KF-Refuge FINAL

[IrritAnt]

VERSION 2 NOW OUT

http://www.filefront.com/14161651/KF-Refugev2.zip/

CHANGES FROM V1
- Added a lot more zombie spawn locations and pathnodes. Zombies now jump over the fence in a lot of locations around the map, particularly in the cemetery and expanded compound area.
- Added blocking volumes to various static meshes to stop them being exploited.
- Some terrain editing - thanks to Arramus for getting it started. Looks good
- Minor static mesh additions and changes.
- Fixed the trader containers having the wrong fog settings.
- Moved and resized the truck in the garage - the player can now fit underneath it without having to duck.
- Added LocationNames to the interior zones.

KF-Refuge

Filename: KF-Refuge.rom
Version: Final
Date: 4 July 09

Author: Andrew "IrritAnt" Orman
E-mail: aorman@hotmail.com
Web page: http://www.filefront.com/user/IrritAnt01

Installation
Unzip the archive into your Killing Floor/Maps directory.

Outline
A refugee camp in forest north of London. Built to house three hundred, it has become home to more than two thousand.

But with the specimens closing in en masse an evacuation has been ordered.

But where is left to go?

Description
The play area is surrounded by a fence, encompassing the camp.
The camp is divided into three sections;
- the main compound with living quarters in the form of 8 large cabins;
- the ancillary compound, containing the camp's garage and motor pool, plus the clinic;
- the expanded part of the camp. As the number of people in the camp grew, it became necessary to expand it, building fences and shacks out of whatever materials were handy.
There is a fourth section... I'll leave you to discover it.

Suggested No. Players: 1-6
No. Item Pickups: 20
No. Ammo Pickups: 14
No. Trader Shops: 4

Custom Textures?: Yes
Custom Meshes?: Yes
Custom Classes?: No
External Packages?: No

NEW ASSETS
Snow texture by Genetica from Spiral Graphics
http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/packs/index.htm

Shipping Container texture from Static Reality
http://staticreality.planetunreal.gamespy.com/
Author: parkar(parkar@home.se)

Some textures from Berneyboy's Map Design
http://berneyboy.planetquake.gamespy.com/index.htm

All other new textures by me.

PERMISSIONS
You may distribute the archive file as long as this text file is included and kept intact and unmodified.
You may NOT charge money for this archive or this map.
You may NOT use this map or any of its new assets as a basis for new work without my express written permission. Please e-mail me!

CHANGES FROM BETA

- COMPLETELY REMOVED the shipping container section for several reasons;
- There was a BSP error causing instant death to players. I was having a very hard time eliminating it. Thanks to Flammas for spotting it.
- The area was detracting from the overall look and feel of the map. The containers also didn't fit in with the map's back story very well.
- There were numerous pathing issues that could only have been fixed by a complete rethink and reconstruction of the area.
- Moved a wooden beam in the burned-out hut that would allow you to get up and onto the roof of the other huts. Thanks Arramus!
- Increased the width of the truck in the garage to it sits more appropriately over the work pit. Thanks Arramus!
- Modified the blocking volumes over the tents to more closely fit the shape of the tents. Players still can't walk over the top of the tents, though.
- Added blocking volumes to some of the cabins with bunks to ensure a smoother pathing experience for all. Thanks Arramus, good call.
- Added more zombievolumes, especially to the expanded part of the compound.
- Added a blocking volume around the red car that allowed players to jump up onto the roof of the hut next to it. Thanks shah3211.
- Doglegged some of the "corridors" to beak up line-of-sight.
- Added more crates just north of the garage to a) break up the area and b) allow the player to climb the crate stacks.
- Some minor terrain editing inside the compound to make the layout a bit more interesting and organic.
- Opened up some of the shacks to allow more movement through the area.
- Rearranged the outlying trees to match the new layout.
- Added lots of minor decorative meshes and details.
- Greatly increased the volume of the ambient sounds.
- Added preview images.

THANKS
Thanks to everyone from the Tripwire forums who gave me feedback. It was very useful, and I encourage you to give feedback to all mappers.

Thanks to my wife for putting up with me building this map. "I'll be down in a minute, sweetheart!"

[koolaid677]

Thanks. Just added it to my server. 66.55.137.141:7707 if you wanna join up.

[Duke Striter]

Awesome map. Please add it to the white list topic

[gusone]

Originally Posted by IrritAnt

Thanks to my wife for putting up with me building this map. "I'll be down in a minute, sweetheart!"

As in like going down right? Man she has got patience.

Nice map. Going to give it a spin today.

[IrritAnt]

Originally Posted by koolaid677

Thanks. Just added it to my server. 66.55.137.141:7707 if you wanna join up.

Thanks, that's great!

[BartBear]

Mirror:

- 7z

- zip

ASI - Automatic Self Installer


Also added to map list at server Steampowered.pl

[Maul]

Screen shots have prompted me to download, congratulations.
Will give detailed report on this map later. Going to play with some mates at a LAN.

[arramus]

I've been looking forward to playing the updated version and will join koolaid677's server once I get back from work.

[JubalHarshaw]

Nice map, we really liked it, with all the traps like the armor over the pile of boxes and the spawns sometimes so very near and populated. Also the aesthetics are great, different and creative. Good for playing and good for the eyes. We had a very good game today. Thanks for your good job.
The shelves near the trader near the dormitory with berths can be climbed, I can't show you the pick, we were not making a bug hunt, just playing for plain fun, sorry, but it is easy to find, near the transit cone (red and white) just jump over the brighter one and then on the shelf. If you can't find it tell me and I'll try to capture the image. This is a major exploit area since you can hang all the team there and make easy kills once the bots can't reach you there and the sirens and the bloats can be killed very easy before they can harm you. Congrats for your excellent map, maybe one of the best we played so far.

