Tremulous Forum

Media => Map Releases => Topic started by: chompers on July 17, 2006, 06:23:23 pm

Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 17, 2006, 06:23:23 pm
Beta 2 is here:

http://www.evilbastard.org/slight/map-UTCSb2.pk3


What does UTCS stand for?
Unreal Tournament Counter Strike?
Ultra Tactical Combat Simulator?
Underground Tyrant Camping Scenario?
Who can know for sure?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: zeta on July 17, 2006, 06:53:00 pm
looks great but wrong place to post

i might give it a try

and could a admin plz move this to maps forum?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: vcxzet on July 17, 2006, 06:54:22 pm
reminds me of some q3 map
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 17, 2006, 07:44:55 pm
Quote from: "zeta"
and could a admin plz move this to maps forum?


There's a "maps" forum? I thought there was only a "mapping" forum, for.. you know, questions.. about mapping.. and stuff.

I have only one question, and that is "did you play my map yet?"
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: zeta on July 17, 2006, 08:05:40 pm
umm no lol im workin on my map right now

but ya use the maping forum for posting the maps and stuff too

thats what everyone does, the forum is not just for questions xD


i will try it once i get the floor lay out done with my map
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: zeta on July 17, 2006, 08:53:56 pm
Review 7/10, personaly i think 8/10 but comunity would prlly do 7 xD

reason i gave it that is because it is symetrical

now the comunity HATES symetrical, for some dumb "artistic" reason

i dont mind it, but i love ure style, this map reminds me of a map from a game i cant remember but i enjoyed it, and i cant sya much for the gameplay cuz well u know theres no one to play with at the moment.


dont excpect this to get on SST, because of its size, but at my next lan party i will deffinatly try this xD

great work, one question how long it take u to make???
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Paradox on July 17, 2006, 08:56:51 pm
Ill put it in the sst vote folder.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: zeta on July 17, 2006, 09:01:43 pm
that map would be insane with 30 people lol
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 17, 2006, 10:55:52 pm
Quote from: "zeta"
looks great but wrong place to post


This is exactly the right place to post a map release as the release is intended for a broader audience and not just the mapping forum geeks.

BTW, Paradox already posted some news about the map on tremulous.info (http://www.tremulous.info). I just added some download mirrors and put it into cycle on #db@ Derelict.

Danny
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: zeta on July 17, 2006, 11:01:43 pm
sweet i hope to try it out with peeps soon, looks fun

not alot of places to bring ure base tho
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 17, 2006, 11:10:19 pm
Cheers mate, you guys at tremulous.info are always so up to date, I could stop reading these forums! =)

zeta, it's a very simple map, and it didn't change at all from the original sketch, so it took less than 2 days. Most of the second day was playing around with lighting options.

Edit: what is the max ping on derelict? I can see it being played right now, but I cant get in, coming from Australia my ping is ~350.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: zeta on July 17, 2006, 11:25:06 pm
Quote from: "chompers"

zeta, it's a very simple map, and it didn't change at all from the original sketch, so it took less than 2 days. Most of the second day was playing around with lighting options.


xD, when i made a map that took me 2 days the whole comunity was like this suks, but i am guessing this isnt ure first map, and if it is GOD DAMN!
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 17, 2006, 11:46:52 pm
I like the basic layout, gameplay should be quite similar to atcs. I just see a bigger problem for games with more than 10 players as the alien base is not very defensible.
You can always put a human base in a tight corner so it is okay for humans but 3 entries into an alien base is a horror to defend on a map with no spots to hide your eggs. Maybe adding a defensible hallway or room can solve this.

Starting bases are quite unbalanced either. Humans start with a whole array of turrets and aliens just have an overmind and one egg. Maybe a barricade and a few tubes should do.

Apart from this: Great job for 2 days' work!

Danny
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 18, 2006, 12:34:20 am
Hey thanks for the feedback.

Humans start with 2 spawns, 4 turrets, medi and armory. Aliens start with 2 spawns and 4 tubes. I could put a couple extra tubes down, I suppose, or maybe you had a deconner??

