Borealis?

Avatar
Kingofaperture
40 Posts
Posted Apr 06, 2012
Hey guys, I got this interesting project im working on right now. BOREALIS. Yes, the mysterious ship in the Half Life series. And in Portal 2 we got an confirmation that the two games are linked somehow, well whatever.
I havent come far, but ive started to create a map that takes place inside Borealis (dont ask me how/why, know its crazy) I wanted to know if its a good idea, and if you got any ideas I can add/do to the map. :notworthy:

-thanks

Advertisement
Registered users don’t see ads! Register now!
Avatar
Vordwann
767 Posts
Posted Apr 06, 2012
Replied 45 minutes later
Honestly if you want to make it feel like a boat you're going to need a decent amount of imported custom models. I spent a LONG time thinking of how to practically make the borealis in Source.
Avatar
Kingofaperture
40 Posts
Posted Apr 06, 2012
Replied 8 minutes later

Vordwann wrote:
Honestly if you want to make it feel like a boat you're going to need a decent amount of imported custom models. I spent a LONG time thinking of how to practically make the borealis in Source.

See what you mean, but I have taken the Portal genre inside the boat.

Avatar
FourthReaper
356 Posts
Posted Apr 06, 2012
Replied 51 minutes later

Kingofaperture wrote:
Vordwann wrote:

Honestly if you want to make it feel like a boat you're going to need a decent amount of imported custom models. I spent a LONG time thinking of how to practically make the borealis in Source.

See what you mean, but I have taken the Portal genre inside the boat.

I see what you mean, but if you're going for a Borealis-themed map, you're gonna' need to create the right atmosphere. Even with a normal "portal theme" (which is incoherent with the 70's-ish Borealis), you still need to make it feel like a boat, 'just' trapped in a glacier. This will require some ambient sounds, preferably some nice vista's, and general expertise in Hammer. I know I'll never attempt such a feat, but I guess it depends on your confidence in your mapping skills.

Seriously though, if you want to make a map featuring the Borealis, you need to set the right mood.

EDIT:> lpfreaky90 wrote:

If I would make a borealis map I think the most time would be spending time exploring the ship. In more central area's I'd add a puzzle or two but the focus won't be on the puzzles.

I second that, but this, too, takes some serious mapping. Prepare to invest A LOT of time, Kingofaperture. :exclaim:

Avatar
Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Apr 06, 2012
Replied 2 minutes later
If you're gonna make a boat I think you have to stick with a boat feeling.
Having a normal map in a boat is strange.

I'd go for wooden floor textures, thin, metal walls, bunk beds, and lots of doors to tiny rooms. If I would make a borealis map I think the most time would be spending time exploring the ship. In more central area's I'd add a puzzle or two but the focus won't be on the puzzles. You can also think of adding small round windows which give a sight of the sea (Probably skybox)

Avatar
Vordwann
767 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 3 hours later
If I were making a borealis map I would also spend the most time exploring. However, I'd split it into an interior map and an exterior map. Exterior I would have the ship trapped between two glacial walls (ship comprised of many different sectioned 3d models, I already have it planned out on paper if I ever want to do it :razz: ) and the inside map, like people have been saying, with lots of control rooms, boiler rooms, storage, long hallways, partially destroyed parts, areas with holes looking out into the icy abyss, metal ship doors leading to bunk bed rooms, some cool technology, lots of pipes, etc.
Avatar
Kingofaperture
40 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 6 hours later
Alot of good ideas here, I will certainly take it with me. My thought is that the whole map is just inside Borealis, outside of the ship would be too difficult. The ship is still stuck in the glacia, and like a 1/5 of the ship features a cold and kinda like icy theme (this is the glacia side)
The doors is the one in Underground, cuz they look like some kind of ship doors. The map has a clue of capisize, like the boat is hanging.

Also, can someone tell me the 'story' behind Borealis? What the ship was built for (if someone even knows thet now)

Avatar
Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 24 minutes later

Kingofaperture wrote:
Alot of good ideas here, I will certainly take it with me. My thought is that the whole map is just inside Borealis, outside of the ship would be too difficult. The ship is still stuck in the glacia, and like a 1/5 of the ship features a cold and kinda like icy theme (this is the glacia side)
The doors is the one in Underground, cuz they look like some kind of ship doors. The map has a clue of capisize, like the boat is hanging.

Also, can someone tell me the 'story' behind Borealis? What the ship was built for (if someone even knows thet now)

http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Borealis

Avatar
Kingofaperture
40 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 9 minutes later
Thanks you this will help alot !
Avatar
Kingofaperture
40 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 6 hours later
Sorry for dual posting.

Ive changed floor and walls to wood and metal. And I also wondered, do you think I should have a 'destroyed genre'? Like the ceiling has fallen, cracks in walls, holes in floor and some basic physics destruction.
A couple of ambient sounds has been added, its the sound of machines working, sea and basic background 'cracking' sounds.

