Messages

1

General / Ns Identity Consistency

« on: December 12, 2004, 09:07:14 PM »

Maybe they are waiting to drop B6 and the new site at the same time? That way if/when we get additions or revivals to the playerbase, they won't feel so alienated in a fossilized community.

2

General / Are we getting Combine Penguin back?

« on: December 12, 2004, 04:08:49 PM »

There's a new patch for any HL2 engine game, I don't know what all it addresses and if there is a Source:Server patch.

3

General / Awesome Game on Metal

« on: December 11, 2004, 09:49:12 PM »

I was on the alien team. Learned the important lesson about why not to say GG at three hives. Awesome game all.

4

General / Idea!

« on: December 10, 2004, 11:14:54 AM »

And that's where NS is lacking. Where most games try to at least go for 2 polarized stratagies (If you've ever played warcraft 3, you probably know what I'm talking about), there is only 1 real way to win as aliens.

The winning team is basically decided wholly on who excecutes better.

The alien team needs the 3 minute fade to deny portions of the map to the marine team, and to slow (and usually stop) their offensive advances. If the Fade is good (Slink, Lochness, and a few others come to mind) then the marines will eventually be starved of resources and die.

The marine team needs to get in a good early game resource structure. Then they have minimalistic options based on the skill of their players with shotguns. Using phasegates to move the marine team to points of interest much faster than a fade or two can handle it generally spells doom for the alien team. Siege cannons and HMG seal the deal.

If the alien team actually had a split in winning stratagies, just one, that needed a specific response to be countered, then I believe NS would be a better experience overall. So far, our options are limited between 3rd minute Fade, or waiting it out to go Onos at about minute 4.

The marine team gets to choose between rushing the hive with weapons in hand, or stopping just outside to set up a phase and siege base.

It would take a little reworking to make more varied stratagies viable, more than I think anyone remaining on the NS team is willing to do. I've got things in mind, as usual, but ranting here won't get much done.

5

General / Freemantle's Map Thread

« on: December 09, 2004, 01:45:14 PM »

Dm_midnight

This is a race map, tarmac style. This is my attempt into making somthing quasi-atmospheric, which was to totally destroyed when I realized that source wouldn't render any of it while you're inside a vehicle.

I originally had a weaponstripper, but realized that if you didn't find any of the gravity guns, that the map would be largely ruined when you flip your buggy (which you will). So the guns are in.

The pictures below don't reflect the final build of the map[/u][/color]. The env_lightglow entities have been tuned down a lot, to make the track look less like an alien landing.

There are a lot of things that I could have done visually that I might get around to, but the learning process that I have endured when going through this map makes me very tired of it. The next map I make will take the atmosphere a step further, and be a true DM map.



Central loop


The starting grid


In the future, everyone has a 300inch LCD TV


This is one of the reasons that the env_lightglows got turned down...


A buggy can make this turn without the e-brake no problem. Now 8 buggys...



Here it is from DeviceNull. Grab it now! (3.3megs)

6

General / Are we getting Combine Penguin back?

« on: December 08, 2004, 11:59:12 AM »

Are we getting the server back any time soon, if at all? Unpassworded perhaps? I know there isn't any HL2 Adminmod yet, does anyone know if it is in the works?

7

General / HL2DM rocks!

« on: December 06, 2004, 10:02:01 PM »

I used to be so good at computers, and now I can barely install ram... This is what working on cars will do to you.

Back on topic: Shaders or no, it was still an acid-trip. And it was either $70 for the 4 or $120 for the (overhyped) FX. I don't love my box enough to drop $200 for a good ATI. I was worried about how my nForce would like the ATI anyway.

8

General / New maps?

« on: December 06, 2004, 04:56:42 PM »

My worms-style gravity gun map is done. My race map is physically done, but I want this map to be very pretty and atmospheric, thusly I'll probably spend the rest of the week finishing it.

9

General / HL2DM rocks!

« on: December 05, 2004, 11:45:44 PM »

I beat HL2 on a geforce2. It's sitting on my desk next to me (a GeForce4 now resides in my case). The whole thing was an acid trip, every time there were a lot of shaders on screen, it smeared nodraw style. Textures would flicker on and off when around 3d skyboxes (the wold would dissapear, but the skybox wouldn't). I ran to best buy as soon as I finished the credits.

10

General / Freemantle's Map Thread

« on: December 05, 2004, 05:02:11 PM »

dm_niliq
[/u]

The idea is simple: kill your enemies without having a direct, unblocked, line of sight to them. This requires that you utilize indirect fire weapons, high-trajectory thrown heavy objects, clever teamwork to climb the barrier, or dropping cars on your opponents from 240ft up. This map is best played with teamwork enabled and a high playercount. Spawns are not side-specific. Any suggestions in coding explosive respawns and car-drops would be helpful in polishing this otherwise finished map.


Layouts are random, but pretty much look like this


Ominous!


Ominous: Aftermath



Thanks to Confused! for the host, download it at this server.

Also thanks to devicenull for providing another host! Download it at this link.

11

General / Freemantle's Map Thread

« on: December 05, 2004, 04:21:27 PM »

I'm starting to build steam into HL2 mapping, and I have a feeling that as time progresses that you will see higher and higher quality maps coming from this lousey 1.2Ghz. This is going to be the thread where I post what I have accomplished for the sodomizi-... ah-er... reviewing of the greater LM community.

My 1st map, a modified idea from the player Nil_IQ, is basically done and I am now moving on to different ideas. As I try to explore the possibilities afforded by the source engine, I will move farther from quirky, deathmatch style maps and into more thematic, believable environments.

Later this evening I'll condense the outcomes of my 1st map, dm_niliq, and attach a download and some screenshots. I will be mapping into the early morning on a different project, which I will discuss later.

Any input from the community (mappers especially, but players are very important to me too) is used and considered in all things. My top priority in all things is fun. It's not a map if it is a chore to play, and I'm doing all I can to improve how well they play.

12

General / Map Idea

« on: December 04, 2004, 10:01:46 PM »

It took about 4 versions, but I have a playable version of a map similar to this concept (full concept by niliq, except the cars). Drop by the channel if you want to play it. I want to organize a bigger game of it (8v8 or so).

Here's the layout now. I'll post pics when I get the chance. The map is bisected by an inpenatrable glass wall. Each side has an assortment of throwables and explodeables. As soon as I figure out how, I'll write in respawn for exploding objects. At the top of the map (2400 units! That's really tall) are a bunch of floating cars. I dare you to try and move them . On each side over the wall is a box that a rocket launcher spawns in.  You can stack cars/items to make a bridge to the box, or you could play basketball with the hand grenades and blow the RPG out of the hole (hopefully on to your side). Grenades spawn on the floor in abundance, and each side is color coded red and blue. Works pretty well with teamplay ( I think, I need a large player PT ). We used Hopelessness' server, which was good when nobody was downloading (and terrible when they were). If you played this map and have feedback, post it here!

13

General / :O

« on: December 03, 2004, 06:11:21 PM »

"Wake up... Mr. Freeman... wake up.... not to... imply... your sleeping... on-the job.."

For all the years we waited for HL2, the G-Man can't speak a regular sentence and not sound like a robot...



OMG! He's a ROBOT!

14

General / REQUIRED READING FOR PLAYERS

« on: December 02, 2004, 10:43:51 AM »

When I played Tribes 2, I used Panama Jack's full suite. The problem was, the scripts were not really a buff when compared to the natural skills that the game requires. I was good at the disc and that's all that mattered.

Natural Selection is not that way. I am (by far) a lousy Fade. Put a shotgunner in the room and I am sure to die. I can't physically blink and kill as well as many of the people I have observed on LM (Lochness comes to mind). I just don't think there are enough purely-twitch skills in Natural Selection to make scripts a small issue.

15

General / Map Idea

« on: December 02, 2004, 10:35:13 AM »

I made some deathmatch maps for local CS lans a few years ago, so I'm not retarded with hammer. Let me pitch the idea and maybe one of you experienced-types could help me with the technical stuff.

Team Deathmatch:

Long rectangular map with a 144 unit high chain-link fence that you cannot shoot through. Each team only spawns on one side.

A crane on either side.

Wrecked cars, explosive barrels, and random debris on either side.

Airboat (Tau-equipped) on either side.

I just don't know the specifics on putting in the vehicles or physics objects. Anyone have any experience?
 

16

General / Idea!

« on: December 02, 2004, 10:20:50 AM »

I think speaking of hand grenades as a balance issue is a moot point until we know what abilities are going to replace the useless ones (Acid Rocket, Primal Scream, Charge, and possibly Xenocide). If they bump acid rocket to 60 splash damage and replace charge with "volcano erupts from ground and burns your flesh!!1" then I think that hand grenades wouldn't be terrible in a pack of 2 of 3.

17

General / Worst Map Ever...

« on: November 30, 2004, 09:23:42 AM »

ns_altair and ns_bast for sure. The new Bast is just pales in comparison to its older versions, and altair should have been a combat map. I would love to hate the new ns_nancy, but all of my best ns memories come from that map and eclipse.

18

General / Shotguns

« on: November 29, 2004, 07:09:47 PM »

The shotgun is a transition gun for when Fades begin to be a problem. They are still higly inneffective in the hands of many players.