You can get the whole pack here: strength_progress.pk3 (45 MB!)
Note: To play the different alphas and betas you must drop down the console using Shift+Esc. Then enter map <mapname>, where the mapnames are:
2048
2048_a1
...
2048_a9
strength_b1
strength_b2
strength_b3
You can get the final map here: Strength
Since Strength was made for the 2048³ competition there were some restrictions (the map must be inside a 2048-unit wide cube). I first started off with the layout and tried to include some ideas i had for the gameplay. And i built the first two towers for a first try on the architectural desig i wanted to go for. I basically was just playing around in Radiant and built what came into my mind. So i didn't really have a clue what kind of setting and mood the map would have in the end.
I also chose the eX-textures as a base for inspiration for the architecture and the general feeling, as they offer the best quality ingame (quake4 quality textures) and i was too lazy to do my own textures.
2048:
I adapted the design of the towers to the surrounding walls and tried the ruiner-skybox for a denser atmosphere.
2048_a1:
Writing shaders for the lights to cast light...
Adding some architecture on the top floor
2048_a2:
Finishing the base for the top-part of the map.
Testing the lighting (e.g. rtlights as sun...). Adding gameplay elements (accel-pads).
2048_a3:
Texturing: Changing the yellow blinking parts on the towers, since the ones before didn't fit.
2048_a4:
At this point i decided to change the setting to a dusty and hot environment. The architecture so far didn't really fit to a cool, wet environment with it's unsaturated metallic textures. Also after i decided to call the map "Strength" i wanted the atmosphere to be oppressive and dry. So i made a new skybox and it fitted better to the overall theme imo. My own aim now was to build a fairly bright map with a hot oppressing feel, since i never did something like that before. The maps i made before are mostly dark and use cold colors. So this was kind of an experiment for me to test a setting i never did before (okay... straledm5 is kinda dry as well but i wanted Strength to make the players sweat only by looking at it
).2048_a5:
Starting to build the lower parts of the map. Once i had found the style i wanted to have in the lower parts the progress was very fast. The map built itself using me as a tool
More lighting.
2048_a6:
Working on the lower parts. More lighting and testing.
2048_a7:
More work on the lower parts. Additional lighting. Testing and bugfixing.
2048_a8:
Finishing the architecture. Item placement. This time i knew only of the Nex and the two RL's where i would put them. Sometimes it's better to build the map around weapons, but with Strength i tried to focus on the architecture and placed the weapons afterwards.
2048_a9:
BETA STATUS
bug-fixing, fine-tuning, brighten up the lighting
strength_b1:
minor changes and fixes:
strength_b2:
minor changes. Adding soundFX.
strength_b3:
FINAL:
Once again: new skybox. I wanted to have the skybox less distracting from the sun (the source of the heat). So i looked at some photographs of some deserts and chose a failry blue sky and dunes to go with the clear sun. The skybox is a mess between a Terragen-skybox and a photo. I also added diffuse blue lighting from the other angles from the sky. I'd go for some less diffuse now, but the deadline for the contest is over, and once again i'm too busy with other ideas and rl to change it. Overall brighter lighting to go with the dusty and hot feeling.
Added sand in the corners to support the desert-theme. (Too bright in some places though....).
Adding support for the other game-modes. Writing cfg's and mapcfg's. Bot support
That was one day before the deadline, so i did not have time for the fine-tuning of the new skybox and the lighting.
strength:
