dm_villa_b3 released 6/30/09

dm_villa_b3, the third beta version of my map is finished and is available for download.

dm_villa is a deathmatch map for HL2 that spans three levels vertically and spreads across a diverse playing field. Players will fight both in tight hallways and in open arenas, with interesting variations in texturing and lighting to make it more interesting. The bulk of the gameplay will take place in and around the villa which has been built into the side of a mountain. Underneath the villa itself is a network of caves and passages, leading players to various extremities of the villa itself.
This is a map best suited for anywhere up to 10 players.

Thanks again to everyone from interlopers, fpsbanana, and hl2dmu for play testing my map and giving my useful, constructive feedback! Updated pictures after the jump.

It feels like I've worked on this for the last three years. I'm done! The third beta is ready for review and play testing, and not a moment too soon! I'm going to have to start devoting my time and effort into moving into a new apartment now, which is why I'm extremely glad to have this off of my back.

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the tedium of perfectionism

So now that I'm 95% finished with my map, I've discovered that I'm willing to spend 95% percent of my effort on the finishing touches. The villa looks exactly like I want it to visually, and the graphics aren't taking up too much memory. I've been testing it and retesting it, and so far, it looks like it should run much more efficiently than the last version. In terms of file size, the map is one quarter the size of the last version, even though it's quite a bit bigger. I'm smoothing out the gameplay, but it's looking like it's on track too.

The hard part now is knowing when to stop. I keep making to-do lists, and every time I finish one I make a new one with five or six new tasks to complete. This is new to me, since I normally crap out after a few months. Maybe I'm just old enough now to make a task for myself and see it through to fruition. Whatever it is, I'm spending the bulk of my time just ironing out wrinkles, but I'm loving every second of it.

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dm_villa beta 3 is nearing completion... again

It looks like my latest version of the villa is almost finished! Visually, it is close to what I want it to look like. I went through yesterday, taking all of my nice pristine architecture, and I covered it all with trash, graffiti, and wear and tear. It was quite satisfying!
As far as work needed, I need to optimize weapon and item placement, and I need to play through with different groups of players. I think I want to get some outside opinions on the visuals as well. Most importantly, the area portals need to be optimized to take it easy on older computers.
Yep, almost done!

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