GoofaTroop:
dancore:
Kenenji:
dancore:
Quote:Hey, all!
Hope everyone's safe from the horror of the corona virus.
I'm making this poll/thread based on some of the interactions I have had with other frequenters of the server and also my own thoughts and feelings on the topic.
Before I begin anything though; Dan, you've done some amazing work with the server's map and I in no way intend this post to take for granted or be unappreciative of the hard work you've been putting in. Please don't take any of my suggestions as unappreciative of your effort or time invested, or as a personal criticism in any way.
I fear making comments about the map has become a bit of a taboo topic so I genuinely hope this lands with good reception as it is meant to be productive, and possibly subject to change to make it a better fit for the server as it stands.
It has been a very unique experience from a player perspective to see the map and features change and grow based on fellow player feedback. Listening to feedback and the close working relationship as well as the friendship that is shared between the staff and players has always been a large part of what makes the server special for me and I am overjoyed to see that this relationship has remained healthy and efficient to this day.
So as for the meat of this poll suggestion, I am suggesting fleshing out the newly added sewers even further.
Now that I have gotten out of the way expressing how appreciative I am towards the work Dan has been putting in on the Danovis map, I would be lying if I said I was completely satisfied with the sewers/underground at the time of writing this. Mind you it has just been added, but I think this post is as relevant now as it would be later down the line after it has been with us for a while.
I, and others I have spoken with on the server seem to share the same opinion that the underground is a little too barren.
It offers very little along the lines of a roleplayable environment and only has a small handful of connections to the surface, removing the utility of underground travel altogether. While it is a good start and proof of concept for the sewers of Danovis, I feel that something as expansive as the rp_bangclaw underground would be more akin to something as prestigious... and currently lacking, as Danovis.
The benefits of an underground that IS, or simply resembles the one that makes the map Bangclaw so famous are as follows, just to list a few.
1. Expansive underground that when learned, provides the player with positive control of the map by providing alternate routes, ambush points and hidden entrances.
2. A hugely different multitude of base locations. In stark contrast to those of the 'overworld,' an underground would provide players with the damp, dirty, cornered tunnel rat feel that I know everyone is looking for. The cool people are anyway.. Wink
3. An underground environment would while remaining part of the server, feel as if it is a different map. It would artificially make the map feel larger, but not with empty expanse as it seems now bridges the gap between houses to allow for cars. Rather than the feeling of big empty streets, a sewer in the downtown core would give a feeling of richness and intricate detail to the city and further sell the feeling of the city being bustling and lively while still allowing for cars and other distant gameplay features on the surface. These two environments would complement each other.
4. The underground would provide multitudes of new gameplay options for existant jobs such as hobo, while also opening the door for more jobs such as sewer slashers, and many more. For example, a sewer slasher would bring a sense of fear or danger to the lone wanderer who thought the sewers might be a quicker option. A more foreboding truth could be awaiting around those dark corners...
5. Sewers/Underground would make the server feel much more well rounded in what it is able to offer gameplay-wise. Sometimes you're trying to interact with as many people as possible and drive your f150 full of weed pallets, and other times you just want to grow your mushrooms in a quiet and dank corner under that sweet sweet red light. To each their own, but with this addition, it would allow players to choose end even mix things up if one becomes stale. Again, one would complement the other. Neither would steal the spotlight.
6. An expansive Bangclaw-esque underground would provide a feeling of wonder and mystery, as well as excitement to exploration under the streets of Danovis. The actual prospect of getting lost underground is both as exciting as it is terrifying, especially if you have no knowledge of the sewers during a critical moment such as a gunfight or police evasion. Imagine, robbing the bank and making a quick daring get-away into the sewers that run beneath the streets only to loose the cops underground and sneak into the back entrance of your crime den. The possibilities are endless.
So, to sum it all up;
In this thread I have outlined many reasons I think a more expansive underground would be both a worthwhile and welcome expansion to the rapidly growing and evolving Danovis.
I have given examples of situations the underground could be utilized, possible future applications for jobs, and even the holes in the current gameplay loop it would perfectly fill.
Sound off in the comments and leave your mark in the poll if you'd like to see something like this, have further suggestions on more gameplay opportunities this could create or just if you wanna check-in and let everyone know you're coronavirus free.
Thanks for reading and I hope for your support! Big Grin
Goof
dancore:
Quote:I don't think it should be taboo, I would love to make a huge map with a super intricate sewer system but source is such an outdated engine that I've hit the brush limit on hammer. Sadly, there is nothing I can do, I wasn't planning on adding a sewer system but people wanted one and that's as far as I could go without breaking the map.
Kenenji:
Quote:dancore Wrote:
I don't think it should be taboo, I would love to make a huge map with a super intricate sewer system but source is such an outdated engine that I've hit the brush limit on hammer. Sadly, there is nothing I can do, I wasn't planning on adding a sewer system but people wanted one and that's as far as I could go without breaking the map.
I'm guessing you're probably sick of hammer at this point but looking around the map, you could probably reclaim some brushes by flattening out the grass and simplifying the map's cliff edges. I have little to no experience with hammer so I don't know how many brushes are used just for those two things which probably go mostly unnoticed or underappreciated.
dancore:
Quote:@kenenji so displacements do not create more brushes but I've got really good news.
So VBSP enforces these limits:
8192 brushes
128 faces on a single brush
32768 faces overall (half of the BSP plane limit, each face uses two planes)
Here is the map:
[Image: 5bd0906fc4.png]
I've been wondering why I could even compile the map even though I am past these limits. Now after looking back into it apparently garrysmod has increased these limits:
VBSP enforces these limits:
8192 brushes (16384 in [Image: Icon_GMOD.png])
128 faces on a single brush
32768 faces overall (half of the BSP plane limit, each face uses two planes)
Here is the source info: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Brush
I am tired of source, which is why I've switched over to unreal engine but with good time I will add more to the sewers, for now this is it, I am taking a break from hammer unless there is a huge error/bug. In the future, if the server is working out, I will export bangclaws sewers, and import them into the map with edits so that it fit well. Thing is, I do not want to spend another 50+ hrs working on something and the server dies a month or 2 later, fuck that lol, hope you all understand but I am excited that the brush limit has been increased for gmod, whenever I do update the sewers I will make every building accessible + more secrets.