FreeGameDev

:::edit:::update




This map was created to remember to the popular french games company Bullfrog, out of the 90ies and the late 80ies. Their games series Syndicate (Syndicate and Syndicate Wars) was very exciting.
(Besides Populus, Dungeon keeper, Magic Carpet, High Octane... pearls from the past.)

changelog

v.1.4

_removed the satilite-forcefield system
_removed and rebuild the skyline: new buildings around the map
_added a glasscage to clarify the play area - it's more an arena now
_fixed some minor texture issues
_moved the satelite to another place
_added a sunnlight with forced lensflares (although they can only be seen outside of the glassdome)
_replaced 4 grenades by the new mines

v.1.3 plus

_improved textures: teamcolored ground
_improved the big lamps to more elegant ones, also better for gameplay
_added small lights, inside the windows on the roofs

since 1.2:

_changed the look of pusher effects a bit
_numerous geometrical changes, reduced the bloggy look
_some texture changes
_added screens, "watertanks" in the ground, use of a blendmap for the islands, texture changes for the stairs e.g., platforms on the waterfallbuildings now, more detailed satellite
_added some small lights for a better contrast in some areas, curved the entrances a bit
_added a sonic signal with light for the rocket area, to show the other players that somebody may try to get the rocketlauncher
_improvements for teamsymbols
_reduced the use of lightmaps (to 5 now)


since 1.1:

_added an energetic shield to the map: when the player tries to leave the arena, a satellite activates a deadly forcefield around the pit
_added a big amount of triggers and particles for different effects (small lensflares e.g.)
_added a satellite and various additional details (flying bordermarks, roofwindows and a bit more)
_changed clipbox around the map and added some new clips

since 1.0:

_added decent sounds
_clipped a treemodel, which had originary noclip
_added deathzones behind the waterfallbuildings
_changed the skybox into a more suitable one, + small color changes
_added energyfences
_added a new sunlight
_fixed the botpaths, they don't get stuck anymore
_little changes for the texturing

...
_additional update for 1.1: much better particle effects for the waterfalls
_some errors in the readme

Looks nice. if you need some help ask me.

DAMN! And you said you didn't have time to work on any other maps with me ^^ May I try and submit some changes in a bit? I have some things in mind

Theme song!

youtu.be/y3TrjEuXuNw

Yeah sorry ballist1c, I was busy with many things, but I had this one unfinished in the drawer. So I used the break on cutec to make it playable. I had not enough time to invest much minds into the map until now. So I don't now about a next step. Except that the skylight could be changed to harmony better with the orange light stripes. Also the same for shadows, ambient, fog(distance and color). I planned also a small box with deathmaterial behind the waterfall buildings maybe. So the player doesn't run into an invisible wall, but falls into death ... .

If you can improve the map, you can try your luck. Probably I will need some time to react here.

That theme is a remix with the older original theme. It's the music for the newer Shooter probably ?

I'm starting by improving the buildings around the map and making them all a little bit darker, in order to fit a dark bluish-orange skybox. Maybe some grayish fog down near the water? The deathmaterial is a good idea; or maybe a teleport that takes you to the other waterfall? I hope you have not done a /texturecull yet, otherwise I will have to insert them back in. See you soon, version probably be out tomorrow if not today.

EDIT: Yes, that is music from EA's Syndicate; however the game itself was pretty bad, and music was awesome, so I think the music would fit better this amazing map!

Looks great, kind of like center (RE map) meets Ubik (another RE map) meets Phenac city (location from Pokemon Colosseum, with lots of waterfalls).

EDIT: upon playing here's what I've found:

-bots kind of get stuck on this corner here, they jump around and eventually return.



-the map size is kind of misleading, as where you can go is a lot smaller than one would think. Maybe you could add to those outer areas? It's not that big of a deal, as it doesn't affect performance that much. I just kind of felt cheated when I realized that the map isn't what I thought it was.

-I really like how you placed the rocket in terms of ability to get it, but its placement at an elevated spot makes it really easy to immediately use to one-hit KO someone.

quintux_v {l Wrote}:-bots kind of get stuck on this corner here, they jump around and eventually return.

Yes, thank you, I could see this in the evening yesterday, too.

quintux_v {l Wrote}:-the map size is kind of misleading, as where you can go is a lot smaller than one would think. Maybe you could add to those outer areas? It's not that big of a deal, as it doesn't affect performance that much. I just kind of felt cheated when I realized that the map isn't what I thought it was.

