tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7347362355787459732024-02-21T09:08:15.623-08:00Level Design Theory - Single Player MappingThis blog contains lessons learned by me through the process of mapping for Single Player games, primarily, Half Life 2, Portal and Left 4 Dead (yes Left 4 Dead can be considered a single player game).
This blog's focus is on the player experience. To hell with the nuts and bolts of the level editor, the entities, models and brushes. This blog is about coming up with a final result when it's all put together.
How does the player feel about the experience?Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-28598527799014102442013-06-24T02:35:00.001-07:002013-06-24T02:35:34.309-07:00Half Life 2 Level Design - Gameplay Analysis by Me!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-31384907367986771992013-06-12T01:11:00.001-07:002013-06-12T01:11:42.768-07:00Half Life 2: Rise - declined at Mod DB - Ooops!I tried to create a page for HL2 Rise over at ModDB and clearly didn't add enough screenshots etc to convince them it was real.<br />
<br />
Mod declined... lol<br />
<br />
Perhaps it's better not to use ModDB after all. Your mod gets lost in a sea of bullshit unfortunately and I've never really been good at writing self-promoting news stories etc..<br />
<br />
I find the self-promotion of ModDB to be rather embarrasing.<br />
Don't get me wrong, I like people telling me I did a good job, but only after the mods released. Prior to that point, any kind of promotion of the mod seems annoyingly hollow.<br />
<br />
For Deep Down, I released a playable level to get people excited. That's really the only update that is going to mean anything to people. Playable content is what people want.<br />
<br />
News stories about the fact you've finished a weapon model, or that you've appointed a new art director, or that you've finished the story, aren't really what players are looking for. It all seems to feed from delusions of grandure that project leaders has acquired. Often these project leaders have no actual technical skills and have simply collected a group of people looking for a project together. They then talk an awful lot and produce very little.<br />
<br />
To produce a great mod, you dont need a huge team of people. You don't really need a team at all. You just need to know how to change game content and build maps.<br />
<br />
A friend of mine created the Warhammer 40,000 mod Exterminatus on his own with no additional assistance. Its a very popular mod and he's done a fantastic job with it. He's now working on a new really exciting project that will blow everyone away I'm sure.<br />
<br />
Me personally, I'm looking forward to getting my next project out the door but also have been chatting with some guys with a proven track record about doing some map design for them. Fingers crossed it will all come together... Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-57829603147661086622013-06-11T05:11:00.002-07:002013-06-11T05:11:19.399-07:00Half Life 2: RiseI promised myself that Deep Down would be my last Half Life 2 project. It has taken me a year and a half to get it done and I really never inteneded it to take that long. Granted for 8 months I didnt' work on it but it's still way too long of a dev cycle.<br />
<br />
The reaction to Deep Down has changed my mind however. Its been really well received, and now I have the skillset to be able to produce high quality mods it would be silly to waste it. Plus I've tried mapping for the other Source games and nothing measures up to the fun of HL2.<br />
<br />
So this leads us, inevitably to Half Life 2: Rise. The follow up to Deep Down that charts Alyx and Gordon's return to the surface. I've already got some puzzles working in dev maps and a general theme, look and feel but it's the gameplay that will change significantly.<br />
<br />
One element of my maps that many players have commented on and enjoyed are those moments when the player has the upper hand and can plan an attack. Pre-planning an assault or preparing for battle has always been fun but its been underused in the HL2 official games, and I can't say that I've ever really seen it much in Mods.<br />
<br />
So here's the premise for HL2: Rise.<br />
<br />
Whereever possible, I will allow the player to plan their attack. I will give them a full view of the battlefield before they choose to enter it. I will give them time and tools to prepare for incoming assaults (hoppers, emplaced guns, explosive barrels and floor turrets).<br />
I will allow them to move about above the combine soldiers unaware of their presence before they engage..<br />
<br />
The ability to pre-plan gameplay and then execute it allows the player great fun and flexibility. It also adds a lot of replay value as they can try out different strategys.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'd love to be able to allow the player to set up physics objects as traps for incoming combine.<br />
Or use physics objects to set up defensive barriers against assaults.<br />
<br />
Can't believe that I've missed this before, so simple yet so fun.<br />
<br />
While this won't be the only form of gameplay, it's a new method that I can insert into my gameplay combination I've used so far.Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-8863280035837725472013-06-04T15:21:00.000-07:002013-06-04T15:24:51.725-07:00Yes I'm updating this blog again. Don't make a big thing out of it...Yes I'm updating this blog again. Don't make a big thing out of it.<br />
<br />
What I learned from making Half Life 2: Deep Down,
Part 1<br />
<br />
1. Baddies that can walk right up to you are no fun<br />
Always put one or several barriers between you and gun based enemy. If an enemy can run right up to you and shoot you from point blank range, they will.
Keep the gun based baddies at a slight distance and the combat becomes much more interesting. Fences are good, you can see through them, shoot through them but they keep the distance and ensure a decent fire fight.
I've recently played a few mods where a group of baddies are introduced and all I had to do was dance round them with the shotgun, blowing them away and trying not to get shot myself. In official maps, you almost never come toe to toe with gun based NPCs and if you do, they are kept in place by nav node groups.<br />
<br />
2. Ignore feedback from lazy players<br />
<br />
I had several players who played the mod and simply didnt have the patience to stop and think about the puzzles. They wanted action all the way, the puzzles were simply a barrier to them having fun. As a result, their feedback was to make the solutions to the puzzles so obvious that they wouldn't stop a player for a moment.<br />
<br />
3. The basics matter<br />
<br />
All the feedback I've received points to one thing. Players love simple explore and fight gameplay. They liked the driving and the puzzles but they're at their happiest when moving through and exploring a space whilst fighting their way through.
The two areas mentioned time and again were the hotel and the large cavern after the wind tunnel. Both these areas offer simple
Game-play but it's where the players feel at home. The trick to these areas is to keep the player off the beaten path in my opinion. Moving through rooms and corridors is boring, try to think about more interesting ways the player can move through a space.<br />
<br />
4. What the player can't see, they don't care about.<br />
<br />
My displacements are messy as hell. The cliffs I built have dodgy edges and vertices going mental but the player can't see any of it. Don't get OCD about how tidy your map is if its outside the play area.
