cool new map idea

[unclenate]

i dont know if any of you guys ever saw 'alien vs predator' when they are inside the pyramid and the pyramid automatically changes its path ways and architecture every ten minutes. anyway, my brother and i thought it be cool if we made some type of good, complex netmap that had this effect to it (walls opening and closing and such), whether it is initiated by a switch or simply set a long delay between events. my point is, would you all think this is a good idea?, or would you think it would not work out for being a good netmap?

any advice is helpful, thanks.

[Wrkncacnter]

This is both cool and new, for sure.

[RyokoTK]

Try it and let us know.

[unclenate]

Try it and let us know.

thanks guys, it'l be a wile but ill get to it.

[interion]

Instead of just having the layout change at fixed intervals you could create an AI director using Lua, like in Left 4 Dead, that responds to player actions. For example, if you had a player chasing another player down a long corridor, you could have a wall drop down between them. Or maybe if a single player was dominating, every hallway they run down would come to a dead end.

Also, you could do stuff like have the floor be a platform that drops down into a lava pit when you run over it. Or circular stairs that drop down if you stand on a specific spot, like that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Or randomly teleport people to random locations, or suck out all the air and make everyone scramble to find the nearest oxygen dispenser before they die.

AvP had a nuke go off in the end, didn't it? Maybe you could make a hidden switch that when activated flashed the screen, played an explosion sound, killed every player, and end the game.

You can also change textures with Lua. You could make the entire map be redrawn with a different texture set.

Well this started out as a joke but I guess I'm going to *have* to make something now.

[Wrkncacnter]

It sounds like you're describing luaplity. Too bad it's gone forever.

[megabyte]

Gyffes had a map that did this a long time ago but was lost in a hard drive crash, which was too bad because it was a lot of fun.

It sounds like you're describing luaplity. Too bad it's gone forever.

This doesn't happen to be the one I'm talking about, does it?

[tehWastedJamacan]

I actually had this idea for a map a while ago, but it ended up getting really annoying to make. Redrawing a plan now.

[tehWastedJamacan]

Picture taken with phone. I'll get to work on making this.

[Dis]

I have a question, if I play through your map will David Bowie dance with me at the end?

[unclenate]

I have a question, if I play through your map will David Bowie dance with me at the end?

for a small fee of $346.99...

[unclenate]

Picture taken with phone. I'll get to work on making this.

looks ok. though i was aiming for a more normal map that shifts walls and such, rather than just a maze.

[tehWastedJamacan]

My original map was a maze, so I figured I'd replicate it. Wherever there are intersections between the blue and the pencil, there will be a polygon raised above the map, and wherever there is just one or the other color, there will be a polygon with a 300 second delay and an either 4wu/s speed or .666 wu/s speed.

[zero]

I could have sworn I saw a map like this a while back, with a maze that had walls that would open and close, altering the shape of the map.

[unclenate]

at this point im very discouraged. its very confusing to make it work out well, AND im cursed with glitchy maps...

maybe later i'll think up a better plan...

[Not Invented Here]

at this point im very discouraged. its very confusing to make it work out well, AND im cursed with glitchy maps...

maybe later i'll think up a better plan...

Why not start with something more simple? The whole idea of a morphing map is kind of cool, but you've no doubt run into issues. Additionally, most netmaps are designed to be simple, and allow fast movement and action.

I think the best way to create a changing environment is to use liquids. They're easy enough to implement, and you can do cool stuff with Lua that changes the way those work. Since fluid behavior is dictated by the light you set the tide parameter to, you can use Lua to do whatever you want to that light. If you're not familiar with Lua, you might want to start out just by looking at how liquids work and playing around with the light settings to get the desired effect.

Gimmicks aren't usually well suited to netmaps, because they usually don't add anything exciting to a netmap. People want action, and gimmicks, while "fun" in the sense that you get to flex your ingenuity, often slow the flow of the match down, or don't do anything to improve the action at all. Puzzles, switches, and rechargers are often inappropriate for this reason.

However, a map with several areas that periodically flood up to waist-height might be fun. You probably don't want anything that will completely submerge a player, since that's going to leave them with few options to attack other than fists or SMG, and will slow them down a lot. It's a buzz kill.

I think the real problem is you've set the bar a little too high for yourself, but the idea of a map with variable environments has some merit, you just have to focus on making the map fun to begin with, and then ask how a changing environment could make it more fun. If you start out small and build up, you won't get discouraged so easily.

Eventually, once you have something that works, you could mess around with doors and platforms and see if you can make that work. I'd strongly suggest working with liquids, though.

[Not Invented Here]

Here, I made this little map (2-4 players) as a template to show what you can do with liquids. It's extremely simple. One liquid, one light. Please play with it and take it apart, change it, whatever as you please. Maybe it will inspire you, maybe it will bore you. I just felt like making a map.

[attachment=5318:Liquid_T...ion.sceA.zip]

[attachment=5319:liqtv.jpg]