I understand your point, but I wouldn't change that. The outer area is a kind of a stage for the arena inside. The layout is solid in a way and garanties a fast game flow. To intervene here means to find a complete new layout, because the concentration of the fights would be disturbed. The players have many ways to reach the opposing base already. It would require probably more players to keep the fun then.
The other option could be to shrink the map and just using huge walls around the map like center or other maps do. Not the best one. But I have some ideas to let this look a bit more realistic. We'll see.

-I really like how you placed the rocket in terms of ability to get it, but its placement at an elevated spot makes it really easy to immediately use to one-hit KO someone.[/quote]
Yeah, thats the deal at the moment . This feels not wrong to me, but if I should find a better place, I'll change that maybe.


@ ballistic: I didn't a /texturecull yet. I woul do that only as the very last step.


necessary changes:
_skybox, color, ... shortly environment settings
_clipping changes to integrate deathfalls outside of the arena in some places and a special tree with noclip issue (*ty* damien)
_a bit more grassheight
_some polishing for different details

I haven't had the time to playtest it yet, but it looks very promising when looking at the screens! Good to see that many unique environments are coming along with the variety of textures and the many engine possibilities that we have

I'll be waiting until you announce an almost finished version and then test and leave some feedback. Good luck with the new project!

changing orange glow theme to green

Quick fix

syndicate 1.1

changelog

since 1.0:

_added decent sounds
_clipped a treemodel, which had originary noclip
_added deathzones behind the waterfallbuildings
_changed the skybox into a more suitable one, + small color changes
_added energyfences
-added a new sunlight
_fixed the botpaths, they don't get stuck anymore
_little changes for the texturing

Sorry ballist1c, that I come up with an update so quickly. That was my only day, where I'm free to spend some time for mapping until the next week probably. There where some things which burned under my nails and I had to change them. So I did. Maybe we'll melt our versions together later? I don't know. Let me know about.
This version is ready to be played in my eyes. One question is: should there be left more room for deathzones outside the Arena or not ? Except the buildings with waterfalls, because there already is one now. In my opinion that isn't necessary, because the action concentrates where it should: in the arena place. However, I guess that the community has another opinion . I know u.

:::edit:::

@Ulukai: I remember that problem about leaving the map by crossing the wallborders in the past. You where thinking about laserbarriers to stop the players, but left it then, because the particles where only shown until a specific distance. This problem can easily be solved by the command line

{l Code}: {l Select All Code}

/maxparticledistance #

I found that out by reading some older map commentaries on Quadropolis, where quin gave the hint.

Do not worry, I still have a version to post soon I try to work a lot on the small details the way you did with cutec and I mentioned the color change - I figured out how to generate rain particles, and I will test whether that looks good on this map as well.

ballist1c {l Wrote}:Do not worry, I still have a version to post soon I try to work a lot on the small details the way you did with cutec and I mentioned the color change - I figured out how to generate rain particles, and I will test whether that looks good on this map as well.

Good maybe you get the dark atmosphere like in Syndicate Wars, where everything was dark and it was often rainy, of course. I'm pleased with my basic version now. So it's yours, to come up with the dark part. _[~-_-]_

ballist1c {l Wrote}:EDIT: Yes, that is music from EA's Syndicate; however the game itself was pretty bad, and music was awesome, so I think the music would fit better this amazing map!

Yes, bullfrog was bought by EA, but ended than. Molynoux, the head of Bullfrog founded a new company after that, but EA had all the licenses of Bullfrogs games. So they released that shooter. The older original games where totally different in gameplay. It was about tactics in a cyberpunk scenario. You had to controll up to 4 agents, solve missions, research new implants and weapons, all of this, to control all Capital cities over the planet. Last but not least the whole planet.
All the nice Ideas: there was a mind control weapon, to control the population, Megaweapons like huge Energycannons, Satelite controlled atomic rockets, destrucktable skyscrapers, placable gun turrets, Robotspiders, terrorism,drugs,... . And so on and so forth, all of that in the 90ies already. Now it's only playable with dosbox.

Nice map, it has a cool atmosphere, I really like the details such as the lasers on the borders!
One thing that I noticed is on the side of the roof of each base one of the slopes has a real grip to it, I don't know why that is...

