DM-C&C-Jungle Strike V2 (Map)

[Nelsoncarmo26]

Rebuilt and edited for invasion.
Download here:
http://www.filefront.com/15176941/DM-C% ... rikeV2.zip

[Nelsoncarmo26]

what's the updates?
Have you tested this one yet?

[DW_KarmaKat]

Hiya!

Most of us have been on vacation (away from home or computers, egad!) for the last couple of weeks...some of us are still away! Anyhow...we're starting to get back into the routine. :) I've got a bunch of stuff to put on the test server and then we'll get testing again. Next time I go on vacation, I want a clone to stay here and do all the work! ;D

KKat

[Nelsoncarmo26]

Ok thanks for that Karma kat.
How was your hollydays by the way?

[DW_KarmaKat]

My brain is rebelling...it wants to play! LOL! :)

Holidays were fine...some ups and downs...got to see some family I hadn't visited in a couple of years...so overall pretty good. Oddly, it's rather more cold here in Texas that it usually is this time of year...we actually had snow over Christmas! A rarity indeed! Still cold..and getting colder..sub zero wind chills are in the offing at the end of the week! Soooo...I'm sure I'll be staying inside where it's toasty and getting more stuff done with the servers! :D

KKat

[Nelsoncarmo26]

Wow, I'd never imagine texas being so cold as to reach sub-zero temperatures, let alone snow.

But glad you enjoyed your hollydays.
Sadly for me couldn't visit my parents, brothers and sisters, but never mind.

I don't blame you for staying in the house.
It's pretty cold here too, everything is frosted over.

I don't like the cold...

[DW_Ant]

• Low frame rates. Fog doesn't conceal objects unless it's completely covered (computers will still render partially fogged actors).
  Check to see if you zoned the buildings. Placing cull distance on small objects will really help, too.
• For the same reasons given in Vice City, this map is still too large. I think you'll improve the size AND layout if you restrict the players to one building, and not far beyond its perimeter. Have the invasion in the building rather than the field may improve this map in many directions (faster frames, Z action, better places to position weapons rather have them all in one room, etc...)

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[Nelsoncarmo26]

So for the frame rates, just have to reduce fog distance? so the fog covers more of the map?

Placing cull distance on small objects will really help

I have no idea what to do with that!

[DW_Ant]

Well I think it will benefit everyone if you reduce the map to have the invasion based on one base rather than the field between the two bases. Just one base, itself, could contain its own invasion due to it's size and structure.
If you do this, I believe this will double your frame rates (assuming you cut the level in half), and make it more playable for invasion.

Cull distance can be modified in the static mesh properties (display --> CullDistance). This int value that goes into this field is the distance the player must be before the static mesh disappears. The computer will not render this static mesh until the player goes closer to the static mesh.

For example. If you have a pile of grass a mile away, and have it's cull distance set to 1024 uu. The grass will be completely invisible unless the player is less than 1024 uu away from this grass pile. Zooms from the sniper rifle tells a different story.

If you want to see an obvious example in how Cull Distance work, you should check out the 2nd maze in Absolute Hell. You'll see how the bricks appear only when the player nears them.

[DW_BrainPan]

So for the frame rates, just have to reduce fog distance? so the fog covers more of the map?

Haven't seen the map so I don't know what the fog looks like, but it sounds like he's saying the fog is OK.

But he wants you to make sure the buildings are zoned

Placing cull distance on small objects will really help

I have no idea what to do with that!

Cull distance is another way of optimizing a map. If you set a static meshes cull distance (found under the Display tab of its properties) it will cease to be drawn when your character is beyond that distance. So if you had a chair or a vase or some other bit of detail that becomes pretty indistinguishable at a certain distance, you can set a cull distance and have it not drawn at all any more. This helps with optimization because the engine draws everything whether you can actually see it or not (unless it is culled, zoned, or occluded some other way). You'll have to play with the distances (which will vary based on the size of the object you are culling, and lighting, etc.) because you don't want things to just wink out of existence when they are still fairly close to you.

edit: Ok, I gotta stop taking calls while posting to the forums. This is the second time in as many days that I have stopped to take a call in the middle of a post only to find that Ant has already posted an answer whilst I had been taking said call.