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In this instalment of How It’s Done, I interviewed Mangycarface, the creator of Yukon. Yukon was one of the two community-made maps included in the Classless Update.

How did you get into mapping?

MangyCarface: I’d messed around with CS maps when I was much younger, but didn’t really do much with it past silly map modifications. When TF2 came out, I actually didn’t like it at first, but once I got into it the settings and gameplay really appealed in terms of design. So over the years I’ve honed my ability while working with TF2’s assets… as other mappers feel, it’s truly a unique game to map for. I think it’s especially easy to get hooked on mapping for TF2, because of the great community support as well as the support on Valve’s part, adding things into the game code to enable more unusual variants on gameplay.

How long, from idea creation to finalizing, did Yukon take, roughly?

MangyCarface: If I recall correctly, Yukon specifically was begun as part of a contest on ETF2L’s part, at a time when good quality 5CP maps were still a bit rare. The layout probably took around 2 weeks’ time, just setting up the basic brushwork and making it functional. I wasn’t able to get as much playtesting as I wanted, and started to detail right away. That probably took 3 or 4 weeks… I remember powering through spring break after going back home. After detailing it, I was able to get some playtesting through the IRC channels, et al, to make changes even after submitting to the contest I originally planned to enter. Eventually though, my interest in it faded until receiving contact from Valve. After that I spent another 2 or 3 weeks to add some polish to the map. so maybe over the course of 6 months-ish? Not that I spent that whole time on it.

When exactly did Valve contact you in relation to when the map was released? The model contributors seemed to receive absolutely no warning they were having their creations added in.

MangyCarface: I think the process is a bit different for models, but in my case it was probably 2 or 3 weeks prior to the update to get some legal stuff out of the way while I was polishing up. The paperwork was done by 7/28 and then the Classless Update came out on the 13th of the next month. Getting the paperwork to my fellow mapper and the material artist for Yukon, Ace, was a bit tricky since he’s in Sweden, and then we were between updates so I think it was just coincidence that it took a few weeks.

When designing Yukon, what kind of balance issues did you face or have to deal with?

MangyCarface: Yukon is a map that still struggles at the moment, and has a few issues that have been hard to address. When detailing, I realized I’d made a dumb layout mistake in terms of optimization and geometry and had to patch it up with the sliding door between 2 and 1. And throughout the map’s development I’ve debated about the middle point. Many feel it would play better were it higher on the bridge, but it’s hard to make a decision like that. Also, in earlier versions, having only 2 routes between 2 and 3 was causing stalemates which I thought wouldn’t have been a problem based on the 2ish entrances to granary yard. But without a yard, the gameplay’s quite different, so I ended up adding a path that to this day I’m not quite satisfied with. I also have a good list of suggested improvements from Jaeger et al. such as a path from below CP1 up to the hut next to it

What part did Ace play in the creation of Yukon? And did anyone else help at all?

MangyCarface: Ace was very helpful in fulfilling material requests. We were kind of both working with maps at the same time, and originally Yukon was to be snowy, but I ended up liking his darker grey textures so much as to switch tracks to along those lines. I think many of the materials he made are commonly used now within the mapping community. As for other help… well, as always, my home community 2F2F and friends there were great help in terms of getting constant pub playtesting, but I also had friends in ETF2L and stateside helping me get tests of varying quality in the 6v6 environment. Many of whose suggestions influenced the map’s changes, and TF2maps.net was useful for stylization criticism among others

If you were given the opportunity, would you want to continue working on Yukon for official tweaks?

MangyCarface: Yes, I think Valve lets community mappers update their maps if needed. As soon as I clear some space in my schedule I’d like to make some tweaks.

What resources can you recommend for someone who wants to get into mapping or wants to map in TF2?

MangyCarface: The first thing they’ll want to do is register at TF2maps.net, undeniably the best resource for TF2 mapping. I also contribute to a group blog which isn’t as often updated as it ought be but, nodraw.net has some neat articles on the matter. It’s best to begin with the mindset that you don’t want to try to make your magnum opus with your first map, just practice, practice practice, and learn from your mistakes. If you hit a block where it seems boring or too hard to go on, step back and re-evaluate, and if you don’t enjoy the actual process of mapping, perhaps it’s just not your thing- I wouldn’t advise anyone to sink the hundreds of hours into a hobby they won’t enjoy.

If there was one big tip you could pass on about mapping for TF2, what would it be?

MangyCarface: Type tf into the keywords field in the material browser. HL2 textures are a no-go, it’s the #1 most common mistake made I find.

Are you going to make more maps and try to get them into TF2?

MangyCarface: Well, let’s see. I’ve probably made a dozen by now, and just won a TF2maps contest for my CTF map. I’m working on the artpass challenge at the moment and hope to bring something appealing to the table, though I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. So, in short, yes!

Do you think it’s wise for mappers to design their maps to emphasise on comp play, or is it good to keep things relatively balanced between comp and pub?

MangyCarface: I like to think perfect map design works across all player counts, but none of us are perfect so it’s good to set goals when you begin a map. Target audience might be a good goal to have in mind. Either way, I believe mappers should be open to the idea of how their map might play at the 6v6 level, and although being a good player does not make one good at layouts, there are definitely good people out there in the competitive community to consult about gameplay.

Thanks for the interview!

MangyCarface: My pleasure.

Lessons Learnt:
-Try to test your map with a variety of audiences, to ensure it works on both pub and comp levels of play.
-Don’t use HL2 textures for a TF2 map, as they do not fit in with the style well.
-Don’t be afraid to consult competitive players for gameplay related information, they will help you pinpoint exactly what problems your map may have.

…And there’s the story behind Yukon. Join us next time when I shall interview JoshuaC, the maker of Watchtower.

In this installment of How It’s Done, I interviewed Icarus, the creator of Coldfront, the community map included with the Engineer update and the first official non-valve map to use the snow theme.

How did you get into mapping?

Icarus: I’ve always had an interest in making games. When I was younger I’d used to make games on paper or with legos to play with my brother and friends. The first mapping ‘program’ I’ve ever touched was for Westwood’s original Red Alert for the PC. Over time, I’ve dabbled a bit in starcraft’s intuitive world editor and Duke Nukem 3D’s Build editor. I’ve even made a couple of primitive rail shooter games with flash. When TF2 came out, I was just captivated by how deep the game was, and how artfully done the worlds were. It wasnt until Steel went official (Heavy Update) that I thought maybe I could try my hand in it, too. I really hadn’t seriously mapped until TF2 rolled around, everything before that was probably closer to dabbling.

How long, from idea to finalizing, did Coldfront take to make?

Icarus: It started with one of TF2M.net’s minicontests. At the time though, I was already in a mood to make a 5CP map, so I designed my two entries to actually look like they might be in one, and leave an opportunity for me to stitch them together at a later time. I didn’t really start development until the Comp CTF contest started. Since then it’s been an on-again off-again process as I made some changes and waited for it to be tested. The cycle was a little slower than I’d liked it to be, but the last map I made (Vector) was tested pretty much everyday. It wouldn’t sit very well with the community that tests my maps. I’ve always had Coldfront’s general theme and playstyle in mind though, it’s not like I made it up as I went along.

When designing Coldfront, what sort of problems did you have regarding layout and balance? For example, wide open maps cater to snipers and scouts, whereas enclosed maps suit pyros and engineers.

Icarus: It seems like I tend to overcompensate for snipers myself. i.e. I worry too much about them. The biggest problem I thought I had was that sightlines were too powerful, especially in the mid point. After a few tests though, I learned that snipers, for the most part, don’t need to be dealt with. Optimization is probably the biggest demon in Coldfront though. As much as I would have loved to, I just can’t make the map as wide and open as I’d like to. It might be because some of the art decisions I’ve made, and it’s also probably why maps like Badwater and Thunder Mountain look quite plain in contrast to tighter maps. 5CP maps in particular are very intricate and require a lot more planning and thought than I initially thought. The way that both teams can make a push complicates things. What I think TF2’s push-style maps does very well is way it varies the level of action between every point. The slow capture times for mid points are necessary help make the initial clash more fun. The extremely fast capture times for final points are needed to prevent stalemates, especially as it’s almost always right next to the spawn room. A stalemate to me feels worse than actually losing the match. This is why the engineer can be such a nuisance. I kind of regret making coldfront all indoors, though. I haven’t stopped hearing complaints about soldiers and demomen.

