[PROTOTYPE] DM-Apartment (giant fun map)

[EisWiesel]

Hi, my first UT4 level is a more or less exact rebuild of my own apartment as a giant DM fun-map. Scale, furniture and textures are nearly identical to the real ones in my apartment. Back in these days when I started the map, it was mostly inspired by various editions of DM-Bathroom and similar maps for UT99.
This level is mostly build with brushes and has currently lots of placeholder-content because I'm not familiar with creating meshes myself. The overall-style is associated with the 90s and consists of rough edges (and of cause, this was easier to do with brushes only ).
I hope you like the map and I'm looking forward for criticism and suggestions for improvement.

The plan for the future of this level is to eliminate bugs, improving interior (replace placeholders), adding a nice view for the outside world and maybe a Christmas-edition later. Other gametypes like CTF, DOM and with vehicles are possible but not yet expected.
Some other notes maybe worth to mention:
- As I don't like to play with low gravity, this level was not optimized for it.
- It is and will be completely free including my own content. You are free to make your own version once I publish it (Please don't use the exact same name “DM-Apartment”. You can use “DM-Apartment_Blub...” or anything else you like).

Credits for this level, I appreciate the following sources:

• Free textures by www.textures.com www.unrealtexture.com www.mb3d.co.uk
• Various free static meshes and materials from the UE4 starter-content, content-examples and community content from the projects “RealisticRendering”, “ScifiBunk”, “ScifiHallway”, “xoioBerlinFlat”, www.michalorzelek.com/blog/
• Playful Synapse for a nice Blueprint tutorial on youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCmU2AlFc9vO6xnw1DYvNM0Q
• Project Torture for nice tutorials on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz3...llAJd3OZkeA5yg
• RoninMastaFX for feedback, inspiration and all
• zunnie for redirect space https://redirect.mpforums.com/ut4/
• This forum and the community for all the help

Download new Version: https://redirect.mpforums.com/ut4/us...wsNoEditor.pak
New Version Aug 04, 2017, UE 4.15, PRE-ALPHA 0.1.12.1, Filesize: ~ 163MB

Local install help: Windows: Download the pak-file and move it to "DownloadedPaks" directory. In my case for example, it is

C:\Users\EisWiesel\Documents\UnrealTournament\Saved\Paks\DownloadedPaks

Server info:

[/Script/UnrealTournament.UTBaseGameMode]
MapRotation=/Game/Maps/DM-Apartment_aug2017
RedirectReferences=(PackageName="DM-Apartment_aug2017-WindowsNoEditor", PackageURLProtocol="http", PackageURL="redirect.mpforums.com/ut4/users/EisWiesel7b97/DM-Apartment_aug2017-WindowsNoEditor.pak", PackageChecksum="33d43a56fa17ddec2e2f8f1a63daf5bf")

[FreEp]

EisWiesel, I absolutely love your first UT4 map! It's not just about I am crazy about all of these giant maps, it's because this one is really great!

- Great scale, everything seems to have a right size
- Your bsp skills are really amazing
- So many funny details I always loved in giant/ rat maps
- I felt like a kid playing UT'99 again, love these good old days, thank you!

For me, this map is almost done. Love all of this hard work you put into BSP stuff. It looks really oldschool in the best way!

If I can add something from myself- finish this map without changing bsp into meshes, etc. I mean, finish all paths, roads, weapon/item placement and release DM-ApartmentLowPoly as final. It's really a fun and good looking map.

Then, download Blender (blender.org) - it's a nice and really easy 3d modelling program. And it's free, with lots of tutorials on youtube, etc. With your impresive BSP skills you will EASILY jump into it and make great furniture meshes. It's all the same!

Now you will be able to replace all the things on your map with nice meshes and release HighQuality version of DM-Apartment. Or make another one, even better.

Thank's for such a great moments I just had with this map. And most of all, keep up the great work man!

PS. Check my two last maps in my signature. I'm working on DM-Pub right now, and, as you can see, these type of maps are my favourite

[EisWiesel]

Thank you FreEp for such a positive feedback
I agree and look forward to finish this one as a lowpoly-version. Blender has been a hurdle for me because I could not really get into the starting-process. But as you said, there are good tutorials out there these days and I will try to learn
You published really incredibly amazing maps, I have to take a deeper look into them. I love these kind of maps as well

[FreEp]

EisWiesel, do not worry, just give it a try! BSP editing tools in Unreal Engine 4 aren't good. To be honest they are awful and unintuitive, there are so many problems with bsp in UE4 in general. It's not just my word, lots of people are complaining about them... Epic knows that and I heard that there are making GEO 2.0. Ok, back to the topic. You are really great at bsp stuff in UE4. Trust me, blender is all the same, except it's much, much easier! In many ways, in amateur projects, it's like making a bsp shape and "adding" effect which give it more round shape and better shading. In general
Download it, start with a few tutorials, and you're ready to make basic meshes- glasses, cups, shelves, etc. I started making my own meshes after watching just one tutorial about making a wine glass. And I'm really weak in bsp comparing to you. You'll learn it in no time.

---

After several matches with bots:

1. Think about adding "bounce jumping boots" instead of normal ones. Place a powerup base and choose bp_jumpboots_bounce. These are really great for giant maps- you have 99 jumps, you will die before you reach this limit, player doesn't have to pick them all the time, and, most of all, in my opinion they give lots of fun in this type of maps. If you decide to add them, you can decrease number of boots in the whole map. Just a suggestion.

2. Place a few lifts and teleports. There are a few places with jumppads, where lifts would fit better, for example: dinning room and the first jumpad in the entrance, the one which is throwing you on the top of the white wardrobe. Lift would fit better here imho.

