Hl2 EP2 map "rebirth"

[jgoodroad]

ok, so I was looking through my old map files, and I saw the vmf of one of my older maps, I looked back on the map and how I had improved since then, So I made a video of said map and posted it in the random thread...as a joke and such because not only was the map bad...but It was the first time I had used custom audio...
here is the video again...for referance

but after posting I decided that I was going to "fix" the map, since It wasn't corrupt and sloppy.

I have started work on it but here are some pictures...again, for referance






I will renovate this map (and perhaps others in the future) and I would like your help with doing so.
so for now I leave you with the pics above in hopes that you can also see the potential...

[Major Banter]

As a reworking goes, I'm not seeing much improvement.

[joe_rogers_11155]

true dat...I think the mapper should keep at it and always strive to improve. dont give up follow some tutorials for lighting and start making some fully working lights with all the entities to make it look good like light bulb props, glowing sprites, colors other than white or yellow (try pink instead of red and then add another light that is pure white, but very low brightness)...then you can copy-paste them around and it will be easier instead of building each and every light.

dont feel daunted

[jgoodroad]

As a reworking goes, I'm not seeing much improvement.

good, because that was my original, un-improved map from a while back.

true dat...I think the mapper should keep at it and always strive to improve. dont give up follow some tutorials for lighting and start making some fully working lights with all the entities to make it look good like light bulb props, glowing sprites, colors other than white or yellow (try pink instead of red and then add another light that is pure white, but very low brightness)...then you can copy-paste them around and it will be easier instead of building each and every light.

dont feel daunted

What are you talking about? are we on the same page?

anyways. just to be clear, this was an old map that I lost intrest in many months ago (could be more then a year by now)
and now I am going to renovate this map. the pictures above are from the old version, and thus are fail.
here are some more recent pictures...note I am still working on this map but more specific suggestions on what to add/change/remove/fix




this picture is outdated, but there are improvements

[ThePain]

As a reworking goes, I'm not seeing much improvement.

[jgoodroad]

As a reworking goes, I'm not seeing much improvement.

...thanks for the help...really...

[jgoodroad]

you guys want to see improvement?
I'LL SHOW YOU IMPROVEMENT!

before


after




now please, anyone, give me some feedback!

[Unstoppable Florence]

I'm interested in how you've blended the combine and human architecture. It seems to be interesting, but you are under-showing it. Illuminate it from either above or below with combine spotlights.

[Mr-Jigsaw]

And also, please change the skybox from the stretched default one. And those cantilevers look awfully dangerous.

[jgoodroad]

And also, please change the skybox from the stretched default one. And those cantilevers look awfully dangerous.

cantilevers?

anyone have a suggestion on what to do with these pillars?

[Unstoppable Florence]

anyone have a suggestion on what to do with these pillars?

Have them support shit.

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I do think you are going about architecture in the wrong way here. Give a building a purpose and then build it to suit that purpose. In this case: add pillars only because something needs to be supported.

[Major Banter]

I'm with Florence. I think you're going about this the wrong way. Building from a pre-fab like yours is very, very hard; you're trying to detail buildings that are just blocks and you end up with - typically - a blocky building. What's more, you constrain yourself significantly.

I'm curious as to why the park is there personally; in fact, I'm tempted to remake it myself and see how they differ. Just for kicks, y'know?

[jgoodroad]

it's more of a courtyard, the backstory is it was a small apartment building and a subway/powerstation, then they started building a larger apartment building around the park, now the combine are repurposing it again.

[Psy]

Make the lighting non-flat/boring.

[jgoodroad]

It's on the to do list, right under "make the map not bad" but I think I am going to work on lighting next.
but about those pillars, they hold up an entire floor of buildings and provide shade for shoppers...there were shoppers here, but they're gone now...everyone's gone...