[WIP Campaign] Allegheny by ZapWizard and Crow

[ZapWizard]

I am a Crysis map maker, taking my first crack a the hammer editor. Mostly because I love playing Left4Dead.

With the release of the SDK and SketchUp tools I think I can get started on a map idea I have had floating around, as I am already pretty good in SketchUp.

My popular Crysis map: Castaway, and several others are all based on real-world locations. Typically done at 1:1 scale. This campaign is no different.

The map location is the "Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum" formally known as the "Weston State Hospital". The place was built in 1864 and operated for 130 years. The perfect location in my mind for a zombie apocalypse. The Asylum sits in the Allegheny mountains, hence the name. It is about 250 miles from the Allegheny National Forest in which Blood Harvest takes place.

Here is a link to the area on Google Maps:
http://tinyurl.com/ngvtw6

Here is a great set of photos of the area:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/sets/72157613789552413/

Right now I am learning the editor, modeling my building in SketchUp. I have literally hundreds of reference photos to work off of.

This will be a five map campaign with two maps located mostly outside, three mostly inside.

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The following is some of my initial work in inside SketchUp:



My first step in making this series to layout the overall map.
I opened up SketchUp and imported a satellite photo of the asylum.
All the buildings are placed exactly where they are in real-life.
All of them are to approximate scale using the shadows in the photo as height reference.
This step is simply to get a feel for the overall scale, and how I can split the map up into 5 pieces.
Part of this will also become the 3D mini-map background.

Currently the map will start near the water tower on a hill (Cylinder near the top)
The survivors will go from there into some of the back buildngs, before entering the actual Asylum.
The middle maps will take place mostly in the asylum, with open areas such as a burned out roof, and some court yards. They will progress all the way to the medical building, which is at the bottom left of the image. From there the final map will take place mostly outside in front of the asylum, with the climax happening inside the main hallway of the asylum. Escape will be tough with a run across the open ground in front, towards a bridge that crosses a river.



Obviously the map doesn't look like much in-game. But to give a sense of scale, there is a tank near the aiming reticle that looks like a smudge on the large view screenshot. Keep in mind this area will be split into five parts.

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Here is the first bits of modeling.
I am working on the building in the bottom left of the map, and the background building for my poster. SketchUp has a great photo-match feature, that allows me to use reference photographs to help model the building accurately. The model will be built up using normal SketchUp techniques, then re-textured, broken into chunks for in-game use.



Once this model is complete I will work out the best way to export it into the Hammer editor. Once complete I can start on the actual asylum, which is much larger, but has a lot of repeating components.



Here is a photo of the real building:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/3 ... 789552413/

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Here is the model completed and rendered in-game.

I have all the components to the tuberculosis ward in the game.
The model is made up of lots of static_props. Broken apart so ensure the game can cut the leaves properly. These models have proper physics and will work best as background buildings. The model is also the template for the full brush objects to be built around, allowing for the survivors to enter the building and have interior spaces.

If anyone missed it, despite the poster image, this ISN'T the massive asylum. This is just one of the side buildings. I like the new brick texture, and the rest of the components turned out nicely.

[Bax0ne]

Amazing! serious talent here.

[Method]

Looking very nice already. Please do keep us updated.

[ZapWizard]

I don't normally post my story lines, but since this map is multiplayer I would like to get more feedback from the community. Keep in mind that I am working off a real-world location, that means I won't be adding things that don't exist in the area, such as a gas station for example.

Below is my current design guide, there are a few differences between what I wrote, and what I sketched in quickly in paint.




Goals:
-Create a full five map campaign for play in both single player and versus mode.
-Provide some unique crescendo events and surprises.
-Ensure each map is well balanced in versus mode, and that survivors don't have too many places to hunker down.
-Keep quality high enough that the map doesn't look amateur made.

Intro Cutscene: The camera fades in, starting out just above the water tower. Building silhouettes in the distance hint at the asylum to come. The camera moves down, as it does the side of the water tower comes into view. On the water tower the words: "Allegheny Asylum" printed in faded letters. The camera pans down, overlooking our four survivors. They are standing outside an armored personnel carrier that has wrecked into one of the tower pillars. The front of the APC is on fire, water drips from the tower above. The camera zooms into the heads of the survivors and the players takes control.

First map:
Inside the APC there are four med packs, a shotgun and machine gun. The players gather their first level supplies.
A heavy forest is all around. There isn't much cover other then the trees and a few rocks. The players head down the hill and pass though a grave yard on their way to the outskirts of the asylum compound. The come up to a chain link fence that surrounds the asylum compound. As they move along it there are a few holes to pass though. Once inside the perimeter the players are behind the first building. This building has a few rooms to explore on the first floor, and up some stairs to the third floor. The players exit the front of this building and find a road leading to their left, down a hill and to more buildings. They can follow this road, or some stairs down to the main road.

From here they have three path options:
Follow the fence. This leads them to a building near the fence with a few rooms to find supplies. But the woods behind the fence leave them open to attack from a smoker.
Follow the road. This leads them though open ground pretty much straight to the safe room. Cars and trees can provide limited cover, but hordes would come from all directions. The only ammo point in this map will be in the middle of this road. An alarmed car will be within smoker range of the ammo pile.
Go between the smaller buildings are the right. This provides alleyway style cover, but the shorter buildings can make for easy attack by a boomer or hunter.
The safe room is at the middle of the north-most wing of the asylum.

Second map:
In the safe room is a shotgun, machine gun, and 2nd pistol. Outside the safe room is a long hallway flanked by rooms on each side. The players follow this hallway into the far north wing of the asylum. The hallway ends in a 'T'. To the left is some rooms to explore, but the players must to right to continue on. Once in the larger part of the north wing the players will pass under a large hole in the ceiling where the 2nd story floor has collapsed. The players much travel past this and make it up a flight of stairs to the second floor. They have to pass around the hole in the 2nd floor, leaving this area dangerous to being pulled by a smoker. Once past the hole they fight their way down the hall and finally to some stairs leading to the third floor. On the third floor there will be what looks like a safe room, except that the roof will be open to the air where the ceiling has collapsed. This will in fact be a "Unsafe" room. When the players close the door to this room the walls will collapse, and hordes will start coming. A some point the floor below the un-safe room will give way, and the players can follow that to the 2nd floor. They will pass though some more halls and end in a safe room at the south end of the north wing.

Third map:
The safe room will contain level 2 weapons. The safe room will exit onto a elevated walkway that connects the north wing to the cafeteria building. The walkway however will be collapsed, forcing the players down into the courtyard between the asylum and cafeteria. They will make their way across the courtyard and enter the south end of the cafeteria building on the ground floor. They enter the store room of the cafeteria, then pass though the kitchen and service rooms. The roof of the kitchen is collapsed, and the players can see all the way up to the second floor, and the hole in the roof above. They finally head up some stairs to the second floor of the building. This will lead to a large eating room with lots of tables. Surrounding the room is lots of windows set up high enough that the players can't jump though. The ceiling of the room is also broken out leading to open sky. At the end of the room is the serving station. The serving station has pots and food heaters. The players much flip a switch that turns the power on to the cafeteria. The lights come on, and a dinner bell starts ringing. This calls in the horde. A players fight the horde the fire starts out in the serving area, eventually causing a boarded up wall to catch fire, opening a hole though the wall that leads to a hallway. The players go up some stairs and eventually out of the cafeteria building across another elevated walk way. They end up in the northern end of the south wing of the asylum. They have to fight their way down to the first floor, and into a fenced in exercise area outside. They finally end up at a safe room in the second half of the southern wing.

Fourth map:
The safe room will contain level 2 weapons and a 2nd pistol. The safe room exists into the far south end of the asylum. The players make their way south, and eventually exit into a brick enclosed courtyard. The players go across this court yard, heading back north and pass though a second enclosed courtyard, which has a broken wall. They pass though the hole in the wall and out towards one the administration building. They make their way though this building and back out into the open. From here they can make their way west, to the greenhouse. Here there will be a tractor which the players will have to turn on, this will run down the hill and crash into the side of the medical building, and catch on fire. The tractor will emit a loud horn when started, attracting a horde. The players fight off the horde as they wait for the fire to die down. The players then enter the medical building and make their way though a few floors of it, exiting finally out the front. They go outside and make their way to the side entrance of the southern most building, the tuberculous ward, and into the safe room.

Fifth Map:
The players make their way though the tuberculous ward, up and down a few floors. They finally exit out the front and onto a large open park area. They have to make it across the park area, and across to the main lobby of the Asylum. Just outside the lobby will be a mini-gun. Inside will be health packs and weapons. The lobby is be two stories tall, but above them several other floors have fallen though, making the entire area effectively four stories high. Outside, in front of the lobby, is a fountain. To the north is a small service shack. The park area will be mostly heavy woods to the north, and open ground to the south. Zombies can spawn on the roofs, on the upper floors, behind trees, and can come out windows in the asylum. The lobby will contain a radio that the players will use to call in a rescue. Once the rescue is called the players fight off waves of zombies and two tanks. Rescue will come in the form of a helicopter that will hover above the southern field. Players will climb a small ladder up to the chopper for rescue.

[FuzzyDicePimp]

Wow dude this looks/sounds amazing. Great write-up!

[TF2Fan]

Wow, thats is really impressive mate! It looks like it would be a great mod! You are obviously a very talented mapper!

Keep us informed, and if let us know if you need any help!

[ZapWizard]

Update:

I have been hard at working modeling the main asylum. So far I have much of the main wings done. The center will take more time, and then there are two additional single-story wings after this. Fortunately most of the building elements repeat. This building is MASSIVE by any standards. The above model so far is 0.15miles / 240meters wide!
Note the character at the left of the image.

These renders are from SketchUp. It will take more time to import it into the game properly.

Reference photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/3 ... 789552413/

[StephanBotha]

Oh
my
HAT!
Mad skills, this one has.

