[REL] DOD_Ardennes_RC1

Well its almost done, this is a release as close to a final I can get before the SS clan map contest ends, the RC1 name is a bit liberal but there isnt much more to do appart from detailing on this map so barring any major bugs the next one will be final.

** Features to note **
Allies can call an airstrike on the town ever 5 minutes, Axis 88's are working and fire on the forest at random locations every 5 seconds when activated.

** Screenshots **
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc10009.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc10025.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc10026.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc10028.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc10029.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc10030.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc10031.jpg


** GET IT HERE **
Mirror 1http://www.msportcam.co.uk/media/dod_ardennes_rc1.zip
Mirror 2http://www.landofozz.net/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=download&id=295

** RES FILE HERE **
http://www.msportcam.co.uk/media/dod_ardennes_rc1.res

FIXES CHANGES IMPROVEMENTS IN NEXT VERSION,

88's changed from 250 Damage to 225 Damage
Fixed x2 88's that were triggerable at 3 second intervals,(changed to 5 seconds)
Lighting added / increased to some buildings
HDR settings polished off
Player clipping improved (cant get to areas I dont want you to)
Church sandbags replaced with a jeep for cover
Airstrike ready radio is now indicated active by an electrical radio noise rather than a green light (easier on fps)
Detail added to some buildings
Some of the village buildings and streets have been raised to add more variation to topography (height of the lang)
3D Skybox details added

The VMF file is also here for all you budding mappers
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_vmf.zip

I'll download it later on and have a run around and give you my feedback. I see you decided to go along with those Swastikas in the end!

You should have used displacements on those hay bales to give a nice, more rounded effect. They look too half-life1 at the moment!

Keep up the good work!

Originally posted by El Capitan
I'll download it later on and have a run around and give you my feedback. I see you decided to go along with those Swastikas in the end!


OOPS, nope that was a slip up, I prefer them so I use those VMF's and have the "censored" ones stored, forgot to put it back, well fingers crossed ppl are ok with it but this is a WWII game so we should be ok.

Originally posted by El Capitan

You should have used displacements on those hay bales to give a nice, more rounded effect. They look too half-life1 at the moment!

Keep up the good work!

I was about to say I cant get any shape of displacements to work but then ive just had an idea that might work! the problem is the shape of them dosent support displacments.

Ill keep trying though, it should be added with alot more detail in the final release, I managed to free up a good 15fps over the last one so there is plenty of room for detail.

hey hey Agent_S. I'll be trying this one out this week some time.


Download mirror: http://www.landofozz.net/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=download&id=295


--Ozz

Thanks for the mirror Oz hope you like the changes.

I have been made aware of a small typo that is preventing the map from displaying, without releasing a new version there is nothing I can do.

My apologies to those that are new to the map that would have found it handy!

I'm guessing at this late date you're not open to significant changes?

I really think the approaches to the Allied side needs more cover. I find it easier for the Allies to penetrate into the Axis side of the map, far easier.

Its my experience that most people hate being killed by arbitrary things, such as the 88 guns. But... I'm guessing you really want that in the map?

Regardless, good job and congrats on the work so far. :)

Originally posted by Shane
I'm guessing at this late date you're not open to significant changes?

I really think the approaches to the Allied side needs more cover. I find it easier for the Allies to penetrate into the Axis side of the map, far easier.

Its my experience that most people hate being killed by arbitrary things, such as the 88 guns. But... I'm guessing you really want that in the map?

Regardless, good job and congrats on the work so far. :)

For you I'd do anything (nervously looks at ban stick) ;)
I have been tinkering with the haystacks, ive totally re-made them to look less like lego and moved them arround a little to add more cover closer to the allies flag so it may help that problem.

As for the 88's its a toughie, I love the ambience they create yet I to am frustrated when I get killed for the 3rd time in a row by them! I have reduced the damage from beta 2 to RC1 so they shouldnt be as significant factor anymore.

I wouldnt be totally against removing them and the airstrike (thinks of all the I/O's slaved over) if the community wanted it but I kind of had the impression they were one of the things that made the map unique?

Anyway thanks the the compliment, fingers crossed I can take the map up a level with the detailing work and knock your socks off :)

p.s. in a while when RC1 is about more would it be possible to do a vote on the 88's + Airstrike issue?

