22 replies to this topic

[Instant Loser]

I had a crazy idea after someone showed me zm_random for Zombie Master. I'm not plagarizing or saying anything about the quality of that map, it's just where I got the idea. Anyway:

Here's the plan. I've made a simple template map. It looks like this:

Pretty boring, right? Here's where you come in. I want you to place a fun/creative/funny trap in this room. It can be whatever you want (within reason). You then give your trap to me. I take everyone's traps and make a map that goes through some of them in random order. The rooms all look identical, but each has a different trap. I have some guidelines in mind for trap placement, but I'll refrain from posting them until I know enough people are interested.
Making a room and submitting would be extremely easy, so almost anyone could participate.
If you're interested, please say so!

[AndY]

Hehe, we have a map like that in the dev build, it's quite fun.

I'm sure a few of the team would be willing to pitch some ideas, including me, so I say go for it!

[ScrooLewse]

Instant Loser, on 16 December 2010 - 05:46 AM, said:

I had a crazy idea after someone showed me zm_random for Zombie Master. I'm not plagarizing or saying anything about the quality of that map, it's just where I got the idea.

er... *whistles innocently*

I'm glad you're making your own map in that style. The original guy who made that map suddenly turned into an arrogant douchebag and I'd love to help you beat him at his own game.

How about the exit wall gets blocked-off by a wall with Louis from L4D making an open-mouthed face (using G-mod), a sound effect of him screaming "PEELZ HEERE!!!" then he peppers the side and middle walls with high-speed pill bottles. The HL2 pill bottles; not the L4D bottles.

[Instant Loser]

I can't actually find a pill bottle model in HL2, and adding a model would increase the size quite a bit, so a texture might be better. Other than that, go for it!
If I get this started.

[Instant Loser]

Ah, whatever. That's good enough. Here's the vmf for the template map. Some guidelines:

I've thought about several systems, but the one I think I'm going with is this: add a _00 suffix to all your entities. I'll change it using search and replace to the correct number. UNLESS you want an entity enabled when your room starts. In that case, use a 00_ prefix.

Any trap that can reliably kill more than one person will definitely be overpowered. The recommended difficulty (for now) is somewhat reliably killing one person, somewhat reliably damaging a group, or unreliably killing a group.

The point of this map is surprise. If your trap requires surprise, and the players have seen the trap before, the only way to get them is to make the room unidentifiable. This means making the room look like the template. Even if your trap doesn't use surprise, having it remain identical will improve the traps of others. It's not strictly necessary to make the room look the same, but encouraged. If you do make it different, have a good reason and make it very different.

Try to make your room reusable. I might be able to get away with non-reusable rooms, but it's harder and, I think, less fun. Just do it.

Try to keep the map optimized. The template room is minimalistic for a reason. That means no idle NPCs at the start, use a point_template (also make it reusable). If you use custom textures, please try to keep them small. Blurry is sometimes OK. Also keep custom sounds low quality.

Other than those things, have fun!

[ScrooLewse]

Instant Loser, on 16 December 2010 - 04:23 PM, said:

Ah, whatever. That's good enough. Here's the vmf for the template map. Some guidelines:

I've thought about several systems, but the one I think I'm going with is this: add a _00 suffix to all your entities. I'll change it using search and replace to the correct number. UNLESS you want an entity enabled when your room starts. In that case, use a 00_ prefix.

Any trap that can reliably kill more than one person will definitely be overpowered. The recommended difficulty (for now) is somewhat reliably killing one person, somewhat reliably damaging a group, or unreliably killing a group.

The point of this map is surprise. If your trap requires surprise, and the players have seen the trap before, the only way to get them is to make the room unidentifiable. This means making the room look like the template. Even if your trap doesn't use surprise, having it remain identical will improve the traps of others. It's not strictly necessary to make the room look the same, but encouraged. If you do make it different, have a good reason and make it very different.

Try to make your room reusable. I might be able to get away with non-reusable rooms, but it's harder and, I think, less fun. Just do it.

Try to keep the map optimized. The template room is minimalistic for a reason. That means no idle NPCs at the start, use a point_template (also make it reusable). If you use custom textures, please try to keep them small. Blurry is sometimes OK. Also keep custom sounds low quality.

Other than those things, have fun!

Got it. I'll work on it through the weekend.

[WAXT]

ScrooLewse, on 16 December 2010 - 03:22 PM, said:

I'm glad you're making your own map in that style. The original guy who made that map suddenly turned into an arrogant douchebag and I'd love to help you beat him at his own game.

His name is Banshee and he made zm_tetris_new for Zombie Master. He's helped me out on occasion so he's not as big a douche as you might like to think. His map zm_random_jump (or "random") however, seems to be a rip off of my map zm_stairway. Though to be honest, it could just be a rip off of the many "deathrun" maps out there.

[ScrooLewse]

WAXT, on 16 December 2010 - 10:25 PM, said:

His name is Banshee and he made zm_tetris_new for Zombie Master. He's helped me out on occasion so he's not as big a douche as you might like to think. His map zm_random_jump (or "random") however, seems to be a rip off of my map zm_stairway. Though to be honest, it could just be a rip off of the many "deathrun" maps out there.