Did you recieve any help with Coldfront from anyone? If so, what specifically did they do?

Icarus: I don’t think it would’ve been possible to do it without any help. I believe one of the most important parts of the development process is through testing and feedback. From random strangers, from a close-knit community, from other mappers/artists. I had help from them all. For Coldfront in particular, there have been a few who have helped in an exemplary way. The most notable was Flame. I met flame mid-development, around the time I was nearing the Beta phase. He helped me get a competitive viewpoint on the map, and withstood sharp criticism as he organized innumerable playtesting sessions and feedback from the competitive community. Once Coldfront was up to snuff around the Release Candidate phase, he helped me get it accepted into several competitive events, including ESEA Season 6. I seriously can not thank him enough for his help. Others have helped too. Seeing as I don’t have any modelling abilities, I had to get help from a few other friends I knew. Selentic helped modify a valve prop so it could be fitted in, as well as the snow on the rooftops outside. In the rooftop case, a model would have been the only way to make it look decent. Void made a couple of posters for me without even me asking. I loved his ‘Icarus Airlines’ poster so much that I just had to put it in. YM made the deer head trophy for the mid point, but it was already done as a part or the swamp pack. Getting help from friends and others is absolutely necessary. You might need to do quite a bit of legwork and networking to find them but it’s worth it.

What resources can you recommend for those trying to get into mapping, or trying to learn the TF2 style?

Icarus: The Valve Developer wiki for sure. It has everything you need to get started, including a straightforward “your first map” tutorial. TF2Maps.Net also has a massive archive of user-written tutorials for almsot every aspect of mapping. There is Boojum’s Ultimate Resource Pack on TF2M as well. It includes an updated FGD (hammer files) as well as some handy prefabs. I wouldn’t recommend using prefabs until you’ve built it yourself though. its a good way to learn how things are done, but you’re going to end up in deep trouble if all you do is copy paste parts into your own map. Here are some links:

• The Valve Wiki’s TF2 Level Creation page
• TF2Maps’ tutorials
• TF2Maps’ mapping resource pack

Oh, and one more thing, for more advanced users. There is this awesome optimization guide out there, that outlines everything you need to know about Source Optimization in detail. A must read before you start any serious map, once you get the hang of hammer.
I know reading isnt everyone’s thing though, I just spent most of my time experimenting in hammer. It’s almost assured that your first map will be bad, so there’s no point in worrying about it if it is.

If there one big tip you could pass on about mapping for TF2, what would that tip be?

Icarus: Paper. Pencil. Nothing is more important than pre-planning the map with sketches and doodles. It really lets you see the map as a whole, and make wild changes on the fly without worrying about hammer. It helps prevent ‘Mapper’s Block’ and your ideas will look more original. You can’t just go into hammer and make a map. You need to be ready to make one.

Are you going to make more maps and try to get them into TF2?

Icarus: At this moment I’m a lot more interested in Alien Swarm. I’ve been mapping for TF2 for some two odd years and I find it really refreshing to work on something new. I don’t want to say what I will be making for Alien Swarm, but (in my mind) it’s going to be crazy.

Thankyou very much for the interview.

Icarus: No problem. Thanks for running these interviews.

Lessons Learnt:
-Try to have your map playtested as much as possible. This will allow you to get the necessary feedback to improve the map with from the audiences you want to cater to.
-Optimization is key. Remember that the bigger the map is, the less detailed it can be before it starts causing performance problems.
-Don’t overuse prefabs. Otherwise, you won’t learn the skills needed to make your own.
-Don’t be afraid to rely on other people for certain things. A map can easily be a collaborative effort, just be sure to give credit where it’s due.

And that’s the story behind Coldfront. Join us next time when I shall be interviewing Mangycarface, the creator of Yukon.

On CTF_Convoy, I was rolling as a Direct Hit soldier due to my recent drop in ping time. Upon crossing the gantry leading to the enemy missile platform, I saw a Demoman, Scout and Sniper on the upper gantry near the front of the RED platform. The Demo fell in a single shot, and the Sniper followed shortly after. The Scout, oddly, stood still. Shock at his teammates’ demise paralyzed him for the second it took to ready his detonation. My thoughts drifted to Operation Desert Storm, where the US Army, foregoing a textbook war of attrition, initiated several smaller strikes affecting several different functions of Kuwait’s military, political, and intelligence capability. Much like that poor Scout, the remaining fighters could do little more than watch as the Coalition Forces took command of the state infrastructure.

Rapid Dominance, the guiding theory behind Shock and Awe, focuses on affecting the perceptions of the opponent, sapping their will to fight. Rapid Dominance requires decent knowledge of the map one is on and some manner of teamwork, but when done right, turns formerly difficult or impossible objectives into realistic goals. In order to establish Rapid Dominance, the team needs coordination and technique more than sheer twitch aim and low ping time, something that can take time and effort to prepare.

Let’s take Gravel Pit as our first example. The two control points available at the start afford attackers with opportunities for misdirection unheard of on most maps. We will assume that RED team (the defending team) knows that Point B is easier to defend than Point A, and so concentrates their defenses on Point A. The RED team assumes that once Point B falls, a concentrated assault on A is inbound. Rapid Dominance seeks to paralyze the enemy by defying its expectations. The first and most obvious expectation is that every attacker will head for Point A when spawned, heading through the spawn hallway. This can be subverted by setting up an offensive base in an unusual but defensive location near the point. The valley under Point B and the surrounding environs provide ample build space for Engineers. Hidden teleporters, preferably more than one, will give flankers opportunities to attack. At best, however, it will panic the defenders, rendering them unable to choose priority targets and distracting them from the high and holy duty of spy checking. If the Engineers note that their teleporters are consistently being attacked, building a single exit can draw off defenders before a major push.

This strategy carries over to other maps as well. In Granary, sentry placement acts as much as a rally flag as it does a defensive tool. A level 3 sentry is a symbol of team dominance in an area, and assassinating that building, even if no one else died, disheartens the defense. In that instant, the offense has a chance to attack with redoubled ferocity. Kamikaze attacks on Engineers will at the very least delay the defenders’ recovery until the cavalry arrives. With their sentries down, masses of attackers pouring into the area firing rockets in every direction, only the most steel-jawed or inexperienced of players would retreat.

Rapid Dominance depends on altering the enemy’s perception of the battlefield, destroying their symbols and leaders instead of fighting a war of attrition. If there is a level 3 sentry controlling an area, destroying it will dishearten the enemy. If one or two players are coordinating the enemy’s efforts, counter-classes should be sent in with the aim of scoring a domination. Domination, like sentry destruction, alters the player’s sense of the battlefield. Revenge enters into their equations, and the resulting priority change can be taken advantage of.

Take 2fort as an example. As a Direct Hit soldier, one could repeatedly rocket jump up to the battlements and blow the Super Samurai Sniper Squad to hell. Once dominations are accrued, the designated Aussie-troller can then draw fire on the bridge, distracting the average Weighted Companion Sniper not only from his own kind across the field, but from Medics, Demomen, and Engineers looking to lock down the entrance to the fort.

Payload is perhaps the most difficult game mode in which to assert rapid dominance. The defense knows with certainty where you are, where you came from, and where you will go. In Badwater Basin, a heavily defended rooftop above Checkpoint 2 could hold up the bomb for more than five minutes. In this case, only altering the method of advance can unnerve the enemy. A consistent influx of Spies, preferably with the Dead Ringer, will confuse, frustrate, and distract the Engineers. What if, suddenly, five or six Spies, sappers and pocket watches in hand, ambushed the Engineers with no other objective but to sap? They would all die at the hands of a competent Pyro, but by that time a Soldier or a Demoman would have arrived, courtesy of the Spies distracting the pyromaniacal doorwarden. From a pure gameplay perspective this strategy is ridiculous, but human error and panic is the core of Rapid Dominance. Subverting enemy expectations and exploiting the resulting confusion can yield extraordinary success.

To review, rapid dominance uses speed, coordination, and map knowledge to subvert the enemy’s expectations, then exploits the resulting confusion to destroy key targets, such as sentries, coordinating players, or support classes. The enemy, disheartened, confused, and at a serious tactical disadvantage, has no other option but defeat.

Special thanks to this article go to Tygrys, for his GMod mastery, and to confused Scouts everywhere for donating Dominations.

