===================================================================== title: Mystic Gemini date: 9th August 2008 file: mg_final.pk3 author(s): Simon 'Sock' O'Callaghan Nikolai 'Mr. Lake' Mohilchock email address: mememe[at]simonoc[dot]com URL: www.simonoc.com/ description: Final Version ===================================================================== In the Beginning I always wanted to create a CTF map based on my last texture set, but I could not find a layout which I was happy with. Recently while browsing lvlworld and I found a gorgeous CTF map with a cool layout which I thought would look good in stone ... Evil Gemini is a small 2v2 CTF map by Mr. Lake featuring a very cool idea, the flag rooms are next to each other! This simple change allowed the game play to be less defensive and more intense with fewer places to hide. I really wanted to work with this layout and contacted Mr. Lake to see if he would mind and luckily for me he said 'By all means, please do. =)' I took the original map and de-compiled it to get an idea of structural scale and where all the items were placed. Once I had a compiled version of the original map I stripped out all of the detail and converted everything back into basic concrete blocks. I quickly tested the map to see if all the original game play was still intact and luckily everything worked fine. ===================================================================== Slight Detour Ahead One of the challenges of working with someone else's map is to make your own version different enough to stand out on its own, but still be recognizable of what map it was based on. With the help of many emails from my friends, I think I have ended up with a map which offers good game play and visually looks different. The original map had a narrow central area which stretched from one side of the map to other. There were raised sections at both ends which were accessible either by the side rooms or trick jumps off geometry below. Each side of the base had two entrances which went into one room and then upwards via a jump pad into the flag room. There was various obstacles around the rooms for cover but the routes to each base was quick, fast and identical. The path through both side rooms always ended with a jump pad and this seemed like a good place to start with something different. The SG room was changed to have an upper route that connected directly from the central area to the flag room and the jump pad was moved to the middle of the room instead. This change gave the SG room a new primary route that was not dependant on a jump pad for access to the flag room. The lower area was setup to be connected via one jump pad and three trick jump ledges to the side. This proved pointless because the jump pad was always faster and easier! A 90 degree turn staircase was added to replaced the jump ledges and counter the benefits of using the jump pad. With the room layout having less reliance on the jump pad for navigation the connection to the flag room was moved further back to balance against the other side. The central area was doubled in width and a new upper area was added. The three tiered floor space was connected together with a ramp, a set of stairs and a jump pad. The lower connection was added later because the bots were using the side rooms to change height instead of in the central area. The distance between the bases remained the same because this was a primary feature of the original map. The new upper area also created a lot more cover for the lower routes which stopped the RG dominated so much. Originally I wanted the upper areas to be connected underneath the flag room via a tunnel that could be seen from above. The majority of players in small matches went directly from base to base and this added complexity to the central area was worthless. The upper ledge was designed to be the perfect place to snipe the flag rooms and dominate the central power up on the floor below. This area was mainly used in 4v4 matches and the teleporters were added to allow players to quickly switch ledges. The PG room was initially split into two areas with the top part ending in a difficult jump to the flag room. The upper area was time consuming to navigate and mostly ignored by the bots because of the tricky ending. The jump pad was moved further back into the room and a new upper area was created which allowed players to move around easier. The PG was perched between the jump pad and a new set of stairs which soon became a hot favourite for the bots. Originally the room was designed to be more open plan and have a gradual slope upwards to the flag room. Unfortunately most fights in this area ended very quickly due to the lack of cover to dodge around. A couple of pillars were added at one end of the room for gauntlet dancing and weaving manoeuvres. The upper area was deliberately left open to preventing defensive tactics. A bonus GA was placed on the highest pillar for the CPMA hop skip double jump players. The flag room footprint was increased in size and both entrances were offset against each other. Having more floor space