Take one look at a de-compiled Valve map and you'll see they weren't all that tidy either.Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-32454850266119595392013-05-26T15:27:00.000-07:002013-05-26T15:27:06.405-07:00Half Life 2: Deep Down - Visual hints to secret areas<a href="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/595878779033549058/1FA1ACCF0B23CD72AAE2F6796D5EA75F48504FBB/" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/595878779033549058/1FA1ACCF0B23CD72AAE2F6796D5EA75F48504FBB/" /></a>
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<a href="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/595878779033576516/5311DF6B3A6A91D3E70D31DD26AD4AB502E4A3CB/" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/595878779033576516/5311DF6B3A6A91D3E70D31DD26AD4AB502E4A3CB/" /></a>
<a href="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/595878779033578539/5FED45173B07B9879EFE09A948B5CA64F2FD4C01/" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/595878779033578539/5FED45173B07B9879EFE09A948B5CA64F2FD4C01/" /></a>
<a href="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/595878779033579640/3FD71D82891AA10B9E04881B69ACA73D52C6B67D/" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/595878779033579640/3FD71D82891AA10B9E04881B69ACA73D52C6B67D/" /></a>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-89896270232116211752013-05-26T15:14:00.002-07:002013-05-26T15:14:20.489-07:00Half Life 2: Deep Down Released<a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-2-deep-down"></a>
Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-36954772415786328092012-04-19T09:25:00.001-07:002012-04-19T09:25:11.495-07:00Daylight Review - in Czech - Mangled by Google TranslateIn Czech!
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Daylight je klasickým modem ze City 17, kde hráč svádí bitvy s rozličnými nepřáteli a řeší logické hádanky pomocí oblíbeného gravitygunu.
Zpočátku se potýkáte především s fyzikálními hádankami, později si vyzkoušíte své zbraně proti několika typům nepřátel. Sranda je především se zombíkama, na které můžete aplikovat za léta naučené postupy a fígle. Zápalné sudy nebo ozubené kotouče jsou již out, ale co takhle požární sekera v kombinaci s gravitygunem - že bychom získali tomahawk? Ale co když přijdou na scénu rychlé zombies nebo silní Zombines? Přesná střelba z revolveru na dálku nebo vytahování granátů z rukou ohnilců přijdou vhod. Když jste potom zavřeni v ohraničeném prostoru a přísun zombíků se zdá nekonečný, oceníte každou tlakovou láhev i patronu do brokovnice. Naštěstí všeho je kolem dostatek, včetně lékáren. Jiný styl pak musíte aplikovat na příslušníky Combine nebo nastražené kulomety a skákací miny. Některé je vhodné obejít, jiné zničit. Také je třeba dávat si pozor, aby vám přísavka na stropě neukousla hlavu.
Kromě soubojů je vhodné si promyslet postup, předtím než sepnete nějaký čudlík nebo páku. To platí především o podzemní ventilaci nebo zatopeném silu. Zvláště silo je povedenou záležitostí, kde se vám kromě běžných vojáků postaví do cesty i voda v kombinaci s elektřinou a zcela nahoře pak páni snipeři. A možná se dostaví i nějaký ten Hunter.
Z lokací jsou zastoupeny jak ty venkovní tak vnitřní. Namátkou: ulice města, nádražní seřadiště, vězeňský komplex nebo povedené silo. I když nejsou zpracovány nějak zázračně, vyhovují hernímu stylu, takže budete patrně spokojeni. Zbraní je dost, munice i lékáren také, není proto třeba se příliš obávat o své zdraví, pokud teda neuděláte nějakou botu a nevletíte např. do roztočeného větráku.
Modifikace Daylight není nikterak ambiciózním počinem, nicméně nehraje se vůbec špatně, prostředí je slušné a hlavně v závěru ukáže své kvality. Kdo má rád kombinaci hádanek založených na fyzice a střelbu do nepřátel, přijde si dozajista na své.
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Google Translate Mangled!
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Daylight is a classic modem from City 17, where the player brings the battle with various enemies and solve logic puzzles using your favorite gravitygunu.
Initially struggling primarily with physical puzzles, then try out their weapons against several types of enemies. Is especially fun to zombíkama on which you can apply for summer practices and learned tricks. Incendiary barrels or toothed wheels are already out, but what about fire ax in combination with gravitygunem - we got tomahawk? But what if they come on the scene fast zombies or strong Zombines? Accurate shooting a revolver at a distance or pulling out of hand grenades ohnilců come in handy. If you are then locked in a limited space and the supply seems endless zombies, you'll appreciate each cylinder and the shotgun cartridge. Luckily enough all around, including pharmacies. Another style then you must apply to members of the Combine or booby trap guns and jumping mines. Some should be passed, to destroy others. You also need to pay attention to you suction cup on the ceiling neukousla head.
In addition to battles is a good idea to think through the process before any button will switch on or lever. This is especially true for ventilation or flooded underground silo. Especially hilarious is the silo matter where you stand apart from ordinary soldiers in the way of water and electricity in combination with the very top and then the lords snipers. And maybe some will come and the Hunter.
The locations are represented by both the external and internal. At random: city streets, railroad yard, prison or precious silo complex. Even if not handled somehow miraculously they comply play style, so you'll probably be satisfied. Enough weapons, ammunition and pharmacy, there is no need to worry too much about your health, do not do So if a shoe and nevletíte eg spinning fan.
Modifications to Daylight is by no means ambitious achievement, but does not play at all badly, decent environment, and especially at the end indicates its quality. Who likes the combination of physics based puzzles and shooting the enemies, you will certainly come into their own.
