Friday, October 30, 2009

My playlist

I gave myself this week off from mapping and blogging. Between new game releases, pumpkin carving, and my 5th wedding anniversary creative endeavors weren't something I wanted to make time for. Since I don't have anything to update on the campaign, I'll give you some details on the games I'm playing instead.

Left 4 Dead


As anyone who reads this blog knows I'm a huge fan of anything Valve does. Nearly a year after it's release and I still can't get enough L4D. With a good group of team players, even losing becomes fun. The game still has it's share of griefers, but if you haven't made some decent friends while playing this game you're doing it wrong.

The new Crash Course campaign hit very recently and I'm really digging it. Releasing it with only 2 levels vs. the customary 5 will lead the haters to believe it's something quickly slapped together. No doubt they'll sermonize it's to keep us from crying wolf regarding L4D's supposed lack of support in the face of L4D2's imminent emergence. While playable in co-op, the strength of Crash Course rests in versus mode. One of the biggest gripes about versus previously was the length of time it takes to complete: no less than 2 hours in most cases. CC solves that issue making the game more accessible for folks without enough free time.

I'm 25 hours away from hitting 500 hours of total play time in L4D. Over a year, that averages out to around 45 min/per day spent killing infected. I've spent a little over a dime a day for this particular piece of entertainment. Money well spent.

Borderlands

I pre-ordered this a while back completely on a whim. Already being a fan of Fallout, Diablo 2, and FPS games in general made it easy to say 'yes' to Borderlands. I can honestly say I wouldn't have pre-ordered were it not for Steam. Making impulse buying decisions from my office chair is something I'm going to have to resist in the future, but I'm very pleased with this one. After all, $33.75 (bought in a 4-pack with some clan mates) is a great price for a brand-new release.

I won't talk up this game quite as much as L4D or L4D2. There are some glaring problems the developer should address immediately. Allow me to just hit the highlights:
  • In co-op, voice chat is always on. No option to toggle off. Playing with heavy breathers is not recommended.
  • The menus are extremely clunky and unintuitive. PageUp and PageDown?!? Are you serious? Good luck equipping the weapon you want on the first try.
  • Loot drops are free-for-all. Better play this with friends.
  • Steam is not integrated. You don't use your friend list, no invites, no 'join game' options. In it's place? Gamespy.
  • No trade system in place. You have to just drop your shit on the ground. Again, play this with friends.
  • Items you can't pick up (ammo/health when you are already at max) still glow like you could.

Despite these annoyances, the game is fantastic. If you like any combination of the games I mentioned 2 paragraphs above, you owe it to yourself to give this game a look. It's hard to put a point on any one thing that makes the game so good. The loot-hunting addiction I had with Diablo 2 is here in full force: weapons, grenades, shields can come with unique traits and stats. Finding a new unique item is always a thrill. The environments are great to look at, the art design is executed well. The core FPS gameplay is solid too. I guess if I had to point at one thing, it would be the co-op. Single player is good, but playing with friends is great. On par with L4D's co-op campaign experience which is high praise coming from a Valve boy like myself.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

This is an older game I finally got time to try. I keep putting it down out of frustrations brought on by some very poor design choices: cut-scenes are not skippable, no save anywhere function, vague puzzles. I keep coming back to it because of one superior design choice: incredible atmosphere. The game is very scary and that's enough to make me muddle through. I shouldn't have to download a developer's save file to get past a game-breaking bug. I shouldn't...but I did anyway. Too bad this game didn't have more time spent on it in development. I can't recommend it for everyone.

Left 4 Dead 2 demo

Take everything I love about Left 4 Dead and double it. It doesn't do much to change the tried and true formula: kill zombies on your way to the next safe-room (versus mode is not available in the demo). What it does change is how the game is played. Even on normal it doesn't allow survivors to hole up in a corner and take on the hordes. With the new special infected and new panic events, the game forces you out in the open and makes teamwork even more crucial than before.

I won't say much more about it - the demo is very short - but L4D2 is something you have to experience in order to fully appreciate what Valve has done to build on L4D.

Torchlight demo

Take everything you liked about Diablo 2. Mix in beautiful graphics that can be viewed at a reasonable resoltion. Finally, add a dog companion who can take your extra loot back to town and sell it for you. Instant awesome.

I should mention my wife got me Dragon Age: Origins for an anniversary gift. It releases next week. God willing, I'll be able to put it down long enough to get some level design work accomplished and update this blog.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Making the transition

My apologies for not getting a blog entry up Wednesday. Truth be told, there wasn't much to report on the progress of my level. I spent far more of my free time checking out custom maps to see what other authors have done as opposed to building my own. Gotta scout the competition every now and again, right?

Got back on track Thursday. The decision I mentioned Monday to decrease the campaign into 2 maps necessitated the need for some changes to the level design. First, I needed to make the map a bit lengthier. Second, I didn't want to use the design from our 5 level campaign. I had been using it this entire time, but - truth be told - I had deviated enough from the orginal layout so that this is not as big a deal as it could have been (would not have cared much for rebuilding what I had already done).

Here are a few updated images of my progress:

1.) Updated image of the view from spawn area. Notice the small bus yard building is now visible from here as opposed to the open area previously occupied by a house.


2.) Added a light by the service entrance and changed the door model up. Keep needing to remind myself most areas would have boarded up their homes, businesses, etc...


3.) Closer view of the bus yard (rear-view). Changed the fence texture to chain-link. New route goes over the dumpster instead of through the fence as before. This area may be too open. Need to make sure infected players have decent attack areas. Trying to keep this in mind as I build. Balancing the infected's needs with the survivor's is key to making this level fun.


4.) This is just over the dumpster, still behind the bus yard. This route leads to a backyard and transitions to a residential area.


