2003 -2006
Community Centered Mapping (UX/UCD Level Design)
Unreal opportunities may come to light if you watch your users very carefully. There were certain Unreal Community groups who started making their own custom maps to meet their unique gaming styles, and the maps they were making were greatly adjusted to the shipped maps that came out of the CD box.
For years I’ve studied Epic maps to see why some were their favorites. I’ve observed players and asked questions.
CTF-Molcaxitl
Project Date:
2006
Project Date:
2006
The low grav InstaGib community was thriving in UT2k4. They liked Instant gratification. Long maps prolonged the feeling, and they liked their maps short and fast! “Molcaxitl” (Aztec for "salsa stone") is for the grinding, hard core, low-grav community.
I spent hours playing and watching Face and Dsword players. The low gravity Instagib community liked their maps fast! What does that mean? They turn up the speed, and tweak the air control and then dodge on geometry, across the maps like bats out of Hades. They were a thriving community. They loved the feeling of quickly traversing one side of the map to the other. Molcaxitl is a short distance map, making full use of the geometry for trick jumps and maneuvers, and room to fly. I opened up the sides of the bases, added invisible steps for climbing the walls, shortened the height and length of the map, and added a back terrace for more action.
UNREAL ENGINE 1.0 - 2.5X
Some people's hobbies are playing the guitar, hiking etc, I’ve been working with the Unreal Engine since 2000. These levels were made for Unreal Tournament 2k3/2k4, using the Unreal Engine 2.5x.
Some people's hobbies are playing the guitar, hiking etc, I’ve been working with the Unreal Engine since 2000. These levels were made for Unreal Tournament 2k3/2k4, using the Unreal Engine 2.5x.
DM, CTF, ONS Zeitkind Downtown
Classic remake:
One of the most beloved sniper maps in Unreal Tournament (GOTY). This map is legendary to Unreal Tournament aficionados; it causes the fist gen players' heart to skip a beat when the name "Zeitkind" is mentioned. Here, I tried to recreate some of the same ol' lovin' feelin' in the original, while making it fit the 2k4 engine. I really enjoyed relighting this map.Features:
Cube Maps, Animated projections, custom meshes, custom textures, triggers, customized bot-pathing
Reflective windows were largely absent in UT2k3/2k4. I was thrilled to figure out how to create custom cube-maps to cover entire buildings to recreate one, huge sheet of reflective glass across a building.
Reflective windows were largely absent in UT2k3/2k4. I was thrilled to figure out how to create custom cube-maps to cover entire buildings to recreate one, huge sheet of reflective glass across a building.
ONS-Diamond Sword
Project
Date2003- 2004
Project
Date2003- 2004
ONS -Diamond Sword was a collaboration effort with the original Diamond Sword maker, Colin "Arkile" Winter (U.K.), and Shawn "StrongArm" Ogle (Wash. State), and project initiator and coordinator Ryan "LoveFest" Johnson (Calif.).
Original Content:
All textures, and geometry are original content
Arkile (original Author of Diamond Sword GOTY) told me he always wanted his orignal version to have vehicles. I asked Shawn Ogle from CTF-Glitter Gulch to join our project, adding to the collective skill set. 100% original content. 100% True Radiosity baked textures. Ground fog emmitters. Strongarm created all terrain in Light Wave, using radiostiy therey baking all shadows into the textures, creating a map with very accurate shadows. This map is the first concept map I saw on the forums that had vehicle vector boosters for ramps.