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Many thanks to Pete66 for his review! I scored 70%!Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-64547199515666732832012-04-13T15:01:00.000-07:002012-04-13T15:02:16.497-07:00More Let's Plays Of Daylight!First up we have a fantastic Let's Play video in two parts from DrOcto!<br />He has a wonderful German accent and it's a genuinely funny video.<br /><br />Part 1:<br />DrOcto makes a new friend called Paul and then kills him and loses him repeatedly....<br /><br /><object width="452" height="263" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="type" value="application/x-shockwave-flash" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/izGLC43sBxk?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/izGLC43sBxk?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="452" height="263" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 2:<br />DrOcto forgets about Paul completely and instead gets on with playing the mod.<br />Seems obsessed with gifts!<br /><br /><object width="466" height="256" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="type" value="application/x-shockwave-flash" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gC2mNPj0kC4?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gC2mNPj0kC4?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="466" height="256" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><br />Next Up!<br /><br />Bilaros sent through an almost completely cold playthrough of the mod. There's no commentary but what's really interesting is you can see his thought process as he approaches each puzzle. You can almost hear the cogs whirring away in his head and see the moment it clicks.<br />Fun to watch...<br /><br /><object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kcAZax--1t0?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kcAZax--1t0?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object><br /><br />As a level designer it's fascinating to see how each player approaches each new situation. What are they drawn to, what misunderstandings occur. Do they understand what is important in that space etc...<br /><br />Well worth a watch for level designers out there.Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-90560296016120898702012-04-11T00:19:00.001-07:002012-04-11T15:06:27.822-07:00Vehicles and critical allies in HL2<div>
I wanted to share my recent experiences of creating maps designed for the player to drive around in and things to consider when building vehicle based maps.<br />
I've also been working with allied NPCs and critcal allies which can add their own frustrations to proceedings.<br />
Critical Allies<br />
When you introduce a buddy character to the player who must be protected or its game over, you change the nature of a first person shooter. The player has to keep an eye out for a second party. This can be used in a variety of ways that can enhance or destroy gameplay.<br />
Pros:<br />
1: The player no longer has to worry about running out of ammo, they can fall back on their buddies firepower if they need to. Anyone who had completed HL2: Episode One achievement "The One Free Bullet" will understand that it is totally possible to survive this way if you alter your playing style.<br />
2:<br />
Firefights become more dynamic if you set areas up correctly. For example, adding raised areas the NPC ally is happy to move to can give a real sense of teamwork and allow for some strategic thinking by the player.<br />
3:<br />
NPC allies are a great way of controlling the flow of play. Adding gates that only the NPC can open will allow you to control when the player can move forward and can solve many gating headaches. This is seen numerous times with Alyx and the Vortigon in Episodes 1 and 2. Often it allows time to pause, deliver some story or some form of reaction to the situation. All of this makes for a more pleasing game experience if used in the right measure.<br />
4:<br />
Buddy characters can also be used to make the player feel special. Alyx in HL2 repeatedly congratulates the player on being awsome as does the Vortigon. In fact, this mechanic is used so much that its a huge slap in the face when you meet Dr Magnusson at White Forest who does nothing but criticise.<br />
Still, FPS gaming can be a lonely experience sometimes and its nice to have someone telling the player they're smart and skillful.<br />
Cons:<br />
1:<br />
From a map design perspective critical allies can be a real headache. The player must never lose them, they have to be able to reach the player through the majority of the map (aside from areas designed to seperate them). Also, they should never be in a place of danger unless the player can help to defend them.<br />
2:<br />
The player can get frustrated waiting for the buddy to catch up.<br />
Ive heard from players who spent the whole of HL2 trying to ditch Alyx. "she's always there again when the next section loads!" one player moaned "I hate her". Buddy gameplay isnt for everyone but you can certainly make it far more bareable by ensuring that when the player completes a loop in the map and they've left the buddy behind somewhere, that the buddy is right there ready and waiting for them to move forward. If the buddy is half a mile away, the player is going to get peeved, trust me.<br />
3:<br />
The buddy can get in the way. Always make sure your walkways etc.. are wide enough for the player and the buddy to move past each other. As anyone whose ever played Counterstrike will tell you, there's nothing more infuriating than someone camped right behind you, so that when you need to back up, you cant move. Death often follows!<br />
Always give the NPC buddy lots of room to move around so that they can make the best of the "get out of the players way" logic they've been programmed with.<br />
4:<br />
They can reduce the challenge of a map. Because NPC allies often have huge health pools it can often make the game much easier. When it comes to combat, dont be afraid to up the numbers of bad guys as the npc buddy will seriously increase the players damage potential. Playtesting should help you find the right balance.<br />
Thoughts on vehicles<br />
Adding drivable vehicles to your map can add great variety to the gameplay but I've found you'll need to consider some things when designing you playing spaces.<br />
Your map areas are probably going to need to be outdoors due to the large spaces required. This means that you'll need to learn how to make displacements and get good at making them. I have found that creating template sections of maps can be very helpful as these can be used to create various layouts which the mapper can then re-arrange at will. You'll need to create a straight, a sloped straight (to go uphill or downhill) and a 90 degree turn, at minimum. A 45 degree turn section can add a bit more variety and realism. Intersperse these template sections with larger areas with more interesting gameplay.<br />
How do you make sure the player doesn't lose the car?<br />
This is a bit of a tricky one. Where a car can go... people can walk... so how do you make sure that the player brings the car with them into a new section of the map where they are going to need it?<br />
How do you make sure they dont end up stranded with no transport?<br />
Well I've come up with several potential solutions...<br />
1: add a jump that only the speeding car can clear<br />
2: add a wall/gate that only the player can break through in the car<br />
3: add an electrified floor<br />
(not very realistic...)<br />
4: add more cars. Add a spare car in each new section of the game.<br />
5: build a route for the player to go back and get the car on foot...<br />
