Will Splash be supporting extra maps for QW

[SCi-Fi]

In BF2 they didnt make one map pack for the game unless u bought a mod,
only maps they did make were jalalabad and wake island remake.

I dont mind payin for good maps, but not once in nearly 2 yrs shows
how much they care abt the community..

[jah]

ah ok.

J

[ayatollah]

Thats what we have a good community of map makers for...

In my opinion SD should save their time for their next project...Enemy Territory: Tapir Wars!

[Loffy]

I am guessing now:
a) The 10-12 maps that will come with ETQW will be dynamite,
b) They (SD) will eventually release a patch and some addtional maps (equally dynamitishly good), for free
c) We, the community, will create and release a lot of awesome maps of all sizes and shapes.

//L.

[Brandon]

(Points to all ET custom maps) Maps aint a problem

[Danyboy]

was is SD who made the Game of the Year maps for RTCW ?

I remember the day mp_tram got released every server on the list was playing it - aah that was a crackin' map

[jimb0]

hey look, another post that compares et:qw to battlefield.

[Loffy]

They first made the rtcw map Marketgarden (I thought 12 Mb was BIG for one map) and then there was the GOTY map pack: mp_chateau, mp_dam, mp_keep, mp_ice, mp_rocket and mp_tram.
It is kind of, what is the english word... prescribed? Presciscribed? Prescibberated? (When time has gone and you cannot be convicted for the crime anymore.)
//L.

[digibob]

Rocket, Dam, and Tram were made by us.

The other three were made by Nerve Software, I think.

[DarkangelUK]

I may be out the loop here, but isn't it still unconfirmed exactly how big maps are going to be for ETQW due to megatexturing?

[jaybird]

That's what worries me - the size of the maps. I don't remember the exact size offhand, but I think the figure mentioned was 500 megs for an average compressed megatexture (please correct me if I'm wrong). Our server is running 8 or so custom maps right now that amount to probably around 50-60 megs that download in mere minutes. If a single map has the potential to be > 500 megs each, it's going to be hard for people to get their maps out and played (IMO), though it is yet, of course, to be seen, and I hope that's not the case.

I think the size is worth the result though, and I can't wait to see some of the stuff this talented community comes up with ;]

[jimb0]

yes, it's around 500mb compressed for a full-scale megatexture.

one thing people forget is that not all maps need a megatexture. you can create maps without it.

but as requirements and resolution on today's game increases, it's not surprising to see figures like that. it's not mt/sd/et:qw's fault... it's the way it is. you say et maps are around 7megs and download in mere minutes; well, i say the custom qw/q1 maps i have are around 500kb and would download in a mere seconds today. so this is bound to happen.

[Lanz]

It has also been said that the megatexture can be compressed a lot harder too. I guess when the game comes out some form of size/quality balance will be agreed upon for custom maps to keep the size down.

[Hakuryu]

One thing I'm surprised more people don't comment on is just how good the terrain texture looks in Quake Wars. Although the megatexture is large, the detail and variety in the texture is really impressive... especially compared to 'tiled' terrain in games.

Back on topic; Twelve maps is quite a big number considering the complexity of Quake Wars. I wouldn't mind seeing a few SD released maps after that, but I'd rather see another 10 maps at once in a retail expansion. I just hope they don't try the BF2 style of releasing mini expansions online that relegate those maps to obscurity since few people have them.

[kamikazee]

I wouldn't mind seeing a few SD released maps after that, but I'd rather see another 10 maps at once in a retail expansion.Any MP expansion is doomed if it has no truly fresh content. And retail map packs aren't really the way to go, given that a lot of customs will probably make it out onto the Internet.

[jimb0]

retail mp expansions are just a way to slice the community in half while making a little money.

[ayatollah]

retail mp expansions are just a way to slice the community in half while making a little money.

SD are my son, do not underestimate the power of Wils and his mane of flames.

[jaybird]

One thing I'm surprised more people don't comment on is just how good the terrain texture looks in Quake Wars. Although the megatexture is large, the detail and variety in the texture is really impressive... especially compared to 'tiled' terrain in games.
Agreed. The size may hurt distribution but the result, IMO, is completely worth it. The screenshots tell a lot but I can't wait to see the full effect of this technology in-game.

[=PoW= Kernel 2.6.5]

And now for something completely different.............

I recently (last year or so) started mapping for RTCW:ET to gain some experience before the new ET:QW arrives.
I hear there will be map (level) tools for ET:QW and that they will be Windows ONLY.

I will restrain myself from begging for a Linux version and just ask these questions:

How will this new mapping software compare to Radiant?
Will any of my Radiant skills (don't laugh) translate easily to the new program or will it be a new experience?