[Maul]

Alllllllrighty then. Review of this fine waffle.

Aesthetic was brilliant and original, but my first immediate thought as we spawned into the map was: its a bit flat. The snow I mean, I think this has been mentioned before by another user. But on with the details.

TEXTURING-
The use of textures was fine, nothing wrong here. You exceeded almost every other custom map simply based on common bloody sense with texturing.

LIGHTING-
Left a little to be desired, however did the job. What I thought was missing was some eerie tints to the dormitories, and also - there were cases of the outer lighting effecting the inner-bsp, and vice-versa - this can be rectified by using special-lit surfaces, as its something this version of the unreal engine has issues with. But you probably already knew that. The atmosphere in some areas was nailed, in others - a little dry. Overall though no overwhelming complaints.

STATICMESH-
This is a hard one to sort of put, as much of the map was done nicely, some obvious repetition made for some odd sights however, the masses upon masses upon masses upon masses of body-bags were a great shock tactic, however you went a little over-board. Just a touch.
The trader inside the shipping contained was an interesting idea, but didn't turn out too great.

GAMEPLAY AND STRUCTURE-
First and foremost - there are huge holes. We made it to wave three then walked out of a hole in the fence and wandered off the map. This was on the first-playthrough, without even really looking for exploits. This was just exploring the level. Some decent testing would have found things like this that are as easy to fix as a blocking-volume.
The level itself is so original in both structure and layout that you can't compare it to the retail maps, you simply have to love it or leave it.
I can imagine the hours put into this piece, so I won't tear you down - just know that this is so near perfection, give a few revised versions on - we have a winner.

[arramus]

I was hoping I'd catch KF-Refuge once more in Beta to check the updates and look for any more areas to consider but it's out now as final so I won't dwell too much.

The updates from the Beta I played have really improved game play and it's a great effort all round. The crate traders maintain that minimalist refuge context and work very well. The additional Zombie Spawners at the far end time their re-entry nicely as you have a slight breather to catch your bearings but not for too long.

I don't like to be picky with finals but here are a few suggestions for future maps or possibly a future build of Refuge:

Give us a bit more time to Beta test. I found a few more exploit areas with the cots leading you up to a wooden beam one of the most noticable.

There is also a troublesome area that isn't rendering under one of the barrack type buildings at the near end of the burnt out one. It flashes white as you walk past it. This is caused by an antiportal brush that is protuding into the gameplay area. I'd recommend only using these brushes where they can be totally encapsulated by a surrounding brush or SM. Stick to zone portals for those type of structures as there are limited antiportal opportunities.

One more suggestion is to maximise use of terrain editing tools. The smoothing tool will take of the sharp edges off drifts and mounds while the texture scaling tool will help the snow not look too stretched when you're looking at it from a relatively close range.

Overall, it's a damn fine map and my comments are more about the technicalities rather than the design and gameplay which clearly match the map name and outline.

[gusone]

We've added it to the DSAS server (warts 'n all) if people want to experience it while running around trying to kill each other...I mean not kill each other! Only the best maps get the OBE of maps that is DSAS approval!

Huts on stilts is a nice touch. The bloody crawlers crawl under them and appear from now where, nice touch. Reminds of The Great Escape in winter.

[IrritAnt]

Thanks for all the awesome feedback.

I may have been a victim of my own impatience... wanting to get the final version out ASAP. I certainly could have waited for more beta feedback.

JubalHarshaw - I know the exact area you mean. I'll put a blocking volume over it to stop the exploit.
Arramus - I'm bummed I didn't spot the antiportal jutting out into the play area. Thanks for the info. I'll also fix the cot-to-ceiling problem
Maul - Damn holes in the fence... You're right, I should have done a complete "perimeter sweep" to find them. Easily fixed.

I may release an updated and fixed version in the future, but for now I'm sick of the sight of it :P

[arramus]

Originally Posted by gusone

We've added it to the DSAS server (warts 'n all) if people want to experience it while running around trying to kill each other...I mean not kill each other! Only the best maps get the OBE of maps that is DSAS approval!

Huts on stilts is a nice touch. The bloody crawlers crawl under them and appear from now where, nice touch. Reminds of The Great Escape in winter.

Good stuff. I'll certainly head on over and try to be there for a full house.

[Sgt Jigglebelly]

screens look really good - will try this one tonight

[JubalHarshaw]

Sorry, forgot to report in my last post, the berths also can be climbed, not so easy to climb than the shelves though.

[[TW]Xienen]

Originally Posted by IrritAnt

I may release an updated and fixed version in the future, but for now I'm sick of the sight of it :P

Please be sure to rename the file when released as KF-Refuge.rom will be added to the White List in the next update(not to mention server admins and players will have a hell of a time if it's not renamed). Nice Map, btw =)

[SgtHermann]

the map is great but i have an gameplay issue:
the camp on the left end of the map (relative to the entrypoint in the map) and the massgrave are very easy to hold since the specimens only approach from the front.
i realized there are spawnpoints within these areas but they wont be used cause the players stand next to them.
a solution would be to place the spawns outside the playable level and let the zeds climb over the fences surounding the area and attack the team from behind.
that way the map would be perfect

[gazornonplat]

Loving the map dude. Dunno, something about it reminds me of Cryostasis (I love that game) like that this does the cold effect fantastically. Good work.

[yahodahan]

amazing work, great to see!

Well, secretly I'm shaking my fist in anger that I'll have to compete with this...haha...

just beautiful (in a zombie splattering way).