3. There are a few places where I have no idea how to get to. For example a cupboard above front doors, with two boxes and sniper rifle. Is there any chance to get there?

4. It's sometimes hard to swim and jump off from your aquarium. Make water-volume a bit higher and it will solve this problem.

5. Ceilings. Make some spots in there! I love to hide somewhere in the top of the map and camp with sniper like a **** kid in COD Ventilation, shelves, lamps, even something that don't exist but gives a good view on the whole room.

6. New spots: pipe in toilet bowl. You can swim into sewers, take a few breaths in there (lol) and swim into bath, or sink in kitchen. Or somewhere else Second thought- make a playable room in balcony! Think about jumping by windowsills outside and entering rooms through windows Third one: make a hole in your computer, place a powerup in there. I would love to see what can you do with your bsp skills and how you present computer rig from the inside

I had lots of fun, thank you sir! Once again, keep up the great work. And sorry for my english, hope you understand what I said

[ÐutchSmºke]

Thanks for sharing your hard work with the rest of us EisWiesel! Loaded onto the LoPing Arena server for your enjoyment. (Not listed yet because I'm still waiting on a fix).

[EisWiesel]

[MENTION=18584]FreEp[/MENTION], thank you for the great feedback, I really appreciate and think about it
Im motivated to get into Blender but it will take still a lot of time because I only workded with UnrealED yet.

According to the points:
1. There are currently lots of usual jumpboots in each room. I prefer them over the "bounce jumping boots" with 99 jumps because the limit of three jumps makes it more tactical in my point of view. Players will use them only to reach high places and they have to think/calculate more when to use them. I can also imagine that it disturbs the gameplay if someone jumps all the time with no limit.

2. I agree, there should be lifts and teleports to replace a lot of the jumppads. I have to admit, I was too lazy to make use of them but I will add them for sure in future versions of the map

3. There is a jumppad in front of the mirror which leads to that place but I can imagine that some places are hard to find as well. I will take care of them and add more possibilities with lifts and teleports. Bots seem to have issues as well to reach many of these locations..

4. I agree and will make the watervolume a bit higher. I found it funny at the beginning to think about players swimming helpless in the aquarium until they find out how to escape ^^ but yes it will be easier in the next version.

For the last two points, they mean a lot of new work and I will have to rethink about them. I fear that some of them could also break the visual appearance of the map. I can imagine places in the wall above the doorframe which are connected to the upper storage rooms and places inside the washing machine, the bedframe, bench and as you said the computer ^^ I will keep it in mind
In the next version, Im going to make more room below some of the cupboards, so that its not needed anymore to crouch. I will keep working on these things.

[MENTION=213318]DutchSmoke[/MENTION]
Great, thank you

[edit] added serverinfo to thread, sorry [/edit]

[ConradJustin]

"I always loved in giant/ rat maps" Making maps like that is a brave move. Unfortunately maps like that don't let designer create the gameplay other then sniping, most of the weapons become useless within such lines of sight... Jumppads, teleporters and lifts definitely help but the only way for such maps was vehicles. Trickjumping isn't that rewarding anymore, unless you will figure out how to make it so... Why not changing it into a CTF instead? This way you will force players movement and create less randomized gameplay.

[EisWiesel]

Thank you for feedback. After some matches, I can say that gameplay isn't really dominated by camping. Theres a lot more action as exspected

I have added a new version for the current build and with some slight changes:

• improved weapon- and powerupplacement
• added lifts in each room and replaced some jumppads
• added more space under the cupboards, its not needed anymore to crouch down
• different skydome, but this will be changed in the future
• fixed aquarium to get out easier

I updated the thread with the newest download-link and a working server-info with a fast redirect, have fun

[Chris.Kay]

this is so freaking cool, brings back the old school feel! had endless fun playing rats maps back in the cs 1.5/6 days

[EisWiesel]

Thx for feedback, its all about fun and the old school feeling
So after some months, I uploaded a new version with lots of small changes in texturing, weapon placement and some new brushes... The first post is completely updated with new screens and download-link.

There won't be any major updates in the future, because the lack of time and nice free meshes I could integrate into the map. The layout will stay as it is and the map remains to be a low-poly version. I think, the next one is going to come in december as an X-mas edition

[Mll]

Thx for feedback, its all about fun and the old school feeling
So after some months, I uploaded a new version with lots of small changes in texturing, weapon placement and some new brushes... The first post is completely updated with new screens and download-link.

There won't be any major updates in the future, because the lack of time and nice free meshes I could integrate into the map. The layout will stay as it is and the map remains to be a low-poly version. I think, the next one is going to come in december as an X-mas edition

Hey dude, I see you're alive! you may not know about it, but theres a new build coming around monday, may I request that you take the time to make a new pak when it hits? as the next build is an engine update
Thankyou for reading, super hyped for your work! this will be going up on unrealpugs ASAP in the next build

[EisWiesel]

Thx for the info MarkTheF4rth, so I will review and repak on monday evening
Time for some extra-backups...

[Wasteful]

Downloading to Adria HUB Love this design!

[Minxx]

Look amazing! I want to try it but it says the file it out of date.

[EisWiesel]

Im currently publishing the new version, it just takes an hour ca. Im sorry for the late rebuild but since the last engine update, I was fighting with horrible BSP holes all over the map
I had to replace most of the cylinder brushes and it is still not 100% excluded that some BSP hole hides somewhere... I could not find one so its in the work and uploading in a bit. Stay tuned

edit New Version is out, first post is updated, have fun