Hey guys, I have a question. What are my options if I want to work on my reflecting skills as a Pyro? I can't really do too much in a normal game, and I was wondering if I had any chance of practicing them elsewhere, I thought I remembered hearing about a practice range of sorts.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Edit: Never mind, I found tr_walkway with my google-fu.
I don't see this recommended enough: A Boojum Snark's Ultimate Mapping Resource Pack. In it you'll find prefabricated entities for doors, tracks, sawblades, and resupply cabinets, templates/layouts for all the different gameplay types, a map file you can open up in hammer to view all the different TF2 props you can use and improved hammer functionality.
The Environment Gallery has the soundscapes and lighting settings for each of the various playscapes in the Valve maps.
Props on Top - a tabled rundown of the properties of the various types of props(detail, static, dynamic, physics, ragdoll).
Valve Maps Decompiled, if you want to see how something's done in the official maps not provided with the SDK. I generally recommend looking around some of the Valve-made maps, and revisiting them as you gain more experience with hammer, to get a feel for things.
There's also a general resource thread on TF2maps. In which you'll probably find a few of the links in this post.
Twister, a displacement generator that can generate curved displacement walls, spheres, cones, etc. Be warned that the displacements generated will probably be difficult to impossible to sew.
You could host your own game and add some soldier bots and such. I think someone mentioned doing something like that a few pages ago.
Dang...playing this game along with the Venture Bros. Soundtrack just feels right
Put this in a file called pyrotraining.cfg in your tf2 cfg folder:
mp_timelimit 0
mp_idledealmethod 0
mp_respawnwavetime 1
mp_disable_respawn_times 1
mp_teams_unbalance_limit 0
mp_autoteambalance 0
mp_timelimit 600
mp_winlimit 0
mp_maxrounds 99
sv_cheats 1
tf_bot_keep_class_after_death 1
sv_cheats 0
tf_bot_force_class soldier
tf_bot_add red
tf_bot_add red
tf_bot_add red
tf_bot_add red
tf_bot_force_class medic
tf_bot_add blue
Start up the game, bring up the console, type 'exec pyrotraining' and hit enter. Then type 'map koth_nucleus', press enter again. Once the map loads up bring up the console one more time and run 'exec pyrotraining' one last time to spawn the bots in. Then play pyro on blue team.
I actually recommend not doing this. That tutorial doesn't explain how to make the roofs work as func_detail. The downside to this is that vis calculation takes an eternity when you have a lot of non-square shapes.. each angled roof can add minutes to the compile. And if it gets bad enough, it will translate into poor frame rates in game.
The "correct" way is to make the majority of your hollow buildings as squares.. including the ceiling. Then build the roof per the tutorial, and make the whole roof func_detail. This allows the vis compilation to optimize a bit better.. and it needs every bit of help it can get because it is not smart at all.
Save the high ceilings where you can see the rafters and everything for the special cases.. like spawn rooms or areas you want to allow rocket jumping. These are just about the only places players actually look upwards, so 9 times of 10, a perfectly flat ceiling is just fine.
I'm nearly done with mine. Very exciting. I decided to make the approach from B to C (somewhat outdated reference here) more interesting, and pretty - and hopefully rather unique.
Instead of a long approach which is what the other side is (sort of), I'm going to split the road in a V-shape. Cutting a long explanation short, the route to C is going to be through a fairly narrow alley, but with lots and lots of vertical side paths. It wouldn't work over a big area but I think it'll be really cool in this short section and work well. Think slightly free-running style gameplay. This is a philosophy that's true throughout the map - multiple paths to objectives that make use of varied vertical play, yet still stick to one main route. This little section will be a microcosm of that, and hopefully a lot of fun.
So yeah, the map is shaping up really well. Couple of balance worries, especially one particularly long range sniper possibility and what engineers would actually do at B, but I'm sure I will be able to fix anything once I have feedback.