Some other ideas for me? I can take critic and positiv stuff (lol)

-thanks

Avatar
FourthReaper
356 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 19 minutes later

Kingofaperture wrote:
Ive changed floor and walls to wood and metal. And I also wondered, do you think I should have a 'destroyed genre'? Like the ceiling has fallen, cracks in walls, holes in floor and some basic physics destruction.

I wouldn't go with the Portal 2 "destroyed" theme, I think you should try making a 70's style construct, just more solid with better materials. No panels missing or anything, but try to make cracks in concrete or metal beams or something. Adding destruction is good, just not completely destroyed. In that link several posts up, linking to the wiki on the Borealis, you can see a corridor with Judith Mossman in it. Try to go with that, but a little bit more corroded, that just seems right.

Kingofaperture wrote:
A couple of ambient sounds has been added, its the sound of machines working, sea and basic background 'cracking' sounds.

That seems about right, though I don't see how sea fits in here. Perhaps (icy) wind gusts are better, because of the glacier. The cracking sounds are a good call, try to make them as loud as you can (to no excess), kinda' like you're on the Titanic or something. (Just not in the water :razz:)

Good luck. :wink:

Avatar
Vordwann
767 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 20 minutes later

FourthReaper wrote:
In that link several posts up, linking to the wiki on the Borealis, you can see a corridor with Judith Mossman in it. Try to go with that, but a little bit more corroded, that just seems right.

That corridor is not actually in the Borealis, but it's in an arctic base near the Borealis. They haven't actually been in the Borealis yet, and if you noclip out there there is some ground outside with a cool slippery ice texture.

Avatar
Kingofaperture
40 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 2 hours later

FourthReaper wrote:
Kingofaperture wrote:

Ive changed floor and walls to wood and metal. And I also wondered, do you think I should have a 'destroyed genre'? Like the ceiling has fallen, cracks in walls, holes in floor and some basic physics destruction.

I wouldn't go with the Portal 2 "destroyed" theme, I think you should try making a 70's style construct, just more solid with better materials. No panels missing or anything, but try to make cracks in concrete or metal beams or something. Adding destruction is good, just not completely destroyed. In that link several posts up, linking to the wiki on the Borealis, you can see a corridor with Judith Mossman in it. Try to go with that, but a little bit more corroded, that just seems right.

Kingofaperture wrote:

A couple of ambient sounds has been added, its the sound of machines working, sea and basic background 'cracking' sounds.

That seems about right, though I don't see how sea fits in here. Perhaps (icy) wind gusts are better, because of the glacier. The cracking sounds are a good call, try to make them as loud as you can (to no excess), kinda' like you're on the Titanic or something. (Just not in the water :razz:)

Good luck. :wink:

Isnt Borealis in a glacia just above the water?
And about the destruction, I use the underground destruction theme already.
Do you got a website featuring some 'custom' ambient sounds??
Thanks, I kinda love this project!!:))

I have some env_shake's to, just so the player knows its kinda 'unsafe' in there.
-thanks

Avatar
Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 2 hours later
How far are you in the design of your map yet? I'd love to see what you've done so far and give you feedback on it!

(ps: kingofaperture if you just had left your doublepost a double post I could've deleted it :wink:)

Avatar
Kingofaperture
40 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 20 minutes later
Right now im at a friends house, but I havent created much. Only a room where the player starts, a hallway with alot of doors, light flickering, many sealed of doors and three open doors. The three rooms are: player start (basic computers and some desks) room 2 (like room one but with a portal gun, but I think i will remove this and put it somewhere longer in the game) room 3 (roof collapsed leaving a way up an vent which leads to a place I havent built yet)
Im realy grateful that you guys care about this project, it makes me want to map more :smile: Tomorrow I will map even more, I will update in what I do and maybe upload some pictures ! :smile:
-thanks
Avatar
Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 7 minutes later
If you haven't done much I recommend scrapping the destructed portal theme. Search around for ship interiors and just browse through a couple of pages of images of them. Use that as an inspiration for the inside of the borealis! Also keep in mind that in portal 2 you can actually see the dock where the borealis was built. That could give you an idea of the size of the thing and the time period in which it was built.

Looking forward to pictures! Remember:
:postpics:

Avatar
Kingofaperture
40 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 5 minutes later
Already done it! :smile: Willl take it to me, thanks!:)

Im not sure though, how to take pictures in game x)

Avatar
ChickenMobile
2,460 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 2 minutes later

Kingofaperture wrote:
Already done it! :smile: Willl take it to me, thanks!:)

Im not sure though, how to take pictures in game x)

Take it through steam by pressing F12 or bind a key to 'jpeg' (which I think is F5) and it should save in your portal 2/portal2/screenshots directory.

You could even use fraps or just press printscreen and paste it in paint...

Avatar
Lpfreaky90
2,842 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 2 minutes later
F12 :biggrin:

@chicken darn it Y U faster then me :sad:

Advertisement
Registered users don’t see ads! Register now!
Avatar
ChickenMobile
2,460 Posts
Posted Apr 07, 2012
Replied 1 minutes later

lpfreaky90 wrote:
F12 :biggrin:

@chicken darn it Y U faster then me :sad:

Muhahahaha payback