I just want to take a moment to say thanks to everyone who has been supporting the How It’s Done series. Originally it started out as a small venture into the world of modelling for the convenience of the readers, and it’s gradually turned into a big thing. I’ll get this out of the way as quick as I can, and just say that I want to thank these guys:

-The community contributors who have been the basis to this series and provided valuable information to the community.

-Robin Walker and the TF2 Team for their incredible support through the blog and emails about recruitment (this was prior to the blog post, thanks guys!).

-The Official Team Fortress Wiki for providing reference material and pictures.

-Pilk and Swizzle, for posting on various community forums to recruit contributors I couldn’t get in touch with.

-And you guys, the readers. Without your support this series wouldn’t have got as far as it has, and hopefully you’ll continue to enjoy the next instalments.

That’s everything, so without further ado, here is the latest interview for your viewing pleasure.

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In this instalment of How It’s Done, I have interviewed Swizzle, the creator of the Pain Train. The Pain Train was unveiled in the first wave of community contributed weapons, unique for its capture rate-affecting ability.

How did you get into Modelling?

Swizzle: My first exposure to 3D modeling was in about 2000. My sister’s then-boyfriend showed me his copy of Bryce 3D, and it piqued my interest. Before that, I thought that only movie studios could do the things that I suddenly had access to. I didn’t get serious about 3D until about five years ago when I discovered CGTalk and other computer graphics forums online. After that, I got more and more into practicing and getting involved in the community. This is how I eventually ended up stumbling onto Polycount. I’d heard of Polycount through people on CGTalk, and even visited there a few times, but I didn’t really start participating for another year or two. I mostly lurked and learned from all the amazing stuff I saw constantly posted there.

What software packages/tools do you use?

Swizzle: I use Modo and Mudbox for the 3D stage of things and Photoshop for texturing. I’d like to stress, just as Larolaro did, that the tools aren’t important. A lot of people ask what the best tool to use is, and the only answer to that comes via your own practice and experience. I’ve seen people make amazing things with every 3D package out there, so you’re really only limited by your skills and your imagination. Just like in more traditional media such as pen and paper, paint or clay, it all comes down to familiarity with your tools and how you use them, but not the tools themselves.

Roughly how long did the entire process of creating the Pain Train take, from idea to finalization?

Swizzle: I’d had the initial idea for quite a while, and I’d even tried my hand at making the model a couple of times before, but I didn’t really make something I was satisfied with until I sat down for an hour or so and doodled on paper to come up with a good design. From there, it was a few hours modeling (and refining the model) and then a couple more for texturing. Getting it into the engine was a massive pain, though, especially since (at the time) I was unfamiliar with the process used to import models into Source. The initial import process took about two days to get right, and I promptly forgot everything because my personal life got in the way.

When designing the Pain Train, did you ever have any idea about what attributes it would have, or did you know not to design it with them in mind?

Swizzle: When I first designed and modeled the Pain Train, it was actually about a year before the contribution system had even been announced, so I was actually only interested in making something that looked cool and tought me the basics of working with weapon models in Source. After I learned about the contribution system, I went ahead and submitted it, but I decided that I probably couldn’t come up with something better than Valve. Thus, I only submitted it with a short note saying I thought it would probably work well as a demo/soldier weapon and left it at that.

Do you think Valve handled your submission well? The Pain Train, being the only capture rate affecting item, is a unique addition and an asset in a Soldier or Demoman’s arsenal.

Swizzle: Personally, I think Valve handled it fantastically. They came up with a unique gameplay mechanic (that I know hadn’t even crossed my mind before I heard about it) and I’m glad it’s actually a viable weapon to use in a variety of situations. That said, I do wish they’d add some attribute that would make it useful in modes like Capture the Flag.

Would you have liked to have had more influence on how the Pain Train turned out, had you know it was going to be included?

Swizzle: While I do have a streak of perfectionism running through me, I can’t think of any way that I could have helped beyond the modeling/texturing side of things. I don’t have access to all the information and statistics that Valve collects on player habits, so I wouldn’t have been able to make a useful contribution to the gameplay design process. I think the only thing I would’ve changed about the process of getting the Pain Train in the game is actually getting a notification from somebody at Valve, or even an automated system, that said “Hey, congratulations. The Pain Train made it in!”. The only way I learned that my item had been included in the first community update was through a message from a friend on a forum I frequent, since I didn’t have access to the game at the time.

What resources can you recommend for somebody trying to get into modelling, or wanting to model in the TF2 style?

Swizzle: I would recommend to anybody interested in modeling that they get some 3D package RIGHT NOW and start playing with it. Blender is a high quality, free 3D package that’s made a lot of big strides in the past year or so, especially in regards to usability, so it’s good for people just starting out. If Blender turns out to not be your thing, try out demo versions of other software. As I said before, it’s the artist and their skills that matter, not the tools. Beyond 3D packages, though, I’d suggest drawing and sculpting using traditional media. With artistic skill in place, 3D is nothing more than learning a new set of tools to make art with. As for working in the TF2 style, I’d recommend simply taking the time to load up some levels in TF2 and walk around looking at everything. Observation is key to any sort of art, so learning what goes into the artistic style of TF2 is paramount to making something that looks like it belongs. If somebody is really committed to making something good, start posting work on forums like CGTalk, Polycount, Game-Artist.net, GameArtisans.org, the TF2Maps.net forums and anywhere else they can find. Feedback and critiques are key to developing your skills, so go to those places to get help.

If there was one key tip you could pass on to someone trying to model or texture in the TF2 style, what would it be?

Swizzle: The silhouette is king. If your item, hat, weapon, character, model or map doesn’t read well with just large shapes and no inner detail, you need to work on it further. Valve designed the characters and items in TF2 to be read from a distance, and that all goes out the window with poor planning. Good planning leads to good designs, and the best designs read well from a distance. This is because reading those silhouettes is crucial to gameplay. Lighting conditions, angles and movements change in-game, but the only thing that doesn’t is the overall silhouette of an item. If you can tell what it is from just the silhouette, you’ve done something right.

Is there any interesting trivia you can share about the Pain Train at all?

Swizzle: Well, the stuff in the TF2 wiki about it being the discarded handle of an Axtinguisher and the name coming from a line delivered by a horribly drunken demoman are both ideas completely coined by people in the community. I think that’s pretty funny, but very creative.

What is it exactly, just to set the record straight: Just a makeshift handle with a railroad spike through it?

Swizzle: It’s exactly what it looks like. A big ol’ stick with a big ol’ spike. There’s another thing that aspiring weapon designers should take note of; it’s an extremely simple idea. Simplicity is a key element of a good design.

Do you think the Polycount contest was a good idea on Valve’s part, and do you think it’s possible a second one or something similiar could happen?

Swizzle: I think it was a great idea, and I hope they have other contests like it in the future. The Artpass contest over at TF2Maps is a good example. I hope other game companies take a hint and get their respective communities involved into the process of making games. As for the possibility of more of them happening, I think it’s just inevitable.

Was ‘The Pain Train’ the weapon’s original name, or something Valve conjured up?

Swizzle: I actually submitted it as the Pain Train. I’m completely convinced, though, that the note I included with the submission was the only thing that led them to keeping the name. It said, simply, “The Pain Train’s a-comin! Woo woo!”

Thanks for the interview.

Swizzle: It was a pleasure.

Lessons Learnt:

-The tools used by others are not the most important thing, so much as how well you can familiarize yourself with them. Experiment with various software and find what’s right for you.
-Visit a wide variety of sites and resources to look at other people’s projects, find guides and recieve critique for your own work.
-View your model as a silhouette and apply it to existing class silhouettes. This will help you see whether it can easily be identified at a distance, like a lot of Valve’s weapons.

…and there’s the knowledge behind the Pain Train. Join us next time for a slightly different topic, as we dive into mapmaking and interview Icarus, the creator of Coldfront.

In this instalment of How It’s Done, I have interviewed Larolaro, the creator of the Homewrecker and a winner of the famed Polycount pack contest, with his Tank Buster pack for the Soldier.

Firstly, how did you get into Modelling?

Larolaro: Well, for the past 4-5 years I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator (http://larolaro.blogspot.com) and at the same time I’ve always had a lingering curiosity for games and what-not, so I started to dabble in modelling. It was a straight up nightmare at first, as I found it very difficult to learn by myself, so the extent of my knowledge comes from 4 years of tedious un-knowing button clicking, haha. 2D and 3D really are two opposite sides of the same coin but eventually I got the hang of it… Sort of. Now, to be honest, I’m never going back. Being a digital artist moving onto 3D really gives me a plethora of new options to realize my ideas.

