New map: botanic garden

[Toolwut]

Game mode CTF, 1 flag per team, pgp-only, 3 points per cap

Contains more or less hard (speed) jumps for fast gameplay and to motivate players to spend some time learning the map, relatively open layout to ensure some good fights and to prevent a focus on capping instead of fighting. Some less complex brushes were added outside of the playable area so the map hopefully feels a bit larger than it actually is.

On last social saturday many people experienced the bug of getting kicked for having corrupt files, this got fixed by shortening the "requiredfiles" string (thank you, jitspoe).

This is my very first map for dp or any other game so I learned most stuff on the fly and hope to learn more about good mapping now through proper feedback on my map .

A huge thank you to whoa for teaching me all I wanted to know about mapping and providing his server for testing early versions of my, and to all the guys in the Level Design channel on Discord who answered my many questions and helped me fix some bugs in my map (JMR, FourthX, Unibonger, sort, jitspoe etc.)!

Plans for the next version:
- Make the map a bit easier for beginners (e.g. provide an easy way out of the lower ice path, thank you for that suggestion, jitspoe)
- Properly align the planket textures (Thanks 3lf)
- Fix floating brushes (Thanks 3lf)

[3lf]

Change the texture for the planks. Remove floating planks. Make the ramps fit the environment. Stairs have too many steps. The pillars are awesome, visually the best part of the map. The tree and the sound effects are cool too.

Next time releasing a beta, I think you should make the map as close to a finished version as you can. So no more floating objects, okay?

[Toolwut]

I noticed the misalignments too late (right aber posting the map) and did not recognize floating objects as problems, but you're right about that of course. I would like to hear opinions about that stair thing because I'm afraid a bigger distance between them would look too unrealistic. The pillars are taken from JMR's overhang map, he allowed me to use them.

[jitspoe]

Put the map up on the beta server.  I'll send you the login details.  I don't want to nitpick everything until you've played it a bit, as you might decide to make some major changes, but a few high level notes:

- Consider how to block visibility.  Breaking the map up into sections so that you can't see one side of the map from the others helps not only with performance of the map, but network traffic and other things, as invisible entities don't need to be sent over the network.
- Try to make things look grounded and realistic.  Floating objects and stairs/ramps with no supports just look lazy and break immersion (unless you have some sort of convincing scifi aesthetic where things look like they should be floating).
- Lighting is a bit bright/uniform.

[Toolwut]

Thanks for uploading it!
I'm not sure how much I want to change the open mid because the openness makes it kind of unique, I will see how my r_speeds in mid will change in the next version, after removing obsolete tris.
I am workin on a (better/more consequent) theme for the map, so most floating stuff will fit to the map/not be floating anymore. I am not sure what to do with the floating flag though, because I don't want it just to be on top of a pillar, and fixing it with a few ropes set as mist brushes would be harmful details in the highest r_speeds region of my map ... The other floating things will definitely be fixed though.
Yes, working on my b2 I realized that I didn't set any sky parameters (I've set _sun_angle, _sun_light and _sun_surface now which gives sharper shadows etc.).

[Rick]

I had a mess around with the map about a month ago, kind of forgot to post anything. I liked the layout, but didn't love the visuals, so I messed around with it.

Keep in mind that I did not optimise the map with hints/details/etc., so probably has bad r_speeds.

P.S I thought I would post this in-case it helps you continue mapping. Have fun.

[Toolwut]

Hell yeah, this looks nice Here you can see how much more an experienced mapper is capable of than a beginner. Did you do this in Quark or TrenchBroom ... or even in Bsp?
I'm not sure of what to think about the modified mid part (better than my approach, especially concerning vis, but the layout needs to be improved I think) and noticed that you removed the jump from base-high via flag at the (now) wall behind it but the visual changes are definitely an improvement and inspiration for me Would you mind if I decompile your map and take parts of it for a (possible) future botanic_b2? I suddenly see some potential in my map again ..

[Rick]

I use the good ol' BSP, I don't see the need to use other editors.

No idea what jumps etc. that I removed, should be easy enough to add back in

Yeah, didn't know what to do with MID, I like an open mid but obviously VIS does not - just an idea of how you could block views.

Don't you dare decompile!@@!@! Just kidding, I decompiled your map - any who here is the .map file. If you use anything from it, make sure you utilise the detail flag, as I did not.

[JeongWa]

The version Rick made feels way more natural. I want to see a final version of it :p

[jitspoe]

Ooh, nice work, Rick!  One of these days you need to actually finish a map instead of just posting these teases of what could potentially be.

Toolwut: Hope you take this and finish it.  We could play test it on Social Saturday.

I'm still not a fan of the flag placement, though.  Looks very awkward to get to for new players/too easy to defend.  Wonder if some jump pads on the side or something would make it more viable.

[Toolwut]

Found the .map file for botanic_b1 and attached it. Whoever wants to look into it and make a better version, feel free to do it