Thanks for any info.

[bobjones]

i used to map ALOT for counter-strike, so naturally i've been keeping up to date on what the mapping program is like.

basically...it looks amazingly simple. as long as you know how to make triangular terrain, i think you'll be in good shape.
i think the hardest part is going to be transitioning from a system where you have large restraints on what you can map, to an engine where you can pretty much do anything you want. large outdoor mapping is going to be a new experience for most of us.

my favorite part is that you don't have to create your own mega texture. make the terrain, click a button, and it automatically generates one for you :clap:

[Wils]

How will this new mapping software compare to Radiant?
Will any of my Radiant skills (don't laugh) translate easily to the new program or will it be a new experience?
The editor is pretty much the same as Radiant, with a few notable differences (terrain inspector, new rotation widget, etc).

basically...it looks amazingly simple. as long as you know how to make triangular terrain, i think you'll be in good shape.
i think the hardest part is going to be transitioning from a system where you have large restraints on what you can map, to an engine where you can pretty much do anything you want. large outdoor mapping is going to be a new experience for most of us.

I would describe it as straightforward, rather than simple. There are still restraints on what you can make, they're just different to what you know from mapping for other, smaller-scale FPS games.

my favorite part is that you don't have to create your own mega texture. make the terrain, click a button, and it automatically generates one for you :clap:

It's not quite that simple :)

Once you've made the terrain you still need to decide what to texture it with - the terrain inspector et al just let you decide how and where to apply those textures. Deciding where to use undergrowth textures for foliage, or worn routes for well-travelled areas is still a hands-on process.

[Hakuryu]

How will this new mapping software compare to Radiant?
Will any of my Radiant skills (don't laugh) translate easily to the new program or will it be a new experience?


This is part guesswork and part knowledge from interviews, but I believe the editor will be basically a next-gen Radiant in terms of features. Alot of common tasks such as brushwork will be the same, but some things will be new to handle the large outdoor enviroments like lighting, terrain models, and the megatexture.

The biggest hurdle for current Radiant users will be translating their skills to the larger enviroments. Instead of creating 'paths' and objectives that keep gameplay moving like in ET, you now have to consider flying vehicles and the wide open terrain. It's a totally different gameplay mechanic than the enclosed space found in Radiant games, and will take some new design methods. Instead of creating paths to objectives and using vis portals, player clips, and simply things like high fences to keep players out of an area, you now have to design and build with the fact that a player can go anywhere. This brings new challenges in designing a map that will play and run well.

my favorite part is that you don't have to create your own mega texture. make the terrain, click a button, and it automatically generates one for you

It's probably a bit more complicated than that. I've used similar programs to texture a large terrain mesh, and I bet Quake Wars is similar. You define layers of textures like grass, rock, and sand and then define where these will be placed based upon terrain characteristics like height and slope. Like if you wanted sand on a beach and below water, and you know your beach ends at 1024 units, then you would set the sand layer to display from 0-1024 units. If you wanted rock on mountain slopes then set it to appear on every slope greater than 45 degrees that is also above your sand (1024).

[mortis]

A squirrel told me that Zombie at SD really would prefer for us to map using unrealed 1.0 instead of Radiant. He says it is the über game level tool of our time. Especially if you use pink ambient light... :eek:

/me runs for cover

[airon]

A friend of mine is a realy good Unreal editor mapper. I'm the Radiant type of guy, so I damn well hope Radiant got some stuff to catch up to UnrealEd, because I hear so much damn praise for it all the time. Coming off Truecombat, I'm VERY VERY curious to see how modable it'll be for us.

I'm a sound person by trade. What's the story on the sound side of things ? Any tech update on that ?

[Evil69]

Have to was not a real fan of the Dam map, but found Tram and Rocket to be a lot of fun, especially Rocket in a clan match as it kept the action coming, no sooner had to ended the oppositions assault and they were right back at you with in minutes, now thats an action packed map and ideal for clan matches. Obviously Tram being much bigger was a fun map for pub games, but it did lose something in clan matches.

As for maps for QW, I would agree that I would hate to see a mini mod that gave out some new maps as it does as others have stated, divide the community, what would be a better way to go would be to
release a "game of the year map pack", so once QW wins game of the year release a map pack for it with 4 maps thrown in, may be even toss in some changes in weaponary, I would not make this free either.

If the game is as good as we all hope then 95% of people would have no problem paying a small amount for some extra maps down the track, hell most people would part with the money just to continue to
support a company thats looking after the community.

This is essentially were others go wrong, all they do is try and bleed the community dry and offer a second rate product with little support. Its no wonder they lose customers and respect in the gaming community.

[Nail]

I think we can safely assume most of the new maps will come from the community