PL curve

Curve is a payload map with a slight twist. It has one extra control point compared to basic Valve maps which makes it have longer track. There are also couple of obstacles on the track that are moving away once the cart is pushed near them. Plays just like normal payload map!

I did this map in 4 months and spent next 6-7 months tuning it up untill this day, 12th of January 2013 came and the final version, pl_curve, is now officially out of the box!

Current version: pl_curve (newest) (out 12th of January 2013) Download here
If you run older version, i recommend you update to the newest.

Map by ICS, ics@ics-base.net, www.ics-base.net, http://steamcommunity.com/id/ics

Thanks goes to:
Hakk1tus - You know why!
WeryBigMonk - initial testing, cubemap testing
DrShush - Early testing
othername - initial testing
Everyone who played b1-b9, rc1-rc5 earlier and gave feedback - thanks!

[Tom Hoen]

Finally curve is here!

Tell us more about it. What are the dynamic elements? How many points does it have?

[ics]

Added some new screenshots.

Tom Hoen: I'm keeping the dynamic element as a secret for now to avoid duplicate inventions. However, this has 5 control points, one more compared to badwater, upward or barnblitz

[ics]

Updated screenshots & log.

[Wilson]

You're detailing feels really messy.

I look at your images and i see buildings constantly changing texture, best example for this is your 3rd image, where brownish wood building suddenly has extension made out of red wood. In same image, in distance, other wooden building seems to be made out of 3 different woods.

Try not to use so many different textures in such small area and same building. More simple and consistent the texturing is, better the map looks.

[Ezekel]

personally i disagree with wilson.
if you look at valve maps, there's a case for "extensions" on wooden buildings being made of a different colour of wood.

however in the case of image 3 - the texture on that lower extension with the diagonal surface doesn't really work. you'd prob be better with the wood bridge texture there or the brown elevator facade one.
- the barnblitz textures are notably different from the other wood textures, and the one you use there has a sort of dominance quality due to it's colour and the strength of the black lines. (i.e. it'd work better as a main building texture rather than as an 'extension' texture).

the building in the background of image 3 is fine though as is.

[Sergis]

I believe the textures are fine. They are different, but similar enough to give overall tone to the area. It's not like they go from red to green to yellow to blue within the same building.

The map looks good, but you better be prepared to do some serious changes since as far as I can see, it's untested.

[Fr0Z3n]

The one thing about the detailing that bugs me is that you have flat displacements. They are extremely un-realistic. Add some "piles" or something up against walls. just give the ground a bit more bump, besides that it isn't half bad, remind me of koth_mill.


I've never seem wilson detail anything.

[Wilson]

Quote:

if you look at valve maps, there's a case for "extensions" on wooden buildings being made of a different colour of wood.

I am aware and i am fine with these, but when you look at the images, this is happening way more often and in such small area than any Valve map.
I have nothing against of using different textures for buildings, it is just that here it goes bit overboard and looks messy.

[ics]

That image 3 texture (actually the lower extension) does look a bit akward there, i'll see if i can find a better shape for the lower part or swap texture for that spot. I'll deal with it when the time comes.

The Valve style - yeah i kind of got the idea from them about not having all buildings the same texture. It would look dull and having some buildings here and there with different texture makes the map look better than having all the buildings with the same one. I know some textures can creatively to be used a lot in the same places though.

Displacements are sort of flat but not all of them. There are some other ones too and i haven't had time to detail aka adjust the displacements yet that much. I just painted alpha on them while i did the payload track. I'll rase and lower and add some more during building and tuning.

It is also important to remember that these screenshots are just a shot from one angle and do not contain all the places, pathways, details and improvements there could be.

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far.

Today i finished sealing the map up and started adding areaportals. Next move is to add playerclips, skip/hint and see how it performs after that.