Also I know of a skybox that would fit this kind of ambience perfectly, I'm not sure what you think
(It's called "stormydays" and it's located in the skyboxes folder)

Rabidbutton {l Wrote}:Nice map, it has a cool atmosphere, I really like the details such as the lasers on the borders!
One thing that I noticed is on the side of the roof of each base one of the slopes has a real grip to it, I don't know why that is...

Thank you. I don't know exactly, where you mean. Maybe you could mark it on a screenie?

Also I know of a skybox that would fit this kind of ambience perfectly, I'm not sure what you think
(It's called "stormydays" and it's located in the skyboxes folder)

Yes you are right, this wouldn't be bad. I tried nearly all of the skyboxes out, which could work on this map from my opinon and this one was also present. Nevertheless I decided to take a bit colored "harmony". I think the difference isn't that big in conclusion. Also ballistic will also come up with another version probably in a complete different look overall. So we have time to see what will happen.

Although I'm not so stoked by quintux_v's suggestion, I thought over the idea to make a wallbreak throgh the map, to let the player discover a bit of the city. Ways could be like this 2 different variants I figured out:

But I'm only thinking over it. This would be difficult, because I had to go through some of the buildings and find an idea how that should look like. Also there are different hights, wherefore I should find a solution. Besides that I don't know if this would really make sense. ... Feedback could help..

:::edit:::

I replaced the first syndicate 1.1 zip by a new one with little additions which wouldn't justify a new version. It's just for the eyes: I added much better particleeffects to the waterfalls and changed some errors in the readme. Not a big thing. OK I go in the break, for real now. |"-_-| . . . syndicate 1.1

Love the theme. Definitely reminds me of the original game. Or is that coincidental?


youtu.be/6oO-_3ib2gk

charlie {l Wrote}:Love the theme. Definitely reminds me of the original game. Or is that coincidental?

a bit of both. The idea came to me, while working on the layout. I was searching for a theme and remembered how great these games where. I like both, the first 2d one and the secound 3d part. Both can be very tricky (the first one was very hard). They could only be solved by good tactics. With the wrong strategy all your agents died very quickly. Trying another tactic did wonders. Absolutely great. :::edit::: The barbwire was a usefull tool for me to solve some missions .

raiden {l Wrote}:

Rabidbutton {l Wrote}:Nice map, it has a cool atmosphere, I really like the details such as the lasers on the borders!
One thing that I noticed is on the side of the roof of each base one of the slopes has a real grip to it, I don't know why that is...

Thank you. I don't know exactly, where you mean. Maybe you could mark it on a screenie?

Sure!

Try running up and down the marked area and see if it slows you down or not

Ah this, it is complete normal. I know that place and jumped and slided also there. That is only simple geometry, nothing behind. It's probably a combination of the angle the stone has there and the gravity parameters of the game. But thank you for showing in detail. Now I know what you mean.

Download link for 1.1 doesn't work. Try uploading as an attachment to your post instead?

Oh, strange - for me the download shows up. But ok thanks for the hint, here it is:

(mediafire seems to be very slow sometimes. They overload their sites with features and hidden things, which interrupts their services. *dang*)

I really like this map. The layout is simple enough to learn quickly, but still has plenty of depth. The texturing and theme is very very nice, and quite different from any of the other maps I have seen for Red Eclipse. It would be nice to see a bit more geometric detail added, even if just in the background. However, I understand that some people might be glad of the higher framerate as it is.

I agree, the layout is nice. I'm sure it will work well for gameplay. And texturing based on the game syndicate is calm for eyes and it is something uncommon in re. Even a little of nature you added. The only issue is probably the clipping around. But I like it overall. Good job, raiden.

Thanks for feedback everyone.
It's like 4rson says: some additional but decent and underlining details couldn't damage. I think this will come. Only the clipbox arround is a bit tricky, indeed. I'm not sure what to do here. There was the idea to break through some of the walls to give access to parts of the city around. Not bad, but difficult and maybe not the solution (some lines up I made a plan for that with arrows to show possibly pathes on a screenshot).

I want to use this thread to collect feedback to this special topic now. So if somebody has a good Idea, please come up with it. Otherwise I would try different possibilities with the clipbox (wide it out a bit) and could come back to the actual version maybe. Probably I'll join the Irc-chat also, to talk to some people about it.
On the other site there is also ballist1c who will come with a new version, on which I'm waiting yet. The time will show .