5.) We transition back to a commerical area here. Look at the fence and you can see this area goes uphill. Ignore the humvees tire clipping the sidewalk. Path leads through covered alleyway. Probably need another light or two in this area.


6.) Wanted to get a good screen of the area behind the spawn. I want to link this map with the end of Crash Course and the start of Death Toll. I have some cool ideas on how to link the finale to Death Toll. Can't wait to share them with you in a future update.


7.) This is as far as I've gotten. The area on the other side of the fence is where the covered alley from pic 5 leads to. Yes, you will be climbing that fire escape. :)

Hope this update was worth the wait. Keep in mind: Borderlands AND the Left 4 Dead 2 demo hits next week. Can't promise I'll have anything to report. :3

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

No mistake.


The child is my son.

Monday, October 19, 2009

A small blog.

No updates or screenshots today. It was a busy weekend that, unfortunately, didn't afford much time to get any mapping done. I have put a lot of thought into how best to handle the line between commercial and residential structures. I've come up with a few ideas on how best to blur the line between these two areas and feel like I'm getting a better grasp on how to present a place as a real place. Also, I've decided to make this a 2 map campaign in the same vein as Valve's recent Crash Course. It will take place between the end of Crash Course and the start of Death Toll.

Should have more for you on Wednesday.

V out.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Building buildings



Unfortunately no in-game shots today. I took Thursday off from mapping, but got quite a bit accomplished today. I replaced all of the copy and paste houses from Valve's map with placeholder buildings of my own. Also got a couple of buildings placed. You may notice the open field is no longer present next to the apartments. I decided there was a great deal visible in this space and came up with a bus yard to keep the engine from rendering too much. This area is obviously a dividing line between commercial and residential zones and I'm trying to make it fit without seeming to be too jarring of a transition.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Going out of doors...

I kept my word and pulled myself away from the spawn area after a week's effort. Really could have spent more time on it, but the rest of the level desperately needs some TLC. Was able to work my way forward in the level a good bit. Trying to leave myself spots where I could extend the level or shorten it if need be depending on how testing goes. Hoping to have the first test for this level by the end of the month. No promises, but I would like to keep my present pace if possible.

The only screens I have for you today are in-editor. Not far enough along to start compiling without seeing a large amount of developer textures, but I may have a few in-game shots for you by Friday. Without further ado:


(Yes, those houses are copied and pasted direct from Death Toll. No, I'm not using them for anything more than a placeholder.)

Took my level work outdoors yesterday. Walked around an older part of Knoxville to snap some reference images, looking specifically for places that could pass for abandoned warehouses and alleyways. Came away with some good pics and definitely got what I came for. Thinking about visiting the riverside area for some more ideas (the level I am working on contains an area close to the ocean and has a dock).




All in all, I feel the level is progressing nicely. This is the furthest along I've ever come on a project and my confidence in being able to actually see it through to the end is higher than it's ever been.

Van out.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

More images...



Finally solved the issue I had getting fire to work in-game. It took having a fog_controller entity present and hitting the right flag options on env_fire. You may notice I changed the spawn a little further...the rescue vehicle is no longer wrecked. I got to thinking I needed something behind the survivors to block off the level. While I enjoyed the idea of having the survivors wreck to start the level, it gradually occurred to me they couldn't drive through whatever I put behind them. I can't exactly have an open road back there. Maybe I can come up with a way for it to make sense later, but I think that's all the tinkering I'll do for now with the spawn area.

The next images you see will be of the entire level and I'm really excited to connect this part with the rest of it all. I'm working hard to make the level tell a story to the player about what happened before they came along. Forcing myself to consider the landscape I am creating as a place that could exist in the real world (sans zombies) has stepped my work up a notch. Let me know what you think of what I am doing. Would love to hear your opinions and ideas!

V out.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Work continues...

First, a small image dump:





Got a lot more work done on the reworked spawn area. Having trouble getting fire to function properly. I'm missing a step somewhere and can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I spent too much time trying to solve this problem or would have been able to get much more done on this. Despite the delay today, I'm very pleased with how my work is progressing. Looking forward to connecting this up with the rest of the map and getting back to work on the campaign as a whole.


Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Working on the spawn 'room'.

On a whim I cracked open the Left 4 Dead campaign me and some friends had been working on. After playing Crash Course I really started thinking about how the campaigns can link to one another and a thought occurred to me: the first level of a campaign always has an open spawn area. None of the spawn locations are enclosed. Ours was...

Not anymore! Be aware this is only a view from the level editor program and is very much a work in progress.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Prevarications

By now it's safe to assume none of you believe a damn thing I say. Making a gaming blog he says. Gonna create a Left 4 Dead campaign he claims. It's not news to me. I know I'm full of crap. See, my problem is spending more time playing games than making/writing about them. Being a gamer is somehow written into my DNA. It's not my fault. Really.

On that note, I finally managed to pull myself away from Lord of the Rings Online for a break. I rediscovered Team Fortress 2 and of course the new content for L4D has me killing zombies again every night. Also, as weird as it sounds I played and finished Jak and Daxter for the PS2. Not sure how it happened, but it was a very enjoyable game all the same. Additionally, I'm pretty deep into Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker and just wrapped up Crysis.

I managed to find time to sketch out a TF2 map and am pretty happy with how it is turning out. It's for the new King-of-the-Hill gametype and looks to be something I can actually finish.

Have a look (click to enlarge):




This doesn't mean the L4D campaign is shelved by any means. It's just been hard to stay motivated to work on it while not playing the game for such a long while. Now that I'm back to playing nightly and with L4D2 just around the corner, I'm sure my work on it will pick up.

You believe me, right?