Sometimes I think he's bipolar. One night he's sobbing about how horrible his maps are, the next morning they're gems that no mapper can touch.

[Quenquent]

Got ideas but don't know how to make them :

- When the rebels are front of the door to exit this room, 3 button apear. The Overwatch can choose one deadly button : when a player press this button, the celling fall on him and die. We heard "WRONG!!!!!!!"

- The floor fall at some locations when a player walk on it. If a player fall, he die. To survive ? Walk very slow. We can divide the floor into 3 part at each "floor section". The Overwatch can choose which one fall.

- When a player is close to the end, half of the last hallway explode. Not to kill , but to spawn a helicopter/strider/other. It's the choise of the Overwatch.

[Instant Loser]

Quenquent, on 17 December 2010 - 11:58 AM, said:

Got ideas but don't know how to make them :

- When the rebels are front of the door to exit this room, 3 button apear. The Overwatch can choose one deadly button : when a player press this button, the celling fall on him and die. We heard "WRONG!!!!!!!"

That shouldn't be too hard. Just some triggers, relays, and doors. The hard part would be finding a funny sound.

Quenquent, on 17 December 2010 - 11:58 AM, said:

- The floor fall at some locations when a player walk on it. If a player fall, he die. To survive ? Walk very slow. We can divide the floor into 3 part at each "floor section". The Overwatch can choose which one fall.

That would be harder, but still possible with some physboxes, EnableMotion inputs, and relays.

Quenquent, on 17 December 2010 - 11:58 AM, said:

- When a player is close to the end, half of the last hallway explode. Not to kill , but to spawn a helicopter/strider/other. It's the choise of the Overwatch.

That would be pretty hard. It's not really in the scope of this map, especially since you would have to give the player a rocket launcher, which might break other rooms.

[ScrooLewse]

Release "Jack the Hack"
A manhack with 20,000 health! (He would be confined to that room using the same thing you use to make the Combine barriers.)

RPS Wars
The first player to walk through one of the turns gets trapped in a box. Once both boxes are filled, they have to play rock, paper, scissors and the loser DIES! In the event of a tie, no one wins. Should the certain person be the only one left, he gets a free pass.
How should I code this one?

[WAXT]

The way i see it, everyone should make their own "map" using the template above and then submit it here (using attachments). Then everyone can test it out and provide feedback. The most popular/interesting/challenging "maps" (or sections), as voted by the users, will then be collaborated by Instant Loser into a full release map.

I would rename to owc_collaborative.

[Instant Loser]

ScrooLewse, on 17 December 2010 - 07:20 PM, said:

Release "Jack the Hack"
A manhack with 20,000 health! (He would be confined to that room using the same thing you use to make the Combine barriers.)

You can't change the max health on enemies .
I only did it in my maps by adding OnHalfHealth outputs to SetHealth 9999 inputs with counters and stuff. It doesn't work if you can kill it in one hit.
Unless I'm missing something, in which case FILL ME IN!

ScrooLewse, on 17 December 2010 - 07:20 PM, said:

RPS Wars
The first player to walk through one of the turns gets trapped in a box. Once both boxes are filled, they have to play rock, paper, scissors and the loser DIES! In the event of a tie, no one wins. Should the certain person be the only one left, he gets a free pass.
How should I code this one?

I'd like to avoid traps that, like your first one to some extent, don't involve the overwatch in some way. Otherwise why make it for this mod? A few rooms like that might be OK, but try not to overdo it.
Anyway, how about playing RPS against the overwatch? There would be three ow_button_gms to spring a cage in a certain spot, but with the right icons. After that there are a few ways you could do it. Let me think...

9 relays... too many...
logic_compare... wouldn't work...
logic case with math_counter... overkill...
logic_compare with 3 relays, might work...
AddOutput fun, not repeatable...
logic_multicompare I haven't used and the VDC says it's not reusable
3 logic_branches might work! Wait, no.
Yes! No.
Doublechecking logic_multicompare, nobody knows how to use it, might as well not try.
I'VE GOT IT

1 logic_compare and nothing else!

Name the GM buttons all 00_b or something like that. Give them unlimited charges and a OnPressed 00_b disable output.
Give the GM buttons outputs to send a TouchTest input to a trigger_multiple. Have that trigger get a OnTouching output to Open a func_door for the cage.
Parent some func_buttons to the cage for the player buttons. Name them different things.
have the GM buttons send SetCompareValue X to the logic_compare with X being 1, 2, or 3 for rock, paper, and scissors respectively. The numbers don't actually matter.
Also have the GM buttons send a Lock input to the func_button that they beat for the players.
Have the buttons send a OnUse logic_compare SetValueCompare X input for rock, paper, and scissors.
Also have the buttons send a OnUseLocked output to kill the players with a trigger_hurt and lift the trap.
Oh, and have each button send an OnUseLocked output to enable itself.
Have the logic compare have a OnEqualTo output to somehow do another round (I wouldn't) or perhaps just damage the players halfway and lift the cage. You can have use the same trigger_hurt for the killing if you time it right. It just hits twice for the losing outcome.
Have the logic_compare have an OnNotEqualTo output to lift the trap.