I think the 88s and Airstrike need to stay. They are great additions.

And as an Axis player, it is quite random for me to reach the Allied first. I tend to get there more than anyone else on the server, but it's only 50% skill, if that. The rest of it is the luck of not having anyone on Allied paying attention, because if they were, no amount of skill would allow me to make the 150 yard run to the Allied first flag without being seen.

I do believe that with experience, most players will learn how to completely shut down an Axis cap-out. Right now, the map is new enough that people still make dumb mistakes.

That's why I think this has to be an objective based map. It's just too big as a capture the flag and making it to the opposite teams first flag is a rarity that demands more luck than skill. Some sort of timed defense may work, where the Alies assault and Axis defend.

Originally posted by [oap]Agent_S
I have been tinkering with the haystacks, ive totally re-made them to look less like lego and moved them arround a little to add more cover closer to the allies flag so it may help that problem.

Yeah, the bit I've played, it gets extremely frustrating trying to get the Axis back points because its essentially a massive open area, w/ little cover.

Maybe also consider an evening setting?

Or, just more haystacks or maybe an overturned vehicle or two? Maybe a crater here or there to dive into?

As for the 88's its a toughie, I love the ambience they create yet I to am frustrated when I get killed for the 3rd time in a row by them! I have reduced the damage from beta 2 to RC1 so they shouldnt be as significant factor anymore.

Speaking, totally personally, there's almost nothing I hate more than being randomly killed by stuff like this.

My opinion, based on long-term observation, is that the general player base feels the same way.

Anyway thanks the the compliment, fingers crossed I can take the map up a level with the detailing work and knock your socks off :)

Dude, since I can't map, if you made a map of a toilet and called it dod_crapper, I'd be impressed. :)

But, if you want more playtests, I'd be happy to host at CoJ.

p.s. in a while when RC1 is about more would it be possible to do a vote on the 88's + Airstrike issue?

Sure, I'd be happy to do this. In the meantime, maybe a more general poll on this question in the general forums?

If the 88's or mortars are truly random, that would be annoying. If it's player controlled/fired, then it's personal. Also, I think it helps if the field of fire is not so wide that it makes it a crapshoot getting off the field.

But I guess the downside of that is players guess where the explosion tracktrain is, and avoid it. Fun to watch new players get shelled though.

Can't wait to get you on dod_foy, Agent!! Beta coming shortly.

Oh, another thing, your minimap (at least for the beta2 version) was very small and hard to read.

Ok, shane will dislike this, but he'll move on... :D


88's and airstrike : gotta keep em. Nothing better than player controlled features like this. It helps immerse the players more into the scenario. If DoDS is to be the best, it will need appealing things like this [shane you need to think back to being 12-15 yrs old here]

Objective based?? Maybe. But you shot yourself in the foot with the comment: It's just too big as a capture the flag and making it to the opposite teams first flag is a rarity that demands more luck than skill. Some sort of timed defense may work, where the Alies assault and Axis defend.

DoD is supposed to be team based and we'll leave it at that.


But one thing that I really like about this map, without having played people on it yet, is that they are complaining about the actual realistic feel of the map. Anyone who has seen Band of Brothers....... you should be able to put yourself there, knowing how it turned out in real life and what they were looking at (a big white field they had to run across in the open) and realize they did it regardless. Put yourself in the game more, where you are worried more about staying alive then pulling off cheap stunts and you'll start feeling what DoD was supposed to feel like.


I like your map, Agent.


--Ozz

Originally posted by El Capitan
You should have used displacements on those hay bales to give a nice, more rounded effect. They look too half-life1 at the moment!


Just for you El Capitan,

http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc20000.jpg

FINALLY figured it out :D

With no major map errors reported I have started final detailing work.

Some Screens,

http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc201.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc202.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc203.jpg
http://www.jamesdon.plus.com/dod/Ardennes/dod_ardennes_rc204.jpg

The 88's and airstrikes have had their damage reduced again by a little, I'm also considering making the 88's and airstrike's automatic on a random timer, if this happens damage will be reduced again as it wont be intended as a game changing ability but an aid to atmosphere.

