Oh and by the way, we all have to give Wraith a HUGE round of applause. Panalesh runs great! For those of you who don't know, this map has been out for probably close to two years, and people have a hard time running it on their personal machinnes with a few bots, nevermind with 31 other people. Wraith took several weeks to figure it out, but he finally figured a way to optimize it. I don't know how you do it Wraith, but you are a genious!
This map is gorgeous! Possibly the best map I've ever seen (outside of Wraith's maps of course).
I think it needs some work on the node layout, but I need to play it a few more times to decide. It may actually need MORE nodes because it is just that freakin huge. But I digress.
Thanks Wraith for another magical optimization job!
Rich (TW)
Arctic Conquestion II Beta map
Is Panalesh on the server?
There is still a little bit of optimization possible, although the laws of diminishing returns are slowing catching up on whats left. As you can see, I took out the extra ammo and stuff lying around and put them in weapon lockers, as the channel count was high. This map will always run a bit slower than comparable maps due to the sheer number of emitters/textures and other stuff, but any "good" gaming rig should be able to run it and have it play more smoothly than before. I learned some new things while trying to figure out how to increase framerates etc. on this map. It was a tough challenge, and I'm glad I was able to find a way to make it play better.
I'm finding I really enjoy the optimization end of mapping more than anything else. Making a map is not easy, and making a really fun map that everyone likes is difficult at best. The old saying that goes something like "The more you try to please everyone, the less people that are happy." must have had map designing in mind. LOL...
Anyhow. My favorite part that optimizing a map doesn't allow me to do is to make "parts" or static meshes. Perhaps thats the reason I try to make maps myself.
BTW, I began playing the next phase in Guildwars, call "Factions". I just need a break from 2004 at times, and I get to see new "maps" and I look at everything and think "Why hasn't someone mapped something like this before?" Who knows, maybe I have 1 more 2004 map in me before 2007 is out......
As far as Arctic Conquestion II - I have the new node layout done. Terrain still needs to be worked on some more but it has already started. Bot pathing on the blue side is quirky, all the bots want to go down one side of the hill on foot, dunno why. Fog has been reduced so you can see further and I am working on optimizing the map a bit more. I want to put the final touches on several parts of the map and need to work on making it impossible to exit the map. Hopefully in 2 weeks it will be done and it can be considered a final beta. Thanks for the input, the bots just don't cut it when it comes time to beta test. They never try exiting the map, or do anything you don't want them to do, only people....lol...
There is still a little bit of optimization possible, although the laws of diminishing returns are slowing catching up on whats left. As you can see, I took out the extra ammo and stuff lying around and put them in weapon lockers, as the channel count was high. This map will always run a bit slower than comparable maps due to the sheer number of emitters/textures and other stuff, but any "good" gaming rig should be able to run it and have it play more smoothly than before. I learned some new things while trying to figure out how to increase framerates etc. on this map. It was a tough challenge, and I'm glad I was able to find a way to make it play better.
I'm finding I really enjoy the optimization end of mapping more than anything else. Making a map is not easy, and making a really fun map that everyone likes is difficult at best. The old saying that goes something like "The more you try to please everyone, the less people that are happy." must have had map designing in mind. LOL...
Anyhow. My favorite part that optimizing a map doesn't allow me to do is to make "parts" or static meshes. Perhaps thats the reason I try to make maps myself.
BTW, I began playing the next phase in Guildwars, call "Factions". I just need a break from 2004 at times, and I get to see new "maps" and I look at everything and think "Why hasn't someone mapped something like this before?" Who knows, maybe I have 1 more 2004 map in me before 2007 is out......
As far as Arctic Conquestion II - I have the new node layout done. Terrain still needs to be worked on some more but it has already started. Bot pathing on the blue side is quirky, all the bots want to go down one side of the hill on foot, dunno why. Fog has been reduced so you can see further and I am working on optimizing the map a bit more. I want to put the final touches on several parts of the map and need to work on making it impossible to exit the map. Hopefully in 2 weeks it will be done and it can be considered a final beta. Thanks for the input, the bots just don't cut it when it comes time to beta test. They never try exiting the map, or do anything you don't want them to do, only people....lol...
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DW_WailofSuicide
- DW Clan Member
- Posts: 1634
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:00 am
I hopped on the server last night after reading Toxic's mention of Panalesh - Played it around 5-6am, damn that is a nice looking map. I'm glad you were able to optimize it for us Wraith, we really need some fresh blood and that is a great map for 32p, it easily handles that playercount.
I was wondering if you'd be willing to do some optimization of Primeval (or if you can at all) - I've been tossing around the idea of doing an alternate version of Primeval with some catwalks between the trees and some extra nodes up there to add Z-axis and just make the map more interesting than constantly fighting over that middle node, but Primeval is reasonably choppy on my machine and there doesn't really seem to be a good reason for that-- The level's not that complicated, it's just a terrain with a few static meshes here and there and some distance fog. There are other maps that I personally consider much more visually complicated that I can run fine, so I assume there's some optimization that could be done to make this thing run better.
I was wondering if you'd be willing to do some optimization of Primeval (or if you can at all) - I've been tossing around the idea of doing an alternate version of Primeval with some catwalks between the trees and some extra nodes up there to add Z-axis and just make the map more interesting than constantly fighting over that middle node, but Primeval is reasonably choppy on my machine and there doesn't really seem to be a good reason for that-- The level's not that complicated, it's just a terrain with a few static meshes here and there and some distance fog. There are other maps that I personally consider much more visually complicated that I can run fine, so I assume there's some optimization that could be done to make this thing run better.
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DW_WailofSuicide
- DW Clan Member
- Posts: 1634
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:00 am
Cool. May be awhile but we'll see if it happens before 2k7. Working on a map + some other stuff, hopefully will be done with that soon-ish and ready to put them up on the server here.DW_Wraith wrote:I'd be more than happy to try to optimize the Primeval map. Do whatever changes you want, and then send me the file and I'll see what I can do to make it play smoother.
If I had the time and patience to map, I would make a mini me map of my pc. the UV lights, the swiring fan of deaths, memory slot canyons of doom, forests of wires to hide snipers in. And if your really good you can fly a raptor into the powersupply and get the nuke, provided you can get past that 120mm fan.
Namu
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DW_ToxicWaste
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1060
- Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2005 12:00 am
There was a map just like this running on your old 2k3 server Wraith. It was small, but it might be a start.
In the downloads section, I just put up the latest rev. of arctic. Its not meant to be put on the server however, but I would apreciate a couple of people looking at the node layout before I go much further. In the meantime, I am trying to finalize the existing static meshes such as the gas signs, quonset's etc. to have "more realistic" piles of snow on top of the building, not just a change in texture to the actual building tops, that was done to remind me what I wanted to do eventually. And I purposely made it so that if you are on top of a building, you will be walking on the building and will look like your walking in knee deep snow.
Almost forgot, its rev. L, look for it. I left the other current version in the download section....
Almost forgot, its rev. L, look for it. I left the other current version in the download section....