BobSP4 release thread.

[bobaverill]

Wow. You actually got me posting on a forum again! Haha

First of all: AWESOME underwater scene. Damn, it's really big, my laptop even got a bit laggy Not too much though.

There were things I wanted to include, like deep sea volcanoes and coral reefs but I didn't have enough walls for it. If I or someone else does a followup map it should be set in Antarctica so there can be icebergs overhead, using the moon rock textures for the rock walls. There should also be hydrothermal vents (undersea volcanoes) using palette 4 vertical steam for the plumes, and maybe coral reefs although I can't think what texture to use. These are things I wanted to add to SP4 but which didn't fit (icebergs) or which I did not have enough walls for (hydrothermal vents, coral reefs) It could also be set in Europa's ocean so there could be an ice shell overhead to better explain why you cannot surface.

I also liked the "green map" with numbers, thats shows you the order of the map.

That's supposed to be a hologram. But yes that's what it's for, very perceptive.

I loved the fact it's all underwater + the scuba gear stations.

I became interested in doing justice to underwater bases and the ocean as a setting after I played Bioshock, and the retro game Sub Culture. It occurred to me that space is way overdone, and the ocean has all the same cool stuff: Exosuits, nuclear vessels, torpedos/rockets, habitats, etc. except the environment is more full of life. Most space games just have a skybox backdrop of a planet or nebula. An ocean environment requires a lot more work but provides loads more exploration potential. For scifi and videogames it's a very under-exploited theme.

If you wanted to have a shot at doing your own seabase map, someone with your talent could probably do a better job than I did. Especially if you understand how to use TROR, because I don't. The ideas from the first paragraph are all yours to use, if you decide to undertake this.

[Micky C]

My understanding is that TROR glitches when seen through transparent textures. Due to the necessity of all those windows I could not find a way to use TROR at all in the map which is a shame as I didn't want the bases to reach all the way to the surface as they do. If I'm wrong and TROR has been fixed such that it no longer has that problem I'd love to see someone do a better map with this theme using it.

That particular glitch only happens in polymer, when TROR is on the other side of a transparent surface. Depending on what you're building it might not be a big deal, and the problem will be fixed eventually. Besides that and the general lower framerate, polymer is absolutely perfect for TROR.

The problem does not exist in software, so if you build your TROR with certain restrictions as stated on the wiki, then you shouldn't have any glitches in that renderer. The problem is TROR doesn't work very well with polymost, which means you'll be effectively limiting the players to the classic renderer.

Example of transparency problem. It's not all that noticable unless you go right up to the glass, and even then...

[bobaverill]

Example of transparency problem. It's not all that noticable unless you go right up to the glass, and even then...

Well sure, that's breakable glass. The fully transparent portions have no problem but the textured parts of it do, and the unbreakable glass texture I use would have no portions through which glitches would not appear.

Anyway, I'll let someone else try to implement that. I think I've communicated the idea well enough with SP4.

[methy]

Finally beat the map by starting from scratch. I liked it, and this time I made use of the steroids underwater.

Besides the comments I've already made, it seems to me that it's not always obvious what to do. Also I believe there could have been more secrets or interesting hidden things scattered a bit everywhere underwater.

Besides that it's a fine map that stands out for its original theme and layout.

[MSandt]

Sorry for the delay but, as said, I couldn't sit for several days and then I was LAN partying Battlefield 4.

Anyway, here's a review: http://msdn.duke4.net/hotbobsp4.php

[Gambini]

I couldn't sit for several days

Use lubricant next time.

[DavoX]

Good gambini giving out his expert advice