Playable beta ETA?

[Bax0ne]

W...o...W...!

[ZapWizard]

No ETA on a playable beta yet.

I still have 10 more (but far simpler) buildings to model,along with the far north and south wings.
The simpler buildings will be mostly brush work though. Then I have to get terrain, roads, and walkways done.
Then there is the interiors, lighting and props. And finally distressing the place so it looks like zombies have been there for a while.

Update:

The center of the building is finished, at least in SketchUp.
The all the textures, except the two types of stone are already in-game. That saves me a bit of work.

[Bax0ne]

Thanks for the update. Can't wait to play this.

[Valar]

you're insane.
this thread should be stickied if not for the map itself then for the sheer volume of work and thought this guy is putting into a WIP pimpage.
Keep us posted Zap. Pre-Release Applause.

[ZapWizard]

Update:

So today I tried my hand at making a building inside sketchup using brush style object and exporting it as a VMF.
It didn't take too long to model up this basic building, all textures are already in the game. The only think added after opening the file in Hammer was the props on top of the building, and the garage door texture was re-scaled.
I plan on modeling the very distinct chimney vents on top of the building, but otherwise it will stay pretty much as it is.

Reference photo:


Inside sketchup, and also properly geo-positioned


Inside the game engine, with a few quick props added.

[FuzzyDicePimp]

Holy crap man, this looks really damn amazing! GREAT work!

[ZapWizard]

Update:

This is a little building that I quickly made. I can't seem to find the link to the original reference photo.



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This is a much more complex building. Currently it is 100% brush work. But due to the 16-bit limitations of the .BSP format, most the detail will be converted to models.







Reference photo:

[ZapWizard]

Update:

Here is a very simple building that going to be more of a background piece.


Below the "Forensic building" I have also seen it called the prison building and Criminally insane building.

Reference photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29376727@N02/3112571484/

SketchUp model:


In-game. No tweaking in hammer other then texture positioning on the vents and windows.






This building will have a full interior. The following screenshot is just a prototype of the interior, with floors only. The interior is being modeled by Crow, and fellow Crymod modder who is also learning hammer.

[Method]

Awesome as ever, cant wait to see it all put together!

[Savage]

If you ever need beta testers, the L4Dmods staff is always voluntary and trustworthy

[ZapWizard]

Update:

The beginning of my map takes place under a water tower up on a hill.
Well there wasn't a water tower model in L4D that fit the look I was going for.
I wanted a old style metal water tower similar to one in a tourist town near me:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kpalyu/21686429/

All of the model was made in sketchUp and textures were tweaked in Hammer.
Again, not the final product, but a placeholder so that the map can develop around it.

The tower is shorter for two reasons: Smokers can smoker someone on the ground from the walkway, and a full scale tower is so ridiculously tall when you stand under it that it's loosed its iconic look. There is a infected ladder on one side.

[flameknight7]

i love where this is goinggg

[Crow]

Hey everybody, I'm Crow and I am working with ZapWizard on this mod. here a some screenshots of my work so far.
Right now I will be doing most of the terrain, a lot of interiors and helping with overall detailing with the maps.

[ZapWizard]

Small update:

I redid the water tower legs with basic triangular shaped pieces.



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Also for one of our scenes we needed some basic looking sleeping cots. However there are only beds in the game. So I made this model in SketchUp. It uses the sleeping bag texture to save on not having to make a new texture. It has full physics and can be tossed around. Crow will have a image of it in-game soon.

[Savage]

Wow, I could really need that cot for my map I'm working on (an overrun outpost) Care to share? ^^

[Crow]

Hello again, everyone! I have three new pics for you all of the garage/storage area in the forensics building.

[Savage]

It looks very very nice Good Work, Crow!

And of course Good Work, ZapWizard!

[FuzzyDicePimp]

This is looking really good; keep it up guys.

[Bax0ne]

Good job!

[mscnero]

This looks amazing, keep up the amazing work.

[ZapWizard]

Update:

One more building checked off the list.
This one is a large warehouse building. It will have a full interior.
Reference photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29376727@N02/3111738287/



Here is the current state of the buildings that are complete.
The two major buildings left that will have full interiors are the cafeteria, and an administration building.
Then there are a few smaller buildings, background houses and such to to.
The main asylum while the exterior is modeled will take a lot of work to get the complete interior.

[ZapWizard]

Update:

I spent today making the greenhouse. This was a fun and challenging building.
First modeling, the building is made up of brush work for all the stone, and glass. All the beams are made up of a model. It really helps to have SketchUp able to export both brush and model files. Once in-game they match up seamlessly. Carefull attention was made to keep the complexity down while still looking good. In all less then 3000 faces.

Next, each an every pain of glass is breakable. It was hard to strike a balance between glass that was too fragile, causing infected to fall though almost instantly and glass that is tough enough to take a few bullets.

The interior props and lighting is all temporary, more to get a feel of how the area will feel. Further detailing will take place later.

Reference photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/3392978206/









SketchUp model: