FreeGameDev

Possible new look of a map "Lab" (originally by Jojo) for Red Eclipse 1.3? (also fixed texture errors, improved geometry, still work in progress)
Thanks in advance for some feedback.

D.A.M.I.E.N. {l Wrote}:Possible new look of a map "Lab" (originally by Jojo) for Red Eclipse 1.3? (also fixed texture errors, improved geometry, still work in progress)
Thanks in advance for some feedback.

<3
erm.. download link?

EDIT: "preview" /facepalm
nvm, hope for download link soon!

It looks for me like "plastic lab"

Sorry, -1
trolololo: -1 -1 = -2

pskosinski {l Wrote}:What you did looks like sweet Chinese/Japanese clinic with a few dirty walls, not like post-apocalyptic laboratory.
-1

true , i prefer more dust or something else here then grass with green tree . Deleting hole did gameplay better in this place . But grass . it look weird .
-1


-3 :P Damien , do you want start did changes ?

I actually liked the hole there, it made it hard to grab the rocket in the middle of a firefight, and also presented a hazard if you attempted to use the rocket immediately after grabbing it, because the recoil boost could push you back into it if you weren't careful. Visual-wise, the new look suits the map well; I like the brighter, more vivid appearance. Good work! Only thing that could make it better would be coloring the skybox or perhaps using a different skybox altogether in order to more closely match the rest of the map's new visuals. Maybe I'm an oddball for actually preferring this look, but I don't care... +1

I'm going with wowie on this one, I think "new" lab actually sounds backwards, this might be what it was like before said apocalypse happened. I'm also completely agreeing with the new skybox suggestion, that was the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw the outdoor before/after image. Personally, I like not having that hole, it looks much better with the grass. Going with the apocalypse story, that hole was created after it happened. Meteor crash?

With the new/old lab idea, that reminded me of the idea of having day/night cycles for maps - same map, but you have different surroundings, items are placed differently, maybe there's a section that opens up only at night, etc, etc. Sounds like an extension of that.

on a random offtopic note, I'm kind of getting a "campaign" ring to this - the new lab, followed by other maps reflecting apocalypse, return to the lab to see what happened, that kind of thing.

EDIT: just looked back at keystone_2000, which mentioned being damaged by space aliens. similar?

Hmm, I quite like the changes in the second image, it does definitely give a more "modern" feel to the lab (as has been mentioned) some slight hints of portal in the lower textures

The first picture I must agree with others though, green + pink/purple gives it a very "toy" feel.
I like the two foreground doorways and the covered area around the flamer though.
I don't like the grass (too uniform, too green), the tree (Maybe trees in general are a bit ugly in RE?), and the top two wall textures (pink & fence, I don't think they fir the overall picture)

It feels like overall there might be a bit too many textures which doesn't blend into each other very well, looking at the old picture the wall in particular feels a lot more "calm" (although I'm not sure if it's almost too bland instead)...

That's some impressions based on just the images, I have no idea if it would be completely different playing the map...

Ok, so here are some facts:

*

Since this map is on the ticket #180 of culled maps http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/redeclipse/ticket/180
and I had some ideas about retexturing (and correcting) and changing some things with vision to improve them
as well, I posted this preview just as suggestion and I wouldn't provide a download link without permission of author.

*

The "New" doesn't mean, that it is mentioned as a new laboratory. It means that with a look at the currect map that we know, is that
just a proposation for more interesting (and vivid) look with fixed textures and improved geometry and that it has been edited recently.

*

I don't see anywhere written that the original theme is necessary post apocalyptic.
To me the lab seems kind of in a good state and the only post apocalyptic is perhaps just the skybox.

*

As mentioned in the first post, this has been a work in progress, (I has to highlight that, because it looks like some of you didn't get it).
The color of grass.. I was thinking about giving it a bit dry look with blended textures as walkways in the future, to indicate some usage.
But I think that giving some nature into this map in this open area is worth and nice, since all around are just buildings. And I do know,
that skybox could be changed, but I didn't get there yet and it's minor, since there are textures that doesn't look too well,
so I was focused more on this.

*

(enlarged Tristam's text) "-3 :P Damien , do you want start did changes ?"

I wanted to put some more quality for this map, because except worse textured parts and some gameplay issues it's a
nice map and according to what I found out, no one worked on improving it. At this moment I'm not continuing in editing
and not even so because of the three minus..

I think lab is a good map too, and it's worth to keep it in 1.3, so the only -1 I would give is for the fact that you dont want to continue working on it, because of the negative feedback If I extract all constructive criticism out of the comments and leave the rest aside, I read "walls too pink; grass too green", that is something to work upon, not?
And, yeah, if you post WIP-pics, you always have to take the risk, that people dont see, which part of screenshot is "early wip", which is "just wip" and which is "basically done" - so just correct that internally while reading it, there is usually no bad intention behind it.
I had often cases where I posted pictures of untextured models and got in return "eh the gray is too boring, try some different colours" ..

Pff, ignore them man. Whoever said there couldn't be multiple themes in one map? I like it; it's something new, and if the geometry is improved, even better !
Besides, gameplay is what matters, and Lab has it!

+1

I have to agree witht he Chinese look, I'm sorry. I always liked this map as it is, and with the hole. I agree that some texturing could be better, but there is not such a great deal of work necessary imo.

ballist1c {l Wrote}:Pff, ignore them man. Whoever said there couldn't be multiple themes in one map? I like it; it's something new, and if the geometry is improved, even better ! Besides, gameplay is what matters, and Lab has it!

+1

I'm glad you like it. :)

riidom {l Wrote}:if you post WIP-pics, you always have to take the risk, that people dont see, which part of screenshot is "early wip", which is "just wip" and which is "basically done ..."

Yes, I know that. The first picture was then "just wip" (I didn't edit color of grass and skybox and color of textures, but I thought that when it's wip and only a preview,
it's obvious that it's not a final look.

Anyway, here are two another pictures. Supposed final look of this uncovered area. I know that it looks different from the original.
Intend was make it better looking with better gameplay. (hole removed, space in doors increased, addded fence to mark clipped area)
And if it looks chinese.. it's probably because of the fence and tree in a tub. But that is just for a completion of overall look.
The fence could have different color, but then it wouldn't fit so much to the textures below it in my opinion.

I don't think it looks bad, but there some parts look a little off to me. For a post-apocalyptic map, the grass in the uncovered area is too present and too green for me. It looks too cheerful. You could give the grass a brown look and only add it to certain areas (more like in pumpstation). And maybe get rid of the tree.

The upper part of the walls make it look like a park or a garden, but it is a secret laboratory. You don't want outsiders to get in there, so maybe add a fence instead (something similar to this: http://www.topdealhekwerk.nl/user_files ... soires.jpg).

I like the fact that you keep the integrity of the map and just give it an other look.

Ok, I'm gonna try to change even the color of grass and fence and I'll see. The tree will stay though. :)
Thanks for suggestion.

The Lab map is a remake of the first level of doom 1 right? I think this new theme suits it more.

Hi damien, is this still going? Please tell me if you need help I would very much like to see this finished ^^