by Fedora on Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:58 am
I'm having quite a bit of fun going through it. Currently I've only played the first two maps. It's true that it's not as tight on the visuals or even the gameplay as one might desire. It's got a sort of nostalgic old-school feel to it- feels like a mix of Half Life 1 and Source a lot of the time, given the use of ground space and detail. I don't mean that in a totally negative way, but it's probably not something you want people saying about your map. Still, the bottom line for me: considering the many custom l4d maps out there, this one is fun to play.
Biggest critique as a player: I get lost. Doubling back to check on where you are is bad in l4d. In the beginning of the first map, in the first screenshot posted actually, I didn't see the hole in the fence at all despite the blood smears leading to it. Yes, I'm totally clueless sometimes, but it seems like there ought to be some better indication there. Subtle lighting? Maybe have it emphasized in the intro fly-through? It was pretty much invisible to me from the door, anyway. In the second map it gets serious. Multiple times I thought I had been in the same place already and doubled back. I often didn't know what direction to head. The arrows help, but even they turned me around at one spot because I wasn't sure exactly where they were pointing. Some places look similar, some paths aren't obvious. A rule I'd stick to is; the player's next destination should be the first thing that catches his eye, especially in l4d. Lighting and other effects are a big help for this. Giving each section some distinct characteristics ensures the player won't have deja vu.
Other quips- Large spaces go unused and unneeded, like the rooftop on map 2, as well as a whole (completely dark) floor in the office building that you don't need to go through- there's an extra pistol right at the entrance and the rest can be ignored. Geometry and prop placement sometimes feel unrealistic, like they're put there for gameplay purposes but wouldn't be there in real life. Certain room connectors (hallways/stairs) feel slapped on, when they should feel like they were planned to be built there from the start. Abstract, I know. Those are my 2 cents as an amateur mapper. The visuals... others have already commented.
I think if this campaign is going to be the subject of tutorials, you should run through all of the fundamentals of level design (as laid out by Sjoerd Hourences De Jong or any of the greats) and make sure it is a shining example of them.
I
livestream and do hardcore play-by-play analysis of my mapping.
[Been on hiatus due to technical difficulties - starting again soon]