[MAP] 1944 Huertgen Forest (Final 2) Released

[Mateos]

Hello,

Well, this is not like my previous Nordwind 2 a total remake, but just a big bug fix and features addition release, as you can see by reading the changelog below. I like this map, like few others from the 1944 series, but I’m not going to do this for all ^^’ I played Antwerp a while ago, I feel it deserves something to balance the Sniper Fest of the second part of the map, plus usual 1944 spawn issues, but maybe something in the future but not now.

PART I - 1944 Huertgen Forest (Final 2)

1944: Huertgen Forest was thickly wooded, cut by steep defiles and trails. The Axis built deep, artillery-proof bunkers, surrounded by fighting positions.

AXIS - The Allies are attempting to steal valuable supplies from the Axis Truckyard, stop them at all costs!

ALLIES - The Axis Truckyard contains valuable supplies. We must secure them to claim victory in the Forest!

Changelog

-------------------------------------------------
 Further development
-------------------------------------------------
> Final 2
- General
	* Added Locations file.
	* Advanced Light compilation.
	* Terrain has smoothed shadows now.
	* Every custom texture has a shader now.
	* No more "holes" in the middle of the map.
	* Some Clip added on map sides to avoid any stuckage.
	* Fixed players possibly stuck when exiting the Wooden Bunker MG.
	* Wooden barrier near Axis Bunker Spawn isn't weapon-clipped anymore.
	* Sun appears correctly now. Shader was textures/1944_beach/beach_sun...
	* Fixed spawns (Flags on Command Map, and players spawning inside the crates).
	* Corrected the map coordonates, even if it's obvious the CM is older than the actual map...
	* Added a ladder near solid Bridge so people doesn't need to swim and get hurt to exit this area.
	* Replaced triangles probably cut with CSG Substrast by normal triangles, for easier brush manipulation.
	* Removed unused textures, all are now in a single folder different from original map to avoid any conflict.
	* The "map exists", where you steal the Tank and the Truck, have been decored with Fuel Dump entrance door (Allied Spawn).
	* Since the map was made from EasyGen (terrain0, etc), I used SimonOC tutorials about terrain blending to obtain the same
	  without any .PCX file (Link at the bottom); But I had to deal with few locations where 3 textures were meeting.

- Objective Narrative & Mecanisms
	* Added Objective/Spawn cameras.
	* Fixed contruction crates and AT-Gun clips.
	* Added Axis Ammo Room icon on Command Map for Allies.
	* Added Axis North Path icon on Command Map for Allies.
	* Added Truckyard Gate icon on Command Map for both teams.
	* Added decayed final part for Axis North Path, so after a while the construction will disappear...
	* The AT-Gun, while destroyed, will now emit smoke; Very noticeable in distance, letting Allies know when the way is free.
	* Added Artillery Blast Area icon on Command Map for both teams, so Allies know where it triggers and Axis when to use it.

- Tank & Truck Related Stuff
	* Added Truck Smoke.
	* If by any chance an Allied guy get inside the Truck area before Tank blow up the gate,
	  the Truck is no more escortable until the gate explodes.
	* Clip above Truck area removed; Axis can destroy the Truck when they want.
	* Added Tank turret animation (Turning + Shooting + trigger_hurt on trajectory).
	* Fixed Truck position decay on map start, avoiding any teleporting'n'killing issue.
	* No more "You are near the Truck" on the hill left from the Truck, moved away the related entity.
	* Tank and Truck will stop often, since more splines have been added, and spline controls (+33 for Tank, +X for Truck).

- Optimization
	* Caulked more surfaces.
	* Added Hint/Skip (There were nothing in original).
	* Put a lot of Caulk structural brushes inside the mountains and hills, and removed the visible ones.
	* Base, sky and sides were made of plenty caulk brushes... Everything is plane now, a lot less brushes.
	* Optimized T-Junctions (Thanks ailmanki for the link, and Ifurita for the tutorial, see link at the bottom).

All credits goes to +KOMMANDO+, the maker of the 1944 Wolfenstein Enemy Territory awesome map series, even if they're all bugged the level design and the objective are various and well placed.

Thank you to all the SD users and the friends who have helped me so far, dFx, Tardis, KeMon+, ailmanki, Rebel, Genert (Or Indloon, whatever :P), acQu (For you I can’t remember the previous nick… But I know you changed! x)) and all others not quoted here but present in the text file, both included in ZIP and PK3 files

If you spot any bug/glitch/exploit, if you're unhappy with a change or several I made, just post feedback here, it will be very welcome!

Download

Download includes the map PK3, the Read Me (Also in PK3) and the 0.82 Omni-Bot waypoints.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/99230585/19...%20Release.zip

Screenshots

These screenshots can be used on trackers such as GameTracker, SplatterLadder or TrackBase









PART II – A possible remake

I would like to share ideas about a possible remake of this map, because I think Axis are too powerful on the first map, spawning 5 meters from the Tank, and Allies not having all the time an alternative way to attack.

