The problems with Capture city map

[Dokujisan]

I'm trying to decide whether or not to have the capture city map on the CTF server that I just setup. It was removed from Herforst due to complaints. I've heard a couple of them, from it being too laggy to the lighting being screwed up. I was just wondering if I was overlooking other complaints about it.

Is there anything that could be done (as far as a redesign) to fix the problems on capturecity? If so, I might take a crack at this as one of my first map projects.

I like some things about capturecity. To me, it seems a little bit too big. It could be reduced to about 25% fewer buildings, or maybe have a different layout for the buildings like a longer rectangle rather than a square to keep the flags further apart. I'd personally like to see more cutouts or balconies on the buildings for people to perch or grab weapons, ammo, armor or health. Maybe even add some underground tunneling between buildings. It always felt to me that capture city was an unfinished map, like it could have more detail, but not be quite so big.

As some people have pointed out, it wasn't really designed for grappling. Designing a level for grappling is a whole topic of its own. I'd like to start another threadfor that discussion.

[tZork]

The concept of capturecity is a fun one, unfortunatly this type of gemoetry dosent work very well in bsp based engines. The basic problem is that the map is to open, so the engine has a hard time determening whats not visible. Tho the polycount of capturecity is spartan you have to keep in mind all the enteties (health, weps, flags and so on) also gets drawn unnesesarely often, and proly chew up some extra bandwith too. Another, often forgotten, thing is that polycounts are far from the only thing that slows stuff down. A very large surface will take lots of gpu power to draw since it needs to get textured, so even if the polycount is low a map can be slow. Its often the case that you can speed up a badly desiged map by chopping it up more. This is becuse the render dosent draw half a face; a face is eigther (partialy) visible (drawn) or its not.

Thrers a few trixs that can be done for thise type of maps, but nothing that drasticaly changes thigs.

Is there anything that could be done (as far as a redesign) to fix the problems on capturecity? If so, I might take a crack at this as one of my first map projects.

Well yes, but be warned this is a preddy heavy load for a first map. You will need a fair understadning of the "vis" proccess and lots of testing to have a fair chance of making this map any better preformance wise.

[divVerent]

I think a better idea might be making this map a "closed" one, that is, using perhaps the same layout - but connecting the buildings through tunnels and teleporters but walking in the INSIDE of the buildings.

But gameplay wise, the result wouldn't be similar to capturecity at all...

[Dokujisan]

Well, I'm not one to really care if a map is realistic or not. I mean it doesn't matter to me if the city map really looks like a city. In fact, I might even prefer some abnormal or surreal looking textures and shapes just because it's possibly interesting and different. Making changes to the city might make it less city-like, but that is fine by me. The capture-city map doesn't really feel like a city. The buildings look a bit like cardboard cutouts.

If the city map were sectioned off with big torn up walls with a few holes (to move through) or something...maybe that could help lesson the amount of things that need to be rendered at one time. It could also make the map look more appealing, like post-apocalyptic. Or, as has been suggested, if some of the buildings could be widened and opened up to allow gameplay inside. It would also reduce the amount of Nex-rapings that happen on that board That level seems to be ALL about getting the nex, especially with the bases being wide open like that.