You initially designed the Homewrecker. How long did the Homewrecker, from idea to realization, roughly take?

Larolaro: I created the homewrecker roughly a year before I submitted it to valve through their contribute page. So, embarrassingly, the homewrecker was just a bit of tooling-around practice, as I just did it for fun and never intended for it to be a serious submission. The concept took me 5 minutes and the model and texture was complete in about 2 hours. However, the compiling and such took an age, the source engine really isn’t noob-friendly. I see the source engine as a beautiful ornate chair with a spike carved into the seat; It looks great, it’s solid and it will last for a long time, it’s just a pain in the ass to use.

What software packages do you use? Previous contributors have said that the paid stuff (like 3DSMax) is the best, but you can do just as well sometimes with freeware.

Larolaro: Oddly enough I get this question alot from random people on steam, and I never answer the question because if I did I would giving the impression that it matters which one to use. I’m sorry to burst any bubbles and such but unfortunately there really isnt a magic button to make 3D, as it’s difficult to learn 3D no matter what program you use. The program is just a tool for a similar result; just pick one that looks good and use it and if it doesn’t work out too well for you, you will naturally move onto a different program anyway. So my advice would be, try them all and pick what feels right for you.

The Homewrecker was originally an Axe/Axtinguisher skin (back when it was called Mr. Sledge), but upon submission did you ever think about what attributes it could have had? Some people think this is necessary, despite this not being the case.

Larolaro: Well, I have a lot of respect for the way valve do their thing, so I just left it to them, I had nothing in mind to be honest. I don’t manage a hugely successful online multiplayer game, so I don’t have any right to say what’s what because I really don’t know the amount of implications a game mechanic might have.

Do you think that Valve handled your submission well? The Homewrecker was initially a choice alternative for quick building destruction, but with the addition of the ability to damage Sappers it suddenly became a used and viable option for Pyros. And would you have liked to have had more influence on these modifications?

Larolaro: I really think they did great with the homewrecker, I was even happy with it before the sapper-removing stat, albeit it being a whisper of a weapon. The homewrecker was one of the first community weapons to be added into TF2, and it was new ground they are walking on, so I figured they would possibly weaken its impact on TF2’s gameplay.

When someone’s trying to get into modelling, can you offer any resources or tips you found helpful?

Larolaro: Well, I didn’t use many tutorials when I was learning so I don’t have any resources to offer. For learning 3D, my advice would be just stick at it, don’t give up and practice, practice, practice! It’s a decade long battle with a wall of scary buttons, so if you don’t suck it up and focus you’ll go crazy.

Do you think you learned much, if anything, from modelling for TF2?

Larolaro: Well, I’ve played and admired TF2 from the start, having clocked 1000+ hours in it. It really is a massive inspiration to me, modelling this and that for TF2 has really helped me on the way to becoming “industry” ready, if you know what I mean. It’s a huge compliment from valve to give the homewrecker and Tankbuster pack their professional blessing.

When you decided to enter the Polycount contest, did you have a clear image of the class/weapons you wanted to do, or was it a much more gradual and developmental process?

Larolaro: For the 5 weeks we had to do the contest, it took me a week to gather up the courage to even start. I really didn’t think I would have a chance of winning so I very almost didn’t enter, But I thought I might as well do it for some good old practice. So 1 week in I started a WWII Survival Theme (Check it out here). This involved a rucksack, a survival knife (See it here) and a scrim camo helmet. After 3 weeks I started to get a lot of criticism and my theme started to fall apart so I scrapped it entirely. I wanted to pursue an entry that went smoothly and people enjoyed, so I came up with a tangent off my original idea and this is when I came up with the Tankbuster Pack. I started my Tank Buster pack from scratch with only 10 days left of the contest. This meant I had 5 items to concept, model, texture and compile with 2 days each. It was total chaos and I really didn’t sleep very well for those 10 days, haha, but I learnt a lot and eventually got picked as a winner, so it was totally worth it.

Are there any other packs that you particularly liked in the Polycount contest? Valve have said that just under half of the entries were of a good enough quality for submission, so there will be more community items to come from the contest regardless of the main winners.

Larolaro: I enjoyed a lot of the entries in the contest, and it’s a shame only 5 won the contest, but I can understand coming up with game mechanics and balancing 12 weapons really is enough for one update. Some of the entries that caught my eye from the start were Nrek’s (Croc-O-Style), Progg’s (Gas Man), Both of Swizzle’s entries (Expert’s Ordnance Pack and Field Medic’s Tool Kit), Gerre’s (Hillbilly Pack) and Pierate’s (Medievil pack).

If there was another Polycount contest or something of that ilk, would you participate given the chance?

Larolaro: I have no doubt in my mind that Valve will do something similiar in the future, given the popularity and quality of the entries in the contest. In fact, I’d be surprised if they didn’t do something. And when that happens, I may have to take another shot at it, with a hopefully larger timeframe than what I had to do my entry in.

Lessons Learnt:
- Keep practising as much as possible. Remember, getting good is not a quick process, and needs time investment.
- Be sure to consider your ideas thoroughly first, and be ready to abandon projects if they become boring and are clearly not going anywhere.
- Once again, experiment with as many different softwares as you can until you find the one that suits you best. There is no definitive ‘best’, so it’s up to your tastes and working style to determine yours.

…and there is the lowdown behind one of the more successful modelling achievements in TF2.

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Now, this is where I reach out to you, the reader. If you are an estabilished TF2 contributor (this includes maps), are interested in an interview, or know one who would be happy to have one published here, then please try to contact me here in the comments, on the UC forums, or at the Official Team Fortress Wiki. I’d like to make this series last as long as possible as I’ve recieved such positive feedback and so much useful information for aspiring 3D artists has come out of it, as well as revealing info to keep non-modellers amused and interested. Thanks for all the support, and hopefully expect more in the near future.

In this instalment of How It’s Done, I bring you a slightly special edition with two interviews for the price of one. The first interview was with Daimao, the creator of the Frenchman’s Beret.

How did you get into Modelling, firstly?

Daimao: One day, I woke up and started gathering concepts and reference material and just started modelling. I honestly don’t remember what my drive was, but TF2’s environment models (the models you see in the levels like logs, power generators and wall computers) had some impact on it though.

What sort of software do you use for what you do? I understand that you’ve helped with numerous people’s textures or models, and also modelled yourself (the frenchman’s beret)

Daimao: I use Autodesk 3DSMax 2010 for low-poly modelling, ZBrush for high-poly modelling and sculpts. For my textures, I usually use Photoshop CS4 for actually painting the textures and VTFEdit to edit my .vtf and .vmt files. I also use GUIStudioMDL to convert my models to ingame formats.

A common theme among the already interviewed contributors is that the paid software is often the better choice, due to the outstanding quality it can produce. Do you agree with this, or do you think that it’s possible to get by just as well with freeware stuff?

Daimao: I think paid software indeed is the better choice, especially for 3D modelling, however that doesn’t mean you can’t make nice models or textures with free software. If I remember correctly, Luigimario, one of the community contributors, makes his models with Milkshape. Here’s an example what you can make with free software provided by him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zazCHTd7Kxs

Modelling can be a very time intensive affair, but more experienced modellers can accomplish what they want to do a lot faster than others. How long do you think it took for you to actually make the Frenchman’s Beret? It has been said that the majority of the time taken for people’s contributions has been the ideas phase.

Daimao: I made the Frenchman’s Beret in approximately a day. This includes modifying the model and texture based on constructive criticism by a few friends, shipping the model over to Mister Royzo for a blue skin and packing it up in a Valve-friendly format. Please keep in mind that hats are made far faster than weapons or Engineer buildings.

If there was one key thing you learned when modelling or texturing for TF2, what would that thing be?

Daimao: I have only two words for this question: paint patches. The square paint patches (in combination with some wear and tear) you see in TF2’s environments make up much of the ‘painted’ art style Valve is going for. Even on the smallest things it’s there, right down to the syringes the needlegun fires.

Any interesting trivia or stories surrounding the frenchman’s beret at all?

Daimao: The fact that the blue skin was made by someone else wasn’t because of me being colour blind (a silly rumor), but it was rather a cheap attempt to get someone else a selfmade item too. Hehe.

The Beret was originally submitted under the name Bourgeois. Do you think this was changed with reason?

Daimao: Probably because it’s hard to remember and/or pronounce. I’m not certain if the English playerbase can pronounce ‘bourgeious’ the way it’s meant to be pronounced, so I’m guessing that’s the reason behind the change.

Borge-wahs?

Daimao: Yes. One of the alternative names was ‘Artsy Beret’ but that just wasn’t fancy enough for the Spy in my opinion. It does fit with the paintbrushes though. The original concept had some team-colored paint splotches on the hat too, but that just aimed the focus of the player directly at the hat and not at the player trying to kill him.

Anything you want to add about modelling or texturing?

Daimao: For beginning texture artists (or veteran texture artists unknown to TF2’s art style) I’d like to recommend a few articles or threads to get acquainted with the TF2 art style. I have a bunch of them saved on my desktop for references:

http://www.primotechnology.com/2008/02/25/gdc-08-the-illustrative-world-of-team-fortress-2/
http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=4338
http://halcyonrealms.com/animation/the-art-of-team-fortress-2/
http://virtuallyreality.supacomm.net/2010/01/17/team-fortress-2-the-artisic-journey-from-game-to-culture-part-1/

The last one especially is an incredible read.

When modelling hats, do you have to account for the otherwise unseen inside of the hat?

It’s recommended that you do so, especially for the Sniper, since one of his taunts involves him taking off his hat. Generally I model the inside of the hat, but keep it low poly so it doesn’t have that much of an impact on the polycount.

Thank you very much for the interview.

Lessons Learnt:
-Although the paid software is cited to be generally more usable and produces better results, you can still use the free software (such as Blender or Milkshape) to produce decent models.
-When texturing, practice and try to master the basic techniques used in the TF2 style, such as random squares of colour and spots to give surfaces that worn, painted look.
-Valve may make any changes they like to your submission using their own discretion. Don’t submit it if you don’t want it to be possibly altered or changed!

My next interview was with Gerre, the creator of the Sergeant’s Drill Cap and the Physician’s Procedure Mask.

How did you get into modelling?

Gerre: I learned it at school. I studied game development. The TF2 models are just for fun, though.

What software do you use?

I use 3DSMax for modeling, and I have a student license for Photoshop when it comes to texturing.

You’re the first person to have submitted a misc item. Was this intentional, or did valve decide to make it so on a whim?

I suggested it myself to make it a misc. item in the “anything else we should know”. Simple enough.
How long do you think the mask and the drill sergeant’s hat take to make each? Experienced modellers tend to get them done quick, from what I’ve seen.
Gerre: The Mask was easier than the Drill hat… I would say about half an hour. I didn’t put that much time in the textures, it’s just simple ambient occlusion and flat color. The hat took about the same.

When someone’s getting into modelling or texturing, can you recommend any useful resources of tips you found helpful?

Gerre: Hmm, well I learned a lot at school, but I guess if you are new to modelling try modeling stuff from real life and make it as accurate as possible. Reference is very important.

If there was one key thing you learned when modelling for TF2, what would that be?

Gerre: TF2 doesn’t use that much normal mapping so your model has to look good enough without it. The silhouette is important too to make it easily identifiable.

The Wiki thinks that you decided to do the Drill Sergeant’s Cap based on Corporal Hartman from Full Metal Jacket, is this true, or is the Wiki making things up again?

Gerre: It wasn’t the main reason, I just made it because it fits the soldier well.

Is there anything that someone needs to be prepared for when getting into modelling?

Gerre: It might be a bit overwhelming at first, but if you keep practicing you will get better. And be sure to ask for other people’s opinion on your models

Do you think you might create any items for the recently added Misc 2 slot? Currently nothing exists to use in it, though the polycount greentooth badge is suspected to be put in there.

Gerre: I think the Misc. 2 slot will be used for medals worn on the chest as you can’t wear them together with the mask/beard (seeing as they currently occupy the same slot).

Thank you very much for the interview.

Gerre: Anytime.

Lessons Learnt:
-If you want to Valve to know something specific about your contribution, be sure to tell them in the ‘Anything else we should know?’ box on the Contribute! website.
-If you are struggling for ideas to practice modelling with, try modelling objects around you and keep using them as reference.
-TF2 does not use many normal maps. Therefore, your model needs to look good without them.

And there’s some knowledge behind hatmaking! Join us next time for an interview with the creator of the Homewrecker and the Polycount contest winning entry, The Soldier’s Tank Buster Pack.

Let’s face it, doing explosive jumps is fun. I know I’m not the only one who got into Soldier for the rocket jumping. I also know I’m not the only one who wishes they were good at sticky jumping. This, therefore, is the first of what I hope to be a series of articles exploring some fun places that you can jump to which may not have immediately presented themselves; a lot of them look like decoration. These aren’t trick jumps, so while I’m both quite good at rocket jumping and incredibly modest, you don’t need many particularly difficult skills to do them – a basic knowledge of rocket/sticky jumping is all you require. Also a criterion for inclusion in this article is that the jump should have some use in a normal game. No opposing Pyros airblasting you or weird glitching out of the map, just interesting and importantly unexpected places to stand. If you know the maps inside out, you may know some of these positions already. The format for each jump will include the following:

Where? – Whereabouts on the map the jump is. Accompanied by a fancy taunt.

Who? – Which classes can get up there. Most will be confined to Soldier/Demoman, but the odd jump will be available to Scouts, and on rare occasion, everyone. I haven’t had practice with the Wrangler and sentry jumping yet, so go ahead and try these jumps with your sentry gun. I can’t promise anything.

How? – The nitty-gritty of the jump. I’ll explain how to get where I got. The screenshots show where to place your stickies. Unless otherwise stated, a rocket jump from the same place should work as well.

Why? – Accompanied by a screenshot of the view, and suggestions on how to use the position.

This article focuses entirely on Badwater.

Position 1

Where? – White pipe just past the first point.

Who? – Soldier and Demoman

How? – There are two ways to do this with both classes, but Demoman has a much easier time of getting up there. Firstly, you can lay a sticky at the bottom of the pipe and do a standard sticky jump up to the top, however, this is quite tricky to pull off, as if you don’t have the right angle, you will just fall straight back down. Easier is to place a sticky on the corner of the “shelter” where Engineers often build. Take a look at this screenshot and you’ll see what I mean.Then just do a standard sticky jump from there, making sure to get some distance as well as height.

As a Soldier, this jump can be quite tricky. You have to either do a wall jump, or airstrafe. If you choose to airstrafe, do it from a similar position to the above sticky, and it should be easy to get onto the pipe. If you can’t airstrafe, don’t worry! Stand at the bottom of the pipe, do a normal high rocket jump, making sure to hold forwards, crouch, and keep your rocket launcher at the same angle. Then once you hit the peak of your jump, while still holding forwards and crouch, shoot another rocket into the corner. This will give you extra height and get you on top of the pipe. If you do this, however, you’ll use a lot of health, so consider the Gunboats, and make sure to ask for an overheal from any nearby Medics.

Why? – It’s out of the way, and since you’re high up, a lot of classes will have a difficult time hurting you, due to damage falloff, spread, and arcs. The view is surprisingly wide (see screenshot below), and it’s a good place to rain down explosives from, catching those who are unsuspectingly pushing the cart. Once you’re done, jumping down will cost a lot of health. To help reduce this, there’s a billboard with a big A on it. You can actually land on top of this billboard then jump the rest of the way. It won’t stop you taking fall damage altogether, but it might mean the difference between life and death. Unfortunately, you’re in full view of one of BLU’s exits, so if you’re on RED, you’re in danger of being sniped. Consider using this as a quick ambush then moving on.

Position 2

Where? - Around the corner from the first point. On the roof of the alcove, just before the push to second point.

Who? – Soldier and Demoman

How? – This jump is surprisingly simple, although it has one caveat. The area you can stand on this roof is a very small rectangle close to the corner. To get onto the roof, you have to make sure you’re as close to where it meets the other building as possible, otherwise you will hit an invisible wall and fall. To get up there, simply sticky or rocket jump from this spot.

If you’re a Demoman, you should get more than enough height to land on the roof. If you’re a Soldier, you need to practise getting close to the corner. After a few tries, you’ll learn what does and doesn’t work. Although I recommend it for all jumps, for this one in particular, it’s helpful to create your own local server and just practise.

Why? – It’s a very strong defensive position. You have just enough manoeuvrability to walk backwards a little and duck, giving you pretty good cover. When you’re not taking cover, you can shoot rockets or stickies down to defend the chokepoint, and when the cart moves past you, drop down and attack from the rear. Your view of the chokepoint is amazing, and there’s very little chance of being sniped:

Position 3

Where? – The pipe attached to the wall of the building next to point 2.

Who? – Soldier, Demoman

How? – This one’s just a simple hop up there. Standard rocket or sticky jump, just make sure not to overshoot. Approaching from the side is easier, just be careful not to overshoot.

Why? – A simple ambush. You have a clear view of the opposite entrance, and people coming from the other will tend to just walk straight past you. You’re pretty much on top of the small health pack, so you can guarantee some enemies will come your way, especially if you have a Pyro working his magic down on the ground. This is also somewhere from which to destroy any teleports placed out of reach on top of the vent.

Position 4

Where? – The pipe by the entrance to the small building just after point 2.

Who? – Everyone but Heavy.

How? – Two different methods. Playing anything but Soldier, simply jump onto what I have dubbed the “reactor thingy” pictured below. From there it’s a simple crouchjump to the pipe for most classes. Soldier is too slow to get across, so if you’re playing a Soldier, just do a short rocket jump onto the pipe instead.

Why? – Again, a simple ambush. People rarely look up, so laying in wait above them, then dropping down and stabbing their juicy exposed backs (Razorback notwithstanding) or blowing them up or setting them on fire or… well, you get the picture. Basically, ambushes are great.

So, this article has shown you four fun places to try standing next time you play Badwater. Discovering places like these is great fun. I encourage you all to create a local server and go exploring. You never know what you might find.

In this instalment of How It’s Done, I have interviewed Benjamuffin, one half of the duo that created the Dalokohs Bar (as SamMunRawr had been away). The Dalokohs Bar was released in the first wave of community content, and introduced the concept of a temporary max health increase.

How did you get into Modelling?

Benjamuffin: Well, as I’ve said on the wiki, modelling is more Sam’s latest experiment in media. He, like I, like to learn how things are made, then work on the process of doing that thing ourselves. For me, modelling has probably got to be the one thing I have yet to try properly. The closest I’ve come is playing around in Blender a couple of months ago. As far as I know, modelling for Sam however was one of those things you feel you’d like to pick up and learn. Somewhat like a guitar I suppose, you see or hear someone playing something you like, and you wish you could just pick up that instrument and do it to at your leisure. That’s how I feel about most things I’m capable of using at a impressive level in media, and I think that’s likely the same case for him too. Especially seeing as most of his work these days goes to his deviantart rather than being used for anything.

Ah, I see. You did the Dalokohs Bar co-operatively, didn’t you? How did that process work?

Benjamuffin: Well the process was a little bit of fun really. We never thought anything would come of it. The two of us are close friends, and one night while talking on Skype, we were discussing the contribute page and the fact that I had recently released a Coach Heavy skin. Someone mentioned on the skin release that a chocolate bar would go great with the Coach Heavy, and I simply said to Sam. “Hey… how about we make the chocolate bar, then submit it to the contribute page?”. At this point Sam was pretty playful when approaching modelling, and shunned the thought a little of doing something serious so soon. But nevertheless, we sat and did it all in one night. Sam opened up the program, and I described how it should look (given it was intended for my skin release). So we sat and discussed exotic chocolate styles, and such, until we eventually came up with the chunky shape you see now. Needless to say we slept like logs during the morning of that day. So, to summarize my ability to digress beyond a simple answer: Sam modelled, and I supplied direction. I then worked around Sam’s rather “out there” texture map, and did the business in photoshop, which is where I am at home (having used it for about 5 years or so).

So the actual process of idea creation didn’t take very long at all?

Benjamuffin: I suppose not. We’re just fond of the playful side of Team Fortress 2, and wanted to contribute something that would support that. It would have likely been out of character for us to make a weapon, not unless it had fuzzy spheres on springs, and fuzzy dice attached to it. That and the weapon would have to fire cake or something. We wanted something we could use when we were just stood around playing with other users, rather than something that would go unnoticed during the heat of the battle. Everyone likes Sandvich Parties, so we figured, why not give him some more things to eat?

I’d use a cake gun anyday.

Benjamuffin: Hmm, maybe we made the wrong item… . Noted for the future.

Many would-be modellers and designers find it difficult to get into because the software choice is so large, and that the better quality options are a lot more expensive. What software do you and Sam use, and do you think it’s worth paying so much for the good stuff?

Benjamuffin: I suppose it all comes down to how talented you are to in some respects. For example, good video editors can create something in windows movie maker and people would be none the wiser, whereas a bad video editor will make it strikingly obvious. The same applies to software. If you have the willpower and the ability to understand where and when something is going wrong, and the ability to pick something up, then the free 3D modelling programs are fine for anyone. I’ve seen some brilliant things done with Blender. However when it comes to choosing something to model in, you can’t really go wrong with 3D studio Max. It’s the most commonly used application among the public as far as I know, and offers the most versatility. However in comparison to the free options, it comes with the hefty price tag, and it obviously isn’t as easy to pick up. However, if one works there way up from the bottom, following tutorials along the way, one can’t go wrong. Experimenting in free time is probably the best way. Forget official guide books. You can get a much better feel of your surroundings if you just run the program, and figure out everythings purpose. It’s how I was with photoshop, and I’ve never looked back. It also helps to find applications that have similar layouts. There’s no point in finding a rather indie and unknown 3D program, learning it’s layout, then finding the standard 3D applications use a different layout.

When designing the Dalokohs Bar, did you have any idea about what attributes it should have? Valve insist it’s not up to the creators to fulfil that goal, but some people do so anyway, or (unknowingly) make their contributions based on those ideas.

Benjamuffin: Not at all unfortunately. We never gave it a thought due to the fact that we didn’t think it would make it in given the many REALLY good modellers out there, and we were just doing it for a friendly bit of fun. There was also the aspect that we figured if it DID make it in, then we’d be fine with the fact it was in the game, regardless of what it did. Looking back however, I do wish that we had been able to put a little input into it. The publics reactions among the angsty teeny gaming community hasn’t been exactly 100% pleasant. People seem to forget, we’re only responsible for the item itself. When asked people think it looks great as a Team Fortress 2 chocolate bar, but most people tend to judge it on what it does. And now, what with the latest update to the Sandvich and Dalokohs, people seem to hate the bar even more. It’s a little saddening, but at the end of the day, we?re still very proud of the achievement. I wanted to say something about me being happy to help, in a humorous way, but my mind is lacking. So I shall just say “Jolly good!” and look the other way.

You currently maintain the Dalokohs’ respective page on the Official Team Fortress Wiki. To negate the fact that most people dislike its use over the Sandvich, can you recommend any good tips or times/situations to use it in?

Benjamuffin: Well initially I would say to casual people, “Most of you only use the Sandvich for eating in groups. Isn’t chocolate better?”, but since the downgrade I suppose a legitimate time would be if you are challenged by another Heavy several times. Or just as a buff in general. People claim the Sandvich is better due to the health gain, but I rarely see it used, and with the new cooldown, the Dalokohs is somewhat more useful. If used before battle. The Sandvich is pretty quick and just as useless in the heat of battle, as it can’t prolong your life when being attacked as it used to. So to summarize once more, if the threat demands you outlive a clashing opponent, or if in general you need a health boost. It’s a weapon about choosing your battles, and making your future ones more successful. Nothing more I can add really. People will think what they want to think at the end of the day. All weapons are situational, that is in essence the point of having different unlocks, yet people seem adamant on claiming things such as the Natascha or the Backburner are completely useless and that only noobs use them. It’s a little strange really.

When did you find out the Dalokohs was going to be implemented? Did Valve let you know a short time before the update, or was it a case of simply opening up the game and finding it there, or the steam forums revealing it? And also, when did you get your selfmade items, instantaneously or soon after?

Benjamuffin: Surprisingly Valve said nothing, even though there is an email section when submitting something. Even to this day we received nothing official stating we were in. Sam called me up in the middle of the night, in a hyped up mood, and told me to go and look in the GCF. Naturally, I was a little confused and annoyed, being woken up to look through files and folders of a game I regularly check the GCF for (for base skin files). He showed me c_chocolate. I got excited, but waited until I opened it up in the model viewer first. It was our bar. We were stunned and childlike about it all. This was during the night before it was released. But the first moment I stepped into TF2 in that area of time, I received the Self-Made Dalokohs Bar. The server I was on had about 3 people on it, who I don’t even remember anymore. But there you go. Kind of wish I’d gone on a busy server really. Also the map was 2fort. I was outside the red spawn room. There’s some random Trivia. Also I was Heavy. Wait… that was obvious, scratch that.