Anyone willing to test this map should bother me sometime tomorrow. I only have to build this last section and the spawns, so that won't take long.
Figured I'd throw out a download link for a early version of cp_heh with some screenshots for those interested in checking it out ahead of time. There will be another version by friday that you'll have to download, but feel free to check it out now and tell me what you think.
Man, I dunno what happened. My frame rate freezes whenever I kill someone and then it goes back to normal a few seconds later. It wasn't doing this last week.
It's not that easy, for a single simple reason : you get not to decide when you "fire", but must let someone else do it instead.
Its occuring to me how difficult finding feedback is : you may find servers adopting your map, you almost never get to know what pleases (or bothers) them about it.
I've yet to define clearly my last stage on the cp project, some things that looked really cool the fist time I imagined them don't seem to be so bright on second thought. A bit discouraging.
The rocket also doesn't go where you point, it goes the direction you're facing from the spot it was at when you reflected it. So you need to adjust your aim to compensate, i.e. if the rocket is to your right you want to aim to the target's left.
Figured I'd throw out a download link for a early version of cp_heh with some screenshots for those interested in checking it out ahead of time. There will be another version by friday that you'll have to download, but feel free to check it out now and tell me what you think.
Overview:
Not visible in the overview is the second path around to CP 1 from the path between CP 1 and 2
If you download it and check it out tell me what you think.
The lighting is a major improvement. Now I'll be able to see spies when I bump into them!
I still worry that the fighting spaces are too large (or perhaps too open). I wouldn't change anything until the Friday test run, but at least consider some ways to divide the spaces up. Take a look at something like the second CP on maps like granary and well.. there's a vertical component to them that improve the choices for assault and defense.
The rocket also doesn't go where you point, it goes the direction you're facing from the spot it was at when you reflected it. So you need to adjust your aim to compensate, i.e. if the rocket is to your right you want to aim to the target's left.
I am almost positive that you are incorrect here. My experience is that when you reflect something it basically just re-shoots it from your flamethrower, no matter where in the airblast hitbox it was.
In fact I'm sure of this, since we were messing around with super-slow rockets the other day.
The rocket also doesn't go where you point, it goes the direction you're facing from the spot it was at when you reflected it. So you need to adjust your aim to compensate, i.e. if the rocket is to your right you want to aim to the target's left.
I am almost positive that you are incorrect here. My experience is that when you reflect something it basically just re-shoots it from your flamethrower, no matter where in the airblast hitbox it was.
In fact I'm sure of this, since we were messing around with super-slow rockets the other day.
Yeah, I've never seen a case where a rocket didn't go exactly where I was aiming. My evidence for this is playing ping pong on 2fort on Jon's server a ways back.
No matter which angle the rocket came in on.. it went back out where I was aiming. Various pyro frag videos confirm this behavior.
It's not that easy, for a single simple reason : you get not to decide when you "fire", but must let someone else do it instead.
Its occuring to me how difficult finding feedback is : you may find servers adopting your map, you almost never get to know what pleases (or bothers) them about it.
I've yet to define clearly my last stage on the cp project, some things that looked really cool the fist time I imagined them don't seem to be so bright on second thought. A bit discouraging.
The best way to get feedback is to have access to the server log where your map/plugin is being played, and read what people say about it.
On that note, Mandy's server has finally run out of gas. Thanks Mandy for giving me your server.
Now I'm trying to decide if I should host a test server myself (Where people have to use "connect ipaddress" since my servers don't show up in the master server list probably because of my ISP) or if I should pay cash monies for a server that will only be populated on test nights sometimes.
Edit: By the way, did anybody try the server last night after I tried putting that server command that stops bots from changing classes? Does anybody know if the server crashed after that? I'm going to have another test night tonight on my server.
Does anybody want to see if they can connect to my computer? It's been a while since I've done this. Just type...
