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Has anyone realized that this is going to be Rends' third Coruscant map?

Well of course it is.

genaral_mitch wrote:Has anyone realized that this is going to be Rends' third Coruscant map?

so? keep 'em coming.

genaral_mitch wrote:Has anyone realized that this is going to be Rends' third Coruscant map?

Your point?

Whenever most people do a series based on the same planet, it ends up quantity over quality.
But not with Rends.

"Coruscant" is merely a name. : City and : Streets are two different maps with different gameplay and it doesn't matter what comes before the colons.

genaral_mitch wrote:Whenever most people do a series based on the same planet, it ends up quantity over quality.

And this claim is based off of what?

I'm not sure really, but I have played some really boring map series based on one planet.

The Nasal Abyss wrote:Any progress updates Rends? I really don't want to see this map fall by the wayside, it shows so much promise.

Well not much yet. Last weeks i did a complete redone of my home network including network harddrive new software for auto back up importand stuff and last auto online backup at mozy.com. I feel much more secure now.
Now i´m back on working at the Freighterport. If all works well i might have a playable alpha/beta end of the year.

genaral_mitch wrote:I'm not sure really, but I have played some really boring map series based on one planet.

Like what? The only ones I know of are YaNkFaN's Khimera, which was of high quality in my opinion, and my Aldura series, which I personally put a lot of effort into to get as close to perfection as possible (and there have only been two maps released anyway).

Ones i downloaded form random sites. Besides, i wasn't able to play most of the Aldura. But the two I did play are some of my favorite maps.



EDIT: Wait, you only made two Alduras?

genaral_mitch wrote:Ones i downloaded form random sites. Besides, i wasn't able to play most of the Aldura. But the two I did play are some of my favorite maps.



EDIT: Wait, you only made two Alduras?

Released, not made.

genaral_mitch wrote:Ones i downloaded form random sites. Besides, i wasn't able to play most of the Aldura. But the two I did play are some of my favorite maps.



EDIT: Wait, you only made two Alduras?

I've only released two so far. I'll release more sometime eventually when I actually have time to mod. But this isn't a topic about Aldura, so just read through the WIP topic.

genaral_mitch wrote:Whenever most people do a series based on the same planet, it ends up quantity over quality.
But not with Rends.

Looks like Mitch here wasn't being negative about Rends' third Coruscant map, and was in fact being positive.

I know I, too, am glad Rends is looking at doing another Coruscant map -- for some reason, no one seems to do any Coruscant maps that I've seen, and the few I've come across were either not very Coruscant, not very good, or both. I have a good three or four ideas for new Coruscant maps, though of course it remains to be seen whether I will get them done, to say nothing of whether they will be any good. =)

On that note, I feel compelled to disagree with AQT's statement that

AQT wrote:"Coruscant" is merely a name. : City and : Streets are two different maps with different gameplay and it doesn't matter what comes before the colons.

I personally feel that the planetary location is a significant and even important aspect, if for no other reason than the fact that SWBF2 is a specific setting -- that is, the Star Wars universe and its planets, moons, and spacecraft. I'd rather see a map from an exciting location that's only decently done, compared with a map from some unnamed or made-up planet that was really well done; the actual Star Wars location map can be improved in later versions, while the made-up-planet map is as good as it's going to get.

Anyway, from what little we can see so far, this looks like another of Rends' instant classics.

As for the official" name of the area in the picture, the AotC novelisation says only that it is the "landing platform" adjacent to "the Senatorial Apartment Building". Not sure if that helps any, but there you are.

-----
And finally, input:

The in-game shots look great!

I wouldn't worry about making it too big, since I'm sure there will be plenty of aircars and other such ships, yes? As long as there are some forms of transportation (probably mostly if not entirely non-weaponized, the vehicles from Cor:City would be great), then any size should be fine. The bigger the better, actually, I'd say.

Ships as animated props would be a ridiculously fitting thing here. They were awesome on the Corellia map that came out a bit ago.

DarthD.U.C.K. wrote:do you want to fight in a freighterport thats crowded like a center of a big city?

Um, yes. Actually, though I don't see any need to go to extremes and make the place packed, I think the map would feel pretty weird if there weren't any one but allies and enemies. This is Coruscant, packed with people. Fighting breaks out on a landing platform, citizens try to scatter, the fighters take their positions.

I think it'd be a REALLY good idea to have some civilians -- preferably in both/all Conquest modes, but if nothing else, in a CTF or Hunt or XL mode or something. However, I don't see any benefit to making them enemies to either side; the Empire and Republic would have problems if it started just randomly mowing down civvies, and the Rebels would too. Only the CIS wouldn't care much. I suppose if they have to count as enemies to anyone, they should be enemies to the Empire and the CIS.

Ah, I just read where you nixed the idea of civilians entirely. An unfortunate choice, I think. But even if you don't have civilians (though I really think you should), droids are a great idea.

Finally, one of my main suggestions would be for some custom sides. I know you haven't done anything in the way of sides for your other Coruscant maps, just using the stock sides -- but the Mos Eisley map was HUGELY improved by using Sandtroopers, and I think this map could use some special sides too. My first thought is that the CW Era Republic should be Coruscant Guards (see http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Coruscant_Guard), and that both the CW Republic and the GCW Empire should have either the blue-robed Senatorial Guards (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Senate_Guard) or the blue-armored Senate Commandos (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Senate_Commando), if not both. (I think this would be such a good thing for the map that I'd recommend shopping out some sides-work, if you don't want to do it yourself. Just a thought.)

