cool man thanks for uploading an unfinished one to check out. I love the aesthetics in this map and it really does resemble the Enterprise. Too bad the away mission has to be removed that was really cool. I understand though, aesthetics really eat the budget. I made a Fallout Vault and by the time I was done with 2 hallways and 4 rooms the budget was gone. So the map wasn't big enough and too basic for gameplay...but it looked pretty. I really would like to make a Deep Space Nine but I know it's impossible. Would be really cool to make a section of it though with Quark's Bar, haha. I also have another idea for a Holodeck "fake" away mission but it would take a lot of thinking to deliver it. Or at least some type of Holodeck frag deathmatch where it feels you are in a holodeck and can exit or enter at any time. [br][/br]Edited by merge: well it's understandable to get excited about a Star Trek map especially one that looks really good.
LaForge Beta, same version seen in pics and video by Kazeroid is shared once again. just keep in mind that there is significant work being done to add to the hallways so that things are connected more, and to apply advice given through the Friend Fire Customs group to spread out the battles more... I've got one more hallway added in my new "hammer" (development) copy, and I am hoping against all odds that I will be able to add one more connecting hallway which would keep any long corridors from being isolated away from gameplay. this level used to play okay, but had some major issues, and now hopefully it will play well with no major issues, only minor ones which cannot be eliminated for whatever reason. (too many challenges to even begin to list them) I hope to eventually create a walkthrough of the exterior of the ship so you can all see just how much of a puzzle and problem-solving exercise this has been just to make things fit together.
This is a very beautiful map. It evokes Star Trek very well, and looks like it will actually play ok for actual games. It's seems a bit corridor-ish for Halo games, but I think the games would be fun regardless. Great job on melding the aesthetics of the theme with a functioning play space.
Thanks Lee, that is high praise coming from you! (see below for a domed structure you may like ) ----------- Updates ----------- Okay folks, this level's architecture is finally 100% complete and we're back to a 10,000 used budget map. I've been able to add those two extra connecting hallways that I initially didn't think were possible. In all honesty, I owe a lot to the testers at Friendly Fire Customs for pushing me to do something with the hallways, because this is far better as a result. I'm not posting pictures of the connecting hallways because they had lighting issues (not in game or in Theater, just the screenshots for some reason) and wouldn't show you how good it all looks. Please download to see the new hallways and how they bring the whole engineering section together with better flow. added hallway to engine room from outside corridor added hallway from 2nd corridor connecting it to the engine control room. improved lighting trick for aesthetics entirely removed away mission and one teleporter to spend budget elsewhere made both teleporters in Transporter Room out only. Improved aesthetics of Transporter pad and beams. 1st teleporter reaches upper level of engine room 2nd teleporter randomly takes you to bridge or furthest point on opposing side of map. A gamble. changed weaponry some, to be played with accompanying gametype "Star Trek" and/or "Star Trek FFA" to gain correct weapon loadout improved framerate on bridge -- removed pieces from chairs to use elsewhere. lifts in engine room refined and one moved slightly. console table in engineering is now a station console (1/2), replaces tel frame spawning re-worked throughout. red team spawns on bridge, blue spawns in engine room. (nice, because in ST, Red uniforms were for "command" and blue were science-based. Yes, I know that engineers were usually gold, but that color scheme didn't work out as well for halo.) Preview "LaForge Alt" is available in my fileshare now! Here are a few screenshots of the unseen exterior of this map for anyone who may ask "why can't you put something there, or change this to that?" It will give you an idea of how cramped space was and how many puzzles I had to solve to make this work. It will answer a lot of the "why did you do it like that?" questions... First, a domed structure that reminds me of some of the aesthetics that Lee C G has created on his maps.
Nice domed roof over the engine room. Does it look cool from the inside as well. I'll have to check it out later this week.
thanks. No, it really doesn't look nearly as good from the underside, but it does have a nice look to it. All eight roof pieces come together at a point. So I guess it's not really a dome structure, but more of a pointy roof zooming in on the top of the dome is very interesting as well... there are different patterns as you continue to zoom in, until finally the coords are off by a tiny bit and pattern thrown off. that's why I provided these pics -- so that those who never load this up in Forge to examine can see some reasons why maybe that would be an informative thing to do.
