Fixing ZM_Little_Town

[Sh4dows]

So I posted in the [Remove] thread for this map but I figure I will post here and get some feedback. Honestly, I hate this map. Its so one sided it just looses its fun after the first time you play it, not to mention all the godamn glitches. Yet its on every 3rd map... So I set out to repair/enhance this map. I haven't really mapped since CS 1.0-1.5 (didn't do much then either) so I am rusty at best and don't know any of the Source tricks YET. But I am willing to learn and so far its been good.

To start I squared up all the outer walls and brought the skybox in so you cant fall off the map or see that terrible crap that happens when you look into "void" space. I put some invisible blocks up around most of the map to keep players off most of the buildings but I left one area accessible still. I plan to modify it slightly to allow a bit better access to it in the future for more playable surface. I also filled those holes around the edges of the map where you could see into the void so as of now the map is "sealed" for better fps and whatnot.

The vending machine area is a bit tricky but so far I removed one of the chambers and a wall to move things around and opened up the hallways a bit for better movement by zombies. I also took out 1 vending machine from each of the 2 front chambers. Its a start but its something. I plan to make a few more cade spots here and there and to modify a few places that are just impossible to get into. I don't plan on making them easy, just possible, this will take some tweaking. I will be posting screen shots soon.

I shrunk the vent a bit, its now a bit shorter so you cant get 8 people in there but it still should be held by 2 for a while. Again, this can change to fit the players needs.

The first time through I kept the original mappers skyline but the more I look at it the more I realize its complete crap, it may be getting updated in my next revision since it really doesn't affect the gameplay at all. I hope to re-introduce the 3d skybox as soon as I learn how to build it myself(working!), I have a few ideas for it that should be cool.

At this point I am looking for suggestions, I know a lot of people feel a lot of things about this map. I am not opposed to possibly expanding it a hair, possibly open up a few buildings or roof tops, if I can figure it out I would be willing to do it. But feedback from the people that play it would be awesome.

A few screen shots.
This one shows the fixed rooftop area of the skyline, no glitches and smooth roof all along.
littletownfix4.jpg
Same thing but also shows the fixed road area and the lack of flying buildings in the sky.
littletownfix5.jpg
New map profile, notice it's square.
littletownfix6.jpg
The old profile, this is what cause most of the issues, he also didn't actually put the skybox against the buildings so there were holes where there shouldnt have been holes.
zm_little_town0008.jpg
New vending area layout, I'll get pics of the old one so you can compare.
littletownfix2.jpg
Old vending area.
littletown3.jpg
New vending area, trust me its bigger. This area still needs tons of work.
littletown2.jpg
The pink boxes above the buildings are clipping boxes aka invisible barriers.
littletownfix1.jpg
Old glitchy floor area.
zm_little_town0007.jpg
Old skyline glitch
zm_little_town0005.jpg

[BladeTwinSwords]

I must say. The fact that you went out of your way to make this map actually bearable is something to behold.

[Evil]

Hm. Seems official.

[Pl@YwithM3]

excellenttt!! the main problems i had with that map u pretty much just raped. i hated the vendy clusterfuck building, everyone gets in teh way of each other and its (almost) impossible to win against. the falling off teh map glitch you took care off (bravo) i also really like that you made the vent smaller, it really is too big for 2 yet too small for 3.

maybe if we made the other giant buildings a bit more appealing to caders than they wouldnt all whore themselves to that one place as they always do.. how about moving some stuff around in that giant garage place where all the trucks are? ^_^ or maybe a few more secret rooms in the map.. cuz this one barely has any.. idk just a thought, but theres my feedback

[Sh4dows]

I'm working on it a little today, I had to move my laptop to somewhere else since my shoulders are in spasm from working on the couch....for some strange reason I'm in a lot of pain, figures I'm out of muscle relaxers or other good stuff. I checked the vending area, its was pretty much crap, none of the doors were even wide enough to get a vending machine through even if you were lucky enough to have things lined up and no one shooting. So I widened the doorways and enlarged the rooms so the objects can actually move and/or I'm probably removing the top of the door way so you can get over the crap. Dunno what the units are measured in but the vending machines are roughly 49x41 wide and 85 tall, so I made the doors just over that dimension so its possible to get them out.

Found a secret too, for now it stays. Added one or 2 little ones for now, they still need tweaking. The big building near the vending area that I put in is hollow, I haven't figured out how to use it but its an option.

I just realized that I cant even test this locally since I don't have the proper physics without zombiemod. Does anyone know where to download the version used on the server, I will try to setup a local server for testing since I don't want 300 betas of this out there.

