Since I was constantly taking screen shots, I figure I'd show the progress/process of Eastern Pass.
This, is how EP started life: A very square set of leveled cliffs. Sorry, I don't still have the original heightmap. lol -- but this is the naked map. I made a grid texture so i can finesse maps as I see fit.
Before even editing the heightmap, I started working on this. I had it in my head, that it would be the new pride-rock; or at least a throwback or somewhere for the TLKers to finally be able to roleplay once more.
For Dens, i wanted it to look as realistic as possible; this was a sizing test. I had forgotten that defaultLion was not a large character, so I had to edit the vast majority of dens after they were placed so that large characters would fit inside. There are a couple intentionally small or low-roofed areas made specifically for small characters/creatures like foxes etc.
Section finished. You can see this one in the final map, it may be clustered a little differently though.
Working on some of the crevasse dens, I wanted most of them to look like they'd fallen from the top level into the dens you see below.. as I said, naturalistic.
Early pride-rock. Testing scale. I think it was only minorly changed since this shot in the early days.
What I call mini-SB. It was designed to be a tribute of sorts to Stone Bridge, even as to be shaped like it, but far smaller. It spans between the two high rises on the map in the 'tlk zone'.
(reference pic of SB for those who weren't around at its height of popularity)
TLK zone starting to come together. I had decided to make it one large den up top with a few chambers, so it harkened back to the one on the original Bonfire, but with my spin on it.
.. when you accidentally click the wrong texture but it weirdly works.. lol
.. and what it is supposed to look like:
The lower portion of the TLK zone before I added the lake/waterhole. I felt it was missing something despite having one of the many 'elder' acacias..
The original version of the portal to Kiwimbi Beach. It was decided that it was a little too hidden (behind the falls, but you could see it as you got closer, as per FH graphics-fails with the falls)
You'll notice I don't have the bottom most layer as a 'road' yet.. I'm still playing with textures on the hills here, deciding how i'll divvy it up. It hadn't been decided whether to separate the bottom layer just yet to make it stand out as a path.There are also several versions of this 'ramp' area up to TLK zone, which you'll see later.
A work-in-progress of the original version of the portal to Bonfire Islands. It proved too difficult to get up there easily or quickly, so it was redone into what you see in the map now.
This was an idea I had early on; a "human den" .. something shifters could use. The collision (when chars run into stuff) issues it had proved problematic and the idea was eventually scrapped in lieu of the twin falls that are now at that corner.
Shots of the entry point from TG again. As you can see it still had grass, I hadn't, at the time, planned for it to be an obvious road. In my head it was fairly obvious that the lowest section was how you got anywhere. I think the texture/grass delete ended up being a good call.
I had the thought of adding signage, but the staff thought if we added signage in one map we might have to do it for all the maps, so they were removed for continuity's sake.
Another shot of the 'final' "Human den" that was not to be. lol
Originally, behind the 'human den' i had added a garden type area as if it had overgrown over time. The problem is that all these flowers, are lag-magnets because they're multiple objects overlayed, so instead of 1 object of 3 flowers you have 6 objects that are simply grouped (the stalk and the flower were separate). This caused massive problems with lag. To reduce lag, I removed the garden and all instances of these flowers.
The reason for all that lag.. a lot of objects in a group:
A lot of you guys seem to like what i've dubbed the 'particle trail', or alien abduction (because it sits by the ruins). This was version 1.
Collision Testing of the 'human den'
Creating the particle trail in its current form.. moving all those rings was a PAIN. lol
The back yard of the 'human den'.. steps steps and more steps. Some of them remained in the final version of the map.
Bottom level texture tests.. there were about 8 different ones I screenshotted for the choice making/approval.. here's one of them. lol
Originally this little lake was empty. I felt it needed something so I added a bit of something..
You'll notice that the top is yellow grass. Originally I had that as sort of an african plains area, but at the last minute, it was changed to the current green grass. i like it better that way, now that it's live.
A few versions of that 'ramp' up to the TLK zone. It was going to be a parkour thing, but, again, collisions issues could get you stuck or bounced too much.
.. accidental heightmap overwrite:
.. another version:
This is the original idea for what is now that hill with a giant elder acacia on top. Again, collisions proved to be a butt, and in the end it didn't really suit the map.
The semi-hidden den at the top of the map. You'll find this if you're wandering at the bottom left corner. This was still a work in progress. I was having difficulty making it look more natural.
Adding in an 'easy way' to get to Bonfire, still didn't work as well as planned. You could still get bounced a little, and the camera never cooperated.
Compared to an early version of what you see now:
This is what turned into the "ceremonial rings' that you see now. I wanted it to look.. tribal in a way, and was playing with ideas. This one being that a pack/clan/tribe/pride leader, when elected, would add their stone to the design, adding to the story of their lineage. I'm glad it didn't end up that way, it was a meh idea, and fairly ugly tbh. lol
The rock-evator creation. These are designed not only for a bit of flare when rping, but they're elevators. You can ride them up to the next level instead of going all the way around to do so. Created with waterboxes, so no jumping required.
.."o no! i r ded nao after having falled off the cliff"
Safari BMW is safari-ing
Briefly discussed was the use of Simba from TLK to mark the TLK zone, and become a bit of an easter egg. But, since it's kind of copyrighted, it couldn't be used. You'll have to find the other easter eggs instead.
.. one of said easter eggs, lion tracks, if you can find it. You won't if you're running.
.. another, this time wolf tracks.
.. woops. A tad big. (down side to map making, you don't have much scale until you test. lol)
.. much better:
This was going to be another easter egg, hiding under mini-SB. It was deemed too 'official' looking, so it was yanked.
This was an early version of the top of the Ceremonial Rings. I inspired myself in doing this, because these ones were just a tad wonky with sizing and collision (sigh)
Test one with the celtic knot, wood:
Final version, inlayed stone:
.. accidentally flooded the map. oops. As you can see, its still early-ish in the build:
.. checkpoint, still have that altar thing over there, but its defintely shaping up. A texture test for opinions..
Giant jace squishes all teh smolz.. a view from the top of the particle trail.
The spiral steps that i call the bird bath. I made it with the winged ones in mind. Figured they might want a spot to land and clean their wings.
Before it was dressed up:
This waterfall i had to remake a couple times. Somehow my heightmap reverted to an early version at some point and i had to rebuild this section. The waterfall now flows into the level below what you see here.
Decision making on whether the upper lakes should remain edgeless or to block them off with land. It was decided land was better.
Back to the human den again.. adding fiar.. and smoke.. and a few details; this was right before it was decided it should be removed, which again, was for the better.
Another, shall we say, Easter egg. Be careful for this one. This sign I got to keep. lol
An overlook of 'The Rise' back when it was still yellow/dry grass..
This is what replaced the human den..
Version 1 of the lake/waterhole by the TLK zone, this also had to be redone due to the heightmap mishap.
The final entry, as you see it now:
The other things added that you may or may not have noticed were some rattlesnakes, fish, and butterflies scattered around the area.
