So I just turned eighteen, and I figured as a little birthday present to myself I'd go ahead and release my first Sourceforts map, which I've been working on for a while now.

sf_void


Now comes the text. If you're bored already, there are more screens toward the bottom.

My goal with this was, a) to learn how to map, and b) to create something visually and technically interesting. Not having much experience with this, gameplay was left on the wayside (as I'll cover below), however I think I succeeded at least somewhat with my goals.

All of the materials (save the lighting effects) are entirely custom-made (by me). They're packed in, which accounts somewhat for the horrific file size. There are a number of other neat little features as well.

Here's the short version:

• Your team spawns in a room overlooking the map, and can then choose which teleporter to go through. I've tried to make the teleporters as clever as possible, but I haven't really tested them with multiple people.
  
  
• The block spawn is something I like to call "always-on"; it spawns a new block when you remove the old one. At the time I made it, I thought I was very cunning indeed-- I've since seen Euphoria, but I still like my implementation.
  
  
• The light bridge will not support anything but players and the flag. This is not only a cheap gimmick to test the concept, but also protects players somewhat from rockets and grenades to try to mitigate the unbelievably horrible tactical situation they represent.

On to the cons:

• Performance. One of the things I've learned is that optimization starts with map design. On a map which is essentially one massive room, with all meaningful vertical surfaces made of glass, there's not a whole lot I can do. Additionally, I do many things with brushes which should by all rights be modeled-- I had plans to, but it turned out to be more of a hassle than I was into.
  
  With a goodly number of blocks, my framerate can sometimes get down to 30. I run on almost max settings, but I have a fairly modern computer. It should stay playable, but I can't guarantee it'll be pretty.
  
  
• Size. It's hard to tell from the screens, but this map is massive. I don't know how to put it into perspective, but as soon as you load it you'll see what I mean. Does it work for a large number of players? I dunno. I have had fantasies of simply scaling the entire thing down to about 80%, but we'll see.
  
  
• Gameplay. I have some serious doubts about playability due to several design flaws. Those flaws, and possible solutions, will for the time being be left as an exercise for the reader.
  
  
• Lighting. The map is "dramatically lit", which is a nice way to say "dim". With my settings, it is attractive and fully playable, but I can't speak for yours.

There's more to say, but I can't really think right now, so I'll leave it at that. Hope you guys enjoy it, I'm very much looking forward to your criticism.

The promised screens:

From the middle platform:



The spawn:


Teleports you to these lovely contraptions:


The flag platform, whose nofreeze is exactly where it looks like:


The hot and cold running blockspawn:


And last but certainly not least, the somewhat ironically named light bridge:


And that's ten. I hope you get the idea.