allowed players to run circles around each other and swing cats without touching the sides. The new layout of the flag room entrances gave each side route a different cost in speed and ease of use. I really liked the idea of different strategies for each route to the flag room and it made the matches feel more thought out and less chaotic. The original map used glass to show what parts of the flag room could not be reached, but this material did not fit with the new theme. Eventually I decided to use thick wooden trunks suspended from the walls as a visual clue instead. The flag room had an unusual balance of two entrances and three exits and the drop down at the front of the room needed to be more obvious. The floor design was changed to make the space more readable by the player and easier for bots to use. ===================================================================== Pick and Mix Layout The item layout is grouped together by architectural boundaries into three different zones, flag room, side rooms and central area. Not all of the items were mirrored exactly between the bases and some of the weapons were located in the central area. The flag room was setup with a RL, YA and 50 health and the side room zones had the PG and SG with +15 armor / health in each. The central area contained the RG, LG, 2 x 25 health and various ammo packs grouped together at each end. The original layout worked really well and only a few small modifications were made to suit the new architectural changes better. The PG and SG were moved to the centre of the side rooms and the +15 armor / health were changed to support one of the routes (upper / lower) through the room instead. All the ammo and health in the central area was spread out to accommodate the extra floor space. The RG ammo was removed to reduce the effectiveness of the RG weapon. ===================================================================== Paint it Rock! During the alpha phase of the map (while waiting for feedback) I did a couple of brushwork concepts to work out the level style. I tried to create something that felt old, had high walls and blended back and forth between rock and brick effortlessly. Initially I was going to add more plants and broken bricks to the ground but I did not want to clutter up the map floor space and make it difficult to move around. I tried to keep all the detail high up and out of the players way which is why the map feels old but clean. All the broken bricks and rock detail comes at a price and that is triangle performance. The map does have a lot of hints and portals but this is not a magic fix for the layout which is wide and open. The map can perk up to 30k triangles at some corners and if you have an old PC I recommend you do not download and play this map. ===================================================================== Special Thanks * Mr. Lake for all the time and effort you have poured into this project. This map proved to me that two designers are better than one. It was a pleasure chatting with you. =) * PJW, Shallow and v1l3 for all your advice and support. Your comments and suggestions were amazing and helped to make the final map a much stronger release. * Ydnar for Q3map2, your hard work on the compiler made this map possible. * ID for creating Quake 3 Arena. Even after 10 years the game is still amazing to map for. ===================================================================== Resources: Skybox: Jochum Skoglund / Hipshot, www.zfight.com It is a lower resolution but still gorgeous! Textures: Mostly based on my own digital photo's Exceptions: Sky and wood1 - Randy Reddig (ydnar), Wall torch decal - Greymatter (RTCW) Models: Teleporter, Jump pad and Torches by Me. Brush Prefabs: Original torch design from RTCW by Greymatter Sounds: All custom sounds by marauder Mapping Music: Various albums from the Global Underground sets **invalid URL** ===================================================================== Game play Capture the Flag: yes, 3v3 or 4v4 players (recommended) VQ3 and CPMA: yes Bot File (aas): yes Spawn Locations: 32 Item Balance: 2xYA,2xRL,2xPG,2xSG,1xLG,1xRG,1xRegen CPMA: 2xGA How to play place mg_final.pk3 in your /Quake III Arena/baseq3/ folder start quake3 Arena hit ~ type /map mg_final hit ~ (to clear the console) ===================================================================== Construction / Compiler Editor: SDRadiant (GTK 1.3.8) Build Time: 6 months Build Version: 3w Brush/Entity: 8854/704 ===================================================================== Distribution / Copyright / Permissions Copyright (c) 2008 sock, mememe[at]simonoc[dot]com All rights reserved. Quake III Arena is a registered trademark of id Software, Inc. This level may be electronically distributed only at NO CHARGE to the recipient in its current state, MUST include this .txt file, and may NOT be modified IN ANY WAY. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS THIS LEVEL TO BE DISTRIBUTED ON CD-ROM WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION. =====================================================================