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Balmorra: Outpost is - probably more than any other map in this mod - not just one author's work. Some time ago Skyhammer started work on a space station map for this mod, and while he'd done a substantial amount of modeling, it ended up that the map was taking too much time for him to really finish.

Since I hate seeing good work go to waste (and since I like dirtying my hands meddling with other people's maps anyway), I said that I'd go ahead and finish the map up. I took the XSI source to the map and wiped what had been done in ZE (it's much better this way, I promise ). I touched up the models and UVs for the predone models, finished any texturing that hadn't been done for some other incomplete models, and then added my own models to finish off the map.

Like Nar Shaddaa, this map was mostly constructed in XSI, which made putting everything into the game loads easier. All I really had to worry about were the basics - small prop placement, AI planning, etc.

So here is a map by Skyhammer and yours truly - Balmorra: Outpost (Sky - I didn't change the name just to be pedantic, I wanted to make sure the localization fit in the Instant Action menu). Enjoy!
You'll notice a small, treaded utility vehicle in the second picture. I'm calling that the TIE Hauler (I have no idea where it would keep its ion engines; it's just a play on the names of the other two TIE treaded vehicles since it also uses a TIE texture), and it's mostly present just for ambiance. It doesn't have any weapons, but there are a couple sitting around the map that you can cruise around in.

Wow, excellent work Mav & Sky! That map totally reminds me of Kota's shipyard in the second mission of TFU.

This looks really cool; I can't wait to try this

wow mav looks great

When going piggy back on the hauler, does the player move along with it, or is like other moving objects and the player just falls off?

RED51 wrote:When going piggy back on the hauler, does the player move along with it, or is like other moving objects and the player just falls off?

It's not like other moving objects because it is a vehicle. You'll note that any ground vehicle (hover, walker) can be ridden.

Nova Hawk wrote:Wow, excellent work Mav & Sky! That map totally reminds me of Kota's shipyard in the second mission of TFU.

QFT, amazing work guys!

I was beginning to wonder when Sky would post this. Looks like a fun map.

7 words: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

since i saw the tfu-level i dreamed of a tie-factory environment, great job skyhammer and mav'!

That looks great. My only tiny criticism is that I don't like how closely the TIE Bombers in the first shot are placed (but that's just my own perfectionist opinion on object placement).

Those tread vehicles could make for some pretty fun MP gameplay - have someone get in the driver's seat, then a few more hop in back and cruise around the map shooting the place up.

Wow Mav, you've really pulled this together. Love the new props, the corridor (from what I can see) and the reactor room. And the TIE hauler = gold. Really like how you fixed up that space between the two sides of the hangar too...for the life of me I couldn't figure what to do with it.

Anyway fantastic work on your part.


PS. Name change - good point.

Skyhammer_216 wrote:Wow Mav, you've really pulled this together. Love the new props, the corridor (from what I can see) and the reactor room. And the TIE hauler = gold.

Anyway fantastic work on your bit.

Glad you like it; as with most of the maps the pictures don't sell the full package. There's more you can't see (in fact you can probably see very little of the rearrangement I've done, sounds too), and there are several animated events in the map as well. The two unused back wings of the station are used to animate fighters in and out, and there's a docking spar for a larger ship off to one side.

Maveritchell wrote:

Skyhammer_216 wrote:Wow Mav, you've really pulled this together. Love the new props, the corridor (from what I can see) and the reactor room. And the TIE hauler = gold.

Anyway fantastic work on your bit.

Glad you like it; as with most of the maps the pictures don't sell the full package. There's more you can't see (in fact you can probably see very little of the rearrangement I've done, sounds too), and there are several animated events in the map as well. The two unused back wings of the station are used to animate fighters in and out, and there's a docking spar for a larger ship off to one side.

