It is currently Mon May 06, 2024 11:30 am
cpl. punishment wrote:For me, the biggest problem with the architecture is that it is very flat, especially on the vertical plane. I would recommend some variation, like inset windows, balconies, maybe some shops on the first floor of some of the buildings, and definitely more props. Also, turn that street into a displacement. Very rarely are blacktop roads ever completely flat.
Your skybox is turned the wrong way. In the map properties option, make sure it has _hdr at the end of the name of the skybox texture. You may also want to experiment with a new skybox and/or environment lighting. The lighting you have now is nearly 90°. Check out this list (if you haven't already) and try some skyboxes with a lower sun angle. Adding depth to your shadows will give your map a higher contrast, and should make it look more visually appealing.
rookiehy2 wrote:For me, the street can be bend a little bit(not a long straight road). And most important is the buildings should have different height so that you can see the buildings behind it.
example
MayheM wrote:Actually, in all honesty the main issue is your lack of planning and the process of you building. It is hard to actually finish a map when you do not have a good idea of layout before you start in hammer. I have found that when I build on the fly in hammer I get a lot done fast and then hit a wall. The map may look nice, but game-play is crap. Once you have a lot of detail int he map it is hard to go back and edit the layout without having to destroy the work you have already done.
Your level looks very much like the levels I used to start. I would build bit by bit and never finish. With any art form, it is always a good idea to create in passes of detail. At first just use dev textures to make your layout. then you can play-test the map while still in that form and find bugs and improve the playing experience. It will also allow you to compile the levels very quickly since you will not have a lot of detail to render. Once you have the layout done you can go on and add details.
When I started to build like this, I noticed my level of mapping went up a good deal. I was able to make things faster and I did not get stuck as much. Mainly because I was not trying to make it look nice at first. I was not stuck on which brick texture to use or what model to use, etc... Take that advice if you want, but this is honestly the best way to be sure you don't get "stuck on design"
Ark11 wrote:City 17 is based on East European cities such as Prague or Budapest, get pictures of them to use as reference shots.
Modifier wrote:Thank you for your reply, and I see what you mean by flat, I have now made some of the winows inset, and also added a balconey on one of the buildings which seems to have made it more interesting. Shops on the first floor would be a great idea. What sort of props would you suggest? rather than the typical ' add trash all over the place' ? . should i turn the road into a displacement then? how would a displacement help, i mean i use displacements on grass and stuff but why a road which is meant to be flat? or is it only meant to add little bumps here and there? sorry for the noobish questions I really want to learn, first time i have been stuck on a map in a while properly. And i didnt even notice about the skybox will look into that and I made standard lighting for the most part because i cant stand the bland lighting you get without light_env ! but thanks for the link will use that!
cpl. punishment wrote:Modifier wrote:Thank you for your reply, and I see what you mean by flat, I have now made some of the winows inset, and also added a balconey on one of the buildings which seems to have made it more interesting. Shops on the first floor would be a great idea. What sort of props would you suggest? rather than the typical ' add trash all over the place' ? . should i turn the road into a displacement then? how would a displacement help, i mean i use displacements on grass and stuff but why a road which is meant to be flat? or is it only meant to add little bumps here and there? sorry for the noobish questions I really want to learn, first time i have been stuck on a map in a while properly. And i didnt even notice about the skybox will look into that and I made standard lighting for the most part because i cant stand the bland lighting you get without light_env ! but thanks for the link will use that!
In addition to the changes I suggested earlier, you may want to look at moving some of the buildings closer to, or further from the sidewalk, or make some buildings taller than others. Try to break up the uniformity. For props, just search until you find some ornaments to, again, make the buildings less uniform. You could, for example, put pipes on the side of a building, running down to the street, or add some machinery to the sides (substation models might work here). Adding Combine occupied areas and buildings would also offer contrast.
It's barely noticeable, but streets aren't perfectly flat. They usually are slightly higher in the middle so that water runs to the sides of the road when it rains. Some bumps and dips would certainly help make the road look like it has been thoroughly used. Also, if you use displacements for your road, you can use an alpha-blended texture to blend between a pavement texture and another texture (like dirt, gravel, or another pavement texture) to break up the monotony of a tiled texture.
Jike wrote:hey, that is starting to look much better. still bland in some spots, but wow, it's surely getting somewhere! Keep up with it.
Sit down sketch your street onto a sheet of paper and extend as much as you can, thinking "what will the player do here?"
Good luck!
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