SOD U.S. Customs

[SODsniper]

I have just completed work on my latest creation.  It is a Team Adversarial Map.

U.S. CUSTOMS

There are some very... ahem... EXPLOSIVE surprises in this map I think will make the game play very exciting.  

Feel free to download it and use it on your servers. I welcome any and all comments, criticsims, flames, what have you.  


SODsniper

[MrCouch]

screens?

[SODsniper]

DOH!!!

One second.  It's my first attempt at Extra-Server distribution... Back in a jiffy.

SODsniper

[SODsniper]

Generic Shot:






BEFORE SHOT:





AFTER SHOT:








BEFORE SHOT:






AFTER SHOT:  (ooops... Got Too Close...  :roll: )

[Autoload]

No SP or MP Coop/Tango Hunt?  :-(

[SODsniper]

No SP or MP Coop/Tango Hunt?  :-(

Not yet. I haven't graduated to putting in AI Tangos.  I might take a stab at it down the road, though.

However, I give anyone permission to add Tangos for Tango Hunt.  All I ask is that you give me a heads up and send me the RSM so I can load it up on our CoOp server.


SODsniper

[Odedge]

For fun I decided to check out the map.  Unfotunately I don't have any positive comments unless you take crticism well.  Since you said

I welcome any and all comments, criticsims, flames, what have you.

, I will give you my opinion.
 
1. The map is too small and too simple.  The green team will more than likely be caught in the "parking lot" and never reach the "building".  This makes the map too small because it's so wide open and no where to go.
 
2.  A lot of the static meshes in the map are too bright.
 
3.  There are no foot step sounds on the ground!, but there are sounds on the ladder?
 
4.  The map doesn't lool like a US Customs building because it doesn't look like a building.  There is too much repition in the static mesh placements and the building looks like a box.  Why would there be ramps made out of wood going up the sides of the building.  If you are going to set a map in a realistic type of area, it should look realistic.  If not, then you might want to choose a different theme and name for the map.
 
5.  You can get on the fence from the top of the building and walk around the border of the map.  This allows a Hall of Mirrors effect because you can see outside the map.  It's also considered a glitch in my opinion because you have some one walking on a chain link fence which doesn't make much sense.
 
6. Why so many exploding things?  You have some exploding tanks at the green spawn, only certain airplanes, and a few other items.  Is the game so boring that you need things to explode every five seconds to make it interesting and fun to play?  
 
7.  The layout makes the advantages of the teams imbalanced.  The red team can hide in a building and even go onto the roof to have a clear view of the parking lot.  The green team has to go through the parking lot that doesn't have a lot of cover from the roof top.  In addition they have to worry about the red team shooting some airplanes and dying from a cheap "exploding barrel" kill.
 
I didn't really find anything to like about this map.  It doesn't look good and I think the game play would only cater to the Kool-Aid crowd.  If that's the type of games you like to play, have fun.  Frankly I don't like rounds in Raven Shield lasting 10 seconds with explosions being the main source of entertainment.

[SODsniper]

For fun I decided to check out the map.  Unfotunately I don't have any positive comments unless you take crticism well.  Since you said  , I will give you my opinion.

As long as you don't say, "Jeezus, Sniper yer an asshole for making such a map!!!!",   I am all ears...

Other than that, I appreciate your comments...  


 

1. The map is too small and too simple.  The green team will more than likely be caught in the "parking lot" and never reach the "building".  This makes the map too small because it's so wide open and no where to go.

 
In play, it really isn't that simple.  Red Team really kicks ass, due to the ....uh...  extras..  

2.  A lot of the static meshes in the map are too bright.

Could you be more specific??  I am not sure how I was able to make specific SMs different than others.

3.  There are no foot step sounds on the ground!, but there are sounds on the ladder?

ACK!!!!!  Yer right!!!!  Thanx....
 

4.  The map doesn't lool like a US Customs building because it doesn't look like a building.  There is too much repition in the static mesh placements and the building looks like a box.  Why would there be ramps made out of wood going up the sides of the building.  If you are going to set a map in a realistic type of area, it should look realistic.  If not, then you might want to choose a different theme and name for the map.

I have discovered that I have sacrificed "realism" for fun play... (You should see my new Bottle Mania map!!  )  Critiscism accepted as true...    

5.  You can get on the fence from the top of the building and walk around the border of the map.  This allows a Hall of Mirrors effect because you can see outside the map.  It's also considered a glitch in my opinion because you have some one walking on a chain link fence which doesn't make much sense.
 

Yea, I thought of that after I added the ramps to the building.  I had thought about putting in a blocking volume, but I tried to actually do it, but couldn't.  I think I will add the volume now.  

6. Why so many exploding things?  You have some exploding tanks at the green spawn, only certain airplanes, and a few other items.  Is the game so boring that you need things to explode every five seconds to make it interesting and fun to play?  

Not so much "boring" as a lot of things are "Been There, Done That"... I am trying to bring a little diversity..

7.  The layout makes the advantages of the teams imbalanced.  The red team can hide in a building and even go onto the roof to have a clear view of the parking lot.  The green team has to go through the parking lot that doesn't have a lot of cover from the roof top.  In addition they have to worry about the red team shooting some airplanes and dying from a cheap "exploding barrel" kill.

Actually, Green team, if they use the cars as cover, the can assault the Red team successfully.  In short, Green or Red CAN win, if they respond tactically.

I didn't really find anything to like about this map.  It doesn't look good and I think the game play would only cater to the Kool-Aid crowd.  If that's the type of games you like to play, have fun.  Frankly I don't like rounds in Raven Shield lasting 10 seconds with explosions being the main source of entertainment.

I'll be the first to admit that my map making skills are rudimentary and basic.  For better or for worse, those in my CLAN, like the quick and unexpected, in our maps.

I appreciate the input and you make some good points, which I will incorporate in future maps.  

Thanx a bunch for the input. It is truly appreciated, even though it may not appear that way.

SODsniper

[Odedge]

I know you are new to map making so take my comments with a grain of salt.  I also know from your posts that you are willing to learn and open to suggestions, which is why I gave them.
 
1. Regarding the bright static meshes.  You have two sunlight actors that are fairly bright.  Also, one of them has a light value that would make the light coming from it "white", which isn't realistic.  You also have a high ambient light brighness which will wash out your static meshes.
 
I would try a different hue (34 is in the yellow range I beleive).  This will give your sunlight a more realistic appearance.  Also, for zone lighting, I would try not to go above 10.  Zone lighting sound fill in the light that normal lights can't accomplish.  
 
Here is an example of static meshes that are too bright.
 

 
Here are the same static meshes with a sunlight actor deleted, the lighting tweaked on the other sunlight and the zone lighting tweaked.
 

 
If a particular static mesh is too bright compared to the others, you can adjust a setting just for the problem sm.  Open up it's properties and in the Display section lower the value for "m_fLightingScaleFactor".  If you create static meshes in the editor, adjust this to ".5" will normally allow the sm to be lit properly.
 
2.  Regarding realism, if your going to base your map in a realistic place, then do so.  If not, then that's cool too.  A SS map called Checkmate is a very simple and nonrealistic setting because you are on a oversized chessboard in a warehouse.  Since the map wasn't going for realism, I personally didn't mind that we are playing on a chess board.  
 
3. A blocking volume could have easily fixed access to the ram.  Set the following it it's collision section to True,
 
Collide Actors
Block Players
 
4.  I also just noticed that most of the static meshes don't have "Block Karma" enabled in the Collision section.  Granted if a static meshe doesn't block karma, the world won't end.  But it's very easy to get to do so.
 

4.[/color][/size]

 
If you change the drawscale of a static mesh with different values in the X, Y, and Z axis, the karma won't work.
 
