From the Flesh (jeh_decay)
Released Sept 29th, 2007 (Download zip)- Design Goals:
- What Worked
I'm not a big planner (though I'm making efforts to get better at this), so a lot of the areas evolved as the building went on (ie I need a third jump pad up to the roof, this area is too linear, etc). As building went on, I think I found a good balance point of routes without turning the level into swiss-cheese.
Gameplay-wise, it turned out fairly nicely, with areas for a variety of situations. It being my first Q2 map, I had to experiment a bit with item placement, but I trust my instincts on the placement generating movement and area priorities well. Gut instincts also played a part in those areas where I had no great ideas, but they came about naturally anyway. I guess that's why I like mapping ruins: just by breaking stuff you can make something uninteresting into something useful.
- What Didn't Work
In the end, the biggest issue became the performance hit inherent with it's open design. The skylight, outdoor areas, and general flow meant that it became hard to divide the map properly, causing slowdowns on some machines\clients. I released the map noting this, and it's something I'll have to be mindful in my next projects.
I don't know at the moment, but it may be *too* dark. Time will tell.