Re did the vending area a bit more today, opened things up some more and condensed some of the space. If I can get to testing I may add some other prop into these rooms if its to easy to get in but its looking good.

littletownfix8.jpg

The shortened vent, this may still need tweaking but its a work in progress. 2 people should be able to hold this for a while, I'm guessing that 2 players should come to the front of the first full block in the back roughly so theres plenty of room to push zombies back but not enough room for 4 people safely.

littletownfix9.jpg

This area I am looking at now, normally this is where I cade. Its a super cade when done right but takes a little bit of patience, time and skill to do. I don't know for sure if I'm removing the one room but I'm pretty sure I'm opening up the stairway a bit and puting in a landing, I may have to re arrange the lower floor a bit but that could use some improvements too.

littletownfix10a.jpg

I was looking at the garage area too Pl@y, the area doesn't work for crap with parachutes enabled, there's far to many ways to get to people in there with them on. I am looking at removing the truck closest to the boxes in the corner so people can't jump from there and I may extend the ceiling a bit for more room above for maybe a catwalk. I may put walls between the trucks to make them into separate bays so zombies can only attack from the front so if you keep shooting you may be able to hold it. Side note, the area on the roof of this building that you can get to almost looks like it was done on accident with how the original mapper did it plus the fact that its a total glitch if you get to the second part (falling forever), I will probably leave this area accessible but with some tweaks now that the map is secure.

littletownfix11.jpg

I think that's it for today, I need more suggestions for fixes or I am pretty much stuck. I would change any number of details that I don't like but I don't expect that I know whats best for all. If anyone can give me breakdowns of the current cade spots, like how hard they are to setup and then break and what should be fixed please feel free to let me know. I may be willing to release a test version of this for some of you to check out soon, not for release or server use but so you can give me feed back, let me know if your interested.

[Sh4dows]

More updates! I worked on the garage area, it seems better. I raised the ceiling and I put "bays" in around the trucks so people can defend on top of them, adjusted the boxes in the corner so its more dependable and moved the non essential crap on the floor. I will be adding boxes to the rear of the truck that I flipped around but I doubt that anyone will use them, its an option though.

Added a new "secret"(its easy) room and made another section of roof available to play on. Oh yea, I cloned the cannon in zm_desperados and its on a roof now, right now its an accessed by some invisible platforms that aren't too complicated, not sure how you can defend the area other than pure firepower but its a work in progress. This may or may not stay, I was doing it mostly as a test to see how it worked, its a pretty cool bit of work that I take no credit for.

Changed the restaurant type area next to the garage. I made the window smaller, you can crouch through it but not just walk through it like before and I changed out the small book case for a large one. The small case was too small to even cover the doorway at all so I swapped it. With the new improvements I will likely be fixing the small tables in the rear so they cant be used as cade material, I doubt they are needed to pull it off. I also thinned the walls, they were so fat it just looked odd, I also raised the ceiling a bit for better aesthetics.

The little red shed near the vending hell area got some adjustment, I opened the upper window to be the size of the door below and removed the lower lip.

Tweaked the few little details and some cosmetic things that no one will probably notice but I did it anyway since I noticed. I decided not to be a dick and put in some super secret mapper hiding spot that only I can get into, that pretty much defeats the purpose of fixing this god forsaken map so I wont do it.

The current location of the cannon, it may not stay in the final revision but its fun to play with.
new2canon0000.jpg
new2canon0001.jpg
The new garage area as of now, there will likely be I beams or a catwalk or something else in here at some point, I am doing each part in stages and trying to figure out a balance.
new20000.jpg
The adjusted shed.
new20003.jpg
The now accessible roof top and its access.
new20005.jpg
I added an extra couch in the upper half of the one building thats accessible through a breakable wall over a storage container, you probably know where this is.
new20006.jpg
The new "secret room" this isn't done yet and its really not a secret once a few people find it(and they will)
new20007.jpg
The improved restaurant area.
new20008.jpg

Thats probably it for the weekend.

[Evil]

I really like The improved restaurant area. Might be something new we could try.

[ZERO]

Can we get a link to this new version?

[Sh4dows]

Still not quite done yet but as soon as I get it finished I will upload it here. I still have to test it for errors before I let it out since I'm not an incompetent ass. I was trying to build up a few buildings that are kinda crap now and extend some areas that are not playable now so there are some more options for hold points but if you want I can cut a version now that's got everything I have updated and none/little of the expansion areas as soon as I'm pretty sure I plugged all the holes and debug it. If anyone wants to check it out and give me some opinions feel free to pm me but I really would like a second opinion(or more) before this hits the server.

At one point I made the canon remote controlled which was pretty cool but I am cutting it from my final version, its just goofy and doesn't play well. I also haven't found a good location for the controls that's not biased towards either team since its so damn powerful.

[Sh4dows]

Still working on this. I have run into a few setbacks that haven't helped get this done. The first one was a part of the map would cause the map/server to crash if you went into it and I could find nothing wrong with it anywhere. Literally there was nothing in the area that was causing me problems and it still happened. I had to redo a bit of it but thankfully I had saved a separate copy a few days before this bug appeared so I'm getting back on track. Second is my machine is fighting me, Hammer crashes pretty often so I have taken up the policy of saving every time I do pretty much anything so I don't have to redo a ton of work again. I should have a stable build soon if someone wants to test it, I am not sure how some of the cade/hold areas are balanced.

Figured out how to make it so you can shoot lights out which is pretty cool, I only implemented this in one area thats already lit up pretty well.

I hid a few weapons on the map for the people that have given me input, some are hidden better than others. They are just color modified versions of the respective players most used gun according to psyco stats(kills), with a little extra ammo.

BladeTwinSwords - red P90 with 1500 rounds
Pl@YwithM3 - purple/pinkish Pump Shottie with 1000 rounds
Evil - you like the P90 too so I added your #2 so theres an all black M4 with 1200 rounds in there

Thats all for now, I haven't forgotten this.