FCS Event 2-24-10

30 Comments

• 

  kernalEugEnE

  February 22, 2010 at 10:47 pm

  am i actually the first one? wow, i feel all warm and fuzzy inside….ok, maybe not……
  Author:kernalEugEnE
  Map Name:Once upon a valley
  Preferred Mode:CTD or UR
  Map Size:large
  you see, once upon a time, the small smuggling operation in this little valley worked efficiently, then stuff happened then a nuke went off and aliens invadeed and OMG AN EGG JUST TALKED AND KILLED ITSELF!!! its final words were, “goo”
  anywho….its a map, sorta set up like a small smuggling operation in a valley….should play…..interestingly….
• 

  Surfdog Jr

  February 23, 2010 at 11:21 am

  Bi-monthly? D: Once a month is better x.x But I support this concept, and L-O-V-E that freaking game. Can’t wait to see everyone there!
• 

  Hilbillee

  February 23, 2010 at 7:18 pm

  Author: That elusive Govner dude.
  Map Name: Scavenger IV
  Preferred Mode: CTD
  Map Size: Who Cares!

  Why did you mess with it Gov? Why!!
• 

  Hilbillee

  February 23, 2010 at 7:20 pm

  Author: That guy with six sevens
  Map Name: Elephant Man
  Preferred Mode: whatever
  Map Size: Giant in Japan

  My favorite map by the 7. Only played this map once. Remembered it was fun.
• 

  Hilbillee

  February 23, 2010 at 7:25 pm

  Author: Hilbillee
  Map Name: New Mount Mshamba
  Preferred Mode: Uprising
  Map Size: Large

  Reworked waterways should make this map run much smoother.
  “It’s gonna blow-whoa-whoa-whoa, …. VOLcANO!”
  Oh yeh, don’t fall into the volcano. And don’t be on top of it when it blows.
• 

  jumping manatee

  February 23, 2010 at 8:38 pm

  Author:jumping manatee
  Map Name:safe haven
  Preferred Mode:capture the diamond or uprising
  Map Size:12-16

  thanks for Listing
• 

  UnearthlyWatch

  February 24, 2010 at 12:29 am

  Regards FarCry Predator, to be honest I doubt there’s enough people interested but if it gets up, yeah once a month would be cool.

  Maps, eh well Unearthly did his thing again, another humongous creation, eighteen hour all nighter, this time it’s back to the past with the last days of Pompeii, the ancient Roman tourist town that got sh*t on by the volcano, Mount Vesuvius.

  Author: UnearthlyWatch
  Map Name: Pompeii BETA
  Preferred Mode: CTD
  Map Size: Medium 12-16 players

  Can’t claim this is an acurate reconstruction, but it’s got the volcano. Used an aweful lot of brushes on the architecture, not much interior detail, so think of it as a deserted town, this time the inhabitants got wise and left with pretty much everything including the kitchen sink, er basin. No, you can’t climb the buildings, so it’s strickly street level fighting, although you can make use of some elevated postions. Enjoy the time travel.

  Author: UnearthlyWatch
  Map Name: Rainbow Serpent
  Preferred Mode: TD
  Map Size: Medium

  This is an old favourite of mine, reminiscient of the dry, rocky and dubiously, pastoral country north of where I live. Beware snakes in the grass.
• 

  kernalEugEnE

  February 24, 2010 at 8:26 am

  and about the predator revival thingy, if i find a copy of fc predator, i would probably be interested
• 

  XHeretic HeroX

  February 24, 2010 at 8:53 am

  I don’t have FC Predator anymore, so no I won’t be playing it again. But maybe if you were to host two of my maps I might be able to pull a copy of the game out of thin air.
  Author: HERO oUGSo
  Map Name: Hostile Harbor
  Preferred Mode: TD
  Map Size: Medium
  Author: AUT0MATOR oUGSo
  Map Name: Locks
  Preferred Mode: CTD
  Map Size: large
• 

  The Govener

  February 24, 2010 at 11:01 am

  Hey Hero, I know you’re technically using the form provided but can you please from now on include the form in your posts? lol It just makes things much easier and more uniform when the match comes along for me. >.> I’ll do it for you this week, but next week I’ll only host the maps that copy and paste the form like it says to in the post.
• 

  The Govener

  February 24, 2010 at 11:12 am

  Ha Ha thanks for the submit hilbillee. I updated it because, well it was a beta and was there for testing. I didn’t do anything to the base we were at/ (aside from add another truck) and mainly I just messed with the diamond spawns and the APR base. So everything should play mostly the same. Maybe tonight we’ll also try some Uprising on this bad mofo.. lol

  Also we’re going to play a map made by a guy called Raz114 (I think) called black hawk down.. I think. I’ll figure out the specifics later lol
  Author: Raz114
  Map Name: Black Hawk Down
  Preferred Mode: TDM or CTD
  Map Size: Mediumish
• 

  UnearthlyWatch

  February 24, 2010 at 2:51 pm

  Just a note, I will be republishing IronMen later with wreaked machine in the middle and easier movement between each base/machine. BTW spent a full 24 hours making Pompeii, 29 hours between sleeps so I was a zombie yesterday and I drove a car, bad, bad.
• 

  o0Fauch0oo

  February 24, 2010 at 4:42 pm

  I’m working tomorrow morning, so I’m not playing tonight.
• 

  Mis7aPapzD3A7H

  February 24, 2010 at 4:43 pm

  I am completely all for having a FCIP match. You could count on me being there.

  And, I guess I will submit a map this week, soooo…

  Author: Mis7aPapzD3A7H
  Map Name: Mirando MPD
  Preferred Mode: Deathmatch
  Map Size: Medium
• 

  tommydey

  February 24, 2010 at 5:22 pm

  I want to play tonight! So send me an invite or something. But my internets been acting weird lately, so if I unexpectedly quit it because of that.

  Author: Tommydey
  Map Name: Chile Mountains
  Preferred Mode: Team Deathmatch
  Map Size: Large. 12-16 people.
  The maps a show I saw a week ago set in Chile, so its a lake/jungle with a mountain range in the background.
• 

  IcedFire

  February 24, 2010 at 6:22 pm

  Hey UnearthlyWatch, think your town might actually be Herculaneum (another town buried by Vesuvius but was smartly evacuated prior to burial)?

  BTW wish I could be there tonight…..
• 

  The Govener

  February 24, 2010 at 7:33 pm

  Okay folks, the submission window hath closed. Anything after this post will not be a valid submission to the server. Sorry bout that, maybe next week?
• 

  UnearthlyWatch

  February 25, 2010 at 2:13 am

  Just by way of feedback, ’twas another great line up of maps, you guys never cease to amaze in providing new and exciting maps, non-fcsoup people just don’t know what they’re missing. Everyones maps were fun to play, even the ones that were’nt as pretty or as neatly constructed as mine. Yes, it really is the gameplay that matters most.
  Someone suggested others use these posts for map feedback, (btw last weeks “debate” got a little tense!) Mr Soup and the other staff have done a great job impartially reviewing maps in podcasts and in posts but it’s not easy to organise, especally as it’s done on a voluntry basis.
  But here’s my two cents worth. All of the maps we played that I am not going to mention are absolute masterpieces, by masters of mapmaking (they don’t need more praise).
  Two really minor observations re map construction. ‘Ounce upon a valley’ did have some hard edges between some textures, a lighter touch (or lowing strength of texture brush) as well as a transitional texture between (at edges of road for example, can blend textures. ‘safe haven’ had a couple of misaligned objects and a bad flashy at the doorway of first right hand tower (caused by two object textures occupying the same plane)the latter fixable by removing a redundant fort rampart and repostioning and possibly lowering the remaining fractionally (turn off Auto Snap).
  ‘Locks’, while it actually had no problem with lag, could have. If a map is going to get lag it’s because the maximum number of objects are used along with the maximum mumber of kinds of objects (taxing the 360′s memory).
  On an unrelated issue why do people use occlusion blocks where they are not in players line of sight re object geometry (like the f***ing sky)?
  Anyways, if anyone has criticisms of Pompeii BETA (next version renamed Herculaneum, thanks IcedFire,..well you know, I found a slightly misplaced column) just let me know. I thought it played ok but not brilliantly like some today, however I wont want to change the construction much ’cause I loves it’.
• 

  UnearthlyWatch

  February 25, 2010 at 2:34 am

  Postscript, I dont mean the maps I DID mention where not masterpieces, on the contrary I was really impressed. In addition it may be unwise for me to venture opinions although I mention very minor issues in the interest of map making craft generally. Reviewing is up to the website managers as these are essentially submission posts.
• 

  UnearthlyWatch

  February 25, 2010 at 9:45 pm

  One more observation. Looking at last weeks posts, yeah clustering objects in a small area can cause lag. As well poorly positioned occlusion blocks are useless (like below the ground). One map I made which exceeded the allowable number of objects in an area was fixed by checking them against the grid and moving the whole lot accross so they straddled more grid squares. However I still like to make maps with the minimum number and kind of objects. I think they look more cohesive too.
  My understanding is that if someone has a slow connection that shouldn’t effect others, unless they are the server. I’ve been very lucky playing with you guys, being so far away with a modest speed by world standards. I had bad lag in the Predator days, humiliating to shoot someone in the face three times and die anyway.
• 

  Surfdog Jr

  February 26, 2010 at 12:43 am

  “why do people use occlusion blocks where they are not in players line of sight re object geometry (like the f***ing sky)?”