One thing in the aliens favor is the 'shortcut down' exit shouldn't need defending until humans have jetpacks. I agree there is no *great* spots for bases on either team, but just about anywhere will do. That was by intent though, it's designed for 3 vs 3, so I didn't want any unbreakable base locations. Also, being so small, if you tuck a reactor / OM up in the first corner of the top loop, you can put turrets / trappers almost halfway across the center room.

Gameplay should be more like S3 on uncreation where both teams have moved out of the default dead ends and into the loops. It has the same figure 8 layout with the 2 loops off a central area, except the center room in nano is large enough that noone should be able to make an unbreakable base in it. Plus the halls are wide enough to prevent those tyrant traffic jams you get in uncreation.

I saw 7 people playing on derelict but couldnt join cause of my ping, how did it play? humans win?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Norfenstein on July 18, 2006, 12:37:03 am
Megabite summed up my first impressions (probably fun, probably human friendly). The texturing is REALLY bland too, but that's not a big deal.

Found a HoM:
(http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/8149/shot0000vg8.th.jpg) (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shot0000vg8.jpg)
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 18, 2006, 01:18:45 am
How the hell...

OK, it's definitely a beta version now, I'll have to fix that.

edit: fixed now, in nano2. :/
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: KorJax on July 18, 2006, 01:30:50 am
Nice, ill try this out.  Ive always wanted a kind of "ACTS 2" map  :D
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: kozak6 on July 18, 2006, 02:37:12 am
I'd try it if I hadn't accidently broken Tremulous.  :x
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Lava Croft on July 18, 2006, 10:11:51 am
Quote from: "KorJax"
Nice, ill try this out.  Ive always wanted a kind of "ACTS 2" map  :D


Be prepared for a whole lot more Opposing Forts-ish maps ;-)
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: zeta on July 18, 2006, 04:22:26 pm
lol im kinda workin on one right now, but with more places to move base xD
Title: Small Maps
Post by: garoth on July 18, 2006, 06:05:12 pm
I always liked small maps with lots of small areas where you can stuff things. UT is good for simple and small maps.

Good work with Nano, even though that word is used everywhere from ipods to text editors.
Title: Re: Small Maps
Post by: gareth on July 18, 2006, 08:24:11 pm
Quote from: "garoth"
I always liked small maps with lots of small areas where you can stuff things. UT is good for simple and small maps.

Good work with Nano, even though that word is used everywhere from ipods to text editors.


GET LOST you evil spammer-bot, and quit using a name that looks similar to my own.

The Map:

I have only played it once, and the impression i got was that it could be a fun map, althought the alien base is maybe too open. I am still unsure as toi if I like it r not. Also there are some strange articfacts on the ceilings around the lights.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 19, 2006, 06:35:32 am
Well, I have made some changes today to this map. Added locations and better details and texturing, but the big change is that there is now a couple of small bunkers off the center room where either team can build a very good base.

The bunker doors are locked by stage 2 and stage 3 doors, but it works sortof opposite to the way uncreation does it.

Human stage 2 opens the bunker door nearest the alien base.
Human stage 3 opens the second entrance to the human bunker.

Like this:
(http://www.evilbastard.org/slight/trem-ss-4doors.jpg)

Inside the bunkers is very defendable, only 1 door until you're s3.
(http://www.evilbastard.org/slight/trem-ss-bunker.jpg)

Funny that people say it is like ATCS, the working title for it was 'ATCS2' and yea, I agree the name "nano" is pretty overdone. Maybe I will call the final U.T.C.S. - the Underground Tactical Combat Simulator.

Heh, "UTCS" - in the Quake 3 engine, yup I like the sound of that.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Teiman on July 19, 2006, 11:17:07 am
Quote from: "Lava Croft"
Quote from: "KorJax"
Nice, ill try this out.  Ive always wanted a kind of "ACTS 2" map  :D


Be prepared for a whole lot more Opposing Forts-ish maps ;-)


Next: 2forts, and next-next will be 2forts2 :D
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 21, 2006, 02:46:08 am
Bumping for updated version.

