ac_metl3 revision

[Pi_Halo]

With lots of help from RKTnoob, he and I have done a revision to the cube classic, metl3 (with license to do so from metl, the original author).

RKTnoob did a sci-fi texture pack that was used within this map: sci-fi pack
metl3 specials

The map itself, he and I both worked on: map




We both hope you enjoy this map as we both spent some quality time on it. It is only set up for arena modes (i.e deathmatch, one shot one kill, last swiss standing, and of course, the team modes of these).
Also, if you have a previous version of this map by me (or him) you'll need to replace the files as a lot has changed.

I'd like to thank rktnoob for helping me so much on a project he had no previous knowledge of. Assault Cube is his first cube engine game so he had no clue how metl3 was suppose to be or look and I think he did a wonderful job with the textures. Here it is, hope you guys and girls enjoy.

[Mr.OpTic]

Looks awesome. Metl3 was always my fave 1v1 map outside of official.

[Undead]

is there supposed to be more textures in the texture pack? i've only got like 10.

[Pi_Halo]

Oops, you are right undead, I updated my original post to the rest. He made a sci-fi pack before and there are a few that are exclusive for that map. So there is a mixture of the two. Sorry about that.

[Flint]

Looks good boys!

[Sanzo'']

Amazing work, it's beautiful.

[ExodusS]

It should be applied to official maps because it's just amazing, il looks like another game.

[PhaNtom]

It should be applied to official maps because it's just amazing, il looks like another game.

PLS RK

I WILL GIVE YOU MY FIRSTBORN

[RKTnoob]

Look under the armo(u)r!

[Pi_Halo]

Thanks guys, really means a lot that it is so welcomed. RKT is man behind the textures. He did an amazing job on them.

[Flint]

Must be his gypsy creative streak <3

[Alien]

F2, crappy map from drunk student is 1000 times better ;) you dont still understand this game.

[Luc@s]

It should be applied to official maps because it's just amazing, il looks like another game.

there is no real need for it.

[Andrez]

It's a nice looking map, way too far to meet officials' requirements imho.

[ExodusS]

there is no real need for it.

Cynicism overload. ac_metl3 is a poorly detailed map like a lot of old official maps, if we have the opportunity to give a full refresh of a map like ac_snow without changing the gameplay, why the hell should we block it? Just compare the sand of ac_metl3 and the sand texture from ac_desert, and now tell me again that it isn't a good idea. This kind of conformism is clearly killing the game and even the smallest changes are denied by the game masters. Please.

[RKTnoob]

"Taking place in realistic environments..."
This is a direct quote from the AC home page.

I don't see this map being depicted as realistic, and even if you don't count its sci fi theme, the textures are pixelart, hand drawn using a 32 color palette.

If someone really wanted to make something sci fi themed for Assault Cube, I think the textures should be made much more gritty, dirty and noisy to achieve this effect. You can look at like Star Trek versus Star Wars (old ones) where Star Trek has very clean lines, not a mote of dust anywhere, while Star Wars is based on a concept of "used space" with everything appearing to be used and worn. This approach would be what I would use if I wanted to make "realistic space" themed map. Of course, AC official maps tend to lean heavily into present day urban environments from western to eastern architecture, so adding a space themed map would prolly seem out of canon, even if someone makes a realistic looking one.

Seeing how in present day real world there have been exactly 6 stations set in the earth orbit and none on any other stellar bodies, you would prolly be limited to depicting one of those, which would prolly make for very small lss maps ^^. So if you look at what you have left, you can see that the most sci fi themed thing in the world today would be some kind of hi tech military/civilian facility or an underground bunker, set on Earth, and those still tend to gravitate towards textures that AC already has to some extent.

[Mousikos]

It should be applied to official maps because it's just amazing, il looks like another game.

there is no real need for it.

Yes, there is. Have you played sauerbraten? Have you played xonotic? They look absolutely /amazing/ and that is one of the things that draws people in. At first, I thought that was because good-looking textures made AC lag too much. Then I played the retextured version of ac_metl3. It's the first map that has made me turn textures back on. Why /wouldn't/ you want to put a map into official that plays well and looks so damn good? If AC can somehow refresh it's official look, it would definitely draw more people in. I uploaded this to gibbed.me the other day and the first thing the person told me was "Wow. Don''t shoot. Let me explore the map". Other people were really excited to play the map.

Isn't that what we should have in official? We should definitely have maps that make people excited to play this game.

[Alien]

Are you blind ? Sniper looks bad with map's background. This map is for afternoon fun like gema maps. Check the original maps of this game and think why they were created that way. if the map will be tranformed to complex, urban or desert style, i would understand it. Putting such map to official pack you would create pack of following maps in this texture style.