I may employ one or more of these methods in Deep Down... we shall see!</div>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-89024703081512683042012-04-08T20:21:00.002-07:002012-04-11T15:07:13.246-07:00Allowing the player to play... more...<span style="font-family: arial;">Hi...<br /><br />A while back I added a post about some prefabs I had created that I added to my map pack Daylight. They didn't have a huge amount of purpose but were added as oddities that the player could interact with and simply made the player experiences a little more fulfilling (or at least that was my intention).<br /><br />Continuing this theme I think it's really important to make as much as possible in a map, a game for the player. So what do I mean by that?<br /><br />Consider a standard item pickup. You can add an item anywhere in a level and the player simply has to walk over to it in order to obtain it. Not much fun really.<br />Why not add a little challenge? Place the item inside something, behind a pane of glass or a fence or something that requires the player to just go that extra step in order to obtain it.<br /><br />This kind of mini-game challenge is great in an area that has no bad guys in it. The player can take their time and simply enjoy playing with the mini challenge you have set them. These mini puzzles don't have to be complex at all. Just fun...<br /><br />The best examples of these are the weapon cache items in HL2 Episode 2. Each cache had a mini puzzle or challenge associated to it, short, simple and fun.<br /><br />Next time you want to add a pick up, think about how you could make it just a little less simple for them. It will add greater playing time to your map and the player will feel that they received a far more detailed experience.<br /><br />Jim</span>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-44827158880067967882012-04-01T17:24:00.003-07:002012-04-11T15:07:37.033-07:00Half Life 2: Deep Down Playable LevelYou!<br />
<br />
Yes YOU!!!!<br />
<br />
You have come to my blog... and as you have visited I shall give you a free gift.<br />
<br />
An early preview of Half Life 2: Deep Down, a chapter entitled, "Into The Mines...".<br />
<br />
You'll need HL2 Episode 2 installed to play it.<br />
<br />
I hope you enjoy it and I hope it gives you enough reasons to be excited by this project. Personally, I'm having a whale of a time building it...<br />
<br />
Don't forget you can find more dev work over at <a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-2-deep-down">http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-2-deep-down</a><br />
<br />
Here's the link to the <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?mf8u75k2wv47uzn">download</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/488877789846920963/644161CE1A7D34FC6B9A3F31E238ABCD1D6D4729/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/488877789846920963/644161CE1A7D34FC6B9A3F31E238ABCD1D6D4729/" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 720px; width: 1280px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/486626526055649493/F84C41A6E4DB5723730F654DAD13DE27178E2A4B/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/486626526055649493/F84C41A6E4DB5723730F654DAD13DE27178E2A4B/" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 720px; width: 1280px;" /></a>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-86926595239084257442012-04-01T13:14:00.001-07:002012-04-11T15:08:28.697-07:00ModDB makes baby Jesus cry...<div>
I've been trawling through ModDB recently, reading blogs, reviews, concepts and checking out every HL2 mod in the works on that site. There are some stunning examples of truely innovative gameplay and fanstastic maps but there is also a huge abundance of awfulness (as you would expect). For every mod that shows potential there are about five that have nothing going for them at all and even if they ever reached release (which they wont) would be bland as hell.<br />
The ones that really get my blood up though are the mods that have an amazing gameplay demo video on the site, but they have not released any playable content after a huge amount of development time.<br />
The old rule "release early, release often" holds true for games as much as any other software product. Initial betas of counterstrike were playable, but clunky. Still the team knew they had something fun that people wanted to play. Thats all you need! The community stuck with them because it was always fun to play.<br />
Many mod teams have an unhealthy obsession with perfection or that someone will steal their ideas. They should probably realise that if your attepting perfection, you wont reach it and... trust me.. your ideas probably are not that original and it's doubtful there are lots of people out there just waiting to steal your mod content. If you feel your idea is original, its probably not that good. There are very few original good ideas around. You are not going to re-invent gaming as we know it and at the end of the day, its just a feckin computer game.<br />
It's also very unlikely that your amazing mod, when finally released, will get you hired by a games company. Its far more likely that, by releasing actual playable content iteratively and regularly, you'll learn a lot more through player feedback and become a better game maker thus making you far more hireable. You'll also have a much higher profile out there if people are playing your stuff.<br />
A strange confusion around the difference between a story and a game also seems to exist. I've seen so many mod pages or blog posts where people say, "we've almost got the story finished so we can start building soon".<br />
Story means feck all when building games. Its a veneer painted over gameplay to make the whole thing more pallettable. It's a delivery package for gameplay but it should always come secondary to gameplay.<br />
Finally I don't understand why weapon models seem to be the first thing that mod teams focus on. Its almost always the first sneek peek you get of any mod, most of which dont make it. There must be a humungous arsenal of weaponry out there that never saw the light of day...<br />
</div>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-17514846157204720992012-03-28T01:29:00.002-07:002012-04-11T15:08:59.419-07:00Half Life 2:Deep Down<div>
I've been rather quiet recently. Sorry about that. Theres a good reason for it though I swear!<br />
Half Life 2:Deep Down is my new project and its more than well underway. I have one map complete with 3-4 maps to go.<br />
A ModDB page is up here:<a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-2-deep-down"> http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-2-deep-down</a><br />
The Concept<br />
Take what I learnt building Daylight and expand on that to create a full HL2 mini episode. The mod will feature a fully functioning Alyx, a fully functioning Vortigon with custom voice, driving sections and some new NPCs (I hope!).<br />It will also feature locations from Episode 2 such as White Forest base.<br />
Modding for Episode 2 is tough because you have no access to the code base. So anything new must be created via entities in hammer.<br />
For example, I want a new NPC that uses a grav gun to pick up prop_physics entities and throws them at the player. Via code this may be reasonably simple to achieve, by finding entities that act in a similar manner (zombs hit prop physics objects at the player). But through entities, these kinds of behaviors can be very difficult to achieve.<br />
It's always the way with my work, the more I play test, the more the content of my mod grows.<br />
To keep this under control I've given myself a deadline of End Of July 2012 to release.<br />
As a result I need to cull many of the less than great ideas I've had so far.<br />
Anyway, please drop by the Mod DB page and take a look.</div>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-64828125025578946552012-02-14T00:57:00.001-08:002012-02-14T10:13:11.036-08:00What I mean by Gameplay...<div><p>I was having an interesting debate the other day about HL2 mods and gameplay. My friend maintained that when people create maps for HL2 the gameplay was already set out for you (i.e. you have guns and NPCs) so it wasn't necessary for mappers to design their own gamplay.</p>
<p>I disagreed and here's why.</p>
