-= Gametoast.com =-

My latest mod map is called No Man's Land

~~STORY~~
The map is a fast paced and intense battle that takes place on a frozen moon, occupied by the Republic, under the command of Jalto, and disguised as a mining operation. The CIS, with their newest general, Ingourna, have seen through the Republic cover-up of the moon base and realize the potential of this moon. It could serve as a crucial station for the CIS frigates because Coruscant is just in range of their ships' hyperspace jump from the moon. The CIS take the opportunity to test Ingourna and send him and an army of 10,000 droids to take the moon and station there. Ingourna finds the republic base inside one of the many canyons that spiderweb across the landscape...hours later, a flood of 10,000 droids breaks on the Republic's blockade shields...
~~~~~~~~

Gameplay Video: http://www.xfire.com/video/472936/ (sorry, there is no sound, will add one with sound ASAP)

~~Things to come before Public Alpha~~
-New CPs placed in trenches
-Alerts when CPs are taken
-Fixing the victory timer
-Fixing some sides issues
-Fixing the Republic shields
-Adding a new CIS unit

~~In the Future...~~~
-Adding a legitimate base on the moon for the Republic to occupy...
-Possibly adding flyers for the Republic
-More custom weapons added to the Republic
-Smoothing out AI planning
-Adding Jalto and Ingourna as heros
-Possibly another gameplay mode inside the mining operation

And how is the gameplay from the CIS side of things?

What happens sometimes is that people make maps where a few tough clones hold out against legions of weak droids whose only advantage is their sheer numbers. Sometimes modders don't anticipate that people might want to play as the CIS, too.

Hmmm well as of now playing as the CIS is disabled, so you can only be the clones...but I understand and I will consider adding a second mode where you are the droids, assaulting the base.

The layout of the map looks very nice, but the ground texture doesn't seem to match the Hoth props very well. Try re-texturing the Hoth props for a better match.

A major theme in Star Wars is heroism. A couple of clones, with distinct personalities, holding out on a small base in the middle of a frozen wasteland against an army of droids, captures this feel.

To play as the big army fighting the small enemy, however, kills the point of heroism. It's hard to make a good Star Wars-feeling story-based map when you place a bunch of battle droids as the main characters, anyway.

I prefer you don't allow the droids to be playable. Although it would be unique, it's best that you keep the feel of the story here. You can't make a fun map if the AI is doing most of the killing for you.

Just my point of view. This map is unique as-is. Just make sure the lighting on the ground and on the props and characters match, and maybe put an evergreen tree here or there, for atmosphere. Otherwise, looks great. I'd play it.

EDIT:

You wouldn't have someone running around in the Imperial Officer-type suit. There needs to be some face protection, like goggles or something. A backpack of consumables and supplies would also serve to make the unit more interesting and realistic.

The droids lack camouflage. This is a serious problem in this environment. White or grey-colored droids would last much longer out here (this works with the tanks too, which would need some camouflage out in the open like this. Try adding the blue coloring to them as well, as the CIS used those colors during the war). The believability factor can sometimes sell an idea really well.

Maybe it's the lighting on the props, but it feels like the clone suits lack contrast aside from the body glove. You could fix the lighting on those props, or you could give the textures more contrast, or both.

One of your units, with the red cross on its armor, is too...pink.

I really appreciate all the feedback guys, because of you guys, the map will hopefully be improved in the public's eye and not just my own!

Eaol:
I know where you are coming from on this because that was my original intention, playing only as the Republic, because why would you want 9,999 droids fighting behind you? There would be little fun...but if other people would like to play as the CIS, I could make a second mode where you can only play as the droids and I'll find ways to even the odds...

About the lightning on the props:
I'm not really sure I understand what you guys are saying because I've never messed with lighting before. I'll test again with a more critical eye to see if I can see what you guys are seeing, but I will need some help with lighting. Also, I understand why you guys would want the droids to have snowy camouflage, but the Separatists are just kinda going for a shock-and-awe Blitzkrieg method here, I will camouflage the droid sniper, but I don't really see the point in why the droids would be camo when there are so many of them streaming into the base.

I'm planning on adding a legitimate base for the republic, not just those 2 bunkers. Along with this will be more turrets, some mining equipment, rubble, random props...hopefully that should fill it in and make it have a more realistic atmosphere and not as barren.

Oh and about the pink clone with the red cross, he is a medic and I like him pink

Eaol wrote:A major theme in Star Wars is heroism. A couple of clones, with distinct personalities, holding out on a small base in the middle of a frozen wasteland against an army of droids, captures this feel. To play as the big army fighting the small enemy, however, kills the point of heroism. It's hard to make a good Star Wars-feeling story-based map when you place a bunch of battle droids as the main characters, anyway.

A major theme in most franchises is heroism. That doesn't mean you always have to play as the solitary hero backed up by his band of supporters who are few in number but can repulse a planetary invasion force. In fact, BF2 isn't like that at all - in the stock game as well as most mods you play as a soldier in a fight, not some special commando. That's what RC is for. BF2 gets along just fine without heroism.

