[HL2:EP2] Desert Carcass [Visual Design]

[VoEC]

So, maybe some of you may remember that I posted screens of this a long time back in the Map Pimpage thread.
It took me more than half a year since then to manage to compile this map without any problems.

So here it is: Desert Carcass
This is purly a level art / environment concept. So there is no actual gameplay (even though I love driving around with the buggy), just visuals.
But it would be cool to see, how some HL2 gameplay could work in this environment.

Download the map and all ressources here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?cykxagce0p8zgme

The map, models and textures are released under a Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 License, so you can use it however you like as long as you mention me in your credits.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I hope you guys enjoy it!

[Chrille]

I was actually searching through the forum for the screenshots yesterday o.O

Needless to say it still looks ridiculously good.

[marnamai]

engine hunk overflow ...

edit: can be bypassed with "r_hunkalloclightmaps 0"

[VoEC]

@Chrille
Thank you.

@marnamai
Are you getting this error. Oh...
I read that "r_hunkalloclightmaps 0" might help.
EDIT: Oh, never mind.

[MayheM]

How did you create the wave pattern on the shoreline? I like the subtle look, it looks very natural

[VoEC]

Basicly like this:

Code: Select all

"UnlitTwoTexture"
{

   "$basetexture"       "desert/shore2"
   "$texture2"          "desert/shore1"

   "$additive"       1
   "$srgbtint"      "[1.1 1.3 1.3]"


   "Proxies"
   {

      "TextureScroll"
      {
         "texturescrollvar" "$basetexturetransform"
         "texturescrollrate" 0.05
         "texturescrollangle" 260

      }
      
      "TextureScroll"
      {
         "texturescrollvar" "$texture2transform"
         "texturescrollrate" 0.08
         "texturescrollangle" 280
      }


   }

}

and then added as Overlays on top of the water surface.

It has been a while since I made those but as far as I remember: Basicly I made two shore textures (black and white). One of them like actual waves and the other sort of ripples and light refraction and then use that as the base and alpha blend it with the first one (Plus add some scrolling at different angles). This creates a really cool motion effects like the waves are actually moving and changing (and sparkling).

I think that is actually how it is sort of done in Dear Esther, but I think they also made some custom shader to make it look even better.

[Habboi]

I showed it to a friend and he felt heatwaves would have improved it. I agree, some nice env_steams set to heat wave might have worked well.

Regardless I really like it. It has a nice atmosphere helped by the use of the OF song. I'd be proud of it if I had made it.

[VoEC]

I showed it to a friend and he felt heatwaves would have improved it. I agree, some nice env_steams set to heat wave might have worked well.

Argh, I guess your right. I just didn't think about that.
But then again, the extra particles might have killed the fps totally.

[Habboi]

True but considering this isn't really a level designed with playability in mind, you could have perhaps made a seperate version for the video itself. Regardless does it really matter in the end?