After a couple more days tweaking textures, details and gameplay, It's just about ready to go. It's now called "UTCS" and this is beta 1

http://www.evilbastard.org/slight/trem-utcsb1.zip

Vastly improved over nano, I think. The layout is still symmetrical, but the bases aren't, both sides can build much stronger bases, humans now have a small tyrant proof section and the alien base particularly is much more trappable, with places to hide eggs.

Together with the stage 2 bunkers, it's a lot more alien friendly.

If you want to open the stage 2/3 doors in devmap, "g_alienStage 2" doesn't open them, use the console command "g_alienStage2Threshhold 0" instead.

I'm very happy with how it turned out, but please have a look and tell me what you think.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: vcxzet on July 21, 2006, 09:44:27 am
to mods: please move this topic to mapping section
it will die in the general discussion
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: 0z on July 21, 2006, 10:00:54 am
Quote from: "vcxzet"
to mods: please move this topic to mapping section
it will die in the general discussion

It won't die if we post a reply frequently
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: vcxzet on July 21, 2006, 10:10:27 am
Quote from: "0z"
Quote from: "vcxzet"
to mods: please move this topic to mapping section
it will die in the general discussion

It won't die if we post a reply frequently

spam yay!
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 21, 2006, 10:14:09 am
Nobody but the mapping geeks looks at the mapping forums... so why should anybody post a map release there?
A release is intended for all readers, so the general forum is the perfectly right place for it.

Danny
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: gareth on July 21, 2006, 10:44:50 am
The pk3 is packaged wrongly. Otherwise it looks like it will play much better, IMO I would like it to have more colour tho, maybe make the coloured lighting for each base less sutble in parts.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 21, 2006, 01:10:18 pm
I got a fixed version of the pk3 up on tremulous.info

Danny
Title: Re: Small Maps
Post by: Lava Croft on July 21, 2006, 01:19:06 pm
Quote from: "gareth"
GET LOST you evil spammer-bot, and quit using a name that looks similar to my own.


Why don't both of you bitches take a nick that looks less like the name of masterthief Garett.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: gareth on July 21, 2006, 03:21:52 pm
I just played it, it was more balanced than before, I think it could do with some hint brushes tho.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 21, 2006, 05:49:12 pm
Oops!
yea I unpacked the files, changed filenames and rezipped the folder just before uploading, forgot to doublecheck the contents first, thanks Gareth and Danny for sorting that out.

Anyway, there's a final version now. The bunker areas are a bit better for hiding an overmind. I'll hold off releasing the final until I get some more feedback on the current beta though, just in case I missed something else, or someone has a good suggestion.

gareth: I just checked r_speeds, the tris never go over 3000 or so (unless you count buildable models) vis takes under 30 seconds on it, and the layout is SO vis friendly that in the first version I was getting HoM sneaking into the middle of the map.

So, I think maybe what you call hint brushes might not be the same as what I call hint brushes, which as I understand it, are 'fake' brushes to help vis do it's job.

Why exactly do you think it needs hint brushes?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Lava Croft on July 22, 2006, 03:46:28 pm
Quote from: "[db@
Megabite"]Nobody but the mapping geeks looks at the mapping forums... so why should anybody post a map release there?
A release is intended for all readers, so the general forum is the perfectly right place for it.

Danny


Nonsense:P
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: SLAVE|Mietz on July 22, 2006, 04:05:06 pm
Quote from: "Lava Croft"
Quote from: "[db@
Megabite"]Nobody but the mapping geeks looks at the mapping forums... so why should anybody post a map release there?
A release is intended for all readers, so the general forum is the perfectly right place for it.

Danny


Nonsense:P


LIES :P
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 22, 2006, 06:03:42 pm
Quote from: "Lava Croft"
Nonsense:P


Stop griefing on this forum thread! ;)

Danny
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 22, 2006, 07:04:31 pm
I dont mind the thread 'griefing' so much. Sure there is little usefull feedback, but at least they're keeping it on the front page where it is more likely to get some usefull feedback from someone else.

edit: and as I post this it gets moved to mapping forum, oh well.

