Hello SpA Clan!

Im releasing my new TF2 map soon, but before I can do that I need to make some beta test. Therefore Im looking for a server to run the map. Im here to ask the admin(s) of the server if I could run the tests on your server some time.

(here's a preview screenshot)

I'm sorry, but this map does not meet our quality standards for custom maps on our server.

Hm.. could you explain that? I mean you havent seen anything but this screenshot yet. Dont you think thats a bit of an early judgement?

umm... could we have some more screenshots then? :p

_________________
ュ~ちゃんgamer.jp Pinky: true genius
ュ~ちゃんgamer.jp Pinky: doesn't make sense
ュ~ちゃんgamer.jp Pinky: till you're senseless

what i have seen looks good... judging by my bad(accidently wrote mad first) map making standards.....
EDIT: didnt i write here before or am i just absent minded.....

_________________
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

I havent made any promotion screenshots yet, because it's still in the beta state. This was a screenshot for my mapping colleges. If you're interested I can make some screenshots though.

based on what I've seen I'm not hugely interested, but if you think you can prove that the map is up to our (high) standards then go for it.

_________________
ュ~ちゃんgamer.jp Pinky: true genius
ュ~ちゃんgamer.jp Pinky: doesn't make sense
ュ~ちゃんgamer.jp Pinky: till you're senseless

Hey mate and thank you for registering and asking here.

One screenshot really doesn't show much of the map. And this particiular shot doesn't look very promising. We are generally (sadly) not a very custom map friendly community.

There is a (very minor) chance that we try out new custom maps in a short and closed test. This happened several times now.

But whats needed to achieve this goal? And what helps?

1. You are an active member of our community
2. You are a donator
3. Your map just looks and feels kick ass

To an answer your question if we would host a dedicated server which your map to run a public beta test: Sorry but no.

_________________

I still have this small and a bit unsharp shot.

Edit: well, you really seem to have a rather anti-custom map attitude - so I feel like I would be really wasting my time making the screenshots for you. Im trying my luck somewhere else then (where I dont have to donate *lol*)

When we said donate we didn't mean money.

We meant organ donation. As well as running servers for several games, we also harvest human organs on the International Black Market. It's a surprisingly lucrative venture.

Give us a Kidney and we'll talk.

C&C Generals

I wouldn't mind having a go on it.

_________________
slurper

Kampy, I'm sorry to say this, but I've seen some other screenshots of this map and they don't look better either. It seems you're still in an early stage of your mapping career, so keep working on your skills and try to improve the visual fidelity of your maps. Currently your map lacks detail and looks bland overall.

When you release a map that matches Valve's maps in terms of quality, we can certainly arrange a beta test.

hehe you've noticed ^^ nice
---


Other maps? This is actually my first map. Which other maps are you talking about?

Edit: Well there seem to be some players who would like to join my on a beta session. I can establish a strong server myself I just lack the people to beta test - so who would like to join? If you have ICQ/MSN I can send you the map and with a crowd of >8 a beta test would make sense.

As a mapper, I can give you a few tips:

1: Start with an orange map basic layout. Use brushes to signify where the models are to be. Once you have the basic layout, you can start deciding what will you turn into a building, what will be a rock or a cliff and so on. You seem to be (like almost everyone else who's starting to map) spending too much time on making little details and making sure they look good (i.e. the building; but everything around it is just... inadequate. The displacements are rough, the skybox is connected to the playable map (but still, it's a beta so that's for starts acceptable. Otherwise giving player the ability to touch the skybox while on the ground = no no.)
2: Interlopers. http://forum.interlopers.net/ If you're not already a member, become. This is pretty much the best HL2 mapping forum around. This, or maybe the tf2maps community, but I've never been there (it's tf2 specific so you should pick the latter)
3: Work. Work, work, work. Displacements for example are one of those things that seem hardest to do and the only way to be good is to get some experience with it. Open the decompiled gravelpit, pick a cliff and see if you can duplicate it from scratch.
4: The optimization guide. http://optimization.interlopers.net/ This is your new bible. Read and abide by it.



Oh and another tip: Don't be too afraid of getting mapper's block; it only lasts a few months. Or years in my case.

EDIT: Oh and at least mentioning if this is a 5 point cp map or gravelpit style or something wouldn't hurt.

pm me and i will give you it(you see the pm button right?)

_________________
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

This doesnt happen because you cant get that far - its the corner of the map and I blocked going near the skybox by clip brushes. thanks for the tips anyway displacements are still new to me, but they seem to be almost as easy as mapping for c&c generals tbh.

Actually let me rephrase that


Players touching invisible walls while on the ground = no no.

It's not because it would break the game or kill orphans or something but because it just looks stupid and unprofessional.

yaah~ but if you wanna stop the player from entering the background which is an open area you will have to do that. You cant always put a gigantic obstacle in the way.

• Fence
• Train
• Cliff
• Endless hole
• Building

For more examples, see every single official map.

why not a fence or something that make him get the idea that he cant go that way

_________________
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

You'll never see any professional map of any FPS work that way. A good mapper will always find something that fits in naturally as a boundary for the players movements.
It should also seem like it belongs there. If you put a fence, make sure it looks like it has a purpose. For example put a sign on it saying something like "Military Area - Live Artillery Shooting" and a few explosion-holes within sight...

Thank you for taking my friendly words, reading them wrong, thinking about them wrong and then rephrasing them wrong and ending it with a fucking lol.

_________________

A bit more friendly wouldn't hurt guy's.

The guy is requesting a map test, and we state (on our website as well) that our community actively supports other developpers. So all we need to know from the author is; In what stage of development is the map? What is the goal of the map test?

With this information me or someone from the techteam will decide if we put it up for a test or not.

im all for and cool to test this out (as greasy and i have been testing out some new l4d customs) id be happy to try anything if its new etc, but its not beta, it looks barely pre-alpha.

_________________
-"You've really worked out your banter, haven't you?"
-"No, not really. This is a different thing, it's spontaneous and it's called wit."

I lol'd.