Beta Map KF-Kholnee

[Dragontear]

"As the days pass, those fortunate enough to escape the main concentrations of these horrible things often find themselves scattered elsewhere.
As the sun lowers, those poor souls seek shelter, and fortify.
As the night falls, we hear them, baying."

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A 'House in the Woods' scenario. Compatible for both Survival and Versus.

Summary:
I was working on this last July-ish? Then stopped that from loss of motivation, recently ported the old structure and started anew. Began with a simple idea-thread on the forum, using this as a visual top-down plan, with the first, second and third being screenshots of the older version after some work, shortly after the Manor and it's resources were released.

Suitable for 1-6 human players, spawning inside the House itself, with Zed AI/Zed Players spawning in the further edges of the forest, breaking through thickets and derelict buildings. Generally intending for the Humans to stay within the house, welding doors/windows and trying to keep the Zeds out.

Features:
- One Trader-Pod, in the Shed North-East of the House. Helps for not getting lost.
- Possibly oppressive fog - even in darkness, clear silhouettes move.
- Two double-metal doors, each with thinner windows allowing defenders to fire upon Zeds trying to break through them, and three metal-shutters over the wide-windows that can be welded shut, blocking Zed intrusion while allowing Humans to fire through the tall gap, but Crawlers can sneak in.
- A Petrol-Generator in the Living Room that keeps the lights going, destroying this by accident or intention breaks all lights.
- A dozen or so thin-windows Humans can smash open to shoot through upon Zeds, thinning the numbers out before they reach the doors or metal shutters.
- Many destructable elements inside the House, including the Generator, Lights, various features and part of the structure itself, and others outside.
- Somewhat spacious central house with Kitchen, Living Room, Bathroom, Bedroom and two Main Hallways and a Side-Hall.
- Highly decorated interior and exterior - a hopefully believably House, surrounded by overgrown, twisting woods that have consumed the abandoned and neglected.
- Hundreds of sound-emitting trigger-volumes; Almost every cluster of bush and plant create sound, old buildings creak, broken glass crackles, shuffling paper can alert Defenders to the whereabouts of the Zeds and vice-versa. (May suggest turning music down or off)
- Several clusters of brush with gnarled roots sticking out, blocking Humans while allowing passage to Zeds, watch your flanks people.
- My attempt at a little story via 'Show, don't Tell'. Hopefully it's nice.
- Apparently lovely lighting effects. Go see.

Image Album here

Download link here via Steam

Still being actively developed, so any constructive feedback and criticism is desired and would be appreciated!

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Change Log:

Change Log:
D/M/Y; Version - Details

5-7-2016; 0.15 - Uploaded map, minor changes.

5-7-2016; 0.16 - Fixed the North window-barricade, large Zeds could not properly attack the door-actor before. Tweaked splatter-maps, fixed Petrol-Generator and clock ambient noises, some indoor-lighting fixes, altered interior door start-positions. Added Precomputed Visibility volumes.

7.7.2016; 0.17 - Replaced the Storage Room with Bedroom, one ammo and weapon spawn, same as before. The Storage area is now at the North side/back end of the House. Office has been replaced with a new Bathroom which has one ammo spawn inside, Office aesthetic added to the new Bedroom with the radio in there now. General addition of details, destructible objects, curtains, etc. Removed a solid csg shape that decided it'll appear in one of the Zed AI/Player spawns south of the Track-Side Derelict Structure.

8.7.2016; 0.18 - Fixes, removed floating objects north of the House, added dialog volumes.

9.7.2016; 0.19 - More tweaks here and there, mostly for statics, fixed pathing for larger zed in the Bathroom/East Hallway, updated lights, new screenshots looks a bit fancier.

17.7.2016; 0.20 - Path corrections for small doorways, Large Zeds should be able to access all interior rooms, static details added, grunge added. One or two things I forgot.