<p>We've all played maps where you run through corridors and rooms and shoot a lot of bad guys. It's the bread and butter of the HL2 game however, if you take a close look at HL2 game these shooting sections are actually quite small and well designed.</p>
<p>The rest of the game is made up of very specific areas of gameplay designed using the elements of HL2 in very different ways.</p>
<p>Here's a simple statement of gameplay:<br>
Shoot all the descending aliens before the reach the bottom of screen. </p>
<p>Thats a fairly simplistic view of space invaders but accurate as the main goal for the player.</p>
<p>Heres another one:<br>
Kill all of the Striders before they reach the White Forest base.</p>
<p>Sound familiar? These two games are 25 years apart yet the core basics of what makes a game don't change. Both require the player to master certain skills, both put the player under increasing pressure, both get more and more manic as the pressure intensifies.</p>
<p>I would argue that in this respect, HL2 is no more complex at a basic level than Space Invaders.</p>
<p>It's this core idea of the game itself that is something often missed by mod makers but without it what do you actually have? I mean if you're attempting to design a mod then surely the first thing you should have in mind is the game itself?</p>
<p>Mod DB shows so many projects with concept art, music, player models, weapon models but if you try and find a simple, clear statement of gameplay, you'll probably come up empty. The content mentioned above may be stunning but it may as well be for a movie or some machinma if the mod team have no idea of what the game they are creating actually is.</p>
<p>Here's a related question...</p>
<p>Why is it 95% of movie related game titles are shit?</p>
<p>They have the artwork, the soundtrack and the story all laid out for them. How could it fail?</p>
<p>The answer is of course that these games are rushed out the door to coincide with the film release and virtually no time is spent developing the gameplay. As a result movie titles are usually at best boring or at worst unplayable (Iron Man on the Wii I will never forgive you).</p>
<p>So next time you begin to plan a map challenge yourself with this question. </p>
<p>Is there a game here outside of opening doors and shooting bad guys?</p>
<p>If the answer is no then I think you owe it to the player to try harder...</p>
</div>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-43327114332355968632012-02-14T00:48:00.001-08:002012-02-14T00:48:19.812-08:00Creating Mapping Toolsets<div><p>I've been working on a new map series recently and retrying some mapping concepts that I started to explore a year or so ago.</p>
<p>The idea I had back then was that it was possible to create a series of map pieces that could be snapped together in any order you wished and rearranged at will. I originally used this idea when building a tunnel driving map. I created straits, turns, downward and upward sloping sections, junctions etc... I added prefabed lights to each section and a cubemap. Then I experimented with map layouts by simply rearranging the pieces depending on how it played.<br>
It's a fantastic way to produce reasonable looking maps quickly and it lends itself to driving sections of games where the detail can be kept low as the player will most likely pass it at high speed.</p>
<p>The idea of prefabricating elements of a map isn't new but I do think it's underused by many mappers preferring to build and tweak as they go.</p>
<p>For me personally, I like to create a playset room for each map section I create. I make walls, floors, ceilings, lights, props etc.. all in one room and then use that as a pallet to fill out my map sections. Its like a style sheet for my map and makes the whole process of creating a playable, reasonable looking map far quicker. In addition, this process also lets me ensure that the little niggles with map details are dealt with early on. For example, if my light models are lower than head height I need to set the model to be non-solid so that the player doesnt get snagged on them when playing. If I were to paste this light all over my map before fixing settings like this, I could have over 100 lights to go fix afterwards. Very time consuming.</p>
<p>The best thing about a playset room is that it allows you to play around with the look and feel of your map without having to recomplile a huge area.</p>
<p>I highly recommend it.</p>
</div>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-9990152381798351992012-01-28T01:00:00.000-08:002012-01-28T01:00:36.471-08:00Magnar Jenssen's mapping process...The stunning work of Magnar Jennssen is legendary in the HL2 custom map community. His Mission Improbable Parts 1 and 2 showed what an individual mapper can achieve with enough experience and inspiration.<br />
<br />
In the linked article over at World Of Level Design he talks us through his mapping process in relation to his Whoopservatory map (a favourite of mine just purely for the wonderful silhouette of the observatory with the crows against the nights sky... sigh...)<br />
<br />
Hope this is helpful...<br />
<br />
Here's the <a href="http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/wold-members-tutorials/magnar_jenssen/single-player-level-design-workflow-magnar-jenssen.php">link</a>.<br />
<br />Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-12473760105479848062012-01-26T10:00:00.000-08:002012-01-26T12:55:37.802-08:00Building Daylight... the VMF's for those that want them!Hi All<br />
<br />
I'm a forward looking guy. I believe in open-source, I believe in sharing what we've learnt.<br />
<br />
So here are the valve map files for each of the four maps that made up my recent mod Daylight.<br />
<br />
Pull them apart, learn what you can, re-use what you like!<br />
<br />
I honestly don't care if I see any of the elements from Daylight showing up in other mods. Please use it all and enjoy it!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?51m4cizqywtej6z">Map 1</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?3ooo4az4onvomus">Map 2</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?r4lc5fz58k4b3ft">Map 3</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?5ppo36ida6ruahr">Map 4</a><span id="formatbar_Buttons" style="display: block;"><span class=" down" id="formatbar_CreateLink" style="display: block;" title="Link"><img alt="Link" border="0" class="gl_link" src="img/blank.gif" /></span></span><br />
Hope you have fun with this.Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-54225595524625514022012-01-10T10:23:00.001-08:002012-01-10T23:46:03.586-08:00Level Design Vid by Daz<div><p><br /><br /></p><p>Daz is a mapper, and a pretty darn good one by the looks of it. In this video he takes us through several iterations of a map he didnt finish explaining the lineage of each section, why he trashed some of it, things he's not happy with etc...<br />Its a really interesting watch if you have an hour to spare.</p><p>Recommended watching!!</p><p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7FZAuWfNNg&context=C30b745aADOEgsToPDskJtrMA0IlT0czW1ONshH4nN">View Video Here!</a></p></div>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-3289418898731142402012-01-10T05:51:00.001-08:002012-01-10T05:51:55.074-08:00Got Mapping Feedback... how do I fix the reported problems???You've issued your map out to your playtesters, they've played through it and attempted to break it in every way they could possibly think of. They may have even been nice enough to record a demo of their progress through the map so you can see exactly what they did.<br /><br />Now you know the problems happening in your map, how on earth do you go about fixing them without having to rip the whole thing up and rebuild.<br /><br />Well there are some fairly effective "sticking plaster" techniques we can use to turn a problem area around.<br /><br />Problem: Player doesn't know where to go<br /><br />Player direction is probably the easiest issue to fix as there are a multitude of directions tools that we can use to help them.