After a few games on it (still only with small numbers) it seems pretty balanced, and also seems like it could probably handle a full 16 player match OK, though it would be hectic. Like ATCS, the game can be over very quickly for aliens if the humans are aggressive, but that will always be the case on small maps.

There's a temporary test server up now, running just UTCSb1, but it's in Australia, so your ping will probably be bad.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 25, 2006, 12:14:54 am
Bumping thread for beta 2 release, not that anyone will see it in here. ;)

Only a few changes from beta one: some minor texture fixes, bunker areas slightly expanded, fixed a weird bug with odd clipping around some of the crates, and added one rather special little shader.

Anyway, here's the file:
http://www.evilbastard.org/slight/map-UTCSb2.pk3

It's only called "beta 2" because it's not thoroughly tested - I really doubt there'll be any changes after this - it's finished unless someone finds a problem.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 25, 2006, 12:33:09 am
Got some download-mirrors up at http://www.tremulous.info/index.php?module=download&action=show&id=14

The Tremulous Brazil one should be working sometime later today, the other three mirrors are up.

One thing you should add to your map package: All used textures, shaders, sounds, models. It is not granted that existing maps and their resources will live on in future releases of Tremulous. So one dev told me to always package all needed resources with a map! It is a bit of work and makes the download bigger, but grants a long and prosper life to your map... ;)

Danny
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 25, 2006, 01:11:11 am
Thanks again Danny, I tested the pk3 was working before uploading this time around too.

On adding textures to the pk3.. it uses every texture and almost every shader in the ATCS set, plus some bloodstains from transit.

I figured adding atcs.shader or texures/atcs/ to my pk3 was very much the wrong thing to do. But you have made me curious now, are ATCS or transit likely to have their media resources revised in future releases?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Catalyc on July 25, 2006, 01:19:17 am
basically you make a new utcs.shader, and copy every used shader/texture there, then in the .map you can use find/replace in a text editor to change all atcs and transit texture/shader paths to utcs.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Thorn on July 25, 2006, 01:21:22 am
Ok , can i decompile ur map to see how u done those blood stains?

Loving the map by the way. It ROX
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 25, 2006, 01:33:35 am
The bloodstains are just patches or brushes at the same level as the floor / wall they cover. All the hard work (depthWrite, or offset, or whatever it is that makes it work) was done by Stannum in the transit shaders.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Thorn on July 25, 2006, 01:34:54 am
ah so i dont haev to decompile maps . Thx dude
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Thorn on July 25, 2006, 01:40:18 am
erm dude
(http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3258/shot0254qb1.jpg)
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 25, 2006, 08:41:47 am
What is that?

 Did you make a map with same textures and it didnt work?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Thorn on July 25, 2006, 02:41:21 pm
Quote from: "chompers"
What is that?

 Did you make a map with same textures and it didnt work?


WOOT?!??? all i done was made a map with ATCS texture (i love atcs textures} went into transit , took a blood stain and applied it to a patch in the floor.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 25, 2006, 02:54:39 pm
Most likely you use a layer texture of the bloodstain shader and not the shader itself. Check if the used "texture" has a white line around it in the texture browser.

The "ATCS-textures" are part of the eq2 textureset by evillar. You can download the whole set here: http://www.evillair.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=51

There are more "ATCS-style" textures in it than even ATCS has... ;)

Danny
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Thorn on July 25, 2006, 02:57:25 pm
Quote from: "[db@
Megabite"]Most likely you use a layer texture of the bloodstain shader and not the shader itself. Check if the used "texture" has a white line around it in the texture browser.

The "ATCS-textures" are part of the eq2 textureset by evillar. You can download the whole set here: http://www.evillair.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=51

There are more "ATCS-style" textures in it than even ATCS has... ;)

Danny


If most of the picture is white, how the hell can i tell if it has a White line around it. Oh silliy me. i knows other way. Sry to hijack ur Thread.

I've noticed now that humans tend to camp less in this beta.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Thorn on July 25, 2006, 03:05:03 pm
The thing is , if i Shift+Select the shader it tells me "Could not get full path to Transit/shader" is dat why? yes i know im incredibly stupid at mapping . and i should make a new topic intead of hijacking Chompers.


I love this UTCS , its perfect for me to sit back with a cuppa coffee in ma hand with a mass driver in the other hand blowing some lil dretches to  MARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 25, 2006, 03:49:59 pm
Ah HA! I thought the textures looked familiar.

Thanks for the link, I will have to re-texture the whole map now! ;)

Glad you like it Thorn, I've had some fun games on it now too. So, if you're camping as human a lot, have you found the easter egg in the human base yet?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 25, 2006, 05:39:13 pm
You won't have to retexture it by hand. Open the .map file with a decent text editor and use some autoreplace function to replace atcs/ with eq2/ or whatever. The filenames are identical, you just have to change directory names.

Did it that way with derelictb... ;)

Danny
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: vcxzet on July 25, 2006, 07:42:31 pm
Quote from: "[db@
Megabite"]You won't have to retexture it by hand. Open the .map file with a decent text editor and use some autoreplace function to replace atcs/ with eq2/ or whatever. The filenames are identical, you just have to change directory names.

Did it that way with derelictb... ;)

Danny

qtk radiant have this feature IIRC
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 25, 2006, 08:31:57 pm
Yea, I am pretty familiar with editing .map files already, even wrote some programs to generate them back before GenSurf existed. But with all those extra textures, I'll have to add a few new ones manually in Radiant.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: vcxzet on July 25, 2006, 09:04:47 pm
interesting railings
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Thorn on July 26, 2006, 01:10:05 am
Quote from: "vcxzet"
interesting railings


yeah i agree That new chrome texture in human base is cool.
so is that the last beta version?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 26, 2006, 10:35:15 am
Yea its the last beta, but the final will have the textures in it's own folder like mega suggested, and will probably use some extra textures from evillair's eq2 set.
Title: Re: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Teiman on July 26, 2006, 01:35:42 pm
Quote from: "chompers"

What does UTCS stand for?
Unreal Tournament Counter Strike?
Ultra Tactical Combat Simulator?
Underground Tyrant Camping Scenario?
Who can know for sure?


ACTS = Advanced Combat Training System
UCTS = U???? Combat Training System

???? = something, maybe:

Ultimate, Uber, Ultra, pI  (nano with the greek letter), etc.
Title: Re: UTCS beta 2
Post by: vcxzet on July 26, 2006, 03:54:04 pm
Quote from: "Teiman"
Quote from: "chompers"

What does UTCS stand for?
Unreal Tournament Counter Strike?
Ultra Tactical Combat Simulator?
Underground Tyrant Camping Scenario?
Who can know for sure?


ACTS = Advanced Combat Training System
UCTS = U???? Combat Training System

???? = something, maybe:

Ultimate, Uber, Ultra, pI  (nano with the greek letter), etc.

what about  "UTCS Tactical Combat Simulator"?
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: [db@]Megabite on July 26, 2006, 03:56:44 pm
ATCS  -> Advanced Tactical Combat Simulator
UTCS  -> Underground Tactical Combat Simulator

Danny
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: chompers on July 26, 2006, 04:49:51 pm
I'm quite partial to 'Utterly Tedious Camper Situation'

I'll leave it undefined, as an exercise for the player to figure out.
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Chojin on September 10, 2006, 03:02:28 pm
Thanks for your work, Chompers ! I like UTCSb2 a lot !

I put it in the default maprotation of the Aliens' Wrath server :)

P.S.: Took me a while to figure out why the boxes in the Alien base had no texture, since I had karith.pk3 removed from the server (Thanks to Pimper).
Title: UTCS beta 2
Post by: Lava Croft on September 10, 2006, 05:42:28 pm
Quote from: "Chojin"
P.S.: Took me a while to figure out why the boxes in the Alien base had no texture, since I had karith.pk3 removed from the server .

If people will just learn to make their maps independent from any other map(s) or assets, things like this will belong to the past.