Saturday, April 11, 2009

In my own little world, apparently.

So i figured it would be good to post an update, even if there is no real new stuff to post. I have still been working on the level as much as usual, though its been hard with having more than 40 hours of work a week :/

So I was working on the level pretty well, when all of a sudden, i felt like i needed more inspiration. Usually when I look for this, I limit my research to official valve maps. But this time, I felt that maybe a custom map or two would be good for a change. So I browsed through tf2maps.net and found a map called tc_meridian. If you haven't checked it out, I would highly recommend it, it's a beautifully made map. I also noticed that multiple people worked on it, which ignited a spark in my brain. This map made me realize two things:

1) The interior base design of my map sucked. It was really just two hallways leading into the intel room with one room in between. Very boring. I decided to go back to the drawing board. I completely cut out most of the interior, which is one those painful things you need to do sometimes when something isn't working. I'm happy to say that this is one of the best moves i've made on this project, and the level works sooooo much better now.

2) I need help. No, not like THAT. Well, maybe. But seriously, the map made me realize that having the project not being 100% made by me, might not be such a crime. This is when I decided to bring in my friend Jacob Rynkiewicz into the mix. He graduated from CCAD like me, but majored in Industrial Design. He wants to get into level design and knows quite a bit about the concepts and asthetics involved in art, so he'll be a great addition to the project. I really need to get that last little push into production, so maybe we'll hit that mark soon. Also, my friend Ryan Harlow will pop in and out to provide some models for us. That's what he does pretty much, alongside sketching characters. He graduated with Jacob and I from CCAD.

The main layout difference will be explained in greater detail later. I'm planning on learning fraps (about time) to capture the video nad narrate over it, to explain the level setup as soon as its done. Ryan out.

No comments: