This is a placeholder for any further developments on de_tchs_office, currently in a non-playable state with some screenshots from Hammer:

3/4 view:

The big underside is the car park. I hope you like the roof. I'm going to slap the TCHS tag on there at some point also. I'm thinking a backlit TCHS sign as you enter the main doors.

3/4 wireframe view:

You can see that I have started placing some rooms and I intend to have a long corridor on a few of the floors that the elevator will stop to - with exception to the ground floor and first floor as these are open areas.

The top floor:

The ceiling is slightly higher here because of the ceiling windows that are arched above the stairway (currently a slopeway). There is a big office on this floor for whoever considers themselves to be the big boss... So go on, who's it gonna be? Toilets are to the left but out of sight.

The second floor:

Nothing too exciting here. A couple of offices and I want a big corridor for the elevator.

The first floor (atrium):

This is going to look spectacular (specular? lol) when it is finished. The stairs from the ground floor lead up to a platform that will be bordered with glassy handrails, you'll be able to see all of outside from this first floor area, and will be able to see up to the very top floor also and the glass on the ceiling that lets some more light down keeping it super bright. I'm going to need by cubemaps to work and be accurate here, the reflections are really going to make it. The stairs will eventually be curved and the floor around it will 'mould in' to them.

The ground floor:
Not much to say about this. It's big and open plan right now but I only want that for the reception and stairs area and a bit of the surrounding area. I want a few corridors and some hiding places as it is going to be difficult for the CT's to keep their cover in areas like this, where the T's can see possibly even from the second floor down to the ground floor (T's start on the top floor).

The car park:

The least detailed area. A few brushes slapped together.

Please discuss and help with suggestions and feedback so far.
I've spent about 2 hours on the development so far so don't be too harsh

Are you going to have a greater outdoor area with snow?

Or is the focus more on combat inside the building?

I haven't yet decided. I prefer the nitty gritty fighting that goes on in tight spaces and corridors so I am probably subconsciously mapping it for that type of gameplay.

I think the modern office building provides some good distance shooting also - the glass that spans the height of the building at the front can be shot through from the street outside, and the fire exit will be above the car park where I would expect there to be a few cars to cover behind.

I was just going to say, make sure there are cars to hide in, lol.

It's looking good, if you use the TCHS/TECHIOUS logo in it, could you use the proper shape of it (like at the top). It should be pretty easy, and I could send you the vector PNG if you want it.

Yeah I can do that

Update: Here are some updated screenshots, taken on my Intel Integrated graphics laptop...

Just walked in:


Walking up the stairs, looking back at the entrance:


First floor, back corner:


Second floor, looking in to office:


Inside a second floor office:


Ceiling on top floor, the angled part will be all glass:


The hostages might be here, on the top floor:


Looking out of the big office on top floor:


From the top floor to the bottom floor:


In to the underground car-park:

Looking nice.

Hostages? I thought it was a de_ map?

Sorry, yeah it could be a de_ and a cs_ (separately of course) but I still haven't decided. I think cs_ might be better. What are your thoughts?

Ah, OK. I personally think bombing would be better, but only playing it would really give a good idea.

We'll start off with gg_

Heh, good idea!

Before work today, I planned a couple more offices, added fire escapes to all floors, and thought about changing the arched roof so that it is mostly arched and not just partly. I also learned that while testing the fire escape (steep metal stairs, currently steep orange slopes) - 45 degree slopes are just as easy to walk up and down as the 30 degree slopes.

cs maps are not good, de is preferable (take a look at de_pariah for a succesful office map, i know MIRACLE STUFF!!!)

How come the cs_ maps aren't so good? Is it just a map type that you don't like?

cs_ maps have a kind of bounce map design, where you start at point A, go to point B, then return to point A. Is it because these maps generally take longer? Or because you just like big fireball explosions?

i like playing war maps, its not possible for a ct to win a round on cs maps in 1 min 45 generally. besides of which cs maps are rarely designed for more than 1 specific point to rescue hostages meaning all ts know where ct will go. with 2 bomb sites there is a greater element of chance for ts etc.

i really just dont like cs maps....

