Higor
02-21-2013, 10:58 PM
It's been a while since I complained about something, but here goes: the maps.
The whole map thing, it doesn't actually have anything to do with layouts, poor designs, or even how the same 5 maps get voted over and over (our effors were successful here).
It's not about something actually 'visible', it's about the usage of PathNodes.
Siege and many mods use PathNode actors as points of reference to insert various things: monsters, items, relics, whatever you can think of. It's a great idea since there's no other quick way to determine what parts of the 3d space given by the map are actually playable and reachable.
But it has come to the point that PathNodes are simply being used as simple item markers, mappers have either forgotten -or worse, never learned- of their real purpose, which is the generation of a path network for AI creatures.
Some of you may wonder what I'm talking about, well I'm talking about this:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58384316/UT99/Shots/Other/Paths1.JPG
There's absolutely no way to make AI able to play on this map, and so is the issue with various popular Siege maps as well as normal maps with absolutely no pathing on it.
Sure, the Siege's way of inserting the initial resources is partly to blame for this node usage... until RC18 comes out (RC17 is a test release only available for PUG server admins to launch).
I altered the way resources are inserted, making them spawn near the core, using the path network to 'branch' themselves away from it.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58384316/UT99/Shots/Other/Paths2.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58384316/UT99/Shots/Other/Paths3.JPG
This method provides uniform, fair and not so distant placement of the resources, regardless of PathNode count on the map, but the maps I previously described with terrible PathNode usage will bring these results:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58384316/UT99/Shots/Other/Paths4.JPG
And no, I will just tweak the RU creation routine a little further and that will be it, I'm not going to revert it.
This means that some maps (ALL of them are 'Sieged' fixes) will start with terrible resource placement and the only fix for that will be to create a fully operational path network on those, which is a task I'm willing to take up (one map a week or so).
Doing so will make these maps suitable for many gametypes and in the future, capable of running with bots.
Mappers, if you can't create a path network, leave it to someone who can, it's a just matter of inserting actors.
The whole map thing, it doesn't actually have anything to do with layouts, poor designs, or even how the same 5 maps get voted over and over (our effors were successful here).
It's not about something actually 'visible', it's about the usage of PathNodes.
Siege and many mods use PathNode actors as points of reference to insert various things: monsters, items, relics, whatever you can think of. It's a great idea since there's no other quick way to determine what parts of the 3d space given by the map are actually playable and reachable.
But it has come to the point that PathNodes are simply being used as simple item markers, mappers have either forgotten -or worse, never learned- of their real purpose, which is the generation of a path network for AI creatures.
Some of you may wonder what I'm talking about, well I'm talking about this:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58384316/UT99/Shots/Other/Paths1.JPG
There's absolutely no way to make AI able to play on this map, and so is the issue with various popular Siege maps as well as normal maps with absolutely no pathing on it.
Sure, the Siege's way of inserting the initial resources is partly to blame for this node usage... until RC18 comes out (RC17 is a test release only available for PUG server admins to launch).
I altered the way resources are inserted, making them spawn near the core, using the path network to 'branch' themselves away from it.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58384316/UT99/Shots/Other/Paths2.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58384316/UT99/Shots/Other/Paths3.JPG
This method provides uniform, fair and not so distant placement of the resources, regardless of PathNode count on the map, but the maps I previously described with terrible PathNode usage will bring these results:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58384316/UT99/Shots/Other/Paths4.JPG
And no, I will just tweak the RU creation routine a little further and that will be it, I'm not going to revert it.
This means that some maps (ALL of them are 'Sieged' fixes) will start with terrible resource placement and the only fix for that will be to create a fully operational path network on those, which is a task I'm willing to take up (one map a week or so).
Doing so will make these maps suitable for many gametypes and in the future, capable of running with bots.
Mappers, if you can't create a path network, leave it to someone who can, it's a just matter of inserting actors.