The Mission Map Upgrades Video Comments

[Consultant]

Feel free to weigh in with opinions about the new mission map video. The newsletter went out, so if you are subscribed to comment here on the forums, you should have received the newsletter too.

[Golden Ace]

I loved it. but I thought the table? in the center of the room was too bright at the 5:11 mark

[alltrueist]

I like what you're doing. I agree that the reflectivity is great in these maps and gives off a nice sci-fi vibe. However, I think we need to balance that out with other types of maps that reflect both normal-looking interiors as well as dingy and dirty interiors.

I think my favorite part of the updated interiors is the way you're using light. That red-lighting does a lot to cut down on that plastic-sterile look that white lighting gives. Do more of that when you need balance.

As you've mentioned before, everything feels sterile at the moment because the world isn't populated. I can't wait to see these rooms filled with NPCs and monsters.

[Consultant]

Ha! I told them the light was too bright...I mean, we'll take careful notice of your comments, Golden Ace.

Yes, it is a trick to get the environments just right. Enemies, NPCs and players make quite a difference. Outside the day/night cycle makes a huge difference -- it's actually hard to describe, but I think you'll "get it" instantly when we show that off too.

[twicebitten]

I thought seeing the new version compared to the old showed great improvement in overall game feel. I enjoyed the attention to detail. I agree the lighting was bright in the table area. Overall it was a vast improvement, and feels more like a final product than a pre-alpha.

Good work SoH devs

[lunawisp]

Very nice looking maps! Agreed about the brightness though, must be an engine room and someone left the inspection hatches open! It's all looking really good, can't wait to actually get in there to kick some aliens around!

[Parkhyeyeon]

The new mission map looks so much better with all the detail. Couple of spots where the lighting is too bright, as mentioned above. The cables on the ground would be a tripping hazard. I would hope people in the fuiture are smart enough to not do that.

[AxerJ]

Bravo! It looks excellent.

[ScottJackson]

I'm liking the props in the video and their arrangement/distribution such that they appear naturally clustered or associated to a maintenance task in progress. Also good - the use of vertical space to give melee fliers and any ranged characters more choice in positioning for fights. Making sure there are at least a few little wall-mounted platforms, obstructing walls, or tall objects gives us options to position and manipulate LoS with the enemies so that each fight can feel different. Hopefully any major fights will be designed to occur in these expanded spaces, or at least allow the players to draw enemies into locations (clustering them at a corner via LoS, for instance) that I see the map provides.

Lighting - as some other comments have noted, I'd like to see the use of different colors of light fixtures as other maps are created. Reds, greens, blues - or even lights-out with sparks and flicking fixtures - can really add to the feeling of an environment or emphasize the stealthy / risky / suspenseful nature of a mission as needed.

I personally don't see a problem with reflections and bright lights, as long as they are used intentionally in some maps / missions, in contrast to other maps with more scuffed and dulled and dimmed features. The variety will be good for establishing what kind of threats to expect (a recent enemy incursion into a critical, well-maintained area versus a troubled section of the ship that has been abandoned so long that enemies call it home).

The update itself was well presented - I always look forward to your clean, clear, and complete style of showing the progress and explaining next steps!

[Actjcksn]

The updates look great! I really love the new style. The only tweeks I'd recommend is to lower the lighting in the reactor room as mentioned by others (also I miss the reactor even though the computer screens and worktable look good) and add a few more colors to the lighting. Excelent work!!!

[slacktech]

I love the upgrades, but, and it's only personal preference, find the reflections and highlights a bit over the top. I appreciate the amazing work you're doing - keep it up!

[Avatar PDM]

I like the light and reflection work, though as noticed it is sometimes to bright but at

1.25 the cable on the ground? can I fall if I move wrong? Or can I put it out ? Actually I think they do not really fit in an enviroment which is supposed to be thought through - on walls or ceiling yes, on the ground no

3.26 I like those screens which look like a piece of glass, which has the picture on it - or those holographic effects - looks futuristic and fitting. But at this time it seems like a regular flat screen (and cables on the ground again - man you really want as to break our necks, don´t you ?).
I think those flat screens should be exchanged by those glass screens or holo effects - flat screen looks so current age

5.01 I like the design it really looks cool, (though a little bit to bright to enjoy it completely) but I don´t really get the meaning for the design. I mean, sure it is a reactor-tech room, which (for some reason, but why not) has the necessity to let everyone have a complete view all around (so you have the openings everywhere) but why does that room has no windows? I mean if it is open everywhere, what are there wall at all for? I think it makes sense, that a reactor tech room has shielding - I even would say it would make sense, having sliding doors there. Sorry, if that sounds small minded, but that just popped up in my mind

5.35. Great effect and reflection at that lock down zone I) like the laser beams

6.06. you guys noticed how the reflections of the light looks on the ground? Great detail from the devs

8.08 check out how you can see the wall elements go through to be visible through the gridfloor another nice detail

just a few thoughts - thanks for sharing

[Consultant]

Our environmental art team are reading these comments, so thank you all.

This thread show one of the many advantages of a positive community. We trust all of you to give us good, thoughtful feedback, and you can trust us to take your feedback into account.

everyone on the team wants to make a game that has community approval, and the way for us to get that is to be routinely transparent. We were not completely sure about this video -- it is sort of complicated to watch -- but it seems to ahve worked pretty well, in terms of getting feedback.

[Avatar PDM]

Won´t use the direct answer button, because I don´t want to spam you with notifications

Of course sometimes, while watching the video, I have been thinking, I would have wanted to look somewhere else in that moment, but I think the video gives a pretty good impression and when checking on something new we should look carefully anyway (I pushed the pause button and slow motion a few times, when I thought I saw something, which I wanted to take a better look at )

You are asking for our opinion and are working hard to give us something beautiful to see and want to include as, we can do nothing less than give back by taking a good look and taking the time to check it right

[Kelha]

The added detail was so good I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't watching a mass effect gameplay.