Hey,

this is a new project named after the town I live in.

I had in mind doing it for a while, but I'm glad I started it after growing familiar with the source engine... actually I didn't want to make a [WIP] thread as early as now because I don't know if and when I'll release this one, but I guess it's alright anyways.

Work started a week ago, so there's still weeks of work left to do and fps-wise a lot of potential in it. Without optimization, I gain between 80 and

Edit:
Check last page for screens.

Some more visual material:

http://www.albatros44.de/wip/wipbig4.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/wip/wipbig5.jpg







http://www.albatros44.de/wip/wipbig6.jpg

I suppose I'll keep the caramel-coloured lighting, though I'll brighten it up a bit and change the blueish tendency of the 3d-Skybox.

Hope you like what you see - and comment on what you don't like, so I can improve it.

- Albatros

P.S.: thanks once again to piu piu for his help on the future skybox and overall influence on the ambience :).

I think it looks it, but I find that the spot lights don't add as much ambience as they could with the sky being as light as it is. How does the map look with a night background?

hey cool Stuttgart. I've been there! in fact, i got wasted at the Frühlingsfest a few years back :)

WOW, looks like fun :-) only thing that i found to be off visually was in the second screenshot, first post. how the heck are those wires staying up there? a quick way to fix it would be to let that post thing in the middle of them drop, that way it would at least not look like its floating

Looks bloody amazing mate!!!

Amazing!!!! Great Work

Kewlio ! Always glad to see original/new material! Not too much of that these days.

:)

looks great!

1) keep the same amount of lighting; make the skybox appear more like nightime.

2) Just get rid of all the wires and cables above the square. At the moment they make no sense, and anyway there is a flak gun underneath them - you don't set up a flak gun under cables :) . I can't see how they are really adding a whole lot to the atmosphere, but I can see how they could be taking up hardware resources that could be put to better things.


7 stories you say?? Ohhoh man, are "twitch" players ever gonna complain! (they always do when you add more than 2 levels). I for one will probably love this map. Tell you what though, it's looking gorgeous already!

(my ex-wife was stationed in Stuttgart. Only place I ever got a speeding ticket on the Autobahn. Dang cameras.)

Wow it's amazing... probably it'll be one of the best custom maps, really =)

Looks amazing, kind of has an Edelweiss feel. Cant wait until the release for this so we can play test this bad boy. Good job.

Looks amazing, kind of has an Edelweiss* feel.

*and Nuernberg,Luebeck...

nice paintings btw (http://www.albatros44.de/art.htm) :)

It looks very nice and very different from the other custom maps I've had a chance to glance at.

1) keep the same amount of lighting; make the skybox appear more like nightime.
skybox is in the works ;)

http://www.albatros44.de/stv5/d1.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stv5/d2.jpg

looks good, is it self made and HDR ?

How's the frame rates?

Hi Propaganda,

that's in the first posting.

Right now after some optimizing I get between 80 and 120 fps constantly, which is - on my system - about 25% more than I get on the stock maps.

Cheers,

Albatros

youre insane

can't wait to try out...you make some cool maps.

Wow that is a nice map, I like the skybox

one word ! hammer !!! :)

this map is looking good. kinda reminds me of me playing red orchestra. huge buildings n wide open areas. like in ur map. gj

yes he tends to push the envelope to what I wish more dod maps were like.

Albatros;1033165']Hi Propaganda,

that's in the first posting.

Right now after some optimizing I get between 80 and 120 fps constantly, which is - on my system - about 25% more than I get on the stock maps.

Cheers,

Albatros

Sorry didn't see that got too busy looking at pics. Looks promising.

nice work

Hey everybody,

thanks for the positive feedback and the helpful comments :).

@ Wile E.: I did as you said and removed the lower level of wires & cables. Looking better now and saving performance.


@Happy: hi :) the sky is self made (by piu) and going to be HDR.

I've got a set of pictures giving a vague impression of what it is supposed to look like when finished.

http://www.albatros44.de/wip/wipbig7.jpg












The indoor-picture is what I'm working on at the moment. On the overview it's the stairhouse in the middle which will connect both areas of combat in at least four different levels.


Cheers,

Albatros

Those buildings are going to be awesome fun to run around in. :D Can't wait.

i gotta say, this map looks freakin amazing.

Despite of some little details, as for architecture I think it's the best job I've seen for DOD:S
Congratz!!!

Despite of some little details, .....

You just want more 'coloured' maps for Day of Defeat. Weird that some maps fit in a WW2 mod...like this one by Albatros.

coloured maps??? did I ever mention coloured maps?
I was just talking about some architectural details like, for example, brick walls on top of wood structure ones...
As an architect these are the things I notice first...
Waht has this to do with coloured maps???

J/K ;)

Cheeky. Cheers.

Albatros does some amazing work...truly amazing. We are always 'honoured' to have his maps played and tested on our server.

I agree Brancaleone, more architects' should be mapping for DoD:S it would be interesting to see what develops. :)

i gotta say, this map looks freakin amazing.

Agreed.

Albatros is map-making machine! except that each of his new map outdoes the previous one ::eek: .

I like neurenburg lots.....the only detractions are that the bridge cap and the aa cap on the building should only be 2 mans. 3-4 player caps just do not work well on most pubs.....

its a pity that nuremberg isnt played more often. it is so different from standard maps and creates a very unique atmosphere. with a full 20+ players server it would be awesome.

I agree. my only problem is that I get purple water...but that is something on my side I suspect. But I love that map.

I prefer the larger version but the download size is prohibitive. awww well.

:)

Hey again.

Thanks Snail, in fact I'm glad about having very patient, entertaining and most thoughtfully observing beta testers helping me to make those maps playable at last. :)

Alright, right now I'm working at the details of Stuttgart and reducing the filesize. It's out of question that I could use some 70, 80 MB for the .bsp, but as this is a no-go for some understandable yet annoying reasons, I'll have to cut some of the custom textures (this seriously HURTS).

I'll release a full-detailed HDR version and another one for public servers without both HDR and fancy custom stuff.

Concerning Nuremberg, I'll probably redo it from scratch soon. Almost everything about the way I map has changed to a Hl2-style by now, whereas I was thinking and mapping within the limitations of HL1 while making Nuremberg.

Depends on two things though - first, the further development and treatment of DoD:S by Valve, and second, whether I'll find a student's job to pay for those amazing new studying costs (used to be free in Germany, gosh... ) that leaves me a time budget for continuing to map. Ack, how nice it would be if one *could* do what one *can* do best... :D

In any case I'll finish Stuttgart.

Cheers,

Albatros

Albatros;1035095']:)

I'll release a full-detailed HDR version and another one for public servers without both HDR and fancy custom stuff.

why without hdr, use another skybox for the puplic better then,
and other standart probs..
i know you´r thinking on filesize but an undetailed puplic version
is not the real way.
or use the full_custom as puplic "dream"

Albatros;1035095']Concerning Nuremberg, I'll probably redo it from scratch soon. Almost everything about the way I map has changed to a Hl2-style by now, whereas I was thinking and mapping within the limitations of HL1 while making Nuremberg.
awesome news. that skybox of nuremberg was the first skybox i ever made and i'm beginning to somehow dislike it. means - count me in for the new version :cool:

Well, let's hope I'll be able to keep mapping, though I doubt it.
I'd certainly appreciate that skybox you're talking about... :)

@Happy:

Of course I'll release the full HDR-version to the public, but I'll name it differently for server admins so they can choose the light or full range version. I'm really fed up with spending almost six hundred hours for a map that won't be played because the average pubber can't live with the three minutes of picking his nose during the map's download. :p

The latest light-BSP came to 36 MB, reducing the .zip to 19 MB - I really didn't expect being able to bring it down to such a level, but you *can* see it.

Anyways...

...here we go again.

- Finished the extension building of the Kaufhaus (which is nothing but a shopping centre, in fact). In reality it was finished in 1930 and only took minor damage while none of the other buildings were rebuilt.

- Started working on the indoor-areas, added lots of bomb dispension areas aswell as targets for the det packs.