Figured I'd throw out a download link for a early version of cp_heh with some screenshots for those interested in checking it out ahead of time. There will be another version by friday that you'll have to download, but feel free to check it out now and tell me what you think.
If you download it and check it out tell me what you think.
Might not be a bad idea to change the sniper nest a bit and have it lead out to a walkway that overlooks the middle point. Give players an alternative way to assault/defend the point. It looks like you're getting there with giving players cover, but there's not much freedom of choice in what they can do/how they can do it.
The rocket also doesn't go where you point, it goes the direction you're facing from the spot it was at when you reflected it. So you need to adjust your aim to compensate, i.e. if the rocket is to your right you want to aim to the target's left.
I am almost positive that you are incorrect here. My experience is that when you reflect something it basically just re-shoots it from your flamethrower, no matter where in the airblast hitbox it was.
In fact I'm sure of this, since we were messing around with super-slow rockets the other day.
Yeah, I've never seen a case where a rocket didn't go exactly where I was aiming. My evidence for this is playing ping pong on 2fort on Jon's server a ways back.
No matter which angle the rocket came in on.. it went back out where I was aiming. Various pyro frag videos confirm this behavior.
one time the rocket i reflected went straight up
i'm not kidding
but it was a once in a lifetime thing, every other projectile has been straight down my crosshair.
Figured I'd throw out a download link for a early version of cp_heh with some screenshots for those interested in checking it out ahead of time. There will be another version by friday that you'll have to download, but feel free to check it out now and tell me what you think.
They should make a game mode in which there are three teams, RED, BLUE and GRN (or YLW) the third team would be entirely bot controlled. CP will never be the same again.
On that note, Mandy's server has finally run out of gas. Thanks Mandy for giving me your server.
Now I'm trying to decide if I should host a test server myself (Where people have to use "connect ipaddress" since my servers don't show up in the master server list probably because of my ISP) or if I should pay cash monies for a server that will only be populated on test nights sometimes.
If you end up renting one, let us know, and we can shoot you a referral link.
(Because hey, free cash monies towards server dues never hurts. Since donations are few and far between... nudge nudge wink wink to the rest of the thread...)
PMAvers on
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
On that note, Mandy's server has finally run out of gas. Thanks Mandy for giving me your server.
Now I'm trying to decide if I should host a test server myself (Where people have to use "connect ipaddress" since my servers don't show up in the master server list probably because of my ISP) or if I should pay cash monies for a server that will only be populated on test nights sometimes.
If you end up renting one, let us know, and we can shoot you a referral link.
(Because hey, free cash monies towards server dues never hurts. Since donations are few and far between... nudge nudge wink wink to the rest of the thread...)
I will keep that in mind! Never thought of that.
Edit: Man, why is programming for tf2 so much more fun than programming for work.
Also, I've been joining my server over and over again so that bots play until map change, and so far no crashes, I think setting "tf_bot_keep_class_after_death 1" may have done the trick. You might want to try this, either with my bot plugin or the one on AlliedModder, pmavers. That might just be the trick to stop server crashes with the tf_bots.
Edit: Man, why is programming for tf2 so much more fun than programming for work.
You're making stuff die, blow up, or cause death and blowing up.
Just now I was brainstorming how I would make spectators get into lines efficiently. I have to do something kind of similar for work, but with TF2 it's fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.
Hey, guys, can anyone recommend me a hard-surface smooth mousemat?
Trouble is with this new mouse is that it's so accurate that it's actually picking up the individual gaps between fibres on my current one. And my current one is no slouch, it's a steelseries QcK.
I'm looking for something about 9.5 x 8 inches, and again - I think any texturing might actually backfire.
I'm wondering about this, but I want to be sure of what I'm getting before spending that sort of money.
I think you shouldn't care what I want to spend my money on.
Having the cursor wobble as you move the mouse isn't particularly fun.
The only reason I'm not going to stay with my current solution of a free company booklet with a glossy finish is because it's finally getting worn out.
Posts
Any help would be much appreciated.
