“Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.”
Jong
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
Robert Frost
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Given such a wide-open design plan, optimization and performance were obviously a top priority. I made use of every tool available to either save on processing counts or to cheaply add detail.
Hint brushes were used throughout to ensure players did not draw (much) more than is visible. Pyramid Hints - angled around corners to ensure the VIS links were cut - were used to prevent players viewing the central battlefield from drawing the inner sections of the buildings. Hints were further used to box in the entire buildings, as well as sporadically throughout the battlefield to ensure no visblock was too large, nor much higher than the average player's jump height from the ground.
The Source engine has a fantastic Detail entity, which allowed me to pinpoint which building details were to not be used to cut up the VIS leafs. This is simply an example of clean mapping technique.
Prop models were used throughout the map for detail. Of the many light fixtures within the buildings, each has its fade distance set so as to not be drawn when viewed from outside. Nearly all the larger models used outside for cover or detail have multiple Level of Display's (LoDs), leading to lower processing demands when viewed all together from any of the windows.
The Source engine has a fantastic Displacement Map tool, which, when combined with blend textures and Painted Alpha, allowed me to give the ground visual and physical variety with very little cost. Further displacements were used to create custom pieces of cover.
Overlays are another very cheap and extremely effective tool in the Source engine, used to add details to textures, even across multiple brushes. Explosion residues, bullet holes, wall graffiti, signs, and even my own SprayNPray.Net logo, are all found throughout the map.
Here are some of the ideas I have been considering for de_cover_v2.
In terms of visuals, I plan on replacing certain pieces of brushwork with displacements, as a far greater level of detail can be achieved for quite a cheap cost. I may also add more 'park-like' amenities, such as sidewalks, a small road, humourous park signs and such, to give a more realistic setting to the map. But, for the most part, I am very happy with the visuals I have attained while keeping the performance high.
I have some plans for the buildings. First, the stairs are currently laid over each other; this was the original modular method, offering extra room for gameplay. It occurred to me that if I flipped every second staircase lengthwise, players would be able to traverse multiple floors at about double the rate. It would require more floorspace, but could be well worth it for better flow.
I am currently considering replacing the core of the buildings with a medium-sized open area. Spanning perhaps all or only a few of the indoor floors (meaning that the roof would remain intact and perhaps some floors) would be 'gap' in the middle of the building, between the staircases. This would allow players to shoot from one staircase to not just the one above, below, and beside, but also those above and below the staircase to the side. This would elevate the multi-floor combat potential from 4 to 6 specifically from the staircases, while leaving the actual architecture of the opening, railings, and potential catwalks open to create even more diverse vertical gameplay.
An Airstrike option could turn out fantastic. I haven't seen a proper map-specific airstrike since the times of HL1 DM, yet their gameplay potential is huge. My current concept would place a panel in the Terrorist Fort in the sniper perch, only lit when an Airstrike is available (a random per-round chance of 1/5). When available, the airstrike panel is lit and a radar dish is on the roof of the bunker. The radar dish has relatively high HP but can be destroyed to cancel the airstrike, giving CTs a counter option with its own risks.
When available, any player can press the Airstrike panel/button to begin the sequence (and further disabling the panel for the round). The sequence would play a small localized sound, saying 'airstrike in 30 seconds'. An additional 10 second warning would play at the appropriate time. Then, with 3 seconds to go, an airplane fly-by sound would play throughout the whole map (accompanied by a small shake), while the panel emits the radio message 'cluster bombs released'. Hence, players outside of the bunker would only be given a three second indirect warning, had their teammates not relayed the messages from the airstrike panel. The actual exploding bombs would consist of a few randomizer entities tied to groups of func_explosions covering the battlezone, perhaps in groups to create a more controlled anarchy.
One other idea was to make the powerlines walkable. These currently connect the generator (which is fenced in and attached to the middle building) to the platforms, which then connect to the individual spotlights. The cable placement could be modified so that, if walkable, a player could go from a spotlight up to a platform, and then between platforms. Despite adding a great yet subtle gameplay addition, I'm a tad unsure about this future addition as it could prove too unrealistic, awkward, or ecclectic. I would have to physically attempt it before I could know if it would be worth confirming for release.
The final note I shall make about future releases of De_Cover actually does not have to do with the map, but rather the concept. De_Cover is similar to a certain sect of CS:S maps, namely the fy_ maps, as it offers no equipment buying (though those maps usually offer choice). The cleavage that separates Cover from those maps is found in its spawn and weapon placement; it is a set-piece battle where spawn locations are mixed with specific weapons to create roles. If I have ample free time in the future, I may one day create a type of Modification for either CS:S or another FPS that involves only these types of maps and gameplay styles, likely creating the entire release maplist on my own (but perhaps including other custom content as well, such as models and weapons). I would name the mod Cover.
De_Cover was not only a great learning experience and fun to build, but is it quite fun to play. If you try it out for even just a few minutes you will see the very unique sense of realistic sniping it can provide, while any of the other roles offer high-tension battles. On my new rig with max settings, I've been able to play with a botcount of 39 while maintaining 50 fps (though the AI computations are what drop the fps that low).
This map is definitely best played with a bunch of friends, and as many people as you can get. Enjoy!