  It’s said that it simplifies the shadows that is cast by the sun where the occlusion block is… Blocking the sun lol I haven’t personally tried this, but I have heard from more than one person that this does in fact reduce lag greatly in some instances.
• 

  Mis7aPapzD3A7H

  February 26, 2010 at 1:02 am

  To see how occlusion blocks in the sky affect performance, take Mirando MPD, look around with the occlusion block ceiling, then try it out with them removed.
• 

  o0Fauch0oo

  February 26, 2010 at 8:02 am

  actually, I use that technic not only to reduce lag but also to get rid of shadows. it makes your map more luminous and it is harder to hide.
• 

  UnearthlyWatch

  February 26, 2010 at 3:13 pm

  Well, I tried Mis7aPapzD3aA7H’s suggestion with Mirando MPD and you guys are wrong on both counts. Try it yourself with Mirando MPD in Editing Mode as opposed to Test Map mode. Yes, it makes a difference to performance if you are above the occlusion blocks looking down as they are in fact in line of sight re object geometry, but it makes no difference on the ground where the players are. Note: occlusion blocks along side the Playable Zone also serve no purpose.
  As for the shadows, tried it with and without the sky blocks, viewing as a player would in the map by using Test Mode, absolutely no difference. I can only think these ideas have been spread by confusing appearances working in the Editing Mode and its results on the ground. Hope I haven’t pissed anyone off.
• 

  Mis7aPapzD3A7H

  February 26, 2010 at 3:56 pm

  It has no effect in the editor mode, however it has a SIGNIFICANT effect in game. Try agian. I hate using them, I can’t stand the effect it plays in indoor enviornemts… even though as fauch said, sometimes the luminous effect can work in certain maps. I wish I had my laptop, I could make a tutorial on how to properly use occ. block ceilings.
• 

  o0Fauch0oo

  February 26, 2010 at 4:13 pm

  on the contrary, I don’t like when the shadows make the map not look homogeneous. I would rather have the light system like on timesplitters.

  and in editor, you can sometimes see a clear difference on the performance bar (if you are in the mode where occlusion blocks are active of course) but maybe it is more noticeable on some maps. for example, UnearthlyWatch, on some of your outdoor wide open maps, maybe it wouldn’t make a big difference.
• 

  kernalEugEnE

  February 26, 2010 at 4:14 pm

  UnearthlyWatch, thnx for the tips. i also need to fix the lower base, as it had some flashing walls.pompeii was really good.
• 

  UnearthlyWatch

  February 27, 2010 at 12:18 am

  Sorry to go on about this, but Test Mode (via the jump-in Back Button) should duplicate in-game performance, tried Mirando MPD in-game via LAN also. No discernable difference re framerate and lighting.
  My understanding is based in the fact that Occlusion Blocks in the sky are not between the player and the objects to be occluded. To quote the Map Editor Help Menu: “Occlusion Blocks in a players line of sight stop the objects behind them being drawn”. Occlusion culling is a standard technique used in 3D rendering with which I am quite familiar. As well, I dont see why the developers would have a tool like Occlusion Blocks effecting lighting in-game.
  Amongst us gamers the expert on Occlusion Blocks used in the FC2 Map Editor is JET BlACK BEBOP, he may know otherwise. However, I’ll let you all know I am a contributor to The Official Farcry2 Map Editing Guide and some of you might be amazed that I’m not the only one to play you guys via FCSoup.
• 

  XxXCASHnDASHXxX

  February 27, 2010 at 2:34 am

  Occlusion block ceilings work, trust me. This technique took “Certain Areas” of 2 of my maps(Cyprus/Refuge), from red to yellow. Not only do they work, but they work differently for every map, and have to be kind of custom made for every map.

  I guess it all depends on what is causing the majority of the slowdown. If shadows are the reason for slowdown, then the occlusion ceiling will almost always solve the problem. If the slowdown is caused by to many pieces in certain areas, then the the lag can usually be resolved by reducing the number of objects in view and adding an occlusion block ceiling.

  Your not gonna notice the ceilings affect in EVERY part of the map. All I can say is experiment with them a little. Find a map with a few areas that start to get far enough into the red to cause lag, and then add a ceiling. The ceiling almost always fixes maps that have a few areas with slowdown.

  Keep in mind that your not gonna take a map that has MASSIVE lag in almost every part of the map and fix it with this technique.

  Also, things like the time of day can effect lag A LOT. Sometimes you can fix a map with pretty bad lag by simply changing the time of day and adding a ceiling.

  All I can say is experiment with the occlusion block ceiling and you will eventually see the difference. I’ve spent hours playing around with occlusion block ceilings, so I can confirm 100% that they do work.
• 

  UnearthlyWatch

  February 27, 2010 at 3:02 pm

  With respect XxXCASHnDASHXxX I cannot say I agree because of my understanding of the way different kinds of 3D image properties are processed by hardware. But I can’t expect anyone to take my claims at face value, I would need to have technical discussion in these terms. Needless to say, I do not know how the game and map editor are actually designed vis-à-vis programming. I may be very wrong.

  However, as we are talking about map making from experience I must agree you and others have every reason to be correct. So I wont haggle anymore on the subject. In future I hope to contribute to the discussion of the map making craft without arguement on my part.