Edit: Never mind, I found tr_walkway with my google-fu.
Dang...playing this game along with the Venture Bros. Soundtrack just feels right
You sir are on to something.
I linked to this earlier in the thread, but it's definitely worth linking again: Interloper's Compile Log Error Search.
I don't see this recommended enough: A Boojum Snark's Ultimate Mapping Resource Pack. In it you'll find prefabricated entities for doors, tracks, sawblades, and resupply cabinets, templates/layouts for all the different gameplay types, a map file you can open up in hammer to view all the different TF2 props you can use and improved hammer functionality.
The Environment Gallery has the soundscapes and lighting settings for each of the various playscapes in the Valve maps.
Props on Top - a tabled rundown of the properties of the various types of props(detail, static, dynamic, physics, ragdoll).
Valve Maps Decompiled, if you want to see how something's done in the official maps not provided with the SDK. I generally recommend looking around some of the Valve-made maps, and revisiting them as you gain more experience with hammer, to get a feel for things.
There's also a general resource thread on TF2maps. In which you'll probably find a few of the links in this post.
I refer to the, well, Mapper's Reference and Dimensions pages often.
I don't use this(yet), but it could come in handy: Mapper's Toolbar.
Common Mapping Mistakes and Old Advice Made New Again.
Twister, a displacement generator that can generate curved displacement walls, spheres, cones, etc. Be warned that the displacements generated will probably be difficult to impossible to sew.
Guide to Displacement Cliffs, Building Angled Roofs the Valve Way, Stair Optimization, Removing Ugly Shadows, How Valve Does Details.
There's also batch compilers out there that offer more/easier customization than Hammer, but I've yet to find one I could figure out.
Put this in a file called pyrotraining.cfg in your tf2 cfg folder:
Start up the game, bring up the console, type 'exec pyrotraining' and hit enter. Then type 'map koth_nucleus', press enter again. Once the map loads up bring up the console one more time and run 'exec pyrotraining' one last time to spawn the bots in. Then play pyro on blue team.
I actually recommend not doing this. That tutorial doesn't explain how to make the roofs work as func_detail. The downside to this is that vis calculation takes an eternity when you have a lot of non-square shapes.. each angled roof can add minutes to the compile. And if it gets bad enough, it will translate into poor frame rates in game.
The "correct" way is to make the majority of your hollow buildings as squares.. including the ceiling. Then build the roof per the tutorial, and make the whole roof func_detail. This allows the vis compilation to optimize a bit better.. and it needs every bit of help it can get because it is not smart at all.
Save the high ceilings where you can see the rafters and everything for the special cases.. like spawn rooms or areas you want to allow rocket jumping. These are just about the only places players actually look upwards, so 9 times of 10, a perfectly flat ceiling is just fine.
Instead of a long approach which is what the other side is (sort of), I'm going to split the road in a V-shape. Cutting a long explanation short, the route to C is going to be through a fairly narrow alley, but with lots and lots of vertical side paths. It wouldn't work over a big area but I think it'll be really cool in this short section and work well. Think slightly free-running style gameplay. This is a philosophy that's true throughout the map - multiple paths to objectives that make use of varied vertical play, yet still stick to one main route. This little section will be a microcosm of that, and hopefully a lot of fun.
So yeah, the map is shaping up really well. Couple of balance worries, especially one particularly long range sniper possibility and what engineers would actually do at B, but I'm sure I will be able to fix anything once I have feedback.
Anyone willing to test this map should bother me sometime tomorrow. I only have to build this last section and the spawns, so that won't take long.
Download cp_heh
Spoilered for screen dump
CP 2:
Center CP:
Overview:
Not visible in the overview is the second path around to CP 1 from the path between CP 1 and 2
If you download it and check it out tell me what you think.
it looks fun though
Y...you named it after cp_heh? this is the happiest day in my life
kpop appreciation station i also like to tweet some
kpop appreciation station i also like to tweet some
Its occuring to me how difficult finding feedback is : you may find servers adopting your map, you almost never get to know what pleases (or bothers) them about it.