It's funny you say that. I was on the TS server last night talking to Wigouche and Si about a tutorial I've learned, that tells you how to randomise the spawn points of the hostages (not completely random - I set the possible spawn locations, they won't just appear on top of a tree or something), and indeed the CT's and the T's, and also the buy-zones. I'm pretty sure that would change your mind. It would make every map restart a different game entirely.

that would be better, i dont like maps like italy and office (and frankly every other cs map...) where you spawn in same place, hostages are all in same place (all together by the way).

once the bomb is planted t are favourite to win, they set up defenses around the bomb and the cts have a certain time to kill them all or diffuse the bomb. this is effectively what a cs map is, the bomb has already been planted with a little bit of extra time for the cts. the cts must go to one place and rescue hostages. However, hostages move slowly and stupidly so effectively there is same amount of time as bomb diffusal

I personally think the 1:45 time is stupid (as you say, can't complete objectives). However, the situation could be helped by having random hostage locations and atleast 2 different hostage rescue zones, making it much harder for Ts to chose what to defend, and giving them less defensive advantage with the hossies.

EDIT: As for fire escapes, use a ladder? Or do you want fire escapes like you often see on American buildings?

1.45 is an impossible time for cs maps, but not for de maps. therefore being ct on cs maps just sucks.

To be honest, I haven't seen a ladder-only fire escape before. When I worked in Malvern, a lot of the buildings had staircases for fire escapes.

You tend to see them on smaller buildings. If you're worried about people going up them you could make it so you can't get up the first level without first releasing a ladder from above?

That's a good idea, I might try that out.

I think I am going to modify the map a little bit and send the BSP across to Si for him to upload. There will be no objectives and there may not be any buy zones, but I would like for you all to get a feel for the map and maybe give me some ideas about where to put things like rooms, fire escapes, where breakable objects should be, what needs changing etc. and if there are any annoying camp sites that are difficult to wipe people out from, also advantageous sniping points, where the objective rooms should be and if there should be any triggers, where they should be. Finally, and most importantly - atmospheric lighting. I want to make this map feel like a serious map, that other people will want to download and install on their servers, not just for the TCHS clan. Of course, it will have some TCHS geometry in there somewhere (maybe like a TCHS 3D skybox imitating the HOLLYWOOD sign... I really just thought of that on the spot!!) so it will be plugging the clan.

Your thoughts?

Sounds good. I take it the first version will simply be an orange map?

I'd love to have a play around, see what they layout is like.

Yes, for the time being I will just have the orange developer textures. I'll add the proper textures at a later stage. I have a feeling I'm going to be making some textures for this particular map as I am not happy with the default glass textures available, or the wallpaper textures - they are too akin with the HL2 universe, being weathered or ripped etc. Anyway, yes I would love for you all to just get on the map and have a look around. I'll be on TS tonight while I am developing so I can make changes quite quickly.

Did any of you ever play on the best CS map ever, de_morningstar? If I could ever make a map like that...

Sounds cool.

No I haven't played morningstar.

OK, so after we all had a play around on the map. The general feel was that the layout is already pretty good and that people are happy with what I intend to do to make the map complete.

There will be a de_ version and a cs_ version.

Here are some screenshots of my development. They were taken as-and-when so you might see other odd changes in the background that aren't in another shot...


The car park and the entrance has suddenly become an area of interest.
So what are you seeing in this map? The office appears raised from the ground slightly, there is a slope for cars to go to the upper car park (no slope for the lower car park yet). There are some stairs that will take you to the lower car park also, this is rain sheltered. There will also be a 'maintenance entrance' down here but that's a secret I'm leaving details of until near the end.


A screenshot showing the ramp up to the car park and the stairs area to the underground car park.


Can you make this out? It's the same screenshot as above but in wireframe.


The underground car park with the new little hole I'm calling a doorframe.


From above


The above screenshot is actually showing a lot more development than all of the previous screenshots... can you notice any differences?