- One detonation target is the main Generator located at the third flag - bombing it will lead to a failure of 90% of the street lights. No worries, it's not going to affect the brightness too heavily - afterwards everything will be just a tad darker... ;)













Cheerio,


Albatros

awesomeness. really well done det maps.....like glider = genuis. the fact that the environment is impacted by completing objectives is also neat.

Wow, I've always wanted a map along this concept...more vertical.

AND its looking beautiful!

My only suggestion: You mentioned that the bldgs have multiple entryways and I would suggest you carry that idea thru to as many individual rooms as you can to dissuade camping and promote teamwork.

One good way is to have blown walls you would have to crouch to go thru.

~Sturm

Hi SturmBruder!

Yep, I'm currently working on making many rooms accessible as the gameplay will allow me to.



http://www.albatros44.de/dodst/dodstprom6.jpg



I'm trying to offer four parallel ways throughout the map. This combined with a surprise menu served by a logic_timer should be enough to suffocate any camping ambitions ;).

- Albatros

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/51/dodstuttgartpiu0000gj9.jpg

running through the map really gives me a very intense WW2 feeling that i am missing even in most of the stock maps.

hey alba, as promised i'm going to work on the skybox-bugs today.
talk to you later ;)

Yeah, the atmosphere that this map is giving off is one of the most war-like I've ever seen. It'd be great to see you do some field battles, Alba.

I have to say that looks awesome. Valve really should pick up some of these customs.

Be nice if you could do something like that for 6v6 :)

now i have got some more spirals in my mind. oh well... :rolleyes:

http://www.yrnme.de/skbx-stttgt-promo-05.jpg

With all those spotlights and 88's, I would hope there are a few air raid sirens going off. Looking really, really good though.

If only you knew......... ;)

http://www.albatros44.de/stuttgart/stbig2.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stuttgart/stbig3.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stuttgart/stbig4.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stuttgart/stbig6.jpg


There'll be a video soon to answer all of your questions. :D

Release date: either tomorrow or friday.

Cheers,
Albatros

This sucker is going up on our DoD server AS SOON as you release it. Looks amazing, and my question about the air raid sirens, first picture says it all. Good work man.

Good fun on playtest last night Albatross
Solid fps and gorgeous

Comments from the troops:

1)" that ladders by the platforms on the building to the right of the city hall....you tend to get damaged just going up or down it. There is fire right near the top of the top one..maybe that has something to do with it."

2) "this may be due to my low settings but I can see the edges where the skybox comes together. "

3) "The one thing I'd change is the constant siren sound. It gave me a headache. If it went off 3 times in a 20 min. round, that would be plenty. The constant loud noise distracts from what is otherwise a fun map to play".

4)" More spawn points or have them spaced farther apart. Players spawn together and stick."


Source (http://www.sunlitgames.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=3626)

Or maybe decrease the volume by a touch.

Looks like a solid map....can't wait to play it. How long have you been working on it?

Hi DVD,

the amount of hours for making a custom map should be between 250 and 600 hours for me.

I've been doing some maths today and came to the conclusion that up to now Stuttgart has taken about 320 hours to make, which is not too much.

Anyway, I've been redoing a large part of the map to offer more gameplay options - release will be within the next 24 hours if I get performance and size to a satisfying level.

Cheers,

Albatros

P.S.: @ Colonel Krust: I've been reducing the volume of the sirens a bit more and increased the intervalls between each airraid from 4 to 7 minutes. :)

omfg!

This is the first time ive looked at this thread...ffs mate it looks stunning! The best looking WIP i have seen. I cant wait to try it out if ye do get the realease out over the weekend... Server Admins be at the ready! ;)
Respect. Herzlichen Dank!

edit - just had a look at your webpage..^^ you are an artist..it shows in yer dods work. Excellent.

:]]]

Thank you very much. OKAY, there is a release version OUT NOW... find it in the release section!

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig2.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig3.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig4.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig5.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig6.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig7.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig10.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig8.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig9.jpg

http://www.albatros44.de/stb1/dodbig1.jpg