The Power Station

[Brad_tilf]

Here's the first pic from the new map I'm working on for the Descent Into Hell project called The Power Station. I'm loosely basing the design on the alien power plant from Total Recall. I had to lighten the picture up a little bit and the gamma correct sucks. Its much darker in the map and looks alot cooler. anyway - check it out

[ReX]

Brad_tilf said:

I had to lighten the picture up a little bit and the gamma correct sucks.

Yes, the picture seems somewhat washed out. A little less brightening would have worked just as well.

Not a bad-looking layout, btw, although an occasional darker texture (e.g., DOORTRAK) would provide a nice contrast.

[Brad_tilf]

Well, I've only got a few hours into it. I'll tweak stuff as I go but I'm seriously considering adding a little detail to what I have here - some contrasting textures, as you say, and blowing this part out as a DM map. It's one big room with 8 transporters, 2 levels and lots of DM potential. After that I'll continue on and create a fully playable SP map out of it but I can't resist to put this out as a DM map cuz it just screams DM at me. :-)

[Tormentor667]

Add a few midbars to the left and right of this bridge and insert also some more detailed textures.

[Epyo]

brown

[Brad_tilf]

Tormentor667 said:

Add a few midbars to the left and right of this bridge and insert also some more detailed textures.

I can't add midbars - the area utilizes 8 transporters which are used if the player accidentally gets knocked down to thelower level or in the case of dm it allows people an escape or surprise attack.
:-)

I still have some work. Never fear.
:-)

[Tormentor667]

Then add detail to this bridges, for example don't give the complete ceiling this T_LITE flat, make small sectors and add only a few lights. Also add a border to this bridge (+/- 8) with another texture. Looks also better ;)

[Brad_tilf]

Tormentor667 said:

Then add detail to this bridges, for example don't give the complete ceiling this T_LITE flat, make small sectors and add only a few lights. Also add a border to this bridge (+/- 8) with another texture. Looks also better ;)

hmmm - good ideas. I like the border idea

[NiGHTMARE]

While I like all your previous levels, they always seem a little bit too cramped in places (e.g. the 48 wide stairs in The Hub). If you work on this area, and on detail a little bit more, you'll definitely have some great rather than just good levels on your hands :)

[Brad_tilf]

Well, since Tormentor is without a doubt one of the best mappers out there, I take his advice to heart. I do like the border idea. Very cool. I've already started making alot of detail additions of course since the first picture was just the basic working model if you will.
Thanks for the advice Tormentor - I can't ignore one of the best mappers around.

[Brad_tilf]

I'm almost finished with the DM portion of this map. Thanks to Tormetors advice on the map it is looking alot sweeter by implementing the edges to the bridge areas. It should be ready for download early next week once I finish some detail stuff.
Check out the new pics:

[Ubik]

GET YOUR AHSS TO MAHS

[Tormentor667]

Looks much better Bob :)

I have some more ideas:
- Add detail to this power cores for example some metal columns on the edges of the circular sector which has the light in it. Also a border at the top outside of this things would look nice.
- Add in some way (floating textures, sectors) connections from each core to another, would also look nice and give this place a "real" touch :)

[Brad_tilf]

That might be a good idea. But, I am trying to keep the whole thing compatible with Jdoom and you know how Jdoom is with that kind of stuff.
I should be able to add some small columns to the power things themselves tho without screwing up the 3d ports. Thats kinda the whole thing tho - You mostly just do Zdoom which allows for alot of stuff that can't be done with 3d ports so if I do some of that stuff in a level then all of a sudden it is useless with Jdoom. As Jdoom is a very popular port and I want to keep the maps as compatible as possible with as much as possible I have to avoid 3d features for the most part. They leave a nasty HOM beneath them usually which is ok in some cases because you can design to overcome that shortfall but in this map, the lower areas are integral - especially for deathmatch play so I can't really do that. Its too bad the GL ports are so goddam picky but unless someone comes up with a better GL nodes builder that doesn't try to place textures where they don't belong, etc...
Perhaps I'll do a Jdoom release and one for Zdoom/Legacy (those I can place those floating textures you're referring to in).
That might be a good idea.
hmmmm
:-)

[DooMBoy]

Doesn't look bad at all, however those blue light textures look like they need to be x aligned.

[Brad_tilf]

x aligned? - um, no, they're fine.

[Brad_tilf]

Almost finished (the DM part anyway)

[Tormentor667]

Gets better and better ;) Another tipp: Give the column parts of the energy cores another texture and make em like they are standing out of the core itself. This would give it the final touch. Also give the red part within the core a border as the bridge has :)

[Brad_tilf]

standing out? What do you mean? another texture is easy - but standing out? As far as putting an edge or whatever on the cores - too much work to do that now. I'd have to delete all those sectors and redo them and I just don't have the energy but I'll keep that kind of stuff in mind as I move further into the SP portion of the map.
:-)
Can you explain about standing out tho?

[NiGHTMARE]

I think he means 'sticking out'.

[DooMBoy]

Brad_tilf said:

x aligned? - um, no, they're fine.

Well, they might be, but it'd be cool if you could x align them in such a way so they look they're one big smooth texture, that would look awful nice IMO.

[Brad_tilf]

try it out. If it works - let me know.
:-)

[Tormentor667]

Yes, sticking out, sorry ;) it's my bad english's fault :(

[Brad_tilf]

I'm working on that but finding the right combination of how far out it "sticks" and the right texture is getting to be a chore.
No biggie - as long as it looks good in the end. Thanks for the tips Tormentor

[Tormentor667]

No problem as long as you don't forget them on the next project ;)

[Brad_tilf]

I might have come up with some of this stuff on my own but some I wouldn't have so thanks for the ideas.

[Brad_tilf]

Here's a screenpic of the map now - should be finished tomorrow some time:
:-)

[KoolKat]

Wow, talk about fast evolution. It looks good. Newstuff?

[Brad_tilf]

Hopefully this afternoon. It's still only DM. I have alot of work after this to make a SP map out of it.

[Tormentor667]

Yeah, looks great now ;)