Well Fiodis, I see your point but I wouldn't label my map as a heroism map or a special commando map...You are playing as the normal soldiers, in fact you start as the G.I. equivalent and as you earn points you get better guns and kits...You can play as the hero tho when you have enough points, to clarify. I don't think that just because they are outnumbered, the map should be labeled special commando...either way, its still fun to play

Mithrandir wrote:Well Fiodis, I see your point but I wouldn't label my map as a heroism map or a special commando map...You are playing as the normal soldiers, in fact you start as the G.I. equivalent and as you earn points you get better guns and kits...You can play as the hero tho when you have enough points, to clarify. I don't think that just because they are outnumbered, the map should be labeled special commando...either way, its still fun to play

I am personally interested in this map, Mithrandir. I like the layout, definitely. The weapons look interesting too. Keep up the great work. And whether this map is a 'normal soldiers' map or a Special Commando map, I don't mind either one regardless, as long as I can wipe out those blasted clankers!

The heroism point depends on the type of story you are trying to tell, if any.

Clones with distinct personalities may seem strange to some people, but that's the way it is in real life. No conflict with reality here, for me.

EDIT: I should clarify. Genetically identical humans still have different personalities. Genetically identical people are, by definitions, clones.

@Eaol: You're missing point. They were referring to clone troopers not just clones in general, especially not real life clones. Regular grunt clone troopers with distinct personalities would contradict with what Lama Su stated in AotC. Some people prefer his description as opposed to the clone troopers' portrayal in TCW.

AQT wrote:@Eaol: You're missing point. They were referring to clone troopers not just clones in general, especially not real life clones. Regular grunt clone troopers with distinct personalities would contradict with what Lama Su stated in AotC. Some people prefer his description as opposed to the clone troopers' portrayal in TCW.

AQT is correct.

However I disagree with the original point, I dont think that clones with unique personalities are contradicting what Lama Su said, and I like the idea of the realistic portrayal of clones in TCW, but this argument could go on for days over who is right and wrong, largely in part to that fact its partially opinion based, so, if we want to keep talking about this, lets move it to a new topic. I may create the topic myself, but lets focus on Mithrandir's map here. Sorry if this sounds like junior moderating, I wasn't trying to jr. mod.

it seems in the video that the republic is vastly outnumbered

DarthEste01 wrote:it seems in the video that the republic is vastly outnumbered

Nothin' the Republic can't handle.

RevanSithLord wrote:

DarthEste01 wrote:it seems in the video that the republic is vastly outnumbered

Nothin' the Republic can't handle.

I would normally agree, but they seem outnumbered to the extreme
In my mod, the republic is outnumbered 3-1, but 2/3 of the CS forces are made up of worthless B1 droids. Your mod looks more like 5-1, and thats a bit much. I would take down the number of Droidekas and Magnaguards of you have them, and only have the unlocked class have increased numbers.

Other than that though, you seem to be doing well, keep it up.

Its kinda awesome to see all of you interested in the map idea and the layout so far! I'm afraid I really don't have time to mod, save during the weekends (thank high school...), so production may be a bit slow. I'm going to try to release a public alpha ASAP so I don't lose my following on this. The Republic is vastly outnumbered, and so far it's impossible for them to win. My plans are to eventually put in a timer that counts down to victory, along with a huge Republic frigate that slowly makes its way across the map till it hovers just above the base, and then somehow work up a timed lazer shot and explosion on the base just before the timer reaches zero. The story line of the map will entail that if the CIS gets a hold of the base, they will also get their hands on precious intell. The Republic knows that they just don't have the manpower at the base, so they make the grave decision for the clones to hold their position and give the frigate the 10 or 15 minutes (the exact time it will take can be decided from feedback after the public alpha) to reach the base to erase all traces of the intell and other resources the Republic had there. The sea of droids you face makes the game fun and intense. I have plans to limit the droideka or replace them entirely with a new and unique droid unit, the Auto-STAP. I'm having more trouble than I imagined changing the texture of the props to fit the terrain, but as soon as I do, there will be more videos posted! Thanks again guys, I need the motivation.

**EDIT**
And where did this clones having personalities thing come from?? The clones in my map aren't very unique...the only one thats different from the rest is Jalto, the general.

Wait, why the intel backstory? In the first post you had said the moon's primary value was as a staging point for a possible invasion of Coruscant, not some tidbits Republic Intelligence have hidden away there.

Haha well the intell backstory has been up in my head all along. The ship station there was the primary reason for the CIS invasion, but as with any military base established, there will be intell there and other resources that the Republic doesn't want the enemy to have. Hey, if anyone want to help refine the plot line, that would be much appreciated. I still need to smooth out how Jalto survives (I'm going to have a Jalto vs. Ingourna series, so obviously he needs to survive) and if you guys see flaws in the story you can add in! I'm trying to take in as much feedback as I can so the map is good in the public's eye!

On another note, I've been trying over and over different ways to make the props match the terrain to no success, heres a picture of what I have so far, I don't understand why its not as simple as replacing the .tga of the prop texture with that of the terrain texture, but this is as good as I've got it...it looks nearly no different than before so I'll keep trying.

Why don't you just use the exact same texture that you did for the ground? Copy it into your trench tga.

I did. And I have many textures covering the ground to make it look more realistic instead of the same snow tiled onto the ground, so there will always be places where the props dont match the snow