First map review - Tractor Works

mohaa_rox · Post by **mohaa_rox** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 12:00 pm

I finally wrote my 1st review! Whooh hooh! Check it out here. Give me your comments or suggestions. Any criticism is welcome. Gosh, reviewing is fun! GIVE ME MORE!!!!!!!!

Slyk · Post by **Slyk** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 3:42 pm

Hey! Thanks for the review! I am a little worried thought that you actually review version 1.0 and not v1.1. If it was 1.1, then ugh, I'm embarresed :oops:

Just wanted to check that because 1.1 is SOOOO much better with quite a few of the issues you mentioned, like the lighting is tons better and the FPS is a solid 15-20% better as well.

BUT, grateful nonetheless. Just hoping you can look up 1.1 for me!

OH... and one quick comment....about the boring sameness of the textures... It's a factory....in Russia! OH MY GOD, how they build stuff, same, same, same. Where my wife grew up, there's like 30+ 7-10 story apartment buildings...if it weren't for the numbers on them you wouldn't have a CLUE about which was which.

Not that it explains my texture choices, but it's a factory, think it's all the same like that... you'll hate my 'Red October' build I'm doing then! More of the same, with yellow bricks though! So, more colorful, atleast.

Thanks again, Rox, all critisism welcome...only makes the next one better.

mohaa_rox · Post by **mohaa_rox** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 1:00 am

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I reviewed 1.1.

Innkeeper · Post by **Innkeeper** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 3:00 am

I did not find the lighting bad at all in this map, even in the vents. There are quite a few Spearhead textures missing if you run this map in MOHAA. They should be added to the pk3 for play in MOHAA. Ladders are not consistent sizes and there is one vent that one can get into, but once there, not out of. The only real other technical problem I saw was that the large doors are far too thick, looks like 2' or better. I thought the textures used were appropriate for the setting. Some could be adjusted a bit to make corners match.

I did not play this map with others because the FPS were just tolerable in MOHAA and horrible in Spearhead with my performance challenged pc.

But what a great effort!! Overall I was impressed with the map.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 4:55 am

Thanks for the comments Innkeeper, good learning process for me as it's my first "real" map. I think the thick doors were all 16 units. I'll check that ladder issue but I never had a problem climbing it... ALWAYS room for improvements for the OBJ version. HOPING to get some more great input before releasing the OBJ/TOW version...plus need the time to get the scripting down.

More feedback is always better! Good or bad. Didn't think to include the SH textures in the pk3....great idea! Would you suggest adding to a custom folder then? Seems like the best idea.

mohaa_rox · Post by **mohaa_rox** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 6:46 am

Oh no! Sheez, I played the map in mohaa accidentally. When I played it in SH, I realized that the lighting wasn't too bad! Going to change it now.

Innkeeper · Post by **Innkeeper** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 2:32 pm

Unless you make modifications to the Spearhead textures, I would add them in the same folder structure that is used in Spearhead to your '.pk3' for use in MOHAA.

I had no problem climbing any ladders, just that they were different widths and rung spacing. A visual thing.

It did look a little odd that the undamaged Mk. IV's were outside and a damaged one was inside. Also the undamaged Mk. IV turrnets inside a Russan factory made me wonder.

Two grate textures on the vent system are not visible from the inside.

Slyk · Post by **Slyk** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 3:20 pm

Yeah, about the tanks...

My 'storyline' was too difficult to setup for the players. For the Axis it was basically to clear the complex so that the armor could move forward, hence the Mark IVs waiting outside after one was destroyed in the complex.

As for the turrets inside...ugly use but there isn't a T-34 turret model available. My brushed versions looked awful so I opted for the Mark IVs...oh well.

And, actually, I hoped at the time to make tanks useable in the MP map, but as we know, that isn't possible...mostly. So, they're sitting there as cover for the German spawns... for now.

Innkeeper · Post by **Innkeeper** » Tue Jan 28, 2003 9:22 pm

One thing I forgot to mention is that the '.min' file is missing. Without it those using the other kind of computer will not be able to play it.

Slyk · Post by **Slyk** » Wed Jan 29, 2003 11:46 am

i always did include the .min before, but someone who shall remain nameless at this site...and others, have said it is useless... hmmmmmm.... OBJ version coming along, will include .min next time! thanks

Higherspeed · Post by **Higherspeed** » Wed Jan 29, 2003 5:08 pm

I haven't d/led the map yet, but the screens look nice.

The point I'm going to make is that I think maps should always be reviewed after the reviewer has played the map in a server for a while. Even if one of his friends justs hosts up a server on cable and you play 3 vs 3 it would be far better than not playing it at all.

Also the FPS can not be judged reliably from playing offline, as on some maps the FPS may be affected hugely by a few players, while some tighter maps will not be affected.

That's just my thought on the matter,

Higherspeed

http://www.planetmedalofhonor.com/schule/

Post by **jv_map** » Wed Jan 29, 2003 6:20 pm

Well I agree it's best to playtest a map when reviewing. However, it's often very difficult to find a server that is playing the map.

As for hosting our own game, be aware that at the moment we only have about 5 reviewers, as far as I know 2 of them have Spearhead at their disposal. Apart from this, certain members have a poor internet connection, others live too far away to achieve a decent ping. Moreover, it's very hard to find a time that we are all able to playtest a map, so an arrangement is hard to make. In these cases, we decide to review a map based on assumption but also insightful judgement, rather than not to review it.