[Pi_Halo]

While I do understand both sides of the argument. Good looks vs AC's realism. I do have to agree that this isn't exactly AC's norm. I wanted to remake something that I enjoyed since I first seen it in cube, and I feel like I did just that. However, its from cube, not assault cube. Either way, I support both sides. If it was added to the package, I wouldn't complain. If it is liked a lot by respected members of the community and gets playing time, I wouldn't complain.

[Undead]

these discussions are just going to continue to be repeated over and over until something changes. but you still won't see any real change, because its a structural problem.

[Mousikos]

While I do understand both sides of the argument. Good looks vs AC's realism. I do have to agree that this isn't exactly AC's norm. I wanted to remake something that I enjoyed since I first seen it in cube, and I feel like I did just that. However, its from cube, not assault cube. Either way, I support both sides. If it was added to the package, I wouldn't complain. If it is liked a lot by respected members of the community and gets playing time, I wouldn't complain.

http://i.imgur.com/HOFKSg2.jpg

Looks real enough and more aesthetically pleasing than AC. Sure, the engine has its limitations. But imagine what a new core of textures could do...

[ExodusS]

I never spoke about adding new "fictional" textures, I just wanted to say a lot of old textures could be replaced by new better ones. The sand texture of the map has as much pixels per cube, it just looks way better than ac_desert's sand texture.

[Pi_Halo]

FYI, the sand texture I used for ac_metl3 is actually a default texture. It was made by toca and is in the official packaging.

[ExodusS]

FYI, the sand texture I used for ac_metl3 is actually a default texture. It was made by toca and is in the official packaging.

IKR it was in the test map on the SVN.

[D3M0NW0LF]

Halo, RKTnoob, you both have outdone yourselves (once again). While I have not been able to play it as of yet, I was however able to run around and look at all the changes made. It's very well done, and honestly brings out that oldschool shoot-em-up feeling (imo), which I love.

Keep up the good work!

[MorganKell]

I don't totally understand the whole realism vs fictional stuff going on here, but it's about time we moved out of whatever time period AC is currently fixating on and let in something spectacular. It's not entirely unreal. I mean shit, it won't look like sauerkrappen anytime soon. AssaultCube's true brilliance is creating a fictional reality where players can do more than just frag people, they can become their personas. They can explore new maps, new worlds, by simply joining a server. They are part of a comraderie that stretches beyond their computer screens. It's time to explore new worlds. The reality of maps does not have to mirror the reality that we live and breathe to the letter. Creativity and aesthetically pleasing go hand in hand. Strict realism is cool but not when it restricts awesomeness for no reason. Go metl3. How about this for an idea? Map-makers should write a backstory to their maps. An introduction to the madness that we're eagerly awaiting as we spawn. For instance...

d3

"Having tracked CLA freedom fighters to the remotest parts of the Saharan desert, RVSF strike-teams assemble a hastily made base of operations and prepare to take the fight to the enemy."

edifice

"Deep within the labyrinthine tunnels of the Edifice 5 Headquarters RVSF units prepare to defend themselves against an invasion of CLA death squads whose sole mission is to wipe them off the face of the earth. Will they survive or will they meet death deep within the darkness of their own fortress?"

etc...

Doing that for maps awakens our imaginations and makes the game a hundred times more enjoyable and that's ultimately what were here for. Enjoyment. It is a game. We are the navigators of this game. Our little piece of the gaming world. Let's dare to imagine.

[Alien]

As random player you should recognize what is AC map and what is custom map. In previous versions there were the scale of defaultness which was recognized thanks crappy maps. You could see total crappy maps, less crappy maps, trying maps to be default and finally default. With downloading feature you can create custom map in level of default. In past you couldnt create real scifi map with ac textures and this is my point. Your work was to show your creativity how to cheat it.
If we cannot compare maps by the quality, we should compare them by style. And the default package is about realism. 
 

[MorganKell]

That is fine. I agree Alien, but what I am trying to say that it is time to imagine. Take real and push the boundaries. If a mapmaker is able to show that the concept of their map is for the most part possible then at the very least they shouldn't be rejected based on "realism".

[stef]

Soooo, during all those hours working on the map, you never noticed, that it is not possible, to "port" metl3 to AC? The map can't be properly ported for the same reason as most other cube1/sauer maps: AC does not have teleports - and you can't just take a map, that uses teleports, and use the same map without them. It just doesn't work. The map was designed with the teleports in mind. Without it, it is just crippled. It looks like metl3 - but it doesn't play like metl3. I'm sorry, but some of us are old enough to remember.

Just look, how crippled gameplay on douze is, without the jumppads and the teleports... it just doesn't work.

And yes: the way a map looks is second to how it plays.

[Marti]

Just look, how crippled gameplay on douze is, without the jumppads and the teleports... it just doesn't work.

pls tell me why douze is (still) official then?