[L4D2] Down On The Farm - Final Version Available Now!

Well, I've actually managed to get a fair bit done lately!  Here's the final version of DOTF, available for download at l4dmaps.com...  I've fixed a bunch of bugs, added a bunch of doors, cut a new pathway into the back of the barn, changed some lighting, worked on the nav and a bunch of other stuff!  Unless there are any remaining game-breaking bugs, this one is out the door!

You can find a load of other screenshots over here!  The (really, really long) WIP thread is at WOLD.  Hope everyone has as much fun playing it as I had making it!

The next order of business is to build a proper web presence, expanding from this blog to a portfolio site and including Facebook and Twitter...  Hopefully I'm going to have all this working by the end of the weekend...  As usual, we'll see!  :)

Escape From Parkdale v.9 (Final) Released

Well, it's been ages since I've posted anything here, but I have been getting at things slowly in the meantime.  There were issues with the last version that was up on l4dmaps.com, so I've done a little tweaking and uploaded the final version.  I made a few other minor changes and worked a little bit more on optimization, but that's as far as I'll go with Parkdale.  This one is finished!

Next up is to get at bug fixes for Down On The Farm.  I've made some progress with this, but have some more work to do.  As it has been for ages, Film/TV is booming in Toronto, and I'm staying very busy with that.  I will be trying to get the final of version of DOTF out soon, though, hopefully in the next couple of weeks at most...?!  We'll see how time permits...

I'm developing a  tentative long-term plan to follow that.  First up is to finish up my Counter-Strike: Source map, so I can see how it's received.  It'll be nice to have a map that can be upgraded to CS:GO soon after it comes out...  After that, I may finish up the first map of the L4D2 campaign, which is relatively close to complete.  If that's well received, I may actually finish the campaign, though that is a punishing amount of work to be looking at, given my already brutal schedule.  The other option (well, ONE other option!) would be to finally get at making a TF2 map, which I've been wanting to do for ages...  We'll see!

L4D2 Scavenge/Survival Map Nearing Completion

First of all, some news about this blog.  It will soon become part of a bigger portfolio site, which I'll start on just as soon as I'm finished "Down On The Farm".  I'm seriously considering doing all my development updates through this blog after that, as opposed to posting on other sites.  I'm not sure about this idea yet, though.  I would still be posting on other sites, but just some occasional screens and things...  Anyway, we'll see!

For the time being, here's a few new screens from [L4D2] Down On The Farm.  I've been doing a lot of work on lighting, which still takes me a long time and many iterations to get right.  That said, I feel like I am actually getting better at it, which makes it all worth it!  I'll do the final detail and lighting passes next, I think.  After that, I'll get onto sound.  I haven't done a lot with audio in the game before, so this will be fun.  I've done a bunch of reading on soundscapes and some basic tests, so I don't think it will be too hard to achieve something I'm happy with.

There's not actually that much left to do on this map now, comparatively, at least!  Haha!  It shouldn't be too much longer in any case...

 

 

 

 As usual, the full dev thread with additional screens and commentary is over at the brand new WoLD forums.  Here's a link to the latest page of the thread.  Cheers!

[L4D2] Down On The Farm - Scavenge/Survival Map

Quite a bit has happened since that last post...! Made a lot of progress on both maps. Then the holidays hit, and as January began I decided to take a bit of a break from the campaign and do a map for the WoLD Winter 2011: Level Design/Game Env Challenge. I'd been asked to help with the judging, so I wouldn't be eligible, but the idea of having another published map at the end of the month was quite appealing! The challenge is now complete (Grats to all involved!), and here I am still working on it... Haha! Anyway, I'm aiming for completion in another two weeks; I think that should be enough time.

Here's a link to the original dev thread in the Winter 2011 Challenge section. I've started a new one in the Work In Progress section that continues on from where the challenge thread leaves off.

A few screenshots, all WIP:

 

L4D2 Campaign Screenshots

Well, here it is into December and I haven't posted in ages! Work in film has dropped off to almost nothing for the time being, so that means back to the level design in a serious way. We've come a long way with this campaign now. The first map is just about ready for testing, although there is still a ton to be done on it. We haven't even touched the audio portion yet, for example. That said, it's looking really good, and feels great when playing through it.

I'm in the process of putting the second map together right now. Some of it is only basically blocked, while other areas have far more detail. Roughly half way through, there's an event I'm planning in a warehouse train bay. The way forward is blocked by the train, so the survivors will have to "disengage the track lock" (or something to that effect) so the train moves until an open box car allows passage onwards. I'm not sure exactly how long the event will last yet, but basically the survivors will have to fight off the horde until the train is in its final position.

I got a little out of control with the texturing and lighting before even building the event (which I'll be getting at later on!), and even though the area is by no means finished, I felt it was time to drop at least a few screenshots...

I'll try to start posting here more often, but for the time being enjoy the screens! Cheers!

TV/Film Work Currently Endless...

Well, it seems that it's going to be a while before I have a chance to get back at the level design in any kind of concerted fashion...  Just finished 11 days in a row on Covert Affairs (TV show, believe it's airing on USA in the States), and it look like the next few weeks will be just as busy.  I'd been trying to get Escape From Parkdale finished up to be hosted by Valve on their official servers, but even that has had to be put off for the time being.  As soon as I can I'll get that done, at least.  Not sure when this massive wave of work will slow down, but for the moment I have no choice but to go with it, and fill up the bank account for when it all slows down again.  That being the nature of the business...  Cheers!