18.7.2016; 0.21 - Fixed Generator being insta-killed by ballistics (Why, Dragon?), details here and there regarding overgrowth, attempt at increasing Zed-spawn from the south, etc

23.7.2016; 0.22 - Another minor update, moving a few path-nodes about/prescribed route or two, ambient emitters to better show non-access to Zed-spawn areas, added messages to tell Defenders to go back when approaching/bumping into Zed-spawn access routes.

27.7.2016; RC 1.0 - Bigger update! Festooned more overgrowth, details for materials, statics and such, ambient effects, sound-zones and such.

27.7.2016; RC 1.1 - ...Small destructible trees crashed the map. FFFFFF. Fixed, my apologies.

1.8.2016; RC 1.2 - Increased the dilapidated state of the House, added details, etc.

4.8.2016; RC 1.3 - Details! Touching up.

14.8.2016; RC 1.4 - More details! Re-done the windows, Also wrecked the interior a little bit more, sorry.

23.8.2016; RC 1.5 - Ambient fx in/out of play-area, added smaller foliage around the exterior, small material/texture alterations.

28.9.2016; RC 1.6 - Replaced foliage, optimisation passes, added details, etc, takes so long. CURRENT VERSION IS NOW RELEASE CLIENT, 1.6

 

[Koudspeel]

Still being actively developed, so any constructive feedback and criticism is desired and would be appreciated!

First off, the map looks great. Great atmosphere in my opinion. I haven't actually played the map yet but by judging the screenshots alone I don't think the fog should continue indoors. Not sure if that's a design choice, but it seems a bit off to me.

I'll try playing the map this evening.

 

[Dragontear]

Updated to Version 0.16, see changelog for more. Hopefully it works alright. ^^;

And thank you, not too sure about the fog myself - I don't really know how to do that, might need to find out how to lessen the fog for the interior, while allowing the exterior to still have that thick fog without mucking up anything like the cull-distances.

 

[Seanchaoz]

It looks fantastic, wow! Very thick atmosphere.

The outdoors look just gorgeous, not much else to say. Very nice job there.

The indoor is decent, but not as spectacular as the outdoor areas. In my opinion it needs more detail inside the house. More junk on the ground, more geometry on the walls and ceiling, more furniture etc. It's not a negative at all, it looks perfectly fine but I definitely feel like 1-2 more hours work dedicated on decorating the indoor some more will really benefit greatly.

As Koudspeel says, the fog works really well while outdoors, but looks a bit odd when inside. I also don't know of a way to exclude an area from fog (maybe there is some sort of override volume? I haven't looked into it). The closest thing I can think of that might be a compromise is to increase the fog start range from the player viewport, but the tradeoff is that the outdoor area might suffer from doing that.

If you figure out a way to isolate fog from out/indoor, let us know please

 

[Dragontear]

Hello world, update 0.17 is uploaded recently, please see the main post for details.

Seanchaoz; Thank you! I've added more detail to the interior and swapped rooms about, so now the House actually has pretty much all the things you'd expect... in a house? Yay. I'll tell you this, however; 1-2 hours soon turns into more than... well, 3-6 hours, or however long, much as I'd like to claim it's due to my inherently meticulous attention to detail... more like distractions, cats, fussing over things, cats, and whatever pops up. And cats.

As for the fog... actually remembered why I also liked it in that dense in the house - as it stands now, without a light-source, it's virtually pitch black, and the flash light does not have a particularly wide angle, more-so in confined quarters, so the fog, in my humble view, actually helps define your surroundings and the humans/zeds indoors, dark silhouettes that can still be seen/navigated around. You don't have to worry about being blind, but without the lights, it may be more difficult to see certain details, or pull off headshots, etc.

Not merely excusing the lack of a different level of fog indoors of course, as I'd like to have it recede a little, at least while the lights are on.

Edit; Given the number of changes, current indoor screenshots are somewhat outdated for the eastern half of the structure, I'll try and update them asap.

Edit 2; Managed to get the characters to note how dark it is indoors, after the generator is destroyed. A simple concept, but one that makes me giddy, brings things to life more, yeees.

 

[Seanchaoz]

... however; 1-2 hours soon turns into more than... well, 3-6 hours, or however long, much as I'd like to claim it's due to my inherently meticulous attention to detail... more like distractions, cats, fussing over things, cats, and whatever pops up. And cats.

Oh man do I ever know what you mean, haha. When you have a clear idea if what you want to do, 1-2 hours can get a LOT done. But if you don't have an actual plan, and are just trying to come up with stuff on the fly, it can really drag out and get you distracted by other things around you. But yeah, extreme attention to detail can be both a blessing and a curse. It's going to produce excellent results in the end, but my god it can really pile up on extra hours of work time.

Totally fair point on the fog. It's your map after all! I don't think it looks bad at all having that thick fog indoors, it's just one of those things that stands out a bit and can very briefly pull you out of the immersion. But again, I don't think any of us even know how to avoid it, leading me to believe that it's an engine limitation that we just have to live with, so whatever. There will always be trade-offs, and you make a good point of turning it into a positive feature.

On the Dialogue Volume, I'm assuming you just set a Toggle function linked to the generator with a Damage Taken script? Nice little detail though

 

[Dragontear]

Well, generally a slow worker myself, but at least it means nothing's rushed, right?

I know what you mean, and wouldn't mind actually figuring out how to pull the indoor-fog back just a little, but if it's indeed 'one of those things', fairly minor I think.

Alas, it's the case of; Level loaded (client side only) > Toggle function (Turn off DialogEnvironmentVolume_5'). Then; Destructableactor (Generator) Destroyed > Togglefunction (Turn on aforementioned dialog environment.)

Weirdly, it worked, then all of a sudden the coding-nodes are misbehaving without much poking... "Warning Kismet KF-Kholnee KFDialogEnvironmentVolume_5 Kismet object KF-Kholnee.TheWorldersistentLevel.Main_Sequence.Seq Act_Toggle_2 will fail to modify Actor referenced through a linked variable: Actor is static"

Odd, also gonna update this soon to fix some exterior objects just.. floating there. Menacingly.

 

[Seanchaoz]

Very, very minor issue with the fog. Nitpicking, really.

And yeah the in-game Kismet warnings was something I struggled with on Balcony Defense, which I eventually managed to fix with a solution I think might work for you too.

I have a pair of timed spotlights that the players can turn on, which then remain lit for x seconds, and then turn off while at the same time printing messages to the players. Once they go out, there is a recharge time before the trigger becomes active again, to prevent players from just switching it on all the time.

I basically used Toggle on/off nodes tied to DynamicTriggerVolumes (which were used to print screen messages) and a Trigger that switched the actual lights on when used. It all worked just fine mechanically, but in-game it always printed those Kismet warning messages because apparently the engine doesn't like it when you toggle certain volumes on or off.

So what I did to make it work perfectly without any kismet errors was replace all Toggle switches tied to a Volume into a Change Collision node instead, and set it to accept NoCollision when I wanted them to be inactive, and set it to TouchAll when it needed to be active. This way the volume itself does not get modified directly, only what it responds to when touched which seems to work much better.

I'm not sure how performance friendly that solution is though, but for Killing floor maps I don't think it's an issue.

 

[Dragontear]

Edit; Sweet cream and cheese crackers, you'd think I would notice a massive 'darkoutside' dialog volume covering the entire level, including ,wait for it... the house. Herp derp derp. Basically, I was the architect of my own irritation... not that surprising.

So yes, that's sorted, thank you very much nonetheless good sir!

Updated, yay.

 

[Dragontear]

Map has been updated to 0.19, please see main post for more information.

