Frostbite, a L4D2 Scavenge and Survival Map

[DRX]

I've taken a break from Hell Ride to work on this small map designed specifically for Scavenge and Survival Modes in Left 4 Dead 2. It is also my entry into the L4DMap.com's L4D2 Winter/Arctic Mapping contest. I will be updating this thread on a daily basis. Currently, unique map features are as follows:

Blizzard Driven Gameplay
Similar to Hard Rain's torrential rain effects, Frostbite features a dynamic blizzard system that, depending on the anger of the director AI, will spawn blizzards with varying levels of power. At its most powerful, the blizzard will deal survivors small amounts of damage for staying in it too long. This presents survivors with the choice of either sacrificing health in order to keep up their time in Scavenge, or wait out the blizzard in overtime at the risk dropping a can.

Unique Assets
Frostbite contains a multitude of custom snow and ice textures, as well as a new snow particle system that I am trying to get to work with func_precipitation. Along with a few models from varying Source games, Frostbite definitely has a unique environment, which is only helped by its specially designed custom HDR skybox. Currently, I am working on giving the survivors and infected custom clothing to help match their environments.

Free Winter Content Pack
Upon release, I will give out all the custom content I have created so that users may create their own winter scenes in Left 4 Dead 2 with ease. I will also be writing tutorials on how I achieved certain effects within the map so that you may emulate them for whatever project you are doing. Hopefully this will help us see some more winter themed maps coming soon.

[Hollow]

The tagline is pretty kewl.
Sounds interesting though, I will keep an eye on updates for this...

[Supervillain]

Wow dude this sounds awesome! Especially since you are being so generous and handing out your custom materials This makes me super happy because I was thinking of adding some light snow fall to my L4D2 level.

I really like the idea of custom skins/models for the SI and players. But even better is your vision of the gameplay mechanic that the snow will hurt survivors over time. Will the blizzard also slow the survivors a bit? And how much will it restrict the players view?

[DRX]

I'm working on an env_screenoverlay that would activate when the survivors are outside during the intense blizzard. It will make the edges of the screen look like they are covered in ice, similar to the fire effect when you stand in fire.

[Phott]

I love the idea, but the tagline could be made "punchier"...

"The cold isn't all that is biting..." would sound better IMO.

[F0xHunter]

You stole my idea! Good bye Frostbitten, I think I need to come up with a new name

[Major Banter]

"The cold isn't all that is biting..."

Sounds clunky to me, the current tag is nice and sharp. Excellent idea though, I just wish you'd uploaded shots with the poster rather than later

Do me a favour and update your first post rather than dumping straight in as a fresh post, it keeps it a bit neater for me to crit cohesively, assuming you want crits.

[dewkl]

Blizzard could be really cool. Maybe if you could place "safe houses" from the blizzard along the path, and chain some panic events to them. This seems very fun to design

[DRX]

Does anyone know how to increase draw distance? I'm curious, as when a smoker gets up to certain spots, the map fades off. I don't think Valve's official maps suffer from this problem (or they build around it, which I may need to start thinking of ways to do such a thing).



Updated first post to include screens as well.

Blizzard could be really cool. Maybe if you could place "safe houses" from the blizzard along the path, and chain some panic events to them. This seems very fun to design

There are lots of little houses in which the player can hide out. Currently, there isn't a co-op version, but I may find a way to include small panic events that wouldn't overwhelm the player Scavenge mode.

"The cold isn't all that is biting..."

Sounds clunky to me, the current tag is nice and sharp. Excellent idea though, I just wish you'd uploaded shots with the poster rather than later

Do me a favour and update your first post rather than dumping straight in as a fresh post, it keeps it a bit neater for me to crit cohesively, assuming you want crits.

Definitely want crits!

Also, despite the ugliness between us in the other topic, I love the Interlopers community and hope you didn't take any of that personally Major.

[trcc]

I doubt there are cars in antartica, and hordes of infected humans. Maybe a relocation in Alaska, or Arctic?

[Major Banter]

DRX, why do you think I'm being civilised? Call it a conflict of professionalism, eh mate? Wicked, let's crack on.

[Hollow]

Looks pretty good. But the blue fog is a bit off putting...

[DRX]

Looks pretty good. But the blue fog is a bit off putting...

I definitely agree with you on that one! Honestly, its because I accidentally had two env_fog_controller entities with "Master" both checked. Whoops! The blue one is supposed to only be for the underground section, which will also be getting color correction later in order to really show off its "icy cold" feeling. As for the top part of the map, it now has the correct color fog again! Hooray!

DRX, why do you think I'm being civilised? Call it a conflict of professionalism, eh mate? Wicked, let's crack on.

Glad to hear it! Hope to get those crits from you soon! I've got the overall design worked out, and it plays pretty well in my tests, but I'm a bit stuck on the detailing phase.

I doubt there are cars in antartica, and hordes of infected humans. Maybe a relocation in Alaska, or Arctic?

There is a story to the map. The basic idea is that it is a research facility that was working on a cure. The reason for picking Antarctica is the lack of infected in the area, since its basically empty. The trucks exist for supplies to be carried back and forth between the different buildings. CEDA brought in a group of survivors in order to create a cure from their DNA, since they are immune to the infection. However, the test subjects who they brought along have escape and now the survivors are the only ones left to fight them off!

I'm still looking into the possibility of making it a one-off campaign map...we'll have to see.