When someone’s trying to get into Modelling or Editing, can you recommend any resources you found useful?

Benjamuffin: With texture work, a lot of people advising others wishing to learn tell them to use VTFedit and Gimp, among several other applications. If you’re completely set on only using free programs, this is the way to go, but it’s a chore to do it that way. So many steps, and so many programs to go through. Photoshop is the best bet for anything graphical really. With the VTF plugin you’re good to go. When you get used to photoshop it’s a pretty straight forward program. Though following tutorials is a good way to learn. Not tutorials explaining the program, but tutorials that show you how to create a certain effect on a picture, or how to replicate a logo. Things slowly become second nature after doing those for a while, and it also comes with the benefit of creating decent looking work, when you’re only a novice. For 3D, as I’ve said, Blender is a great place to learn. It’s free and there are even tutorials on the Steam forums on how to model hats in it. So you’re covered on that one. Another program that has some uses for Team Fortress 2 texture making is a program called Corel Painter. It is laid out very much like photoshop, and has the ability to simulate real life painting. It’s the kind of program Valve switched to when they stopped painting giant textures then scanning them in. It gives clarity, and avoids photo artifacts. I haven’t used it beyond painting pictures, but it’s great to get that patchy hand painted look for Team Fortress 2. It’s a lot of fun to use, but a bit awkward (Painter). There are some amazing artwork pieces out there made in it, that you would SWEAR were painted with real paint. Anyone can pick that one up and create something.

If there is one thing you learnt when modelling/texturing for TF2, what would you pass on? So far, New has said it’s key to get your project ingame to check it looks alright. What can you add?

Benjamuffin: That’s a good piece of advice. And I would agree, the model viewer has limitations. What looks fine outside the game can have unexpected problems ingame. It can be tedious going back and forth, but it’s better in the long run. You should see my desktop. It’s cluttered with copies of the same file, material structured folders (ready for drag dropping into a copy of TF2). The two things I hate are pixel stretching and doing two things for alpha channels. For pixel stretching an example would be that I had to do stripes on something, and the right looking size came out at 1 pixel in width. The model, then causes the texture to stretch in places sometimes, which means it’s wider than one pixel on the model. Now the problem with that, is photoshop can’t go smaller than a pixel in width for a brush. So you have to then make the texture bigger, which can cause peoples computers to go a bit odd if it’s not up to scratch. It’s a very annoying process when you come across something like that. The other thing is alpha channels as said. If I have something that needs to light up, and have a normals map too, I end up tyng myself in knots and making a mess as it means I need more than one alpha channel somewhere. It just confuses me. So I guess what you could take from this is: If you come across pixel stretching issues, resize your texture to be large. Providing the scale is the same, the game will make everything look right. Just don’t make it TOO big, or people will hate you for it. And if you’re stuck on alpha channels… don’t ask me as I’ll probably mess something up, because I never remember the details of that that until I’m stuck into it.

Is there any interesting trivia about the bar you could share?

Benjamuffin: Well most people have figured out that it’s Shokolad spelt backwards. And the other stuff such as the slogan which is cut off by the wrapper, which is now on the Wiki trivia thanks to me. But I suppose if people didn’t know, the bar originally had a normals map, and was submitted in blue without team colors. So it originally looked a lot more detailed in some ways, and the BLU team can now either rejoice, or explode with anger. It’s their bar, they should deal with it. Eat it, I mean… Oh! And people always mess up how to pronounce the name. It’s a European bar, so it has no rounded vowels. People like to say Dah-low-cuss. It’s as I wrote on the Wiki, Dah-loh-cuss, or Dah-lock-uss. I just hope the Valve team get it right if they ever get round to giving the Heavy some lines for it. Another small bit of trivia, though it’s not as important, is that I like to change the bar’s lore at random when on servers. I find that being the creator, people take it as fact until I change my mind. It’s a little bit of fun.

When will we have our official WHITE Dalokohs Bar? We know you have it hidden somewhere, and some people (including myself) would prefer a lighter variety.

Benjamuffin: Funny you should say that! I’ve been emailing Robin about that one on and off. He’s a bit of a promise breaker somewhat. Now and then, I will email him about Dalokohs changes. Textures and such (the white one being one of the main ones). And every time, he has turned round and said they will try and get it in. That’s the impression of most of his emails. Then nothing happens. He is a busy man though, so I’m not surprised if he forgets it about it. However, at one point I did suggest the Self-made one could be the only white one. But that’s just me, heh heh heh. I do love white chocolate. My hopes are that someday the Dalokohs will make it into a Meet The… video. Even if it’s just a background prop. Until then I can’t wait for new Heavy lines. I can guarantee that will go as my phone ringtone.

A Heavy with his gun and full of chocolate is a happy Heavy.

Thank you very much for the interview, it’s been informative.

Benjamuffin: Cheers.

Lessons Learnt:
-If collaborating with another person on your submission, make sure that you discuss the details and clearly get what you want from them across.
-Don’t end up relying on guides and tutorials. They may be good for learning the very basics of a software package, but try to get a feel for it yourself once you’ve got those and simply learn by doing.
-If using Photoshop, try to find plugins for editing .vtf files, the primary filetype used for Valve’s textures.
-Remember that when applying a texture a model, the texture’s features may appear uniform but on the model can be distorted. To remedy this, either edit the texture so that the composed model looks how you want it to, or alter the model slightly to acommodate the texture’s details. In the event that you can’t make any details smaller, increase the size of the entire texture.

Credits: Benjamuffin for the Interview and for filling in for Sam somewhat.
The Official Team Fortress Wiki for providing Dalokohs and Heavy pictures.

…And there’s the knowhow behind the Dalokohs Bar! Join us next time for an interview with the creator of the Frenchman’s Beret.

Hey there, I’m Hackett, a moderator at the Official Team Fortress Wiki and a regular TF2 player. With the recently finalized Polycount update, a whole wave of new community contributed content will be released into the game, starting a new rush of trying to get the new weapons, trying on the new hats and revelling in the new content that people have put hard work into. Many people, however, tend to disregard who exactly made these items, how much work went into them, or are unsure of whether they think they could try it themselves, or how they would go about it.

To address this, I have been conducting a series of interviews with established Community Contributors, the people behind the models who have helped provide material for new game mechanics (The Tribalman’s Shiv, The Southern Hospitality), taken Valve’s concepts and ran even further with them (The Scotsman’s Skullcutter, The Dalokohs Bar) and covered countless people’s heads with marvellous new headwear. For those that want to see what kind of software or packages people use, here you go. For those that want to see how long it took to design so-and-so, here you go. And for those less interested in the know-how of it, you can find out interesting trivia that only creators previously knew, and other little stories surrounding the less published parts of TF2. This is going to be the first in a series, so expect more interviews, hopefully with the creators of your favourite community contribution. I will also be posting a list of lessons learned from each interview, to summarize the key points that can be learnt from each interview.

_______________________________

My first interviewee was New, the creator of the Tribalman’s Shiv and an avid modeller. The Tribalman’s Shiv was released in the second wave of community content, and introduced the unique bleed mechanic to the game.

Alright then, let’s start. I guess my first question is, how did you get into modelling?

New: It started when I first got my Nintendo 64 and I decided I wanted to make game art. I just went around downloading trials for different programs like Lightwave 3D, 3DS Max, Maya, and eventually I settled with Softimage3D since I liked it the most. I just read through as many tutorials and articles as I could and tried my best to create things I would see in games that I liked as a child.

In which case, is it recommended to get the paid software (such as 3DS Max, or I assume Softimage3D)? Some of the more accessible (i.e. freeware) ones like Blender and Milkshape can be used, but their interface and overall quality can be a lot harder to get to grips with or different than others, something beginners may find difficult.

New: I personally recommend getting the paid software. They have better support for the most part as well as a larger community. All the big game companies use things like 3DS Max and Maya and Softimage, and only use free software to compliment their already established workflows. I also tried Blender back when it was 2.49 and I immediately did not like the interface at all. It seemed badly put together and I couldn’t figure out where anything was. I basically used it for almost 10 minutes before uninstalling it. You were also correct when you thought Softimage is a paid software, though it is cheaper then Max or Maya.

