DM-Nine - New pak (7/14/17) July 2017 Build

[MoxNix]

The only thing I don't like is that it's too dark, it needs lighter textures and lightning.

Can't blame him for that, the lighting changed drastically in the latest game build. Epic changed something, I wish they'd comment on if it was intentional and is going to be staying like this or if it's a bug/accident/mistake that's going to get fixed.

[FXTR4]

I really like this map, it has a nice flow and feel to it The only thing I don't like is that it's too dark, it needs lighter textures and lightning. But apart from that it's really great!

[Aquilon]

Interesting map! I think a little narrow corridors, make wider. Upper floor excess! I would have removed it. I think it will be better!

[tidu]

8/1/15: Update E: https://ut.rushbase.net/tidu/Nine/DM...wsNoEditor.pak [22.3MB]



Update E addresses a big rendering issue introduced by the late July build. I also made some gameplay changes. The double damage was removed and replaced with a vest, to be more aligned with other duel maps. I realized that if two players play a DM (not duel) game on the map the udmg lasts for 30 seconds which basically ruins the match. I also added another route to the vest using the nearby lift. The helmet was relocated due to its proximity to the new vest. The shock area was revamped to a more simple layout with some more breathing room. Two pillars were added to the link area. It may be a little too tight in that area so they pillars may shrink in diameter.

Cosmetically I introduced more meshes, most of which are just rough shapes that have yet to be detailed. Some skybox decorations were added and the sky was tweaked a bit in response to some feedback.

[tidu]

hey tidu
the skybox is temporary? I see very odd the ambientlight compared to the lightning on surface (wall, floor etc..) if these are a bit dark the sky could be a rising sun or a dawn in the evening dunno. Anyway I like how its going its a bit between 2k4 and ut99 (blue tints in their lights), great thing hahaha

Hi darksonny, thanks for the comments. I see what you mean regarding the skybox. I haven't really put any thought into that yet so it's not final. I do see what you mean in that it looks a lot brighter than the rest of the map. In the latest version I tweaked the direction of the sun to light up some more areas, which may make this look a bit better. In the current screenshots the sun is pretty low so while the sky looks bright, the level relies on local lighting and not the sunlight. Overall I think I will need to address the lighting again because it is quite dark in some areas.

I really like this map! I think there is a lot of interactivity. As mentioned before, a lot of places where people can pop up at. Also, I like this checkered floor and the bold arrows, it adds a nice character to it.

It reminds me a bit of Ut 2004's Roughinery, a map I like for it's simplicity, but I think I like this one even more. Keep us updated!

Thanks Basalt, glad you liked it. I never realized the Roughinery parallel but I can see it now. While it's still a shell with minimal detail, I'd like to continue the look of the map and keep the shapes relatively simple. I've been looking at some brutalism architecture for ideas. That style can be relatively simple so the challenging part will be bringing in finer details to make it look like a finished map. I still got a long way to go.

Thanks again for the comments

[Basalt]

I really like this map! I think there is a lot of interactivity. As mentioned before, a lot of places where people can pop up at. Also, I like this checkered floor and the bold arrows, it adds a nice character to it.

It reminds me a bit of Ut 2004's Roughinery, a map I like for it's simplicity, but I think I like this one even more. Keep us updated!

[darksonny]

hey tidu
the skybox is temporary? I see very odd the ambientlight compared to the lightning on surface (wall, floor etc..) if these are a bit dark the sky could be a rising sun or a dawn in the evening dunno. Anyway I like how its going its a bit between 2k4 and ut99 (blue tints in their lights), great thing hahaha

[tidu]

I re-cooked the map for the latest build. I'm not focused on this one now but it's basically dead if I don't bump it up to the new engine. The movement changes work quite well on this map, everything feels tight.

https://ut.rushbase.net/tidu/Nine/DM...wsNoEditor.pak 13MB

This update has a few changes. The minigun and the link were switched. Some minor cosmetic changes were made and a dodge ramp was added near the bio. I've been working on another shell lately. Sometime in the future I will return to the map and start creating meshes. Good to see a few downloads on the previous releases, I hope it hosted some good matches.

[tidu]

update C

Been working on this off and on. I might have jumped the gun a bit with the meshing, there were still a couple areas that could have been improved. I made some changes and incorporated them into this build. The two screenshots show the biggest changes.

I added some more depth to the area around the Shock and the Bio room was completely revamped.
Added more slopes and ramps to encourage freer movement.
I tried to create multiple routes to some of the health packs in the main room.
Access to the belt was also made easier by wall dodging.
Another vertical shaft was added near the shock to drop from level 3 to level 2.

Right now I'm running botmatches and thinking about weapon and powerup placement. It may be a tad unbalanced in favor of a player holding the belt/rocket area. Comments on this would be much appreciated. Have fun!

https://ut.rushbase.net/tidu/Nine/DM...wsNoEditor.pak

Some screenshots:

[tidu]

Quick update, though I've only got screenshots. I've been playing some duels on this map and making very small layout tweaks. I'd love to get this tested on a server rotation somewhere. It is a very small map, and while that could be one of its quirks, I don't want it to be too small.

I've been playing with lighting and meshes. I think I've nailed down the direction I'd like to take with the lighting. Orange lights were added to the lower levels, while the upper levels are lit by the openings in the roof. The water tanks give a nice blue glow that contrasts with the orange but I don't want to overdo it. Here's a couple examples:





I changed the color of the tile to be more neutral per Kronos' feedback. It can go a bit lighter still. I'd like to focus on the orange lighting and the blue glow of the tanks so a neutral floor will be less distracting and not clash with other elements in the map. Time was also spent on some meshes. This is very preliminary work, but roughly what I am working towards:



The solid blue is a placeholder for glass looking into a fish tank. You can also see those trim meshes that kind of continue the checkerboard pattern. I experimented with the floor as a mesh, with alternating raised tiles. The result was okay, but I'd like to put some more work into the material first and see how much depth I can get out of that. As it is now it does look flat.