I havent given up on trying to get advancing spawns working satisfacturally, the way I'd like this to work is to have the allies spawn in the church graveyard when the church flag is taken by them and have the axis spawn in the blank building next to the 88's when they have it.

This should reduce travel times and help to make the map figing more intense, if I can get it to work I will use it.

If you can get that to work, I hope you share your secret with me!!

Looking forward to seeing the changes!

wow I can't believe I hadn't played this yet. Finally got to play it on the Sunlit server; I love it! I have only one gripe - I really think it needs advancing spawns, cause dang I was getting tired of taking a full minute just to get back into the action.

Not that I am sure advancing spawns are possible in Source yet. But if they are, whoever has control of the middle should spawn a wee bit futher up! LOL

I think that the 88's and airstrike need to continue to be triggered by player actions, it gives a more interactive feel to the map, and I'd be mad if I was just running along and suddenly got blown up for no apparent reason. Players hate being killed by the map.

Also, I've noticed when playing this that Allies tend to attack more and Axis defend. It just feels like it should be an objective based map. Allies coming out of the forest attacking, Axis in the town defending, it just feels wrong as a capture the flag map.

I think that the 88's and airstrike need to continue to be triggered by player actions, it gives a more interactive feel to the map, and I'd be mad if I was just running along and suddenly got blown up for no apparent reason.
I agree. It's much more fun. The thing that stinks about making an attack defend map is, if you select the "Axis cannot capture" option, and it's a multiple person cap, it still shows their little red numbers in the HUD. Which is confusing, people on my rough beta keep asking "Can the axis recap?"

Because, they seem to be able to with the red numbers. Unless I'm missing something (ALWAYS possible for my noob self) I hope this gets fixed.

Originally posted by Ol' Noodle Head
I agree. It's much more fun. The thing that stinks about making an attack defend map is, if you select the "Axis cannot capture" option, and it's a multiple person cap, it still shows their little red numbers in the HUD. Which is confusing, people on my rough beta keep asking "Can the axis recap?"

Because, they seem to be able to with the red numbers. Unless I'm missing something (ALWAYS possible for my noob self) I hope this gets fixed.

I have the same problem with subterrainia, and I can't print a "Axis cannot recap" message as that doesn't work either! In fact, half the stuff I want to do I can't because the problems with DoD:S + the SDK!

El Capitan, please use your divine influence (half-nelson preferred) to get an answer on whether this is on the dev team's to-do list or not. :p

Oh and while you're at it ask them about switching spawns and tieing them to flag caps :D

Well, until something happens on that end, I wonder if I should just make it so the Axis can capture the flags. Seems to defeat the entire purpose I had in mind for the map, though. :angry:

It looks great, and although you said in earlier versions that you do use displacements, I still can't help but feel it looks too flat, or open, or something - can't quite put my finger on it.

How would it look with a bit of noise?

Originally posted by Wile E Coyote
wow I can't believe I hadn't played this yet.

Shame on you! ;) Glad you liked it, I may have figured out a way to have the advancing spawns work properly, I will keep you posted.

Originally posted by summit
It looks great, and although you said in earlier versions that you do use displacements, I still can't help but feel it looks too flat, or open, or something - can't quite put my finger on it.

How would it look with a bit of noise?

Yea I used a few too many and had to scale it back to keep the map smaller, but in very earliy editions the map looked so much better when the whole allies hill was displacments.

And yea if a Dev reads this or if someone can poke a dev for me I'd like to know roughly how far out the objective code is. and if there are aly plans to make an active / inactive trigger for spawns. If its the objective code is many months the map will stay flag based if not it may get a timer ;)

for the next version, maybe change the snow, it looks two wierd and it bother's me.

Originally posted by Lt. Stephenson
for the next version, maybe change the snow, it looks two wierd and it bother's me.

Well I prefered the Snow in Beta 2 but the way the new snow blends with the road looks better IMO and I have to say its not that big a difference, what is it thats bothering you?

I am also waiting for the release of the objective code in a month or two, this will help with the advancing spawns too as the flags will be 1 way capable and should stop any errors and make the map faster paced.

Don't count your advancing spawns before they're....er...spawned? :p