- Map layout: I think as it is, there will be no miracle… I bet on a new map layout, allowing Allies 2 or 3 ways to attack objectives. Also, using only core textures (Fuel Dump snow), and maybe fog plus falling snow like on Railgun. The first ma part as it is, a straight view from Axis spawn to Bridge, is a great disadvantage for Allies: Axis can call arty, or even hide a mortar in the nearly Forest, maybe forcing Allies to take the North Path… With an other Axis spawn just in front. Even if it allows Allies to destroy the AT-Gun, remove the Bunker Spawn by destroying the Ammo Room, and spawn at CP after building it (This only if Axis doesn’t react after the North Path get destroyed), I think it’s too unbalanced.
- A real forest, deep, leveled, with the possibility to sneak or hide (Yourself… or landmines).
- First part: redesign the location around Tank, I would like to make an [Couper du bois trololol], the “house” would be bigger, teams would spawn above ground.
- Tank stolen: Axis would spawn in the house at the right of the solid Bridge when you face the North. There would be a Tank Barrier a bit before, maybe at the second “house”, which seems to be an underground cave. Like first part, the house would be bigger, with unbreakable windows like for Nordwind2: see what it happening, if Allies are there/if Axis spawned, without SK. The spawn would be disabled when the Tank will pass the Barrier, and will turn Allied when the Truck would reach the solid Bridge.
- Command Post: Deeper, maybe behind a hill; Like other building, planned to make teams spawn inside and not at ground level, with unbreakable windows. Maybe, like on Radar, just have it Neutral and enable a spawn only for Allies?
- Bunker would be almost the same. I want it more [discret] in a forest environment.
- Axis will spawn in a Guard Post on a mountain when Truck will reach the Bunker (Nor longer the Ammo Room to control this spawn); Maybe turn it to Allies, but I think it would be too close.
- Also, I think about removing the Axis North Path.
- The Anti-Tank Gun would have health (So destroyable by grenades) and would be repairable.
- Water would not make damage, but the stream will be strong, and getting in the bushes would turn into gibs any human taken into it…

That’s it… What’s next? 1944 Nordwind 2.1 (Thanks again for the huge feedback and advices!)… and a new map. From scratch.

[zbzero]

great job mate Chris!!
Wel done my friend!

[Tardis]

I love the remakes Chris the map feals like it was ment to be and I love the Idea on 1944 Huertgen Forest 2

Brill Job well done ;)

[Micha]

Looks nice. I will put it on my server and test it.

[Sedra12]

nice job
is there someone trying out this map?

[Smurfer]

Works great.

It looks really nice. Can't wait to play it with humans.

[Dragonji]

I've never been a fan of this map to be honest. I don't say its conception is bad but realization... Too many small, ugly things like trees or bushes for example.

[Mateos]

Thanks

I just did a great bug fix, the screens are taken from spectator; They look less bad from player view ^^' And as said, if I had to do like Nordwind 2, I would erase that and make a real forest. And about what I call a real forest, you'll see on my next map by the end of the year I hope

[Indloon]

Genert (Or Indloon, whatever :P)

Genert is my real name, Indloon is my internet name.

Call me what ever you prefer to call me!

Nice lighting thought!

[Mateos]

Ah, that's why you changed it

I have a couple of func_group with a _lightmapscale of 0.250 (Behind wooden barriers), and the map has 1024x1024 lightmaps: that let the trees have a decent shadowing on ground and other structures have smoothed ones. That what I plan to do for Nordwind 2.1, so the shadowing will be less pixelated on ground

[Mateos]

Hello,

Sorry for double-posting, but I did not think it was necessary to make a new thread just for a (quite big in term of amount of time spent on) update

Here is a Fixed version, tested for quite some time, I just finished to optimize the T-Junctions and do some edits here and there (Center windows and doors, etc.; see changelog below):

* Optimized T-Junctions a lot.
* Caulked a lot more surfaces inside the buildings.
* At-Gun: trigger time increased from 0.1 to 5 seconds.
* Fixed Flipped Triangles during MergeMetaTriangles pass.
* Smoothed shadowing on terrain, less pixelated tree/bush shadows.
* Fixed brush/texture alignment on the Foot Bridge (Thanks Tardis).
* Spawn areas are SK/Arty/Mortar/Landmine-protected (Thanks |MTC|).
* Removed solid brushes at the bottom of the bushes models (Thanks |MTC|).
* Reduced AT-Gun blast radius, so behind the house is safe now (Thanks |MTC|).
* Renamed the Health and Ammo cabinets, depending on their respective locations.
* The Axis Door, east from Farm, can no longer be trickjumped by Allies (Thanks |MTC|).
* The Axis North Path door wasn't destructible (Brush was solid): fixed (Thanks Tardis & Harry Homers).
* Added Push Targets above Axis North Path building and above Village Bunker to prevent double-jump TJ (Thanks |MTC|).
* Changed Axis North Path Command Map icon behavior:
- When it is built, it will show up as a Grenade for Allies and a custom icon for Axis,
while before it was only showing a Grenade for Allies (Nothing for Axis, could be confusing),
- When it is destroyed, it shows Construction Materials for Axis,
while before it was showing a custom icon for them.
* Colored locations in Fireteam:
- Red (^1) for Destructibles.
- Green (^2) for Spawns.
- Blue (^$) for Water.