Same as on the steam page;

Just a heads up of sorts, will be away for about two weeks, though I'll have internet access, I won't be able to continue development of the map until I return home. Alas, still seeking feedback, constructive criticism, ideas and perhaps any reviews? Not to be presumptious, admittedly giddy to see written/video stuff if there may be any.​

 

[Seanchaoz]

Here's a video preview of the 0.19 version of the map. Overall really great job, wonderful map with real attention to detail

 

[Dragontear]

First of all, just wanna get the rest of the 'squee' out of my system; could not help but grin and generally feel very giddy while watching you explore and inspect the environment so much. 'been attempting to make maps on and off for eh, a few years at least, wasn't really expecting such a thorough walkthrough of what was essentially a (formerly 'quick') idea of an actual Protect the House scenario where you're supposed to stay indoors, shut/weld the doors and window-shutters and keep the beasties out, making it to this far given the typical spikes and massive dips in motivation. Suffice to say, watching somebody else go through and discover stuff is a source of joy. Farmhouse is very good, but I felt the boarded up windows and indoor spawns make holding that structure very unlikely.

With all that out of the way, have a much clearer idea of what to do next, summed as thus; small doorways need to have their AI paths checked and sorted, more detail in certain spots, be it physically touchable, or decals (need to figure out how to use decals properly, derp), and perhaps optimise better - the latter facet is something relatively new to me for a multiplayer map so any suggestions will be apprecaited and taken into account, already have used 'pre-comuputed visibility' but it refuses to be 'built'.

Just a few notes, which I'll add or such to the main post - when you mentioned the sounds created by walking through the broken wall of the Trader Shed, there's actually more than 100-200+ trigger volumes for sound, most being bushes and plant-clusters, a few for creaking wood, a few dozen for broken glass, a few for paper, and a few less for rubbish, so sound ought to be important; it should play a little role in alerting players to the presence/direction of incoming Zeds.

There are actually quite a few spots that look like small groups of bushes with gnarled roots sticking out; these are small 'zones' that allow Zeds to move through, but block humans, so if you are running around in the woods, especially the edges, you will be running around obstacles while the Zeds can cut corners with impunity, and I think I'll look to increase that more in the future, this map and the next possible ideas.

Most ammo spawns are paired with weapon spawns in the House, with two more ammo spawns in the Bathroom and Living room, there are a few ammo spawns in the outdoors, but not many.

 

[Seanchaoz]

Yeah it's always fun watching someone else playing through your map because when you've spent 100+ hours on the environment yourself, building it, designing and playtesting, you know exactly what's what and where every single thing is which influences how *you* play your own map, essentially making you lose a lot of objectivity towards what it's like for someone playing it the first time. That's why seeing someone else play it can be a huge help in figuring out things you wouldn't otherwise notice.

Very cool that you've put that many sounds in - I didn't really even notice it which is actually a good thing. That means it works. Often the things we do notice are what doesn't work. Kinda like the little nails in the shelf. I'll bet you 90% of the KF2 playbase will never actively notice those, but their brain still picks up on those tiny details and improves the overall sensory experience. It's that psychological phenomenon where you can't quite put your finger on why something looks or feels good; because your subconscious is picking up on little details that your waking mind is not. It's cool stuff really, and is why - as I think I mention in the video - Small Details make a Huge Difference.

Also I noticed several other really cool little details that I think did not get mentioned in the video - like the re-scaled Manor torture cages to look like dog/animal pens, and the custom made shower cabinet in the bathroom. Really loved those.

Decals are easy-peasy to use. If you go to the ENV_Signage package (it's in the Environment list with all the other map packages) you'll find flat little square meshes. Pull those into your map and place them 1 or 2 units above the surface (wall, floor, ceiling) and scale them to whatever dimensions you want. Load the materials from the same package, or any other package/custom imported and just apply them to the decal meshes. That's it. You can even use the modular floor/wall/ceiling pieces as decals if you want, it's really just a flat surface layered on top of another surface and then given a material. Just make sure to set your decal meshes to No Collision and remove shadow casting for optimization, since they don't need any of that.

In fact all of those posters, warning signs, first-aid charts and whatnot you see plastered all over the official maps like Paris, Bioticslab etc. - those are decals too, as well as bullet holes left by your guns, or the scorch marks from grenades, husk rockets, etc. You can even place those as static decals in your map if you want, using the method I just described. The only trick is finding them in the package library.

