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The dev footage you saw in the previous post is now pretty noticeably outdated, since I’ve added a lot of new content to that map in the video.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:
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.
Going strong
So right now I’m at a point where I have to stop myself from mapping so I can go to sleep. Progress is moving forward extraordinarily quickly right now, both in terms of ideation, and construction.
I haven’t ever developed SP puzzles before, so I’m fumbling my way through what I’ve got so far. I’m basically working on a “turn the power back on” puzzle, but with a slight twist (hopefully). I have to keep slowing down and planning out the next step in the puzzle, but I think in the end it’ll turn out well.
I imagine that it won’t be long before I can’t stop myself from posting a screenshot or two.
Back on track in a big way
I’ve made a ton of progress in the last two days. I’ve got the second of about 7 warehouses just about blocked out and I’m close to starting on the next.
I’ve started a page for this project, but I’m going to keep it pretty vague for a while, until I’m pretty far along. I’ll post screenshots eventually, story, etc.
Ever forward…
The SP level is going well, but progress is slower than I’d like. But this is pretty much always going to be the case. I’ve got probably half of it planned out 90+% and the other half is basically just an idea. But I know it’ll work. I just need to keep plugging away.
I’m far enough along to show a screenshot. Keep in mind that it’s not only a WIP, but that this part has been redone. But this is a fair representation of the level so far.
TF2 Update
Well, the different approach I discussed earlier is already paying off. So that’s good. Being able to walk around a place really helps to visualize what will work and what won’t. And it’s much easier to see what needs additional polish, even from an early, blocked-out state.
I may take another stab at the TF2 map. I’ve talked to some people and it miiiight be doable. I have to prioritize one map over the other, but maybe a TF2 map would help me through creative dry spells on my SP map. Or maybe it’ll just cannibalize all my time. In any case, I haven’t done any new work on it, so this is all theory at the moment.