<br /><br />1: Light and Sound<br />A repeating sound with assocaited light is a sure fire way to get the players attention to a specific point in the map. Think a sparking wire or blinking lightbulb, a red light with associated siren. As long as the sound is timed correctly with the light the player should go straight for it.<br /><br />Alternatively, remember that players will head towards light and away from darkness so brighten up the direction you wish them to go in.<br /><br />2: Breadcrumbs<br /><br />Place some pick ups along the route you want the player to follow.<br /><br />Sometimes, when you place a barrier in front of the player, if they can't see any indication that there's a playable space on the other side of that barrier, the player can often assume that it's a dead end and that this is not the way forward. It's best to place a pick up (either health or ammo) on the far side of such a barrier so that the player knows they are supposed to continue on in that direction and set themselves to the task of how to move the barrier.<br /><br />3: Lines and arrows and signs<br /><br />In the real world we see player directions all over the place. One way arrows painted on the streets, exit and no entry signs.<br />Make sure you fill your map with these elements whenever possible to keep the player on the correct path.<br /><br />You can also add more subtle direction. If in a sewer one tunnel has many pipes leading into it from different directions, the player will be drawn down that route. The pipes create subtle lines that urge the player in that direction. Think if it like swirling water drawing you down a plughole.<br /><br />4: Railings and low walls<br /><br />Small barriers can be very useful in guiding the player and can be thought of almost like the guides in a pinball machine. Players bounce off these and are slowley guided to their destination.<br /><br />5: Follow that bad guy / good guy<br /><br />A great way of demonstrating the correct path to a player is to have either a good or bad NPC head down it first. The player will naturally follow them.<br /><br />Problem: The player doesn't understand my puzzle<br /><br />This one's a bit more tricky to solve and often depends on how obscure you've made your puzzle.<br />Just remember that the player is playing a mod of a game they probably know quite well. In Half Life 2 for example, the original game set up rules to the world. Make sure you're puzzle fits within these rules first of all. If an object is often not breakable in the original game, don't assume the player will understand that it is breakable in your map.<br /><br />Here's a few ideas for helping the player out to get past your puzzle.<br /><br />1: Demonstrate the solution first<br />Depending on your puzzle, you can always demonstrate the concept first using an NPC. So if you puzzle involves moving between large moving walls you could show an NPC trying it and getting it wrong. This has the added benefit of communicating the danger of the area to the player too.<br /><br />2: Add a hint that triggers after 5 minutes<br />A nice suggestion from my mate Philip.<br />If the player has not progressed after 5 minutes then they are probably reaching the point of quitting the game or noclipping on to the next area. Add some kind of hint to the map that fires at the five minute mark. Try not to use screen text but have some automatic action that occurs in the map to draw the players attention to the key elements they should be paying attention to.<br /><br />3: Draw the players attention to key elements<br />Use some of the elements in the First section of this post (i.e. player doesn't know where to go) to draw the players attention to the important points of the puzzle<br /><br />4: Provide an instructional video or diagram<br />If your puzzle is skill (running / jumping / shooting) based, you can have a lot of fun making an instructional video and then showing it to the player on a screen in the game. Add a cheesy american voiceover for additional fun... or just add an audio announcement instructing the player on what they should be doing. Alternatively, create an instructional diagram and post it on the wall for them look at.<br /><br />5: If all else fails, ditch the puzzle<br />If you've tried all of the above and your playtesters still aren't getting it. Ditch the puzzle. It's not gonna work!<br /><br />Problem: My firefights are over too quickly<br /><br />This is often a problem where the area for the fight is too simply laid out, the player blasts through the enemy NPCs in seconds, as a result people are often tempted to simply add more enemies to add length to the gameplay, often though this is not needed. Here's some ideas that should add some longevity to your firefights.<br /><br />1: Add more walls / geometry to your firefight play area<br />NPC's often operate best when they have a number of paths available to them. Add in columns and walls to break up the playing area and give the NPC's choices to make. They should be come far more interesting to engage for the player.<br /><br />2: Add unbreakable glass windows to solid walls<br />If the player can see the NPC, and the NPC can see the player but they can't shoot each other, you'll find you create a dynamic cat and mouse game where both have to make a decision about which way to go to kill each other.<br /><br />3: Add height and routing possibilities<br />Horizontal firefights are pretty dull. As in Multiplayer maps, always add a higher or lower path that NPC's and players can take to get the advantage over the enemy. Also, try and make sure that no area can be used as a sniper nest. Try and make every corner of the play area accessable from two differt routes.<br /><br />4: Add lots of cover<br />A firefight with no cover is basically just a mexican standoff. The player will be lucky to survive at all. Make sure you add natural cover for both the player and the enemy. Make sure they can move from cover to cover without exposing themselves to enemy fire too much.<br /><br />5: Make your play area a circle<br />Circular firefights are hugely more exciting than those designed in a horizontal fashion. The brilliant thing about a circular play area is that everyone can be flanked from one direction or another. If your heading left they can attack you from the right, etc... have a play with circular arena's and see what I mean.<br /><br />I will continue this subject in a future post...Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-48237675587484370332012-01-10T00:50:00.001-08:002012-01-10T00:50:32.203-08:00Are you being clever... or just annoying the hell out of the player?<div><p>Sometimes a map feature you're in love with turns out to annoy the player like crazy. Playtesting should reveal these of course but I think we can narrow down some things to be avoided where possible.</p>
<p>1. Lighting Issues</p>
<p>Flickering lights, torchlight and strobes should be used sparingly. Never use such lighting where the player has to make precise actions and try and avoid this in combat also. It can become very frustrating for the player.<br>
I recently played through a mod where the extended usage of flickering lights actually made me stop playing. Round every corner was another flickering light, another esparking wire as the only light source. So frustrating. Use these lighting effects sparingly people and always have another low light source in the map so there is some light available.</p>
<p>2. Hideously precise jumping</p>
<p>Unless your designing an FPS remake of an 80s platformer (chukkie egg anyone?), keep your jumping puzzles simple and fun. Make sure each platform is obvious (no jumping on 1 inch wide pipes please) and if youre platforms are moving then playtest and tweak the hell out of it to ensure a good balance between fun and challenge.</p>
<p>3: Fake Doororama</p>
<p>Ever play a map where u spend youre whole time trying fake doors just to find the one that works? ANNOYING!<br>
