What happens when a mapper doesn't like to stick to conventional level design? Something along the lines of this drug/mind trip.
#grindhouse
My first attempt at using anything with UDK, though I do have experience with Source mapping.
Somewhat of a small-to-mid sized map with almost every room coated in invisible destructible objects as well as an attempt at a hidden armor/weapon cache. Most rails and objects can be jumped up upon/over except if it could break the enemy pathing.
STORY: Was Killing Floor really about story in the first place? Fiiine... something something testing facility or drug trip? Zeds. Shoot the zeds, they want to kill you.
FEATURES:
- Destruction: Almost every wall, floor, and ceiling has some sort of invisible destructible. From bleeding ceilings to setting a place on fire. Don't make too much of a mess... unless you like that.
- Lighting: Part of the destruction, almost every light is able to be destroyed. A couple exceptions to this are actually certain windows that can be smashed to produce more light.
- Hidden Weapon & Armor Pickups/Risky Armor Pickup: If you are observant, you'll figure out where the hidden caches are. There is also an armor pickup that players can grab and deal with the 60-ish damage jump down to grab it.
- Changing Surroundings: "I could've sworn that hallway wasn't covered in pulsating pustules a second ago..." Various Line-of-Sight events have been placed in the map that will alter objects and areas when they aren't being looked at and when no players are around/inside.
- Escher!: Okay, maybe it isn't as prevalent in the map (could certainly be too confusing), but hey, the player customization spot is all for it and even a few zeds here and there.
Don't think too deep into the logic of the map, I know I didn't.
Quite a bit of my inspiration stems from my love of the surreal hell type of designs you can see in Silent Hill or Doom.
12/8/2015 Update: Quite a few fixes and tweaks. Went through the map tweaking small ledges that can break enemy AI pathing (and DB jumping), fixed the damage on hidden pickup cache walls (you have to use the correct damage type now rather than just generally damage it), removed the blocking volume for the display cases in the fire room to allow players to get on and over it if they wish (with some extra power to help, of course), fixed a couple broken blocking volumes to correctly block off areas that shouldn't be accessible, and overhauled the method that object swaps use so that the randomly changing objects/halls can work in online multiplayer games.
12/18/2015 Update: Map is now a single file and should not require players to download the map outside of the game upon joining.
03/10/2016 Update: Fixed scenery-swap not functioning as intended. I'm not sure when it broke but DestructibleActors can't be teleported now and thus resorted to using InterpActors.
Enjoyed the changing environments...The room with the dome...the affects you put in the room make it very...airy...
Definitely the most creative map design. This is probably my second favorite map of the ones posted. Loved the level of detail and the trippy environment.
Big and really diversified map ! I especially love the snow room.
It gives many room choice for a spot to lay down.
A bit of an overdue update. Mainly correcting object and hall change events to work online, some blocking volume fixes, removed a blocking volume around the display case in the fire room, and correcting the hidden pickup cache walls to work as intended (general damage won't work, you need to use specific types of damage to access each).
Players joining a server hosting the map no longer need to download the map content outside of the game (it is a single .kfm file now).
Pretty nice desing, different types of rooms and open spaces to move along while killing.
Overall it is a decent map, although it does seem like 4 maps in one. Wasn't until I read here that it was by design. Fair enough. The map is a bit too big, and the travel times to the trader pad are a bit too long for me due to this. Hans trapped me at one point for a good few minutes. I do like the destructive elements and the statues and snow effect. You can definitely make maps, but I would suggest picking one theme and building on that. For example, I think a smaller building, with lots of ways to go outside and see snow, and the inside area could be like a greenhouse (plants and stuff) which you've also used in this map. Grab those two styles, build them up and chuck the rest out and you'll have a greenhouse building in a snow town kind of map :)
I understand at times sticking to a single theme is a plus, but I generally like to have some aspect of the map being disjointed. My original idea was to have 4 areas compliment each other, so I figured I could go with color-coding (red, green, blue, yellow/orange) and then from there players can think of their own backstory for the map.
As for the trader pods is it a time issue or just the feel of taking too long? From my experience once there are less than 10 enemies then everyone will start moving to the pod that will activate. KF_Farm from Killing Floor is an example I looked at to make sure trader pod distance wasn't too far apart.
I think I've never really like the notion of having to move towards a trader pod before finishing a round. I may be going against the point of this feature, but I like to have a quick run, time to pick weapons/ammo and then have a quick rest, like grab a drink or a bite before I get into fight mode again.