Sounds excellent, will look forward to seeing it all. Thanks again for finishing it up - at the moment I have real life taking up lots of time and tend to prefer modelling assets atm rather than making maps anyway. Oh and you've done a very good job in...about a week? Much faster than I'd be able to with a map using mostly 'new' models.

Nova Hawk wrote:Wow, excellent work Mav & Sky! That map totally reminds me of Kota's shipyard in the second mission of TFU.

That was (for me at least) mainly what inspired it.

AQT wrote:I was beginning to wonder when Sky would post this. Looks like a fun map.

Same. Ever since he posted that holographic map in the glamour skins thread, I had been waiting to see what he was working on for DTII. Well, this is an impressive and quite unique map, nicely done you two.

My only criticism is regarding this area: This room is a bit strange, apparently it's a storage area, but it is too cramped for proper storage and it doesn't seem to have any entryways for the containers, also some sort of crane thing would be necessary to move the materials to the TIE Haulers (I suppose that is their actual, non-combat, purpose) and back; also -to put it bluntly- that place doesn't seem too interesting to explore... hmm, sorry if I sound nitpicky.

Nihillo wrote:

AQT wrote:I was beginning to wonder when Sky would post this. Looks like a fun map.

Same. Ever since he posted that holographic map in the glamour skins thread, I had been waiting to see what he was working on for DTII. Well, this is an impressive and quite unique map, nicely done you two.

My only criticism is regarding this area:

Hidden/Spoiler:

This room is a bit strange, apparently it's a storage area, but it is too cramped for proper storage and it doesn't seem to have any entryways for the containers; also some sort of crane thing would be necessary to move the materials to the TIE Haulers (I suppose that is their actual, non-combat, purpose) and back; also -to put it bluntly- that place doesn't seem too interesting to explore... hmm, sorry if I'm being nitpicky.

You know I completely forgot about the hologram thing....

The room your referring two is a bit strange...I had it as a bunch of incomplete tight corridors, but I actually like Mav's more.

Skyhammer_216 wrote:You know I completely forgot about the hologram thing...

How could you forget the hologram? It is your avatar (sort of)!

Wow, excellent work! This easily beats the stock Death Star map.

Null_1138 wrote:Wow, excellent work! This easily beats the stock Death Star map.

It's not better. It is newer (and "fresher"), but it's not really a fair comparison anyway, since this is a different kind of map. The similarities really only lie in the textures.

Nihillo wrote:My only criticism is regarding this area:

Hidden/Spoiler:

This room is a bit strange, apparently it's a storage area, but it is too cramped for proper storage and it doesn't seem to have any entryways for the containers, also some sort of crane thing would be necessary to move the materials to the TIE Haulers (I suppose that is their actual, non-combat, purpose) and back; also -to put it bluntly- that place doesn't seem too interesting to explore... hmm, sorry if I sound nitpicky.

Ye of little faith. It would be easier for you to assume that everything can be justified rather than wonder why something is like it is, because I do have justifications for any design.

As I said above, you can't see every new part and coincidentally this is one part you can't (couldn't) see: The TIE Haulers are too small to be carrying around large cargo containers; they're designed for hauling small crates - it's just a utility vehicle, after all. This room is a cargo storage room sandwiched between the two main hangar partitions, and it's used to temporarily hold storage to transfer from one larger ship to another. There's an articulated arm that can pick up crates and move them to the doorways, where they can then be offloaded onto a repulsor sled or attached directly to a waiting tug (none of this happens in the map as it would obviously clutter things, but you did implicitly ask for a justification).

Maveritchell wrote:As I said above, you can't see every new part and coincidentally this is one part you can't (couldn't) see:

Hidden/Spoiler:

I find it funny how everything I mentioned is simply on the opposite side of the room, instead of absent.

Another truely awe inspiring map, you always know how to blend and work the textures together and they look very polished. Question on the center round column thing are there to be more bridges or where the other low parts there so it is easier to run off and fall to your doom

Anyway keep up the great work, wish I had something to contribute.