Fake doors are fine for detailing, just make sure the player understands visually which are fake and which are real. An easy way to do this is to only add door handles to the doors that work.</p>
<p>4. Repeating Noises</p>
<p>A looped sound effect can really drive the player insane. Sirens or alarms are usually the guilty party here. Make sure, if you set off an alarm you either turn it off again once youve made youre point or allow the player to turn it off themselves.<br>
For background noise make sure you use the ambient noise set shipped with the game. Its ambient because it ISNT annoying on a loop...</p>
<p>5: Cluttered Play Areas</p>
<p>Theres nothing worse than attempting to run backwards with an enemy closing in and getting stuck on a random chair, or crate, or barrel that serves no purpose. Cursing the screen as you die once more... oooh the language...</p>
<p>Keep that detail to the edges people! <br>
Keep the main playin areas clear and guide the players movements with railings, low walls etc... to ensure smooth, playable firefights...<br></p>
</div>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-15800496810379139512012-01-07T03:30:00.000-08:002012-01-07T03:59:47.531-08:00Chekhov's Gun TheoryThe theory of Chekhov's Gun is a ruleset used in dramatic writing.<br /><br />There are several rules and you can check out the full explanation <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov%27s_gun">here</a> however there is one element of this theory that is most important to us mappers.<br /><br />Chekhov maintained that if you place a cannon on a stage during a play, the audience will expect that cannon to be fired at some point.<br /><br />The mapper could look at it this way. If you are going to put an object in your map, the player could very well assume that that object has a purpose and be distracted from their main goal.<br /><br />This is at it's most important in puzzle areas. In order for your puzzle to be clear to the player you need to keep things as minimal as possible. Don't add fake buttons or consoles, don't add pointless props to a puzzle area and don't add lots of detail to the walls etc...<br />Such additional detail to a puzzle area will only promote "Use button Spamming" which is the sure fire signature of a puzzle area done poorly. Yep, the moment the player ends up jumping round the walls hammering the "use" key, it's time to go back to the drawing boards.<br /><br />Here's an example:<br />If I were to create a courtyard and place a combine antlion thumper in the middle of it. The player would naturally assume that they were supposed to interact with the thumper (by either turning it on or off). If I had just placed the thumper there to purely add an interesting centrepiece to the courtyard, I've actually just placed a huge distraction to the players attention, which should have been focused elsewhere (say on the jumping puzzle in the far corner).<br /><br />The player will naturally be drawn to items of interest in your map. Make sure that those items of interest are also items of importance.<br /><br />If you want to add items of interest to your map that are not important to the gameplay, make sure you place them in areas where it is obvious the player cannot reach (e.g. behind a fence or on a high ledge etc...).<br /><br />In my map pack "Daylight" I added an explosive barrel hanging from a cuttable rope in the first area. It was presented there as a sort of play thing for the players to begin to understand the new gameplay feature of cuttable ropes. Unfortunately some players really didn't understand it's purpose and thought they had to obtain the gas tank in order to progress to the next area.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkfTFLAetBZRvag48-OQ6ksppIpFTC29rQatAnkvNUck4BcamSWmSIttUU4WHS6JHCYfGBJ_3QrpFJY2A2jVCQbZS3WYM1cRgJFsyYK0RYYyyTzC2RoMM9c31Dq86fIbmrmGFFCTqiIM/"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 512px; height: 384px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkfTFLAetBZRvag48-OQ6ksppIpFTC29rQatAnkvNUck4BcamSWmSIttUU4WHS6JHCYfGBJ_3QrpFJY2A2jVCQbZS3WYM1cRgJFsyYK0RYYyyTzC2RoMM9c31Dq86fIbmrmGFFCTqiIM/" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is a classic case of Chekov's Gun Theory. The player assigns importance to objects that have been placed in the map whose purpose is unclear.<br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-66206823063901684092012-01-01T03:28:00.000-08:002012-01-01T03:29:29.280-08:00A "Let's Play!" of Daylight...<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Mfdqj5SnLpc" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-522877687346105652011-12-24T01:41:00.000-08:002011-12-24T02:16:43.427-08:00No Feedback better than bad feedback!In response to the release of Daylight I've had lots of comments... mostly positive however there was one player who didn't like the mod. The natural reaction is to reject such negative feedback and focus on the positive. I sulked for a little while after receiving a Think Twice rating from this guy but now it's time to really look at his comments and consider what is driving his point of view.<br /><br />Here's the post in full:<br /><br />------------------------<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">After all that praise I was shocked when faced actual game.</span><br /><p style="font-style: italic;"> You can tell me whatever you want but this is my opinion.</p><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><p style="font-style: italic;">This is a collection of bad gameplay choices! You can clearly say – environment was build around puzzles, not puzzles were made to fit into environment. Result: we are in abstract levels (never had a feeling of real place while playing) doing far-fetched puzzles. If I was their beta-tester I would say them to change A LOT of details. Because for very first playthrough they just too… unobvious at all to say the least.<br />I don’t know where to start… I was stuck at SECOND puzzle like for 10 minutes. So we have: ladder and gas canister on the rope. The rope is too short. So what we gonna do?.. I even tried throwing garbage cans to cut the rope until ACCIDENTALLY at some dark place… God, I wanted to kick something!<br />This gap at strider part MUST be removed. The strider alone is enough! Besides it looks absolutely illogical and out of place.<br />After climbing up at train part I faced the fence. Why is it where? Is that really that necessary? By that moment I already knew the rules (environment build around puzzles) so it took only a couple seconds but anyway.<br />The ‘getting shotgun’ part. Whaaat? No, it can’t be… All HL experience is asking me not to do it. It tells me I’m gonna die at the bottom of this pit. But I already know the rules (environment build around puzzles), so let’s try this anyway. Oh, look, it worked! Never gonna try it in any other mod though.<br />Big zombie fight. I see something’s coming here. Hm-m wide areas, wide ladders. Hunters? Oh no, not the fast zombies again!!!<br />Big fans. Oh, barnacles is not bothered at all. Duh!</p><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><p style="font-style: italic;">I can continue my ranting but this is pointless. As far as R&D feels real this mod feels like a training for mapper. If you’re mapper you don’t have any problems playing through your maps because you know all the tricks. But please, try to watch them from the player side! </p>---------------------<br /><br />OK. So lets break it down and really focus on the messages here.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This is a collection of bad gameplay choices! You can clearly say – environment was build around puzzles, not puzzles were made to fit into environment. Result: we are in abstract levels (never had a feeling of real place while playing) doing far-fetched puzzles. If I was their beta-tester I would say them to change A LOT of details. Because for very first playthrough they just too… unobvious at all to say the least.</span><br /><br />So I take several points from this.<br /><br />1: I didn't do enough of a good job disguising the fact that the puzzles were part of a "Real" world.