[tidu]

Just checked out your updated build, and have a few comments. First off I really don't like the title flooring, its very distracting and just seem to naturally draw your eyes to it.

Thanks for the comments. Is it the reflections, or the contrast between the tiles... Or both? I tried to be careful with the reflections. I will tone it down, you're right, the floors and the walls shouldn't be distracting and take attention away from your opponent.

I think maybe there might be a few issues with the scaling. The first build you posted, if you were at the helmet spawn you could jump and then mantle to the platform above, now you can't, you must wall dodge to get up there now. Doesn't really matter to me, either way is good for me, but just thought I would mention it. It also seems more difficult to wall dodge to the ledge from above the helmet spawn, seems like I mantle a bit to make the jump, I don't remember that being the case with your first build.

I did not change the scale, or the geometry in that area at all. But the latest build had some movement changes and I think this may be what you're feeling. I must not have noticed because I always wall jump up over the helmet. You could simply jump up there but it was a struggle getting up over the edge and it killed your momentum. I'll take a look at this and the ledge to the udmg again. Hopefully they lock down movement soon.

I still can't get over how great the weapon effects look on this map. Looking forward to playing this map a lot.

Ha, really? That was actually unintentional. I experimented with the color saturation using a postprocess volume and it affected the weapons too. I forgot to remove it in this latest update. I didn't like the effect on the weapons, things looked washed out. I'll keep it in mind and see if it complements the visuals later down the line.

I figured out how to start a Duel match with custom maps. Just load up a Duel match using the create game menu. Once you have a Duel stock map loaded(you don't need to start the match)use the open console command "open DM-Nine_B" and low and behold you have a Duel match going with a custom map.

Awesome, this makes things much easier. Thanks for taking the time to play it again Kronos

[Kronos[X]]

Just checked out your updated build, and have a few comments. First off I really don't like the title flooring, its very distracting and just seem to naturally draw your eyes to it. I'm not sure on everything you did with the map visually, but whatever you did really effects the weapon's FX. Like everything seems more vivid. The shock primary looks awesome, and I just don't see this in any other map, I even now see a sniper trail, I actually thought they just go rid of it.

I think maybe there might be a few issues with the scaling. The first build you posted, if you were at the helmet spawn you could jump and then mantle to the platform above, now you can't, you must wall dodge to get up there now. Doesn't really matter to me, either way is good for me, but just thought I would mention it. It also seems more difficult to wall dodge to the ledge from above the helmet spawn, seems like I mantle a bit to make the jump, I don't remember that being the case with your first build.

I still can't get over how great the weapon effects look on this map. Looking forward to playing this map a lot.

I figured out how to start a Duel match with custom maps. Just load up a Duel match using the create game menu. Once you have a Duel stock map loaded(you don't need to start the match)use the open console command "open DM-Nine_B" and low and behold you have a Duel match going with a custom map.

[tidu]

Hey darksonny, thanks for the warm welcome I understand what you mean regarding the tiles. The normal map I used to create the depth came with the editor. I tried to intensify the effect but it's still not quite at the level I would like it to be. Before I finalize the texture I'll use a deeper normal map so the tiles look thicker. Thanks for the input, hopefully you can get the pre-alpha soon. It's a blast!

[darksonny]

hey tidu interesting map, I like the construction. But I have a critique in the aesthetic part, for example and keeping in mind this ut has became more realistic and visible in the details and resolution of the textures and materials, you can see in the real life those tiles could have some thickness degree upon the covered floor. I dont know how it is ingame I dont have ut4 alpha installed cos Im outside but viewing from the picture I see those tiles like as stickied with glue or it seems like paper lgued to the floor, It does not tell you from the floor borders how many milimeters or centimeters does they have (thickness). Dunno ...Its only one suggestion. Nice to see you mapping again from ut2k4 to ut4 lol

[tidu]

Update B

Hey I'm pushing out update B this morning. I've made some relatively minor gameplay changes:

• Added a pillar to the shock area (as seen here), to act as cover between the center area and the shock area.
• Reduced the size of the sniper perch. This will make it difficult to camp up there, and it also reduces a line of sight from that area to the Udmg room.
• Created a hole (can be seen in this picture) in this blocking wall. A player picking up that health pack can wall slide across the gap and through that hole to sneak into the next room. Also I added that pillar visible in the same screenshot.
• Moved minigun from the center room to the Udmg room. Moved Bio to the area under the tank of water (left side of this screenshot)
• Reduced the size of the drop-down shortcut next to the Flak, and added an arrow for visibility

Visually I replaced the shell textures with real ones. There are also a couple new meshes thrown in that haven't been properly textured yet. The overall aesthetic is mixed and matched right now, not much has been nailed down yet.

Here's the new pak (26MB):
https://ut.rushbase.net/tidu/Nine/DM...wsNoEditor.pak

!!!!
Please note that with the build as of 5/1/15, you need to open the map through the console.

On the main menu (or anywhere really) press the tilda (~) key
type open DM-Nine_B
Press enter. The map will load
open the console again, type killbots
then type addbots 1

This will get you into a 1on1 match. I can't figure out how to make it a duel. Hopefully they fix this issue, it's a pain testing maps now.

Thanks, any feedback or issues are appreciated!