Aliabad Region - Version 1.1 Released!

[lennard 447]

Wow, another instant classic from McNools! This map is bloody incredible. It feels so detailed and realistic and organic, and yet has outstanding performance. A perfect progression from Hazar Kot.

It's amazing to see a talented mapmaker take the basic ingredients from OA and make a map that surpasses the original OA maps in every way!

Thanks McNools, can't wait to see what you come up with next!

I agree on every word.

[Donny 10]

Great work McNools and congrats to your release.

Very beautiful and natural landscape, now its time for some scenarios on it :)

greetings

[Gemini 359]

McNools, your maps are sooooooo great !!! Thanks a lot man.

I have only 2 questions:

1) What are the reds markers on the map ?

2) Are they any hidden locations in this map (caves...) like in Kazar-Kot ?

Thanks again !

[mcnools 62]

Hello :) the red markes signify viewpoints, at least places I think are good viewpoints, haha. There aren't really any hidden locations like caves etc. since I didn't think caves would suit this map.

[Gemini 359]

Okay, thanks ! :)

[DetCord 96]

Great work as always, Mc.

[Trracer 10]

A little constructive feedback. For the next version, could you perhaps add some streetlights? The map is quite dark in the... uhm, dark. Just one or so for the larger settlements.

[tpw 2315]

A little constructive feedback. For the next version, could you perhaps add some streetlights? The map is quite dark in the... uhm, dark. Just one or so for the larger settlements.

I agree, but in the mean time have a look at this thread: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?134023-need-street-lamp-class-name

You can just place a few yourself in the editor.

[icebreakr 3157]

McNools looks great. A true inspiration for a desert map ;)

[katipo66 94]

Top Shelf bro!

What I like about it other than it's stunning look and feel is it's size to clutter ratio if that makes sense, perfect for making missions...

[Trracer 10]

I agree, but in the mean time have a look at this thread: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?134023-need-street-lamp-class-name

You can just place a few yourself in the editor.

Ofcourse I can, but you can't turn them on (with either inFlame or switchlight). As far as I know the ability to turn the lights on/off is a map config specific thing.

[tpw 2315]

Ofcourse I can, but you can't turn them on (with either inFlame or switchlight). As far as I know the ability to turn the lights on/off is a map config specific thing.

Sorry Trracer, wasn't trying to be condescending. I just saw the post a few minutes after reading yours and thought it might be useful. You could always attachto a lightsource.

Try placing a gamelogic and put this in the init:

streetlight = "LAND_LAMP_SMALL_EP1" createVehicleLocal (getpos this);lightbulb = "#lightpoint" createVehicleLocal (getpos streetlight); lightbulb setLightBrightness 0.05; lightbulb setLightColor[1, 0.5, 0.2]; lightbulb lightAttachObject [streetlight, [0,0,3]];

Edited May 5, 2012 by tpw

[Trracer 10]

Thanks tpw. That is a good start.

[mcnools 62]

I'll consider adding a light or two in a few villages along the powerline perhaps, we'll see. :)

[Gemini 359]

Just one thing: it would be better if you had put the coast at the south instead of the north (the Green Sea is at the south of Takistan...).

[Imperator[TFD] 444]

Insurgency would be unreal on this map because of the better cover and elevation differences.

[mcnools 62]

Just one thing: it would be better if you had put the coast at the south instead of the north (the Green Sea is at the south of Takistan...).

Yes, I know :) at first I just imagined it as a large lake, but after a while I felt that it was more of a sea than an ocean. Perhaps it could be somewhere on that small outcropping south of Bandar-E Ghazmi? Or near the mouth of the river north of it, use your imagination! haha :) (also, you can of course pretend that this region belongs to some other country south of the green sea or such!)

Oh, and by the way, about the red markes on the map, forgot to mention the red markers on the roads at the borders of the map, they signify just that, that they're borders. Not exactly borders to another country or such, but I figured it could be a good idea to show clearly where the roads lead out of the map, for mission makers etc.

I've added one or two small lights at a couple of places on the map, (in Abad, the compound above Abad and the town on the northwestern tip of the southern greenzone), I feel that too many lights and lights in all the villages wouldn't really suit the poor farmland feeling of the map.

Also, I've added a couple of more markers on a ridge or two with names.

Are there any other important markers/keypoints I should include on the map? For MSO and such. Please let me know!

And a propert conversion of COIN for this map would be very nice.

Edited May 6, 2012 by McNools

[tpw 2315]

Hi McNools

If you're looking for improvements to make, might I also suggest that you have a look at why AI fall through the floor in so many of the houses. I've got a script which spawns enemy AI and has them patrol from house to house, and quite often they all end up falling through the floor and remain stuck in a house unable to exit.

[mcnools 62]

hm, that does sound strange, and I have no idea what could cause such a problem. I've been toying around a bit with a quick conversion of Counter Insurgency on the map, which also spanws enemy AI in compounds etc. and I haven't seen anyone stuck yet.

Which houses have this problem? any specific building-models or locations? And what script are you using?

The only things I could guess it a problem with the map is if uneven terrain under the houses or something similar is the problem, or if it's a problem with the models or such. Does the same thing happen on my Hazar-Kot map?

Edited May 6, 2012 by McNools

[tpw 2315]

hm, that does sound strange, and I have no idea what could cause such a problem. I've been toying around a bit with a quick conversion of Counter Insurgency on the map, which also spanws enemy AI in compounds etc. and I haven't seen anyone stuck yet.

Which houses have this problem? any specific building-models or locations? And what script are you using?

The only things I could guess it a problem with the map is if uneven terrain under the houses or something similar is the problem, or if it's a problem with the models or such. Does the same thing happen on my Hazar-Kot map?

Nike619 in post #19 noted the same thing, so I'm pretty sure I'm not imagining it.

I'm trying to repro it and will let you know.

EDIT: OK, got it to happen reproducibly. I just wrote a script to select random positions in random buildings around an AI unit, and have the unit walk to them.

Here's the building on the map in Tagaw:

The room at the right hand end of this building has a high door and no stairs or doors from other rooms:

AI units walk straight through the bricks under the door and into the room. You can see the arm of an AI which is caught inside the room:

Here's a few of them milling about, unable to exit:

I haven't seen this behaviour on Hazar Kot, but there are far fewer buildings on that map.

I hope this helps you McNools.

Edited May 6, 2012 by tpw

[mcnools 62]

Ah! that explains it, I suppose I have to make sure the terrain is more even at such buildings where the entrance is too high up above ground. It would help if you could report any other buildings where this occurs, in case I miss any, :)

[oldy41 61]

This is definitely becoming my favourite map. The terrain is ideal for firefights. :)

One minor suggestion for improvement though:

The brighter, higher type of grass clutter pops up quite annoyingly, which tends to break my immersion.

In Hazar Kot that type of grass does not seem to be used? Maybe it should have more levels of detail, or simply remove it?

Thanks a lot for the nice map and best regards

A.

[mcnools 62]

That's correct, I didn't use that grass in Hazar-Kot, the tall grass is the same as the lower bright grass, just scaled up quite a bit, while it does pop up rather badly I love how it looks up close, I'm not sure if it's possible to do anything to make it look better from a distance, since I'm just using an existing model, but if there is please let me know. :)

(also, I believe increasing the terrain detail setting might help, although it will require more performance)

By the way, I'm thinking of adding a few more compounds and ruins to the northern area, some near the coast etc. since I felt it was a bit empty, I don't want too much up there, but expect at least a couple of new compounds and ruins. :) Might add some more rocks and general detail there aswell.

(i've also expanded the village of Abad a bit to the south, it felt suitable that it should be a bit larger)

Edited May 6, 2012 by McNools

[tpw 2315]

McNools I really like the way you have various isolated compounds and houses spread around the area. Adding a few more won't hurt the feel at all*. To me it feels far more realistic than a 5k x 5k area having 17 cities with nothing in between. I won't the the last person to tell you just how immersive and realistic this map is. It is almost perfectly realised, with no jarring or inappropriate design choices anywhere.

*For the love of your deity of choice, please don't put an "industrial area" :)

[mcnools 62]

Haha, don't worry! there won't be any industrial areas, jsut a few more compounds and ruins to give more options to mission-makers. :)