MnP - Prohibition - Official Development and Release Thread

[hundreds]

Greetings everyone,

With the completion of Derelict just around the corner, I am happy to announce that MnP has begun the preliminary work on our next WA and WR map release!

This part of the design process involves research into the subject matter we will attempt to emulate. We hope that the community can provide us with constructive feedback throughout the design process and that is why I typically maintain these "development and release" threads.

When the map is finished, this thread will be updated to reflect that. Meanwhile, we can all be involved as it evolves from just an idea, to a nice, quite place to blow up our friends on.

With that forward out of the way, please allow me to present our next map:

=======MNP - PROHIBITION=======

This map will take MnP back to the stylized era of conflicting mobs in the mid 1920s of America. Set during the time of the Prohibition, and with an overall objective of being designed as a Forts-style map, the landscape will feature an empty city street, with two opposing "forts" on either side.

On the left will sit a quiet Irish bookstore, closed for the evening, with apartments windows upstairs overlooking a few cars parallel parked in the road. On the right will sit a quaint Italian restaurant, complete with checkered table cloths.

But behind the facade of each establishment sits a darker world. Prohibition has led to the installment of speakeasies and hidden stashes of the illegal Worms Brew, its variety of styles; red, white, and scotch. There will be three floors as a part of each building, with secret compartments, back alleys, and false fronts galore.

The middle of the street will be quiet traversible, but will be very thin. Even the smallest fire arm would make walking across that no-worms land a formidable task. But if infiltrating the enemy fort is your strategy, perhaps a journey UNDER the street is in order. Each fort will feature a drop shaft that leads down a short ladder to an underground subway line. An old subway train will extend the entire length of the landscape, but there is one major challenge of crossing via that path: Someone left the water running. The entire subway line has been flooded and only bits and pieces of the train are peaking out of the lapping waves. You might get better cover down there from your enemies on the street levels and above, but one false jump and it's sleeping with the fishes for you. See what I did, there?

This map has been brewing for a while and it's time we did something about it. In fact, and I don't want to make any promises I can't keep, but this map, along with 2 others are on our target list for the next few months. Coney Island and Western Boom Town would be the ones after this. We're really excited about this and will keep you updated.

[HHC]

Owe, sounds like a great map. Hope you can pull it off 

[hundreds]

Here's to hopin'!

When we start the design process on a worms map, I have always found the easiest way to get involved and committed to the work is to create a small portion of the map that sets the mood or tone of the entire work. I work hard on the detailing, refining it almost to the point where it is a release-ready portion of the map. And then I simply expand from there.

This is the mood setter for Prohibition. It might not be 100% completed, but I feel like I am committed now.

[TheKomodo]

Looks awesome, looking forward to seeing it finished

[avirex]

haha awesome!! good lcuk

[hundreds]

Just wanted to update this thread with the next work-in-progress screenshot.



Also, an update to the design process:

The Italian restaurant side is coming along nicely. I have decided that the only thing better than a dark street in the 1930s is a dark street in the 1930s in the middle of winter. So snow it is...

The Irish Mob's side, however, is probably not going to be a book store. In MnP style, we have decided that the Irish side will be represented by a Fish n Chips shop as a front, with a counterfit operation in the back. Except, that instead of a Fish n Chips shop, it will actually be called "O' Tulipyyy's Just Chips" because Jer is a vegetarian, hence the Potatoes part of Meat & Potatoes.

Easter egg alert... does anyone here actually know why we are naming it "Tulipyyy's"?

[raffie]

Something tells me I'm going to really love this map, it certainly ticks all the boxes for me right about now; vintage retro look: check, a little twist of Italian atmosphere: check, winter wonderland: check.

I wonder, how do you start for example that chandelier, do you look up 1930's models and draw (elements from) an existing model(s)?
The car looks absolutely perfect!

[hundreds]

Sup raffie,

Yeah I think we have finally gotten into our stride with this one. It's a pretty good thing when I wake up in the morning and think... man, I have some cool ideas, gotta get working on that map! Because honestly, with all the hectic-ness in life it can be tough to work up the desire to do it.

As far as your question about how I did the chandelier... well, to be fair, it's not quite exactly where I want it yet... So it may under go some changes, or not. Who knows! But actually you were exactly correct on how I usually proceed. Google image search to see what objects in the 30s looked like. The chandelier I found was not exactly like the one in the map, but it provided the basis... The car was the same. I find a car from that era, I draw it.

Today I am going to be researching how people back then wired electric devices like fans and such. I am hoping for some exposed wires running along the ceiling.

[spleen17]

Looking forward to seeing this   I used to play on your Family Feud map all the time when I was a kid.

You watch Boardwalk Empire hundreds?

[Impossible]

its nice to see someone still put so much effort in mapmaking

[raffie]

Hundreds, I watch a alot of old movies, many from the 30's and 40's. I've seen for example that some rooms where there weren't outlets installed yet, they would use a sort of converter that they screw in the light fixture (so where the bulb would normally go) where they would have a three-way electric outlet, right from the ceiling xD I thought that was pretty funny

(lol they still sell that on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-1403-Outlet-Socket-Adapter/dp/B001F71O70 )

[hundreds]

Glad you enjoyed it spleen. And no I never got around to Boardwalk Empire.

Raffie, this is the kind of stuff we can feed off of to sculpt the level. That wiring method will come in handy. Definitely going into the level in some way.

[hundreds]

Hey everyone. Just another little update for ya.

I have completed the entire dining room and skipped the kitchen for the moment to concentrate on the back alley. Both "forts" will have one and each back alley will be protected from the first shot by something in the landscape. For the Italian side, there is a line of laundry hanging along the top of the structure to prevent someone from just lobbing a grenade right into the back door of the fort. Of course, once those hanging clothes are gone, well... better not be there anymore. Of course, it will take some pretty good positioning to hit something that far back.

Anyway, here is a screenshot:



Oh! Another point that I wanted to make having to do with this screenshot, is... If you happen to spawn on the trash cans at the very bottom, you will, with proper jumping skills, be able to make it all the way to the top in less than 30 seconds. Had to fine tune every little item to allow this clear path. it was tricky to do this while still making it look natural, and not an obvious "stairway". I am so satisfied the way it turned out. Of course, if there happens to be a mine anywhere on that path up, well, I guess you'll have to find another way.

I also like the back alley because it is going to serve as a means of going from level two to level three, via the window. You will need to use your shotgun to blow in the window, of course, but hey, you're a ganster in the thirties... how else do you enter a building?

[TheWalrus]

Hey everyone. Just another little update for ya.

I have completed the entire dining room and skipped the kitchen for the moment to concentrate on the back alley. Both "forts" will have one and each back alley will be protected from the first shot by something in the landscape. For the Italian side, there is a line of laundry hanging along the top of the structure to prevent someone from just lobbing a grenade right into the back door of the fort. Of course, once those hanging clothes are gone, well... better not be there anymore. Of course, it will take some pretty good positioning to hit something that far back.

Anyway, here is a screenshot:



Oh! Another point that I wanted to make having to do with this screenshot, is... If you happen to spawn on the trash cans at the very bottom, you will, with proper jumping skills, be able to make it all the way to the top in less than 30 seconds. Had to fine tune every little item to allow this clear path. it was tricky to do this while still making it look natural, and not an obvious "stairway". I am so satisfied the way it turned out. Of course, if there happens to be a mine anywhere on that path up, well, I guess you'll have to find another way.

I also like the back alley because it is going to serve as a means of going from level two to level three, via the window. You will need to use your shotgun to blow in the window, of course, but hey, you're a ganster in the thirties... how else do you enter a building?

This looks great!