[WIP]cs_mansion *Teaser*

[Dasparov]

i was flicking through PC Gamer (UK) the other day and they had a top 5 user created maps and cs_mansion was there - is this it???

If so, congrats...

I doubt it, this hasnt been released yet

 

[sabre0001]

i see - well, sorry to mention then cos you have stiff opposition...

 

[Uni-Ball]

I think he should rename his map and change a little, because personally the original layout of cs_estate/cs_mansion (yes i know they are the exact same thing) is terrible for cts. So maybe if he changed it so there are more entrances.
A good idea for the map name cs_suburbs, cs_housearrest, cs_mansion2

Or maybe you could show up some chumps

 

[Dasparov]

or just cs_estate..

 

[navyseal2004]

This map is cs_mansion. cs_estate was a remake of cs_mansion which was considerably larger. I'll probably name this cs_mansion_source. Oh and Dasparov, could I have a screenshot of that mansion in PC Gamer, if possible

 

[Uni-Ball]

sorry...=(. Anyways the map looks awesome and keep up the good work

 

[navyseal2004]

If you guys could give me your opinion, do you think that the floor in the mansion looks fine at the moment? Or do you think I should change it to the office carpet floor? (The blue one)

 

[azz0r]

Id prefer carpet.

 

[blinking halo]

personally i like the tiles.. but hey its your call. btw could u delay the beta test till a week from now? because ill be away for a week but id love to be in on that since im in singapore anyway plus i have a clan server (Fragnetics SCV server) which i could get to host your map good luck with it, its still looking great and i cant wait to play

 

[navyseal2004]

personally i like the tiles.. but hey its your call. btw could u delay the beta test till a week from now? because ill be away for a week

Oh take your time, the map won't be done till maybe the 2nd week of Febuary.

 

[Kozak]

One comment: Your ceilings look a little bit empty. I would suggest that you make some height differents and some strips where the wall crosses the ceiling.

 

[navyseal2004]

Progress Update :

 

[sabre0001]

small details - the table is dwarfing other things in the room (same size as counter top) and the roof is a little odd...

 

[Crispy]

The way the wondows eat into the wooden panelling isn't too pretty and also very unauthentic. Trim those badboys!

 

[Goo3y]

Dude really this map is looking totally amazing. I Cant comment on improving it cos im a noob to mapping. But i can tell a Good map from a Crap one, and can say this is looking damn awsome. Keep up the work. Cant wait for you to release this map.

 

[navyseal2004]

The way the wondows eat into the wooden panelling isn't too pretty and also very unauthentic. Trim those badboys!

Er, I don't get what you mean. But anyhow, the windows do have grills.

 

[Jonsi]

Er, I don't get what you mean. But anyhow, the windows do have grills.

I think he's talking about how the windows cut into the wood-panel part of the wall texture on the far wall. It does stick out a little to me since I typically don't see things cut into wood panels. At least not without some sort of transition paneling or frame. Probably just a quirk though. Home Depot rocks!

 

[Crispy]

The wood panelling around the lower half of the wall suddenly has two windows thrown in without proper trim textures/brushes to edge them.

I was saying that this is unlikely to happen irl (unless some DIY-freak was let loose upon the "mansion"), so it would be a good idea to add a frame for the windows (also known as a transition texture/brush) for both authenticity and for the purpose of making the change from wood panel to window a bit easier on the eye.

[Edit:] Yep, someone beat me to it...

 

[navyseal2004]

Oh, I get it. Thanks for the tip, I'll work on that once I'm done with the map structurally.

 

[navyseal2004]

Progress Update :

 

[DjBourgeoisie]

the props in this last picture dont look right, they are really out of place. That carpet that is sloped has to go.

 

[Crispy]

I have to agree. The first thing I saw was the carpet, which needs to fit the steps. But really even if it does fit the steps it doesn't fit the room. It needs to be in line with the doorway that goes to the bathroom.

Also the pot plants need to be centred in their wall sections, at the moment someone would knock them over irl.

The filing cabinets (I even spotted one in the corridor!?) look pretty out of place. I'm not sure what room this shot is of, but a room full of filing cabinets that leads to a bathroom is pretty odd interior design imo.

Also try and make the furniture match. You won't find many places where an 'antique' wooden set of drawers complete with 'antique' urn shares its room with generic metal filing cabinets.

Give each room a theme, making sure that it makes sense in terms of its neighbouring rooms, and stick to it. Mixing styles tends to detract a lot from the overal visual balance and quality of a map.

 

[LXS]

Hmmmm, either the cieling's too low or everything's too big...

 

[COALslaw]

looks perfectly to scale to me.

 

[Dead-Inside]

Hmmmm, either the cieling's too low or everything's too big...

It's the doorway that's setting you off, he never bothered to put a top-frame on it. When was the last time you saw a doorway reach up to the cealing? That's right, never. It isn't done.

 

[DjBourgeoisie]

It's the doorway that's setting you off, he never bothered to put a top-frame on it. When was the last time you saw a doorway reach up to the cealing? That's right, never. It isn't done.

Actually, I think the ceiling IS too low. Heres a pic from my map with the plants in them, and look at the height. The textures in my map are scaled properly at .25 and fit the wall exactly as they should, meaning they cover the entire wall as one vertically. http://img130.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img130&image=decourthouse00194bq.jpg The plants in his pic look dwarfed because his ceilings are too low.

 

[Limpet]

Isn't the height 128 units if the scaling is at .25?

 

[navyseal2004]

The ceiling was made low to give it the cosy feel...

 

[LXS]

It's the doorway that's setting you off, he never bothered to put a top-frame on it. When was the last time you saw a doorway reach up to the cealing? That's right, never. It isn't done.

Nah, i think its the size of the props that is putting me off - you just dont see filing cabinets that big in real life

 

[LXS]

The ceiling was made low to give it the cosy feel...

That's cool - just think you might need to compensate for that somehow - its a little offputting on the eye...

 

[navyseal2004]

Nah, i think its the size of the props that is putting me off - you just dont see filing cabinets that big in real life

I can do nothing about that

And of course I'll add some more details if I can to the ceilings later on. I'm focusing on the layout now at the moment.

 

[navyseal2004]

Updated Screenshot :

 

[Crispy]

Vast improvement. Only 3 things bugging me about it now.

- The light fixtures are just slightly odd, but probably not noticeable as looking out of place in-game.

- The leather chair is an odd choice for someone with a taste for 'fine' antique furniture. A wooden chair something like this:

...might suit the decor better if it's a work table, or if it's a dining table a simple wooden chair without arm rests should do the trick.

- Finally the bathroom needs a door of some sort (or at least evidence that there was a door at one time, and where that door went). People generally like a bit of privacy when doing their business

 

[navyseal2004]

Vast improvement. Only 3 things bugging me about it now.

- The light fixtures are just slightly odd, but probably not noticeable as looking out of place in-game.

- The leather chair is an odd choice for someone with a taste for 'fine' antique furniture. A wooden chair something like this:

...might suit the decor better if it's a work table, or if it's a dining table a simple wooden chair without arm rests should do the trick.

- Finally the bathroom needs a door of some sort (or at least evidence that there was a door at one time, and where that door went). People generally like a bit of privacy when doing their business

Well I'm not a modeller so I can't make that chair, unless someone so kindly makes one for me . And yes, the bathroom will have a door. And about the lighting, there aren't many types of lights that would suit a mansion apart from the dome lights that I'm using. I might try out those insets one though.

And speaking of lighting, could someone tell me how I could make the lights shine like this :

http://img234.exs.cx/img234/1425/deaztec00030gq.jpg

and this :

http://img234.exs.cx/img234/9092/csoffice00010zb.jpg

and this :

http://img234.exs.cx/img234/9207/light11ke.jpg

 

[silentbob]

you will have to use light_spot entity ontop of your less bright light entity. and if you want dusty air or sometihng add a env_sprit entity set to sprites/glow01.spr

lights are a pain but they look really nice.
i did my light and light_spot the same color but put the brightness to 10-20 on the light and 200-300 on the light spot or whever fits the room maybe 150ish, but you get what i mean, and point it

 

[navyseal2004]

you will have to use light_spot entity ontop of your less bright light entity. and if you want dusty air or sometihng add a env_sprit entity set to sprites/glow01.spr

lights are a pain but they look really nice.
i did my light and light_spot the same color but put the brightness to 10-20 on the light and 200-300 on the light spot or whever fits the room maybe 150ish, but you get what i mean, and point it

Could you like take a screenshot of your settings?

 

[THUGENSTEIN]

Well. It could be just a decal. However if you want a drop light like in my attachment, a drop light that become a bright light when you stare it striaght in the face its an entity called point_spotlight. Just put it up and aim it at the floor.

 

[navyseal2004]

I know that but, is there away for it to only have the glow, and not the spotlight?

 

[Crispy]

That was simply a suggestion for the chair, but you might be able to find a high-poly model at the WADMaster (they do models, right?) and there are other places that freely distribute models.

Are there no wooden chair models in HL2? I don't have my PC to check.

 

[navyseal2004]

Are there no wooden chair models in HL2? I don't have my PC to check.

There is 1 wooden chair model but it is much too small and doesn't look like a dining table chair. Never heard of WADMaster though.