jpg


and is there actually a way to stop those dark shadows? there's almost no light in them at all. i've copied the light settings from flash but changing any of the settings doesn't do anything

looks awesome

can i suggest a change in lighting?

i haven't worked on the map much lately, been back at school since i last posted anything in the thread, but i have done some things with the map. i retextured the roads and pavements so it's less grey and dull, and i've added more details, aswell as other retexturing and some other asthetic things.

there's a few things i still need to fix, and i've also got a strange error with some objects disappearing unless i'm looking at them from a certain angle or distance. i'll try and fix everything and get it released tomorrow if i can.


http://img227.exs.cx/img227/4490/alliedspawn5vw.jpg
http://img227.exs.cx/img227/5231/axisfirst3dq.jpg
http://img227.exs.cx/img227/8044/fieldflank8ur.jpg


http://img227.exs.cx/img227/4402/dodbayeux00018jd.jpg
http://img227.exs.cx/img227/580/dodbayeux00034el.jpg
http://img227.exs.cx/img227/5716/dodbayeux00044sj.jpg



i might post some more later if i do another compile, probably with a change in the lighting.

last one (too many screens in last post to edit)

http://img161.exs.cx/img161/2136/cromwell2hz.jpg

Are you using 3.1 to test that thing?

I think somebody has mentioned this before, but you should use seperate brushes for the rooftops.

You also have a lot of rubble piles that dont seem to be coming from anywhere.

You should also try to think about what a real town/village/city would look like. I noticed that a lot of the buildings dont have doors. How are people supposed to get into the building?

The textures are very repetitive, and there are many textures that do not fit together well. Try to use textures from the same .wad, or from the same texture artist.

Originally posted by 2ltben
Are you using 3.1 to test that thing?


if you're talking about the weapon models, that's because they are the 3.1 models




most of the buildings are textured from the jagd .wad, i've used 7 and if i try to use another, it wont compile, but i can't take any off to add another without retexturing a lot of stuff.
i've made most of the roofs from separate brushes, just not all of them. i don't see how i can do that to the end of a thatched roof, or how i could do anything for those buildings.
as for doors, most dod maps seem to be lacking doors, except for 2d textured ones sometimes.

i don't really care what this map looks like, i planned it for dod:s, then just decided to make the street and route layout for dod 1.3 to test how it played. obviously it's gone a bit further than that but it's still mainly for dod:s. i'm used to mapping for better engines like cod and now source, everytime i do something in this map i get a compile error. it's a big enough map with enough brushes and textures already so i don't know how much more i can put it in.

Compile errors will teach you to be a better mapper. Learn to map with the limitations and you'll be stronger for it.

that's what i have been doing. and that's why it's hard to make the roofs more detailed or use more textures as people have been saying when if i do anything more it doesn't compile

a few more screenshots. more roofs detailed, some texture changes and other small things. i also added a new route connecting the flank behind the middle flag straight to the middle flag but with destructable walls blocking the way.



http://img18.exs.cx/img18/3152/001arch5jf.jpg
http://img18.exs.cx/img18/504/001firststreet6bn.jpg
http://img18.exs.cx/img18/1917/001tank0bu.jpg
http://img18.exs.cx/img18/2045/001trees5oz.jpg


and the updated overview:
http://img18.exs.cx/img18/3926/dodbayeux1tn.jpg



i've got some textures to fix but other than that it's finished as beta so it should be released within a few days, when i can get the time to do a full vis compile.

wow im loving this map, the architecture and use of txtures is great, keep up the good work :D

may i suggest that the rail texture you used is bad :E?

wow

map looks really nice... screenshots looking better and better from time to time! keep on the good work m8! ;)

just a few more screens, not much new in these. i used a different rail texture which looks better i think, changed the angle of the lighting, and made my own skybox, which i think changed the look of the light a lot aswell. i've got 2 things textured wrong that i'll fix in a few minutes, but also a lighting error that you can see in the last screenshot. it seems to happen in random places, not always in the shadows, sometimes just in an open space. if anyone comes up with a solution for that before i go to bed tonight i'll be able to leave it to compile overnight and try to get it released tomorrow.


here's the screenshots anyway. mostly just to show the lighting changes and new skybox.

http://img7.exs.cx/img7/1473/dodbayeux00094um.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/4195/dodbayeux00079rr.jpg
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/1805/dodbayeux00061bp.jpg


and the lighting problem
http://img98.exs.cx/img98/8901/shadows1ws.jpg