I don't know if I would have the cage come from the ceiling or the floor. Just make it really fast. You can't parent the buttons to the cage if it's just a func_brush.
I'd make the cage relatively big, since it's sublethal. It's OK to trap more than one person.
Make sure to make the trigger_multiple smaller than the cage by about 32 units on each side.
I think that's everything. Whew.
Uh, I think that's it.

[Instant Loser]

WAXT, on 17 December 2010 - 09:18 PM, said:

The way i see it, everyone should make their own "map" using the template above and then submit it here (using attachments). Then everyone can test it out and provide feedback. The most popular/interesting/challenging "maps" (or sections), as voted by the users, will then be collaborated by Instant Loser into a full release map.

I would rename to owc_collaborative.

It could just be a constantly evolving map. Perhaps it'll just get better and better! I'd rather have too many rooms than too few.

Owc_collaborate might work. Anyone else think so? (See, collaboration!)

Oh, and I can change the base map, or perhaps have two bases if people want traps that won't fit.

[ScrooLewse]

Instant Loser, on 17 December 2010 - 10:31 PM, said:

It could just be a constantly evolving map. Perhaps it'll just get better and better! I'd rather have too many rooms than too few.

Owc_collaborate might work. Anyone else think so? (See, collaboration!)

Oh, and I can change the base map, or perhaps have two bases if people want traps that won't fit.

Sounds good until you have to face all the different versions floating around and the ever-growing load times. Maybe you could release a new version every two or three months.

[Quenquent]

Instant Loser, on 17 December 2010 - 12:27 PM, said:

That shouldn't be too hard. Just some triggers, relays, and doors. The hard part would be finding a funny sound.

I will work on this one when I finishe my map.

Quote

That would be harder, but still possible with some physboxes, EnableMotion inputs, and relays.

Same than the first one.

Quote

That would be pretty hard. It's not really in the scope of this map, especially since you would have to give the player a rocket launcher, which might break other rooms.

Not false, delete this on from the list......


For the map name, community is good too.

[ScrooLewse]

I'm currently working on my Rock, Paper, Scissors and have an idea of how to do it. I will use an invisible teleport brush to teleport the first rebel to go through the exit into an enclosed room where the GM cannot see his choice. If the GM wins, I trigger_hurt the Rebel for 101 health (well you never know). If the Rebel wins, nothing happens. A teleport in the box is then triggered regardless just in case the Rebel survives through some sort of server mod or health buff from an earlier trap.

The teleport back activates after 15 seconds unless the GM makes his choice, at which point the teleport is deactivated until the Rebel presses one of his buttons. It then lands him in an obscure corner of the Rock, Paper, Scissors trap.

This section should be done either tonight or tomorrow, seeing as this is my first genuine experience with mapping.

---

Maybe you should add some sort of object or symbol to the start and ends of each room to tell people that they are headed in the right direction.

[WAXT]

ScrooLewse, on 18 December 2010 - 09:45 PM, said:

The teleport back activates after 15 seconds unless the GM makes his choice, at which point the teleport is deactivated until the Rebel presses one of his buttons. It then lands him in an obscure corner of the Rock, Paper, Scissors trap.

Perhaps you should have the GM choose first. Then the player goes into one of three rooms, similar to zm_crocodile. If the player chooses a safe room they will progress. Alot less entity work will be required this way.


I too have begun work on a simple area for the map. I'll keep you updated.

[ScrooLewse]

WAXT, on 19 December 2010 - 04:49 AM, said:

Perhaps you should have the GM choose first. Then the player goes into one of three rooms, similar to zm_crocodile. If the player chooses a safe room they will progress. Alot less entity work will be required this way.


I too have begun work on a simple area for the map. I'll keep you updated.

Not a bad idea. Not at all.

Due to my inefficient mapping skills, I am working on Valve Time. Sorry Instant.
Hopefully it should be here any minute now. Maybe a little longer.

[Instant Loser]

Sorry about taking so long to reply here. It's become apparent that custom room start inputs are necessary. Just tell me what needs to happen at the start of each map and I'll put it in. 00_ prefixes will still work, for convenient button enabling and such.

I've made some sample rooms for people to look at, if they want. Here are the VMFs.

• Squish: Press a button to move the middle block to either side.
  
• Rickroll: Either listen to the chorus three times or suicide by exploding barrel.
  
• Katamari: A giant Katamari rolls up everything in the middle area from right to left. Hits the dynamic entity limit pretty hard. I also need to get permission for the model I used. The engine won't let me actually roll the players up either .

They're a bit hacked together at the moment, as will be the whole map eventually. I'm starting to have second thoughts about the whole thing, but if other people are interested, I'll keep going.