The Coruscant Guard clones would just be a skin difference, unless you wanted to get a little more detailed and have a Captain or Commander using a Concussion Rifle (like the one Bossk uses in the BFX mod) and/or a Force-Pike (like the Imperial Red Guards in BFX or BF0, though I prefer the BF0 Force-Pike). Such a figure would be a match for the Magna-Guard on the CIS side.

The blue-robed Senatorial Guards could basically just be a reskinned version of the Imperial Red Guards, to an extent, though their helms usually have that crest added. I think they typically carry Blaster Rifles and Force-Pikes, though I'm sure other weapons would work well too. The Senate Commandos could be like any sort of Elite unit, with a broad array of possible gear and weaponry.

Oh, actually, now that I think about it, I think the Coruscant Guards were still around in the GCW era, they just had all-red armor (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Coruscantguard.jpg)...

Okay, that's all. Whatever you do, Rends, this is going to be one seriously great map. =)

I'd rather see a map from an exciting location that's only decently done, compared with a map from some unnamed or made-up planet that was really well done; the actual Star Wars location map can be improved in later versions, while the made-up-planet map is as good as it's going to get.

...

What?

So you're saying that if I throw together some mediocre map and slap 'Naboo' or 'Geonosis' or whatever to the name, you'd prefer that over a superior map with a name that hasn't shown up before?



Also: ALL Star Wars planets are made up, so what does it matter?

What? So you're saying that if I throw together some mediocre map and slap 'Naboo' or 'Geonosis' or whatever to the name, you'd prefer that over a superior map with a name that hasn't shown up before?

I said "decent", not "mediocre". And yes, -- talking big picture long-term, I WOULD rather play a decent map that's actually part of the movies (or failing that, part of one of the main comics series), than play a technically better map whose only connection to the Star Wars universe is the sides fighting in it.

In-movie (etc) accuracy is part of what makes many maps great instead of just really good. This Freighterport of Rends could well be a shining example of this.

Also: ALL Star Wars planets are made up, so what does it matter?

Sure. And not everything that was in the movies was even really good (for example, just the name "Elan Sleazebaggano" should have gotten someone shaved and markered). But when it comes down to it, I play SWBF2 mainly for the feel of being part of the Star Wars universe. To fight on Ord Mantell, or the spice mines at Kessel, or the bridge-cities of Cato Nemoidia. It's what made Rends' Mos Eisley map so brilliant -- it was almost like stepping into the Mos Eisley from the screen on A New Hope. Some random person's random imagination will always come second to that.

=)

JackTHorn wrote:But when it comes down to it, I play SWBF2 mainly for the feel of being part of the Star Wars universe. To fight on Ord Mantell, or the spice mines at Kessel, or the bridge-cities of Cato Nemoidia.

You are drawing the line in a very strange place, since two of the three examples aren't in the movies, and one is shown in just a flash.

I understand your point, though, but I think it would better be explained thusly: You prefer to see re-creations of familiar visual references (I do too, so this is not a condemnation). Many people like to see things that feel familiar, and one way to preserve a sense of continuity is to use pre-established settings.

However, the way you phrased it made it seem like you'd much prefer "random average map A" if it were named Coruscant (or Naboo, or whatever) than you would "random better-than-average map B" if the latter were named something original. I don't think that's the message you're trying to convey.

genaral_mitch wrote:Whenever most people do a series based on the same planet, it ends up quantity over quality.
But not with Rends.

This isn't a map series to begin with.

JackTHorn wrote:

What? So you're saying that if I throw together some mediocre map and slap 'Naboo' or 'Geonosis' or whatever to the name, you'd prefer that over a superior map with a name that hasn't shown up before?

I said "decent", not "mediocre". And yes, -- talking big picture long-term, I WOULD rather play a decent map that's actually part of the movies (or failing that, part of one of the main comics series), than play a technically better map whose only connection to the Star Wars universe is the sides fighting in it.

In-movie (etc) accuracy is part of what makes many maps great instead of just really good. This Freighterport of Rends could well be a shining example of this.

Also: ALL Star Wars planets are made up, so what does it matter?

Sure. And not everything that was in the movies was even really good (for example, just the name "Elan Sleazebaggano" should have gotten someone shaved and markered). But when it comes down to it, I play SWBF2 mainly for the feel of being part of the Star Wars universe. To fight on Ord Mantell, or the spice mines at Kessel, or the bridge-cities of Cato Nemoidia. It's what made Rends' Mos Eisley map so brilliant -- it was almost like stepping into the Mos Eisley from the screen on A New Hope. Some random person's random imagination will always come second to that.

=)

Not to butt in, but I'd much rather play a map with completely imaginative idea more so than a basic (or not so basic) Star Wars map, it keeps possibilities open and are far more fun.

If some one were to create an amazing/ fun map of their own imagination it can draw up new characters/ environments this would be far more impressive and fun... but I guess everyone has their opinion...

~Back to the topic~ Im glad to see that someone has the will to create new props and environments for new maps, Of course not all of us can do so (ran out of trials) but it would be nice if there were more of us making new material for the game not just maps/ mods.

Amazing work by the way

New status: On hold until i get my XSI dongle port problem fixed.
I can install XSI 4.2 on my Mac Mini Bootcamp windowsXP partition without problem but i can´t start the dongle server anymore.
Someone wrote that there are guys out there running XSI on a Mac without trouble...

UPDATE

New status: got it working

He's back! It's back! Yay!