Any ways, I am glad you responded to my suggests.  It shows you that you care about what you are doing.  Personally, I don't try and debate game play issues too much because they differ with each person.  What I usually try to promote is the building of quality maps.  This includes how well they look and how well they are built.  Good luck with the map and others that you build.  Have fun!

[SODsniper]

I know you are new to map making so take my comments with a grain of salt.  I also know from your posts that you are willing to learn and open to suggestions, which is why I gave them.
 
1. Regarding the bright static meshes.  You have two sunlight actors that are fairly bright.  Also, one of them has a light value that would make the light coming from it "white", which isn't realistic.  You also have a high ambient light brighness which will wash out your static meshes.

I seem to have an on-going problem with "lighting" particularly from the standpoint of Skyboxes.  I follow the tut from RvsMaps, but whenever I test the SkyBox in the Map Editor (K key) the area that the light box is spose to show is black.  Not sure what my problem is, in that regard.

I would try a different hue (34 is in the yellow range I beleive).  This will give your sunlight a more realistic appearance.  Also, for zone lighting, I would try not to go above 10.  Zone lighting sound fill in the light that normal lights can't accomplish.  
 
Here is an example of static meshes that are too bright.
 
PIC (see above)
 
Here are the same static meshes with a sunlight actor deleted, the lighting tweaked on the other sunlight and the zone lighting tweaked.
 
PIC (see above)
 
If a particular static mesh is too bright compared to the others, you can adjust a setting just for the problem sm.  Open up it's properties and in the Display section lower the value for "m_fLightingScaleFactor".  If you create static meshes in the editor, adjust this to ".5" will normally allow the sm to be lit properly.

Excellent.  Many thanx on that.  That is some good info.

2.  Regarding realism, if your going to base your map in a realistic place, then do so.  If not, then that's cool too.  A SS map called Checkmate is a very simple and nonrealistic setting because you are on a oversized chessboard in a warehouse.  Since the map wasn't going for realism, I personally didn't mind that we are playing on a chess board.  

Another good point.  In the case of this map, the problem was that Red Team would hole up on the roof and, since there was only one way up, would pick off Green Team as they tried to assault.  I realize that ramps up to the roof was probably the easy way around that problem.  

But I like your concept of "if your map is of a realistic place, then make it realistic".  A very simple yet highly elegant concept. (What can I say, I impress easily.. )  I will keep that concept in mind,  fer sure..  

3. A blocking volume could have easily fixed access to the ram.  Set the following it it's collision section to True,
 
Collide Actors
Block Players
 
4.  I also just noticed that most of the static meshes don't have "Block Karma" enabled in the Collision section.  Granted if a static meshe doesn't block karma, the world won't end.  But it's very easy to get to do so.

What, exactly, is "Karma" (Hay!!  Yer Karma ran over my Dogma!!  )  in the context  of the UnrealEditor.
 

If you change the drawscale of a static mesh with different values in the X, Y, and Z axis, the karma won't work.
 
Any ways, I am glad you responded to my suggests.  It shows you that you care about what you are doing.  Personally, I don't try and debate game play issues too much because they differ with each person.  What I usually try to promote is the building of quality maps.  This includes how well they look and how well they are built.  Good luck with the map and others that you build.  Have fun!

Thanx for all the input.  It is well and truly appreciated.



SODsniper

[FUBAR]

karma prevents the died body from going though something

looks stupid if you die on steps or something and the died body falls though the steps

[Odedge]

karma prevents the died body from going though something
 
looks stupid if you die on steps or something and the died body falls though the steps

  That's basically what Karma is in the RVS editor.  If you want more info and ways to make it happen in your map, check out this tutorial
 

 
 
SODsniper, I had the same problem with the black skybox in the editor when you press the "k" key.  Some times it works, some times it didn't.  In my opinion, as long as it works in game with no problems, your good to go there.