The Nexus Pack

[TheFancyEddie20]

I like Octagon.

[-FiniteZero-]

I like Octagon.

So does Jack Black.

In any case, I think the maps are alright, but I'm getting too much lag on them. Try replacing all those linedef bridges with lag-free awesome-epic 3d-floors.

[Nexus11]

Played the maps and here are some of my suggestions

Raise the skybox camera 64 units from the ground as they're creating a hall of mirrors effect
the air control is a tad off too
the maps have no music
and lastly, please refrain from adding gravityhold and windstorm in the same map, especially when they're both very easy to obtain

other than that I love the concepts

Will do.
Alright. Any suggestions to what would be suitable?
That's intentional. I remember back in the past there was an incident with people releasing music in the .wads and I just don't want to get involved in that.
...Didn't think about that. Will fix.

In any case, I think the maps are alright, but I'm getting too much lag on them. Try replacing all those linedef bridges with lag-free awesome-epic 3d-floors.

Didn't know there was a difference but I'll address the issue.

And I'm assuming from these posts that the .pk3 is correct and playable online?

[xColdxFusionx]

Alright. Any suggestions to what would be suitable?

Vanilla maps use 0.5.

[HD_]

Played the maps and here are some of my suggestions

Raise the skybox camera 64 units from the ground as they're creating a hall of mirrors effect
the air control is a tad off too
the maps have no music
and lastly, please refrain from adding gravityhold and windstorm in the same map, especially when they're both very easy to obtain

other than that I love the concepts

Don't worry, I've already started creating my new game mode: WindGrav Apochaos! They'll all have Gravity Hold and Wind Storm when I'm done with them.

Oh, wait, you don't want that? Too bad, I say.

I think I'll try to host these maps if possible.

[Knux]

Mesa looks so awesome! Can't wait to give this a try.

*gives it a try*

At least when the download link is back.  

[Nexus11]

Mesa looks so awesome! Can't wait to give this a try.

*gives it a try*

At least when the download link is back.  

Hopefully I got it right this time. I managed to get them to load in Offline mode, however not when I hosted a server with the files added. But I'm sure someone can confirm this for me since I haven't played MM8BDM online since the days of the SGC Demo (ironic isn't it?) and I don't have my net setup to actually host a REAL server.

Download

(On a side note, I've temporarily taken down the map files just so people aren't grabbing the unplayable version.)

^This is the test version before I release the final (fixed) version.

[Mr. X]

The coding in your mapinfo is broken somewhere because it gives me a bunch of errors when I try loading it.  That's why there's no music and jumping is weird.

As for the maps themselves, my general complaints are...
-You seem far more focused on visuals than the maps themselves.  Super FX may look like the original Star Fox but as a map, it's a boring field with a bunch of random shapes thrown about.  Hex is...well, a bunch of hexagons with different heights.  It's just boring.  Blocks n Bits looks visually impressive but the lag and the layout kill it as a DM map.  Satellite is just a bunch of hallways with lots of similar rooms that ooze confusion.

-Some of the maps just feel like they're there to fill out the roster.  I mean, with Octagon and Junkyard Hell, were you really thinking how well they'd play in the game?  Both maps just seem very plain and there didn't seem to be too much thought put into either of them (or Hex).

-The CTF maps all suffer from long hallways with no cover.  These hallways are absolutely perfect for camping.  For Sealab 20XX, it shouldn't be too hard to fix but Corridor 2.0 and Satellite are both completely designed around these problematic hallways and I can't see a simple fix being possible for either.

-The map flow in some of the maps is really bad.  Both Ice Lab and Mesa have indoor sections with two areas to enter for each.  With so few ways to enter the center area, you've set yourself up for incredibly drawn out battles with players stuggling to find one another.  Ice Lab is the biggest offender and the outside area is completely pointless as it's far more boring than the inside.

-There's lots of dead ends in Ice Lab.  You'll want to have as few as possible.

-The item selection...yeah, Gravity Hold is a powerful weapon, don't put it out in the open.

-You should look at maps with 3D floors because the sidedef floors lag horribly

However, it isn't all bad.  Ice Lab and Sea Lab (figures, the two labs) have some potential if you can figure out how to make a layout that flows better as there seems to be much more thought put into them than any of the other maps.  You've also got quite a knack for creating some interesting environments visually.  Just make them interesting to play on too.

[Nexus11]

The coding in your mapinfo is broken somewhere because it gives me a bunch of errors when I try loading it.  That's why there's no music and jumping is weird.

How exactly are you loading it? Because whenever I put it through the MM8BDM luancher, it works just fine.

As for the MAPINFO, it's a direct copy-paste of Ivory's code.

(click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

map LEVELCODE "MAPNAME"
{
   next = "LEVELCODEFORNEXTMAP"
   sky1 = "BLACK", 0
   cluster = 1
   music = "MUSICLUMPNAME"
   aircontrol = 0.5
   forcenoskystretch
   clipmidtextures
   }

As for the maps themselves, my general complaints are...
-You seem far more focused on visuals than the maps themselves.  Super FX may look like the original Star Fox but as a map, it's a boring field with a bunch of random shapes thrown about.  Hex is...well, a bunch of hexagons with different heights.  It's just boring.  Blocks n Bits looks visually impressive but the lag and the layout kill it as a DM map.  Satellite is just a bunch of hallways with lots of similar rooms that ooze confusion. What may be boring looking to you may be interesting looking to someone else.

-Some of the maps just feel like they're there to fill out the roster.  I mean, with Octagon and Junkyard Hell, were you really thinking how well they'd play in the game?  Both maps just seem very plain and there didn't seem to be too much thought put into either of them (or Hex). Just because it's simple in design doesn't mean it can't be a good map. Yes, these maps offer little cover, but this encourages a frantic style of play where the player has to constantly be aware and really have to fight to stay alive. These maps were made to change the pace a bit from other DM maps, by making it all about the player.

-The CTF maps all suffer from long hallways with no cover.  These hallways are absolutely perfect for camping.  For Sealab 20XX, it shouldn't be too hard to fix but Corridor 2.0 and Satellite are both completely designed around these problematic hallways and I can't see a simple fix being possible for either. I realize this, and it was something that plagued me in the playtest portion of the maps. However, this can always be counter-acted by teammates simply using good teamwork, which is the main point of CTF.

-The map flow in some of the maps is really bad.  Both Ice Lab and Mesa have indoor sections with two areas to enter for each.  With so few ways to enter the center area, you've set yourself up for incredibly drawn out battles with players stuggling to find one another.  Ice Lab is the biggest offender and the outside area is completely pointless as it's far more boring than the inside. I'll admit that the outdoor portions of Ice Lab can make the smaller sized matches more cumbersome than they need to be. But the main intention for that map is to be used in larger sized matches.

-There's lots of dead ends in Ice Lab.  You'll want to have as few as possible. Not sure if I agree with this. While it may disrupt flow, it certainly creates the feeling of a building which was what I more designing towards.

-The item selection...yeah, Gravity Hold is a powerful weapon, don't put it out in the open. Edits I made should be suitable.

-You should look at maps with 3D floors because the sidedef floors lag horribly Fixed.

However, it isn't all bad.  Ice Lab and Sea Lab (figures, the two labs) have some potential if you can figure out how to make a layout that flows better as there seems to be much more thought put into them than any of the other maps.  You've also got quite a knack for creating some interesting environments visually.  Just make them interesting to play on too. I appreciate the comment and I will keep that design tip in mind if I decide to make more maps in the future.

Sorry if I'm getting defensive over your C&C, but it's just how I am when it comes to anything I make.

Final release version is up.

>>Download<<

[Mr. X]

What may be boring looking to you may be interesting looking to someone else.

But you should try to make maps that appeal to as many people as possible.  Clearly, Shade and Myroc have similar complaints and I'm sure others would as well.

Just because it's simple in design doesn't mean it can't be a good map. Yes, these maps offer little cover, but this encourages a frantic style of play where the player has to constantly be aware and really have to fight to stay alive. These maps were made to change the pace a bit from other DM maps, by making it all about the player.

Yes, there's simple and then there's what you've made.  Take the official Cut Man stage.  It's simple, but there's plenty of cover and nooks and crannies to make it also interesting.  Your simple maps are mostly open.  If you're making it more about the player, you might as well pull a "Fox only, no items, Final Destination" and remove all weapons and have it completely flat.  It's worth noting that Junkyard Hell is a much much bigger offender here.  Octagon is on its way to being a decent little map, but needs a little more kick to it.  Maybe something near the outer edges.

I realize this, and it was something that plagued me in the playtest portion of the maps. However, this can always be counter-acted by teammates simply using good teamwork, which is the main point of CTF.

Good teamwork =/= make a hallway that requires throwing lots of people into a line of bullets at once.  It's the equivalent of saying a good teamwork strategy in war is to throw 1000 people at a machine gun and hope that eventually someone makes it through.  It does nothing but make these maps extremely prone to camping and spamming.  If there were a way around the large hallways, I could see keeping them, but in the maps mentioned you have no choice but to run into camping zones.

I'll admit that the outdoor portions of Ice Lab can make the smaller sized matches more cumbersome than they need to be. But the main intention for that map is to be used in larger sized matches.

Either way, you need to have more ways into the center area.  Right now, there's so few ways outside that the only reason I could see anybody going out there is to hide from other players.  You should be able to get around in a map fairly easily.  If you spawn outside in the map like I did, you get screwed because you have to walk for quite a while to get back to where the action is.

Not sure if I agree with this. While it may disrupt flow, it certainly creates the feeling of a building which was what I more designing towards.

But a regular building isn't designed around playing a game in.  This is.  I could make a map look just like my house but it won't be a good deathmatch map.