Download link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/igcbq7oj2n...nal2_Fixed.pk3

As a side note, there will/should be a Version 2.1 featuring 2 main changes:
- First Axis Spawn moved away a bit, in fact in the first square of bushes. There will be tents, SK protection (No shooting from it or from outside to the inside), and two exits (North-East and Middle-East of the "square").
- Anti-Tank Gun behavior will be like the one of Venice: Axis Soldier only can trigger it, will look for Tank between 2 nodes and no longer for an Allied player inside a trigger_multiple, may miss the target, can be damaged by explosives and be repaired.

Thank you for download and testing, if you have anything to ask or suggest, no hesitation

Few spots have a edgy shadowing, no idea why/how, sorry :/

Regards,

Mateos

[ailmanki]

Some plants in the river are getting affected by the waterfog. Not sure how to fix, maybe you need to add "no fog" to the plant shader.

Also do use ambient light? It looks a bit washed out, e.g. grey in grey

The shadows, looks like different samplesize is applied to some brushes/shaders.. Check if those brushes with the high detail shadow are in a func_group. Also you can try to make the terrain shader nonplanar, but that might break other things in your map.

q3map_nonplanar
q3map_shadeAngle 60
q3map_lightmapMergable
q3map_tcGen ivector ( 512 0 0 ) ( 0 512 0 )
q3map_lightmapAxis z


Nice mitering I saw - nice!

[Mateos]

Some plants in the river are getting affected by the waterfog. Not sure how to fix, maybe you need to add "no fog" to the plant shader.

This is "done" on purpose, like it is in the original map (Untouched). My guess: the fog is affected at the water shader, and any misc_model touching it is affected btw

Also do use ambient light? It looks a bit washed out, e.g. grey in grey

Yup, stayed untouched since the original version as well

The shadows, looks like different samplesize is applied to some brushes/shaders.. Check if those brushes with the high detail shadow are in a func_group. Also you can try to make the terrain shader nonplanar, but that might break other things in your map.

q3map_nonplanar
q3map_shadeAngle 60
q3map_lightmapMergable
q3map_tcGen ivector ( 512 0 0 ) ( 0 512 0 )
q3map_lightmapAxis z


Nice mitering I saw - nice!

Yes, it is already the case, and on the majority of locations there isn't this prob (In the middle of the terrain I mean).

And yes, to have higher-resolution wooden barrier shadows I made custom func_group's with a _lightmapscale key, but these are not the problematic locations; See in front of the farm for instance. Also, the snow_road texture has exactly the same shader as the rest of terrain, kind of strange, but still better than the original for some reason o.o

I can't use lightmapmergeable. Whole terrain goes grey; I suspected to have twice vertically the same texture somewhere, I found some spots like that and fixed that, still the issue, tried to isolate it to a single shader (No result), then to a terrain part (Still no result)... So I gave up this argument. Shame, I would have prefered all on same lightmap. And oh, when I tried that, I did not forget to remove the _lightmapscale from the custom func_group and merge them into the "terrain func_group".

"Mitering"? I can't find a translation, sorry ^^'

Edit: Here's an example ->


I use 32x32 editor images to avoid that Gtk decides how to apply the textures/shaders on the surfaces, so there shouldn't be any noticeable texture decay; Even reapplying the shader doesn't change anything, so no idea... Well, not a big issue, it's in front of a spawn

Thanks for the feedback Greatly appreciated!

[Dragonji]

And about what I call a real forest, you'll see on my next map by the end of the year I hope

PS. Good job on Huertgen Forest, Mateos. Regardless of the fact the original map is damn ugly but hell, it's original creator's fault

[Mateos]

Well, I wasn't expecting the new studies I've started this year to eat so much free time, compared to the previous ones... So, the V2 isn't here yet ^^'

Thanks

[thunderpwn]

thanx Mateos, uploading to our nam server now.. cant wait to see how it will look there

EDIT: didnt happen much.. too bad because this map is cool.. possibillity to get the source for this map to change textures? change it to etnam style? release it as Cat Tien forrest? pwetty pweese