first mapping attempt - the +mansion map thread

[H-Hour]

We don't have a set artistic direction, but I think you'll find realistic quickly outgrows our graphics capabilities and undermines gameplay. It is your call, though. We don't have any kind of art style limitations on map contributions.

[Gren]

So the longer you play, the more texture slots will get filled. Model caching should be a feature, but unfortunately in combination with MAX_GL_TEXTURES it acts like a bug. 

Would that be the explanation of why I'm regularly seeing this error...

2012/01/16 19:39:59 Total textures: 1024/1024 (max textures: 1024)
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Total texel count (not counting mipmaps): 141485888
2012/01/16 19:39:59 ********************
2012/01/16 19:39:59 ERROR: R_LoadImageData: MAX_GL_TEXTURES hit
2012/01/16 19:39:59 ********************
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Shutdown server: Server crashed.
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Unload the game library
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Disconnecting...
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Client stream was closed
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Used inventory slots after battle: 0

...after playing 'n games? 

Quitting & restarting the game sorts it, but I guess it must be a headache for you developer types..

[ShipIt]

Would that be the explanation of why I'm regularly seeing this error...

2012/01/16 19:39:59 Total textures: 1024/1024 (max textures: 1024)
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Total texel count (not counting mipmaps): 141485888
2012/01/16 19:39:59 ********************
2012/01/16 19:39:59 ERROR: R_LoadImageData: MAX_GL_TEXTURES hit
2012/01/16 19:39:59 ********************
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Shutdown server: Server crashed.
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Unload the game library
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Disconnecting...
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Client stream was closed
2012/01/16 19:39:59 Used inventory slots after battle: 0

...after playing 'n games? 

Quitting & restarting the game sorts it, but I guess it must be a headache for you developer types..

I am really sorry about that.

Unfortunately this is caused  by things wich are not part of the map itself (how many different models/pics the game loads into the map when starting the game - buttons for the UI, weapons, head-models, body-models, normalmaps, glowmaps ....). Also the game loads things dynamically, so the crash might happen during gameplay also.

I am working on this, but its hard because i have to replace as much textures as possible, wich is not an easy task to solve simultaneously on twenty map-tiles.

Edit : Also, new normalmaps, specularmaps, UI-buttons, soldier- or alien-models may (hopefully) be added to the game in the future. So it is possible i will end up in some kind of a 16-colour-sheme with the map, looking like :

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTp79WFLhI67glwk57fGk2Q30TCiZ6X9H2CSpPmksnQTLY_Vwzuzg.

[Mattn]

i hope you have seen the new texture overview feature in radiant. it might help you to reduce the texture count

[ShipIt]

I will share my results, despite, well, I want to be honest : I did not expect that.

I made a sheed, put every texture used in the map into it with an advice what it is used for. After this I categorized the textures by giving it a number ranging from 1 to 5 :

1 = This will not be changed.
2 = Are we back in the 80´s ?
3 = Well, some of this maybe.
4 = I can live without this
5 = Who put this stuff in there?

Facts:
497 lines total (counting doubled)
238 different textures used
43 category 1
23 category 2
55 category 3
32 category 4
89 category 5

To my defense : Much of the category 5 comes from the poolhouse. This is were i started weeks ago, toying around and checking things out.

Now i will try to take advantage of mattn´s new 'texture overview' feature in UFORadiant to get rid of this problem.

[MCR]

@Gren: Turn off model caching in the options menu to solve that problem. Will we get a new track soon ? 

[H-Hour]

Yeah, I still find textures hanging around alien base that I don't mean to be there, but tried out at one point. These things just linger.......

[Gren]

@Gren: Turn off model caching in the options menu to solve that problem. Will we get a new track soon ? 

Thanks MCR - that has also sorted out a problem I was having with the display intermittently freezing. 

A new track... hmm - I have a couple of ideas down which I can develop.. leave that one with me 

[MCR]

/offtopic on

A new track... hmm - I have a couple of ideas down which I can develop.. leave that one with me 

 

/offtopic off

[ShipIt]

A new track... hmm - I have a couple of ideas down which I can develop.. leave that one with me 

Make it playing loud and fast and I will love it.

/offtopic on

 

/offtopic off

You are allowed to spam itt.

[ShipIt]

I reduced texture count again (by ~60) in my last commit. I did a lot of testing and it made the map work for now. I will keep working on this and report details later.

Very good news : pelya already started working on a patch wich will allow to avoid this problem in the future. Solving this task will make him 'Hero of the week' at least.

Also mattn did a great job with the 'texture overview' tool in UFORadiant. This is a cool thing to work with, esp. in big maps. Now you can see wich textures are used and how often. You can see were it is used on the map, pick and replace it in no-time.

[ShipIt]

[H-Hour]

ShipIt graciously volunteered to let me use Mansion for the first of what I hope will be more map analyses.

In the wiki, I've taken a look at the map's broader tactical elements, highlighted what is good and suggested what can be changed. I hope to do more so that we mappers can start discussing in more detail the gameplay ramifications of our maps.

The analysis is nothing more than thoughts to spark discussion. ShipIt is not expected to make any of the recommended changes unless he wants to.

[Bartleby]

sry h-hour, like all others i guess, i like youre work. but your "recommendations" about this map.. well... plz no. not all maps should be "tactical". i like also some easy maps. and i think this map is far away from too easy. the tunnels are "bad" enough. you really want more walls? do you really like the feeling to go round a corner and see an alien that much?

if i should suggest something to shipit:
- delete all walls round the map and make with those an other very nice map with old design, maps can be too polished/designed if you want to integrate everything. ppl that make good maps make sometimes too good maps. sometimes its better for gameplay to keep things simple and make more different maps.

anyhow. this map is GREAT .

[ShipIt]

sry h-hour, like all others i guess, i like youre work. but your "recommendations" about this map.. well... plz no. not all maps should be "tactical". i like also some easy maps. and i think this map far away from too easy. the tunnels are "bad" enough. you really want more walls? do you really like the feeling to go round a corner and see an alien that much?

H-Hour and me are very different in our thinking about how a good map should look like. Thats the reason for me to listen careful to his advice, as he prevents me from drifting away too much.

if i should suggest something to shipit:
- delete all walls round the map and make with those an other very nice map with old design ...

Its already pretty sure I will make some smaller parts out of this map once, so you speak right out of my heart.

anyhow. this map is GREAT .

Thank you very much.