 

[Rafin The Red]

WOW! I was watching Seanchaoz's vid. Looks awesome. All the detail you've put into it is phenomenal. That is how I want to do mine! Must have taken many hours, esp on the outdoors. Did you make a lot of you own meshes?

 

[Dragontear]

Updated main post, just features and such.

Seanchaoz; Excellent indeed, internal-squeeing aside, very helpful. I meant about 100-200 ish sound-emitting triggervolumes, wrong number. X3 Alas, I'm basically just nodding at everything you're saying as it does make sense, little things have an effect that is simultaneously understated to the point of barely noticeable, and yet overall adds quite some atmosphere or 'authenticity' to an environment, without sounding pretentious.

Makes a huge difference when people actually tell me the 'why' and 'how' of things, gives me motivation and an idea of what to do next, so decals, details and such, will see what I can do when I've gotten access to the editor once more.

@Raffin_The_Red; Thank you indeed, and honestly flattered, but I've no real capability in making my own meshes - either the mesh is re-textured with something that seems to just 'fit', or re-sized without making it too stretched-looking - two smaller bush static meshes vertically stretched a little looks nicer than a single bush-static to me.

To wit, and forgive me if this seems at all presumptuous or expectant; if anybody else is willing to make/remake videos and such, please link the forum thread and nudge me too? And this is entirely optional, perhaps consider turning the music down or entirely off; there's an awful lot of sound that goes into the environment, mostly pretty much every bush or plant you see rustles when touched, buildings creak, glass crinkles, etc. It may hint at the direction or location of Zeds or Humans, indoors or out. Also, again optional but quite the spirit of this particular map; would like to see individuals or a group try and hold the house itself, as the thin windows can be smashed with a single bash, allowing you to fire on invaders at the doors, and fire through the metal-shutters when closed and welded, perhaps a little 'CoD Zombies' mode gameplay as it were. ^^'

Thank you regardless.

 

[Rafin The Red]

Just played a few rounds. Definitely worth the time you're putting into it! Keep it up! Are you planing to put any blocking volumes into the undergrowth ( roots and fallen trees etc ) to make it a little tougher to sprint through?

 

[Dragontear]

Spiffing to hear! However in terms of blocking volumes; all of the 'passable' areas in the forest should be readily apparent by the grass and undergrowth being less than knee-height or so, and any place blocked off should be visually and physically obvious, with the exception of various patches where only Zeds can pass through.

With the idea of making movement more difficult away from the house, I may add more such Zed-only patches, make it riskier to be outdoors. Would like to find more ways to incentivize staying in the House where there's some better height and supplies.

 

[Rafin The Red]

Spiffing to hear! However in terms of blocking volumes; all of the 'passable' areas in the forest should be readily apparent by the grass and undergrowth being less than knee-height or so, and any place blocked off should be visually and physically obvious, with the exception of various patches where only Zeds can pass through.

With the idea of making movement more difficult away from the house, I may add more such Zed-only patches, make it riskier to be outdoors. Would like to find more ways to incentivize staying in the House where there's some better height and supplies.

I like your thinking. Can't wait for the final version - but take the time you need.

 

[Dragontear]

Again, much appreciated. ^^ Alas, in a way I could, once the only current issue of 'large Zed/path-finding' problem is dealt with, this could be punted over to the Final Release - it's already in a very playable state, everything necessary for a level is implemented, the only things I'd need to do is some tweaking and altering of details and path-nodes, really. I placed this in the Beta Release section because I wanted to gain awareness of this project, with the understanding it wasn't fully 'done' yet.

So for now, until I've (slowly) downloaded the game/editor elsewhere, I'm still hoping to see if anybody has found any serious errors, bugs or the like, and definitely still open to suggestions and ideas; once 'final' I'll still work on the map, as above, small things.

 

[Dragontear]

Righto, updated to Version 0.20, please see main post for more details. Still desiring constructive feedback and critique, and as before, if anybody wishes to make written or video-based reviews/playthroughs or what-have-you, please post a link to it in this thread, would be lovely, thank you. ^^