We’re number 1!
Sweet! Overheid is currently ranked 1 of 10,417 on ModDB. Thanks everyone who stopped by or commented!
Demo Released!
So the demo is out and the results are very positive! Currently Overheid is sporting a 9.1 on FPSBanana. On ModDB, there is no rating, because it’s not a final release. But the comments have been good and the download numbers aren’t too bad either.
Check out the ModDB page for Overheid
or Check out the FPSBanana Page for Overheid
I’m working away at addressing the issues in the demo release, as well as toiling away at the other maps in the series.
So much work!
It wasn’t normal.
It was poor optimization. I went through the map again, looking for anything any possible vis optimization possible. I’m sure I missed a lot, but still, I got the compile time to a little over an hour.
So! I’ve compiled two of the three maps (one is a background map) that I’ll be releasing shortly. Getting very close now…
Is this normal…?
So, I did a full compile on my first map in preparation for release. It’s currently been literally 48 hours and it’s still on the vis stage. I mean, I know it’s a final compile, but wtf.
More footage!
Compare these to the footage below. Proof that I HAVE been working despite the extended silence!
Argh! Wordpress is stupid and is eating my embed code, so here are straight links:
Still plugging along.
I’m still here; still working. I’ve been making lots of progress, despite what my update schedule might show. I’ve got my three main maps almost all in an alpha state, meaning that they’re essentially how they’ll be when they finally launch. I’ve had the basic layout of each one done for a while, and I’ve been fleshing out various areas of each for a while now.
The dev footage you saw in the previous post is now pretty noticeably outdated, since I’ve added a lot of new content to that map in the video. It’s still rough right now, but there’s a complete path through the map, and only 1 area left that i need to detail. It’s a fairly large area, though, so it might be a while.
Also, my video card is on its way out. There’s artifacts all over my 3d views/games, and the drivers crash and recover all the time. This, in addition to the fact that Hammer (the level editor) crashes to desktop probably 5 times an hour since the beginning of this project, and the time dealing with stupid tech issues is starting to get noticeable.
But I’m still pretty excited about what I’ve got so far. Hopefully the video I posted before looked fun. If so, then the map is much more fun with the new additions.
I’ll try to have some more shots up soonish.
Gameplay footage!
I’ll let this speak for itself:
Lots of progress
Over the holidays I managed to plan out two major sections of the level. One is completely built out–enough for a playtest–and the other is about halfway built. I’m running into some issues smoothing out a few things on it, but it’s still coming along very well.
Here’s a few shots of the map I’m still building on right now.
Idea generation
Since I’m working on an outdoor complex and I want it to be laid out in an interesting and fun way I decided to try an exercise in generating building layouts using graph paper. Basically, I just drew random pseudo-buildinglike shapes in random configurations until I’d filled the page. Afterwards, I picked out the parts I thought were interesting and found ways to incorporate them into my map. It worked really well and I ended up with a completely new sequence that I hadn’t even considered before.
That’s one of the things I’ve struggled with–how to generate new and interesting ideas. I’ve spent a lot of time on various mapping sites looking for structures and layouts that look interesting. And that’s helped, too.
The way I generate the majority of my ideas is just by flying around my map and seeing what it inspires. Invariably, some path or some object/structure will suggest some other path, structure, obstacle, encounter, etc. So it really builds on itself.
The trouble with that, of course, is that there’s a risk of it going out of control, since a lot of what I build doesn’t have a concrete plan on paper.
The other issue with it is that it’s slow, and verrrrry iterative. I can’t tell you how much stuff I’ve moved or deleted as I’ve worked on the map.
Still, I’m happy with how it’s turning out so far. It’s just that it’s going so slowly. Ugh. It’s never fast enough.
Change of Tack
Developing a single player map, I have to say, is hard work. Especially if you’ve never done one before. Or at least, that’s what I’ve discovered about myself.
I spent literally months tweaking a single building (the one I said I’d wrapped up in the previous post), only to decide the quality sucked and remove it entirely. I’ve still got it in previous versions, and there were elements in it that I really did like a lot. But the overall pace and experience within that warehouse wasn’t as good as it needed to be, so it got the axe.
I sort of hate doing that kind of stuff, but at the same time, now that it’s gone and I’ve changed direction, the map is progressing so much more quickly and fluidly. As a celebration of sorts, I’ve attached two shots straight from the editor. Notice the change in the red warehouse compared to how it was a few months ago. It plays a lot better in this new version.
Also, please keep in mind that a lot of what you see in the editor shots is not detailed or polished. I’m not at that stage yet. So things will look ugly now, but get better once they’re polished. Just take a look at Devious Methods for some idea of how it’ll turn out. And there are a few placeholder buildings right now until the real ones are built. But hopefully you get the idea.
One of the best things about making a map like this is it allows me to write a story for it. I’ll go into some of the frustrations stemming from that in a later post.
Enjoy the shots for now.