I've yet to define clearly my last stage on the cp project, some things that looked really cool the fist time I imagined them don't seem to be so bright on second thought. A bit discouraging.
kpop appreciation station i also like to tweet some
The lighting is a major improvement. Now I'll be able to see spies when I bump into them!
I still worry that the fighting spaces are too large (or perhaps too open). I wouldn't change anything until the Friday test run, but at least consider some ways to divide the spaces up. Take a look at something like the second CP on maps like granary and well.. there's a vertical component to them that improve the choices for assault and defense.
I am almost positive that you are incorrect here. My experience is that when you reflect something it basically just re-shoots it from your flamethrower, no matter where in the airblast hitbox it was.
In fact I'm sure of this, since we were messing around with super-slow rockets the other day.
Yeah, I've never seen a case where a rocket didn't go exactly where I was aiming. My evidence for this is playing ping pong on 2fort on Jon's server a ways back.
No matter which angle the rocket came in on.. it went back out where I was aiming. Various pyro frag videos confirm this behavior.
The best way to get feedback is to have access to the server log where your map/plugin is being played, and read what people say about it.
On that note, Mandy's server has finally run out of gas. Thanks Mandy for giving me your server.
Now I'm trying to decide if I should host a test server myself (Where people have to use "connect ipaddress" since my servers don't show up in the master server list probably because of my ISP) or if I should pay cash monies for a server that will only be populated on test nights sometimes.
Edit: By the way, did anybody try the server last night after I tried putting that server command that stops bots from changing classes? Does anybody know if the server crashed after that? I'm going to have another test night tonight on my server.
Does anybody want to see if they can connect to my computer? It's been a while since I've done this. Just type...
connect quazandwally.is-a-geek.com:27010
Might not be a bad idea to change the sniper nest a bit and have it lead out to a walkway that overlooks the middle point. Give players an alternative way to assault/defend the point. It looks like you're getting there with giving players cover, but there's not much freedom of choice in what they can do/how they can do it.
one time the rocket i reflected went straight up
i'm not kidding
but it was a once in a lifetime thing, every other projectile has been straight down my crosshair.
The only real suggestion I have at the moment is to make the walls for the first and second points reflect the colors of the teams they belong to.
Like in Well or Granary, if you have a brainfart and start going the wrong way, you know almost immediately due to the color of your surroundings.
Oh, and maybe add something to the mid-point to make it more interesting. maybe some ramps or balconies that let people drop onto the point?
If you end up renting one, let us know, and we can shoot you a referral link.
(Because hey, free cash monies towards server dues never hurts. Since donations are few and far between... nudge nudge wink wink to the rest of the thread...)
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
I will keep that in mind! Never thought of that.
Edit: Man, why is programming for tf2 so much more fun than programming for work.
Also, I've been joining my server over and over again so that bots play until map change, and so far no crashes, I think setting "tf_bot_keep_class_after_death 1" may have done the trick. You might want to try this, either with my bot plugin or the one on AlliedModder, pmavers. That might just be the trick to stop server crashes with the tf_bots.
Just now I was brainstorming how I would make spectators get into lines efficiently. I have to do something kind of similar for work, but with TF2 it's fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.
Trouble is with this new mouse is that it's so accurate that it's actually picking up the individual gaps between fibres on my current one. And my current one is no slouch, it's a steelseries QcK.
I'm looking for something about 9.5 x 8 inches, and again - I think any texturing might actually backfire.
I'm wondering about this, but I want to be sure of what I'm getting before spending that sort of money.
I think you shouldn't care what I want to spend my money on.
Having the cursor wobble as you move the mouse isn't particularly fun.
The only reason I'm not going to stay with my current solution of a free company booklet with a glossy finish is because it's finally getting worn out.