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Beta Map KF-TownhouseDefenseBeta2

Polygon

Grizzled Veteran
Oct 17, 2005
604
6
37
polygon.redorchestragame.com
Hey guys,

After doing some extensive testing and various changes, I am pleased to finally release KF-TownhouseDefenseBeta2 for your consideration. During your experience playing this map if you should run into any problems or have any suggestions, please let me know in this thread. Also, if you discover any exploits, please send me a private message!

Enjoy, and here is an excerpt from readme about the map and other important information:


Introduction/Artist Statement:

KF-TownhouseDefenseBeta2 is actually the first map I've ever done, period. By nature, I'm first a texture artist and second a modeler, but funny enough, I found myself really getting into the UnrealEditor after going through several tutorials and reading about its many functions. What I found was that the Unreal Editor itself is relatively easy to use although prone to crashing, and to create a great map, it takes a substantial amount of time, energy, and patience. With TownhouseDefense, my objective was to create a close quarters battle type map where you try to defend the main level of three townhouses connected by blown out sections in each of the walls. Additionally, one of the biggest pet peeves I have about custom maps is going into one and noticing too many poorly recycled elements from the official game. So with that in mind, I decided to knock out a plentiful amount of static meshes and level textures to distinguish the map from the many already out there.

In terms of what I enjoyed about creating this map, I loved how the two trading areas in the map turned out. In the basement, I decided to put together an offsetting, eccentric, IRA type weapons cache and in the other section, a very pro-British upstairs supply area. As you can imagine, I'm sure these two neighbors absolutely loved each other before being forcibly evacuated out of their homes. Also, before anyone gets too butthurt over the IRA poster and Irish flag in the basement, it should be noted that I decided to incorporate those elements for atmospheric reasons, not political. They exist in the map to provide an unsettling and downright creepy element to the trading area. Don't read too much into it, please.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for downloading the map and I hope it provides you with some solid hours of entertainment. In terms of what I have coming up next as far as maps go, I plan on entering something probably in the second phase of the mapping competition. I will not say what it is yet, but it's going to be one hell of a map.

One suggestion when playing my map: WATCH YOUR SIX. Oh, and enjoy the boobmobile in the first garage.


Story:


After suffering heavy losses in London, the survivors of your unit retreat to the suburbs outside the city. Upon arrival, you and your men discover a set of three townhouses that have recently been evacuated. Your objective is to defend the main level of these three townhouses from waves of specimens. Controlling entry points for these creatures in these tight quarters using welding is highly recommended. Supply locations have been identified in the basement of the first townhouse and in the upper room of the third townhouse.


Recommended Player Size: 1-6. It's not recommended at all you have more players than six as it would become very congested!


Installation Instructions:


- Place KF-TownhouseDefenseBeta1.rom in your killingfloor\maps directory.


- Place TownhouseDefenseStaticMeshes.usx and WeaponPickupSM.usx in your killingfloor\StaticMeshes directory.


- Place TownhouseDefenseStatics.utx and Weapons3rd_tex.utx in your killingfloor\Textures directory.


That's it!


Note About Using My New Textures and Statics or Any Elements of my Map:


If you wish to use my new textures, static meshes or any aspect of this map (textures and statics found in TownhouseDefenseStatics.utx and TownhouseDefenseStaticMeshes.usx) you may do so as long as you provide credit to me in your readme file and in your public internet release of the map (message board, forum, etc). Under no circumstances may you use the custom static meshes and textures I created for monetary purposes (for profit) unless you contact me first and obtain my consent.


Special Thanks:

Eric Kessler: For testing my map, great map suggestions, putting up with my many noob questions, and support!

OhNein: Putting up with more of my noob questions and helping me out with lighting and technical issues.

Dr. Guppy: For some excellent suggestions and assistance with identifying trouble spots and testing.

Roommates: For their input and early testing of my map!

Tripwire Interactive Staff: For making such a mind bogglingly awesome co-op game of epic proportions.



Bug Reporting:


If you notice any bugs or exploits, please send me (Polygon) a personal message through the official Killing Floor message board. Do not post screenshots of exploits publicly!


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DOWNLOAD HERE!
 
This is your first map so here are a few things for the future that will undoubtedly come naturally with more experience:

Apply blocking volumes to static meshes with no apparent collision added as there are numerous objects you can run through amongst the ones you can't. If it's all or nothing then that's fine but the mixture can get a little frustrating.

Consider the height of the bots as they run over objects like the overturned tables. The bloats have their heads stuck through the ceiling as they climb over and won't be able to do their thing.

Add blocking volumes to some of the side objects that allow you to climb on them. While these aren't really exploit areas, they do cause player animations to lock into the shakes and restrict movement.

Add some zone portals or anti zone portals as applicable. The whole map is currently rendering everything at the same time, depending on your field of view, and can cause some big FPS hits for the long straights.

There are a fair number of overlapping brushes that will add to rendering and processing load and may cause tears at any moment with each rebuild. There are a few occasions that it may be necessary to do this when zoning/lighting is causing issues but I'd recommend otherwise.

Some of the wall images are so close to the walls that they are flickering. If you move them out a little this will clear that up. This is one of the weaknesses of UE that we have to work around. I typically use frames or plastic poster sliders where ever possible to keep their placement functional but in context.

These comments are more technical points that are more than made up for with the overall look and feel. The texturing, wall breaks, and variety keep it all alive and stimulating. It feels like one of my old student dwellings.

How about allowing players to venture outside just a little so that they aren't getting slapped in the face when they try to walk through an open door? For some places, a gate or wooden fence will allow them a taste of the night air without intruding into spawn areas.

Keep it coming as it's going to be a good one.
 
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Hey someone useful crits for once, nice points Arramus! Sorry for not opening your map in the Editor poly, I should have known the technical points, wasn't thinking. Overall I think it's a great map. A greatly difficult map :p If you need help with any of the suggestions Arramus has made let me know, adding anti-zoneportals will greatly increase performance on your map.

As far as overlapping brushes. You want to make sure you are using the grid. It's there, it's the most important thing when making a map, snap to grid. that way there is no chance of any 'tears' in the map. Other than that, gameplay feedback will come as more people play :)
 
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This is your first map so here are a few things for the future that will undoubtedly come naturally with more experience:

Apply blocking volumes to static meshes with no apparent collision added as there are numerous objects you can run through amongst the ones you can't. If it's all or nothing then that's fine but the mixture can get a little frustrating.

Consider the height of the bots as they run over objects like the overturned tables. The bloats have their heads stuck through the ceiling as they climb over and won't be able to do their thing.

Add blocking volumes to some of the side objects that allow you to climb on them. While these aren't really exploit areas, they do cause player animations to lock into the shakes and restrict movement.

Add some zone portals or anti zone portals as applicable. The whole map is currently rendering everything at the same time, depending on your field of view, and can cause some big FPS hits for the long straights.

There are a fair number of overlapping brushes that will add to rendering and processing load and may cause tears at any moment with each rebuild. There are a few occasions that it may be necessary to do this when zoning/lighting is causing issues but I'd recommend otherwise.

Some of the wall images are so close to the walls that they are flickering. If you move them out a little this will clear that up. This is one of the weaknesses of UE that we have to work around. I typically use frames or plastic poster sliders where ever possible to keep their placement functional but in context.

These comments are more technical points that are more than made up for with the overall look and feel. The texturing, wall breaks, and variety keep it all alive and stimulating. It feels like one of my old student dwellings.

How about allowing players to venture outside just a little so that they aren't getting slapped in the face when they try to walk through an open door? For some places, a gate or wooden fence will allow them a taste of the night air without intruding into spawn areas.

Keep it coming as it's going to be a good one.

Thank you for the detailed suggestions. What I did basically was make most of the boxes and trash bags have no collision since according to play tests I had, it was irritating to back up into them and get stuck. However, I made some of the more solid objects still retain their collision (at least those you could walk over easily).

I'll also look into zone portals for my next map for sure, I just figured that since that it was such a relatively small map, the FPS wasn't going to take too much of a punishment. As far as the flickering posters go, I haven't seen any before but if you can tell me where they are specifically, I'll definitely adjust them accordingly. I do realize that the ceilings are a bit tight as well, but I haven't really caught any specimens getting stuck up there for the most part (except maybe by the overturned couch once or twice, but nothing significant). In the future, my ceilings will be much taller and I'll keep in mind what objects I have that can be climbed on.

Also, your suggestion regarding opening up the level into the outdoors is definitely a good one and I plan on maybe doing that a bit for a future version of this map.

Anyways, thanks a lot for taking the time to write up some good pointers!

Edit: Thanks for the mirror, Bart!
 
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poster.jpg


The image on the left is the most extreme of the flickers. Prince Harry also loses his head for a bit as well...

The one in the middle is the opposite. In this case it's too far away from the wall.

The one on the right also flickers as you run past.

Ooo. One more thing. Can you also move a path node right up to the trader doors and possibly even inside the staircases as the direction locater loses its pathing near the doors? I'd even go so far as to lose the first shop volume from each room as it may alternate between the hall and room as random shop volumes activate.
 
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This map makes me wish that:

A) I had any experience with texturing and modeling

and

B) I had the time, between school and trying to finish my own map, to learn.

Nice work, will give this one a play through. I worry about smaller maps in KF because, on hard, narrow confines become death traps around waves 5 to 6.
 
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Unfortunately, the texture flickering (z-fighting) differs from computer to computer. 2-4 UU (Unreal Units) away from the wall will usually do the trick but at longer ranges even that won't suffice. If the player cannot go beside the poster you should bump it even further from the wall just to make sure you don't get z-fighting. For a poster that can be seen at long distances consider using a projector.
 
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Unfortunately, the texture flickering (z-fighting) differs from computer to computer. 2-4 UU (Unreal Units) away from the wall will usually do the trick but at longer ranges even that won't suffice. If the player cannot go beside the poster you should bump it even further from the wall just to make sure you don't get z-fighting. For a poster that can be seen at long distances consider using a projector.

Ok, I'll keep that in mind, thanks!
 
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I tried a quick playthrough and found some bugs to report.

1. Even if a particular trader is closed, you can still buy things at that location by standing in the doorway:


This screenshot was taken at the trader nearest the spawn, but it also works with the trader that's on the second floor. I suggest you move the buy zones further inwards so they don't include the hallway or stairwell.

2. The doors are fairly problematic, namely the sets of double doors. They swing outwards, so specimens tend to get stuck while trying to get in since they themselves block the doors from opening:


You can see the shadow of the four Clots behind this door. They were never able to open it. The use key doesn't always seem to open the door from my end, so I had to finagle around with some welding and grenades (To get them to back away) in order to get the Clots to open it.

3. The map lacks music. I don't know if this was a design choice, but personally I feel every Killing Floor map isn't a complete Killing Floor map unless it implements music, whether it be custom or the fine tunes already provided.
 
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