[UT3] The Courtyard

[Jonnyboy0121]

Hello everyone!

I worked on this map a few months back, it's my first, and I had a great time doing it. A few days ago I've opened it back up and am working on finishing it up to publish it.

I thought I'd share some screen shots of it in it's final stages and see what kind of comments I receive before putting it out there.

Here's a brief overview:
My main focus was to create a very atmospheric level. The map has a uniform elegant, yet eerie and possibly horrifying feel to it. I wanted there to be a strong impression of insanity and dark magic. It has a lot of Gothic inspired architecture and many dimly lit rooms, and even some rooms challenging what we know to be reality.

I drew a lot of inspiration from some of my favorite video games. Primarily, games such as Diablo, Resident Evil and Castlevania.

The map is centered around a courtyard with a few branching areas off of it, overlooked by a tall and ominous tower.

http://a.imageshack.us/img826/3528/screenshot00028d.png (http://img826.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00028d.png/)

The courtyard has a ground level and an upper level, with a clearing in the middle. A small platform infront of the angelic statue lowers into a small underground cavern.

http://a.imageshack.us/img827/6296/screenshot00014g.png (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00014g.png/)

The clearing in the middle of the courtyard offers a scenic view of the tower looming above.

http://a.imageshack.us/img820/3733/screenshot00003i.png (http://img820.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00003i.png/)

Off to the left of the courtyard, you can enter the garden maze.

http://a.imageshack.us/img638/6103/screenshot00015q.png (http://img638.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00015q.png/)

http://a.imageshack.us/img827/1839/screenshot00025.png (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00025.png/)

A prize for the first to successfully navigate the maze.

http://a.imageshack.us/img827/7283/screenshot00018.png (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00018.png/)

To the right of the courtyard is a room that defies gravity, rocks float in a circular pattern, water flows upwards, and a little jump will send you floating in mid-air towards the dark void above.

http://a.imageshack.us/img827/4450/screenshot00021z.png (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00021z.png/)

Reaching the top will transport you to a new location. A decryptid manor.

http://a.imageshack.us/img820/3384/screenshot00000t.png (http://img820.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00000t.png/)

http://a.imageshack.us/img827/6466/screenshot00027.png (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00027.png/)

http://a.imageshack.us/img827/6647/screenshot00006v.png (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00006v.png/)

There are a few rooms in the manor, but the main room of interest is the basement.

http://a.imageshack.us/img827/5324/screenshot00007q.png (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00007q.png/)

Looking up, through a layer of ice, shows the floor of another area. Entering a portal transports you into that area, the underground cavern.

http://a.imageshack.us/img827/4644/screenshot00008.png (http://img827.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00008.png/)

Upon entering the underground cavern, looking up through the ice ceiling will show you the room you just transported from. You see room inverted, as if you're standing on the ceiling of the new area you entered, staring down at the floor of the basement. A short tunnel leads to a platform that leads you back to the base of the angelic statue, in the middle of the courtyard.

http://a.imageshack.us/img829/3581/screenshot00010.png (http://img829.imageshack.us/i/screenshot00010.png/)


And that's it! There's plenty of room to expand the map. I can add more rooms off of the courtyard, or in the mansion, or anywhere really with some work. But I think it's a good size as it is now, with some interesting rooms and twists. I'd say it'd probably be best as a 4v4 or 6v6. Any larger and I would imagine it would lag considerably.. I have trouble with it on my laptop (old laptop that has no right running it) because I put in quite a bit of particle effects.

I've logged over 100+ hours on the map, but it's the first I've ever made, so I've done a lot of troubleshooting along the way. When I'm completely finished, I think I'll have logged a total of about 130 hours. I'm excited to start a new one, with a lot more knowledge going into the second.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks,
Jonny

[WyRd]

Cool looking level the effort really shows :)

[Deltathunder]

I like the floating rocks,well done :).

[Jonnyboy0121]

Thanks guys :D

I appreciate it!

Yeah the floating rocks were a cool find, I was looking for something floating.. just debris I could put in the room really.. And I found those, they are asteroids. I just re-sized them, and stacked them on top of each other. They float in a circular pattern, it gives a pretty cool effect of them sort of floating around and up.

Here's an unrelated question... I haven't worked too much on bot paths. I have pick-ups through out the level but I'm sure there are some broken parts of the path. Is a level considered not completely finished online without the bot paths?

I don't play the game very often, not by choice, but my laptop doesn't run the game very well (Or the editor for that matter). So I'm not sure what's acceptable in online custom maps such as my own.

Do most games, assuming they aren't full, use bots to balance teams? If they do, I'll put them in. If not, I won't waste my time and I can publish it.

Thanks,
Jonny