Working on a new map

Hello,
I've been working on a new map for the past few weeks; its a staged tier 4. There are 6 stages and I have completed 3 of them. I took inspiration from surf_polygon and from the idea of how much you really need to see in order to surf. The visual style is minimal with the idea being to show just enough to get the job done. I did add pieces of detail but they all serve a purpose. The name that I have come to is surf_antimatter to tie into the high contrast in the design.
As I said the first 3 stages are done, but there are no teleport triggers so you have to use noclip, here is a download: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...alpha_S1-3.bsp
Here is a sample of a stage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDxJIlJwKtM

Tell me what you think, if there are any improvements I could make or if you have any comments, don't hesitate to post.

seems like a cool map but it's way too dark

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Originally Posted by horsefeathers

Hello,
I took inspiration from surf_polygon and from the idea of how much you really need to see in order to surf. The visual style is minimal with the idea being to show just enough to get the job done. I did add pieces of detail but they all serve a purpose. .

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pls dont use fullbright textures. Polygon is lit properly and it makes a massive difference from if it was just bright white/blue textures. Not only does it give the player a headache, but it makes it harder to judge flicks/angles/speed/etc. meaning it'll be a "1 n done" kinda map for most people. If you're set on the minimalist theme, try using grey dev textures with colourful lighting, or a mix of coloured dev textures. It's very easy and fast to make an acceptable looking, fully lit map out of dev textures. That being said, the surf in the video looks very very fun and I can't wait to play it.

I think this map is great both with the visuals and the surf. I somewhat like the idea of monocolor surf done right (and it has been done right, it's easy to tell where a ramp ends and where obstacles are). However, I'm going to have to agree with Jux, the aesthetics would be a lot better if proper textures were used. I'm not saying black/white fullbright is a bad thing, but I'm saying that there are ways to improve how it looks. Otherwise, the map looks alright and the surf is fantastic. Cannot wait to see where this goes.

I absolutely hate that kind of design (I remember a similar bonus, or pavilion s5?) - can't judge distances properly, eyes start bleeding... the usual shit. But that's happening on polygon for me as well.

I personally cannot stand textures like this. It's just laziness it seems like. I'd almost rather prefer grey/orange dev textures like Jux recommended. Unfortunately, I'm aware that lighting is usually the last and most annoying part of mapping, but don't let the outcome of your map be ruined by this lazy way of texturing/lighting.

The visual design was an experiment to highlight what i think the the most important part in surf map design: contrast. My goal was to provide enough visual indication of the boundaries of rooms and the edges of ramps. If I haven't accomplished that then the style is moot. I can definitely see how people would be put off by the style. Call me crazy but I like the style. With this feedback though, I will pull back and find something that works for the map. I want to stick with the minimal visuals, but I will tone down the contrast and go more in the direction of the flat shaded look that polygon has. Thanks for all the input!

Polygon isn't the best example, although it's clearly better than black/white neon stuff. Can't judge distances on polygon either and it starts hurting your eyes after a while, too. Maybe just try something less bright (especially no neon colors).

Here's a sample of what I've been working on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGFx5eyf7q8
I nixed the two-tone style and went with a flat textured look like what polygon has. I also learned how to use texture light which allows for some nice effects. Tell me what you think.

That looks way better imo. Also the grey color scheme your using makes the flat texture theme looks good.