This game takes place shortly after the "Bring your Daughter to Work Day" fiasco. You play as Doug Rattmann, who is trying to get to the relaxation annex. Exposition and a bit more of a backstory is provided in the readme file.
This is my first map in Hammer, to learn more about the software and build experience. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks for your time!
Here are some fixes that I would recommend:
[list:2b1mxqlm][:2b1mxqlm]Add some cubemaps and build them. The entire map will instantly look better.[/:m:2b1mxqlm][:2b1mxqlm]Use textures that make sense: Aperture has distinct areas: factories, warehouses, test chambers, and offices. You can blend these seamlessly together, but using a test chamber floor in the middle of an office is not only confusing from the perspective of the plot, but it makes it hard to determine what we're supposed to do in the room.[/:m:2b1mxqlm][:2b1mxqlm]Let us think with Portals! We're playing a game about them; having a level without them is fine, but if I get the device, I expect to be using it a lot.[/:m:2b1mxqlm][/list:u:2b1mxqlm]
Lastly, I'd end the map after a little bit of your last scene; most people aren't going to wait until the end of the song. A simple fadeout would work pretty well.
vanSulli wrote:
You have some good concepts here, and the way you're trying to tell the story has a lot of potential.Here are some fixes that I would recommend:
[list:hzkaohml][:hzkaohml]Add some cubemaps and build them. The entire map will instantly look better.[/:m:hzkaohml][:hzkaohml]Use textures that make sense: Aperture has distinct areas: factories, warehouses, test chambers, and offices. You can blend these seamlessly together, but using a test chamber floor in the middle of an office is not only confusing from the perspective of the plot, but it makes it hard to determine what we're supposed to do in the room.[/:m:hzkaohml][:hzkaohml]Let us think with Portals! We're playing a game about them; having a level without them is fine, but if I get the device, I expect to be using it a lot.[/:m:hzkaohml][/list:u:hzkaohml]Lastly, I'd end the map after a little bit of your last scene; most people aren't going to wait until the end of the song. A simple fadeout would work pretty well.
Thank you so much! This is very helpful.
I don't know anything about cubemaps, (I think they affect shaders, but I'm not sure) so I'll look into those.
I also understand the upset with the Textures, I was thinking of it from Portal 1's perspective. For instance, in one of the first BTS areas you go into, it transition immediately from a grungy mechanical area, to a fairly clean office, to an observation room overlooking a testchamber. I suppose I didn't really think much of it at the time, but I'll try taking that to heart. I do agree for instance, that the transition from say, the Stairwell to the Office and the BTS shutdown and the office was definitely too jarring and unrealistic, but I never really planned out the architecture of the map, I just kept building and building off of what was there. Not smart, I know, but this was mostly just a way to learn more about mapping in general.
I'm also sorry about the whole lack of Portal-Based Puzzle thing... There are really only 2 in the entire map, and they aren't really puzzles, moreso obvious things that you do with Portals. Admittedly my fault, but I felt like there wasn't much I could do with that in a cramped office environment.
But yes, I'll definitely keep these things in mind when mapping in the future! Thank you so much for your feedback, I really appreciate it! <3
reepblue wrote:
Actually, cubemaps are really just for models in Portal 2. I really don't see a difference in actually building them anymore. Environmental reflection maps do the reflections on the textures now-a-days, so you just add a few for the models with glass.
Most of the black metal textures use cubemaps, usually the ones that look "grayer" in the texture browser.
FelixGriffin wrote:
Most of the black metal textures use cubemaps, usually the ones that look "grayer" in the texture browser.
Those are old textures Valve was using when testing the style. You should be using what Valve used, unless your making your own path. In that case, map like you were mapping for the original Portal.