I'm gonna download the updated version. What I remember loving was the bridge... it had a really cool feeling and atmosphere with the control panels and screens, as well as the Klingon Bird of Prey (or whatever it was) being hit with photon torpedos off the starboard bow, lol. EDIT: Just saw the updated map. So beautiful. Would be a blast I think for some team slayer or FFA. So detailed it's confusing running around the ship but I think that's a good thing for this map. I feel right at home! Only thing I don't really like is on the bridge how there is that trait zone that prevents you from jumping high near the starboard bow. I understand why it's there, so you dont jump out the window... but from a competitive standpoint it could cause deaths from not being able to jump and dodge gunfire or grenades if in danger, that sort of thing. I wouldn't know what to do instead. I guess it's not suppose to be a window but a screen? so you dont want people jumping out of it. I'll try to think of something if it's possible. I don't know if you realized but there is a killzone count just standing next to the starboard bow I think. Unless that was intentional.
thanks for the kind words yes, the soft-kills are all intentional (there are 3 main ones, plus one hard kill) and I believe wholly necessary. Confusing layout? - Understood. Some hallways look similar, so there are markers using Extraction crates to illuminate the path to different colored rooms. Red is bridge, blue is Engineering, Yellow is Armory, and Purple is transporters. with some lighting differences and these indicators, it's like the maps that are on viewscreens in deck corridors on the Enterprise. Justification for trait zones/Soft & Hard Kills Bridge Viewscreen - From the beginning of this project, I've wanted to show a view of the supernova on the bridge as if that was the reason the Enterprise was there in that area. That decided the orientation and location of the bridge. Using a window or shield totally obscures your ability to see the beautiful supernova outside. I had to devise a way to make it impassible w/o a hard surface there. After reading people talk about trait zones for invisible walls/ceilings, I came up with this variation. High grav and low jump height does inhibit movement and cause problems for a player behind the consoles, but that area is small and once a player goes there one time, he/she will know it's not a place to hide unless you want to not be able to jump very high. But I did bring it down several notches so that you can jump some, and run speed is roughly 90% or 100%. You can escape gunfire just fine. Also, there is a soft kill just at the end of the screen give a warning that somehow jetpacking etc. out of the viewscreen will kill you (Hard kill immediately outside). While limiting gravity there is undesirable, it is a small space that players should be discouraged from using anyway, easily conveyed as "not a playable area" and aesthetically looks much better than a window or shielded surface. Armory/Stellar Cartography - the "Yellow" room. Just as with the viewscreen on the bridge, here I wanted to show a view of the nebula outside (orange/yellow thing out in space), so there is an identical trait/kill zone scheme going on behind the singular console in that room. But it is unattractive as a place to hide anyway... Warp Core in Engine Room - The area immediately surrounding the warp core is covered in a soft kill zone, as if your proximity to the engine is harming you or something. Anywhere inside the railings will show you this warning that the engine itself is dangerous. If you actually touch the core, you die via hard kill. It should be rather difficult to do by accident, and the warnings are clear. Railing, loud zapping sound, and a soft-kill for the area immediately surrounding it. In conclusion, the trait zone usage is not exactly ideal. I wish I could jsut make my own invisible wall. But this is a really good way to provide the aesthetics without sacrificing very much space for battling. EDIT: Oh, and it's not a Klingon ship per se, just a generic unknown alien (you'll also notice that red is featured prominently in all hallways and some other places to give the impression that the ship is at red alert.)
Well, I didn't mean it was a confusing map. I just meant the first couple games someone plays on it, they are going to be paying more attention to enemies trying to kill them and it will be confusing to navigate the map to certain areas until you learn the map. I don't think that is a bad thing as you should have to learn a detailed map like this. I'm not the type of person that thinks every map should have strict rules like ones they put in matchmaking. I think a good balance is key though. The map seems fine the way it is and I wouldn't want it simplified. I just meant by "confusing" it will be actually playing a match the first 2 or 3 times since you have to pay attention more to enemies than the actual map and aesthetics. Especially if someone smokes a little "wii wii" they won't know what the hell is going on (LOL). I think the exploration and aesthetics the map has is highly rewarding the way it is. Although I wish the engine room could have been made twice as big... but I know it is impossible with budget and also those circular bridge pieces connecting can't be made in a larger circle. I understand completely why there is no glass or anything over the viewscreens and I definitely think there should not be, for the aesthetics. I just didn't like the trait zones limiting your jump height in that small area. But if that is the only way to do it, then so be it. Yeah I know it doesn't look like a Klingon Bird of Prey, I doubt you'd have the budget to make it look like one either way. Looks fine the way it is. I'd like to get some games on this map for testing too whenever you get a lobby together.
hello everyone! I wanted to let you know I have finally finished and released this map after at least 100 hours (maybe 200) of development. The result is a fun casual experience that can also have a competetive element and some decent balance. Click the sig!