<br />2: I didn't do enough work to sell the environment to them<br />3: The puzzles were too abstract and unobvious for them<br /><br />And I honestly believe that every environment build in a professional game is built that way to service the game play, then disguised to look like a reality. I simply have not done as much work as I could have, disguising the game environment (i.e detailing).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I don’t know where to start… I was stuck at SECOND puzzle like for 10 minutes. So we have: ladder and gas canister on the rope. The rope is too short. So what we gonna do?.. I even tried throwing garbage cans to cut the rope until ACCIDENTALLY at some dark place… God, I wanted to kick something!</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.planetphillip.com/media/2011/dec-11/1024-daylight-02.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 1024px; height: 576px;" src="http://www.planetphillip.com/media/2011/dec-11/1024-daylight-02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I had a feeling that, given that this puzzle was a training exercise, the sawblades should have been front and center. So lesson learned for me. Make sure, when doing player training, everything is laid out nicely for them. Once the new gameplay idea has been established you can be a little more sneaky.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This gap at strider part MUST be removed. The strider alone is enough! Besides it looks absolutely illogical and out of place.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.planetphillip.com/media/2011/dec-11/1024-daylight-14.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 1024px; height: 576px;" src="http://www.planetphillip.com/media/2011/dec-11/1024-daylight-14.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />With a little more detailing the gap would have looked perfectly reasonable but I do agree that as it stands is looks very basic and doesn't sell itself very well. As to the gameplay element that the gap creates, I think that's really down to personal playing style (I get the feeling he struggled with this section).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">After climbing up at train part I faced the fence. Why is it where? Is that really that necessary? By that moment I already knew the rules (environment build around puzzles) so it took only a couple seconds but anyway.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.planetphillip.com/media/2011/dec-11/1024-daylight-06.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 1024px; height: 576px;" src="http://www.planetphillip.com/media/2011/dec-11/1024-daylight-06.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The fence is there to separate peoples houses balconies from the train line facilities. I thought that would be a little more realistic than having peoples houses accessing an industrial area... so much for real...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The ‘getting shotgun’ part. Whaaat? No, it can’t be… All HL experience is asking me not to do it. It tells me I’m gonna die at the bottom of this pit. But I already know the rules (environment build around puzzles), so let’s try this anyway. Oh, look, it worked! Never gonna try it in any other mod though.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.planetphillip.com/media/2011/dec-11/1024-daylight-18.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 1024px; height: 576px;" src="http://www.planetphillip.com/media/2011/dec-11/1024-daylight-18.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here, once again, he's correct. I changed the rules of the HL world. For the cable cutting gameplay thing, I trained the player early, for this element though I did not. I simply gave the player no where else to go. Most players, once they had made the jump, really enjoyed the sense of achievement and the action hero feel it gave them. Hey ho.. once again, each to their own style of play.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Big zombie fight. I see something’s coming here. Hm-m wide areas, wide ladders. Hunters? Oh no, not the fast zombies again!!!<br /><br /></span>There are only two areas with Fast Zombies and their both in the same area so I think it's justified. The playing areas are very different also. Clearly he doesn't like fast zombies...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Big fans. Oh, barnacles is not bothered at all. Duh!</span><br /><br />Its true, the barnacles in the game are not affected by the trigger_push entity. I wanted them to all be blowing about in the wind but short of re-coding the game, there wasn't much I could do. Still the demand here is for reality and I failed to deliver...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I can continue my ranting but this is pointless. As far as R&D feels real this mod feels like a training for mapper. If you’re mapper you don’t have any problems playing through your maps because you know all the tricks. But please, try to watch them from the player side! </span><br /><br />It's interesting that he sites Research And Development. If you haven't played it, go check it out right now. It's the best mod for HL2 ever made in my opinion. The structure is similar to Daylight, in that you face puzzle after puzzle. R&D however is detailed and polished to within an inch of it's life and as a result, sells the world far better than my mod ever could.<br />The quality of R&D is certainly something I aspire to but it's very interesting that when players like the commentator above say "REAL" what they mean is, DETAIL.<br /><br />The HL2 world is no more REAL than the Star Wars universe. Sure it shares common elements with our reality but on a whole it's a million light years away from the real world.<br /><br />All in all he has picked up on some important failings on my part and lost of things to learn here.<br /><br />Think he could have been a little nicer about it though...<br /><br />:PAazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-70024816077242764832011-12-19T16:30:00.000-08:002011-12-20T06:23:20.678-08:00Me got interviewed!Phillip, of Planet Phillip very kindly asked to interview me about Daylight and this blog!<br /><a href="http://www.planetphillip.com/posts/audio-interview-with-jim-partridge/"><br />http://www.planetphillip.com/posts/audio-interview-with-jim-partridge/</a><br /><br />We had a great chat and talk through the mapping process and how the mod came about.<br /><br />Hope you like this...Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-734736235578745973.post-50158953602960481792011-12-17T01:13:00.001-08:002011-12-17T01:24:58.973-08:00Daylight - Finally released on PlanetPhillip.comHi Everyone<br /><br />I've now convinced Philip over at <a href="http://www.planetphillip.com">Planetphillip.com</a> to allow me to release my mod "Daylight".<br /><br />I say allow me to because the man craves perfection and I have to thank him for pushing me to tidy up quite a few areas of the map before release.<br /><br />There comes a time in every project when you feel you're done with it. You want to move on and try something new. In this case however I felt that I needed a big finale. A fifth map but due to mappers block I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I have no idea why that is.<br /><br />In the new year I'll begin a new project but next time I won't start building until I know the exact layout and how it will all be integrated. Thus saving myself countless hours of staring at the hammer editor at a half finished map hoping for some inspiration.<br /><br />Stupid Aazell...<br /><br />Am looking forward to a new challenge though. Hope you enjoy the full mod. Here's the link:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.planetphillip.com/posts/daylight-half-life-2-ep2/">http://www.planetphillip.com/posts/daylight-half-life-2-ep2/</a>Aazellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06688561854954353025noreply@blogger.com0