Ah, right. Some people are uncertain about their hefty price tag, but it seems right that they have it, considering the quality you pay for.

Roughly how long did the entire process of creating the Shiv take? From idea to submission, some experienced modellers take no time at all and some can take much longer, so do you think that your timespan was either of these?

New: Oh boy, how long it took. Well I first decided I didn’t want to spend very much time on this project since I was procrastinating in school too much, and had a lot to catch up on. I first spent a few days in Math class drawing up some concepts and thinking of what class I would create something for. I can’t give an exact time but it took 2 classes so something like 3 hours for the concept. After that I had established that I wanted to make a sniper melee weapon. After that I decided to develop the idea a bit more. I noticed he had a wooden primary weapon as well as a wooden secondary and decided to make the melee wooden as well. From there I ended up with two finished concepts. The first was a paddle that was carved from a piece of wood with some animal teeth attached to it and the second was the shiv which would just be a simple wooden knife. To me the knife seemed like it could be made very quickly which is what I needed so I went with that. That phase took about 8 minutes. From there I started using the concept and the model of the machete as a reference for size until I had made the Shiv in less then an hour. It was a very simple shape to make for the most part. From there texturing and creating the UV maps took 20 minutes. After this I spent 3 hours trying to export it into the source engine, but I could never get it to show in-game. After that I just decided to send it in as is and a few months later it was in a update. So I suppose this took no time at all at a total time of 7 hours 28 minutes, I believe. Though if I knew it would be accepted, I would have gone back and made it look a lot better. I actually thought the model was so bad that I actually deleted the original files, only to find out it was accepted later, annoyingly.

So the majority of the time invested was the idea phase?

New: Yes it was, though it was most likely less since I had to hide it from the teacher.

Ah, I see.

New: The most time spent creating a solid idea, the faster I can create the finished product in my head and from there, making it actually becomes much easier than people would think.

When designing the Shiv, did you have any thoughts about what attributes it would have? It’s enforced by Valve that it is not necessary to submit ideas for attributes, but some people do so anyway, or (unknowingly) set about designing a weapon with their ideal attributes in mind.

New: I had no intention of bleeding as an attribute for the shiv in any part during the creation. I was only supposed to be a model replacement for the normal machete. But I guess valve thought that would be boring and decided to surprise everyone, especially the Spies who seemed really butthurt about it.

Are you happy with the way Valve have handled your submission? The Tribalman’s Shiv was originally a unanimously accepted and used upgrade to the Machete, but with the coming of the Engineer update and the second bleed-using weapon (The Southern Hospitality) it was toned down for supposed balance reasons.

New: I couldn’t be happier with the way the submission was handled, at least at first. I liked it when it did a larger amount of damage before the update since I’m actually really bad at TF2. Anything that helps me get more kills was better and I liked the way it did more damage over a period of time. With the recent updates though the only reason I use my Shiv is because it sparkles. Not to mention I can’t really hit anything with it now since there are Baby Sentries EVERYWHERE. Hopefully in a few weeks this will change and everyone will start playing Engineer less.

Would you have liked to have a little more influence on how the Shiv turned out? While determining weapon attributes was up to Valve, would you have liked to have some hand in its mechanics?

New: Not really. Valve is successful for a a reason, they know what they’re doing. Though I would have liked it if they had the Shiv world and View models face the proper way.

Bizarre Mistakes, Vol. 1: The man born with his Shiv the wrong way round.

Ah yes, THAT problem…

New: Valve are silly sometimes.

When did you find out that the Shiv was going to be implemented? Was it a short time before the update which included it, or was it literally something that you found upon opening up the game that day? And in relation to that, when did you get your self-made shiv, on the update or a while after?

New: I wasn’t actually notified by Valve that it was put in. My IRL and steam friend LuFa actually saw the picture of the Shiv in a thread on the steam forums when someone opened the models in Gmod to show them off. After I found out it was included in the update I felt stupid for deleting the files. I went and opened TF2 immediately, but the steam servers were busy for a few hours. When I finally got on, I didn’t receive the shiv for about half an hour after I actually got online.

Well, I guess that was a nice surprise, if a little delayed.

New: Yes it was, I took pics and showed everyone online. Nothing like bragging and rubbing it in everyone’s face once in a while.

When someone’s trying to get into modelling, can you recommend any resources or tips that you found helpful?

New: When you first start, open your program of choice and read through the help files. Most have tutorials on how to model things like chess pieces and will teach you the basics. After that, choose something you’re interested in and make it. If you really like what you’re making, its easier to stay motivated and actually finish it. Don’t be afraid to post on forums for critiques on both the model itself (topology, smoothing, etc.) but also on the texture. There are plenty of good places with people who are willing to take a few minutes to write something for you. This leads to being actually being able to take critique. I’ve read and seen a lot of people who can’t take any opinion that doesn’t glorify the piece of garbage they made (Deviant Art) and they end up freaking out and instead of learning and making it better their work stays at a very low level. A lot of places I visit even though I don’t post there are http://www.game-artist.net/forums/, http://www.polycount.com/forum/, http://www.gameartisans.org/forums/index.php and http://www.zbrushcentral.com/. All of these places, even though not strictly directed at me, give useful hints and tips aswell as inspiration to try and do better (especially the Zbrushcentral site, goddamn some of the stuff on there is intense).

Alright, awesome.

If there was one key thing that you learned when modelling for TF2, what would that thing be?

New: Try to find a way to view it in-game even if it means using a different modeling package or having a friend do it for you. The day the Shiv came out everyone was saying that it doesn’t fit the style of TF2 and similar things. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have known since whenever I tried viewing it ingame the model would show up with no texture and glowed bright white (so I couldn’t fix it to make it look like it belonged in the TF2 universe).

New: Another thing.

Oh?

New: Wood looks awful in the TF2 universe. It’s just brown, flat brown.

At least the Shiv has some nice orange to it.

New: There’s actually a reason for the orange. I couldn’t export hard edges with the model, so the smoothing was awful. Without the orange you couldn’t tell where it was sharp.

On the Official Team Fortress Wiki there’s a note about the shiv supposedly being designed as having been made from the wood of a certain tree that promotes bleeding, is this intended at all or rampantly loose speculation? Not the bleeding part specifically, as that was Valve’s idea, but the concept of it being a special tree.

New: Rampantly loose speculation but pretty cool at least. No special tree for me, just wood and Mann Co. technology I guess.

Magical.

New: A magic tree, grown by science.

Do you have any interesting trivia to share about the shiv?

New: The knife was supposed to have teeth roped onto it with twine or sinew, but I couldn’t find a way to make it look good which is why there are notches on the knife instead.

Did you enter into the polycount contest, or ever think about it?

New: I thought about it but never got around to it. I bought a bunch of games including Monster Hunter Tri which has already eaten 250 hours of my life, so I haven’t had much time. Though, I have a few medic and sniper ideas, but I’m not sure if they’ll get on paper or not.

Was it originally called the Tribalman’s shiv?

New: No, that name was given to it by Valve. I couldn’t think of a name and originally for file naming purposes just called it Wooden_Kukri.

Interesting how they didn’t use Tribesman’s instead.

New: Hmm, yeah. Odd.

Wait, so which way is the right way up? With the notches facing towards the enemy?

New: The notches go up with the smooth part down. Originally when it crit he was supposed to flip it so he swung with the teeth down, but I couldn’t figure out the custom animations I needed, since I’m awful at it.

Complimentary sparkles not shown. The ultimate tool for the fashionable bushwhacker.

Alright, that seems like everything. Thank you VERY much for the interview.

New: You’re welcome.

Lessons Learned
-Software choices are variable in modelling, so try many different packages out and find the one that you like the most.
-Paid software such as 3DSMax and Maya are expensive, but well worth the price tag in terms of resultant quality.
-Remember that Valve are the ones who determine the attributes of the contributions, so don’t try designing your weapons specifically for your gameplay ideas.
-Make sure to view your model in-game, even if it involves changing around software and file types, or getting a friend to do it for you. This will allow you to see any major flaws with the model when actually placed in the context of the TF2 universe, and also give you time to adjust it appropriately.
-Readily use resources such as the sites listed above to assess your work, learn from others, and most importantly of all, take critique. You will not get very far unless you develop the ability to do so, and accept that your work may need improvements.

Credits: New for being a good sport, agreeing to the interview and sending me the screenshots of his self-made shiv.
LuigiFan/LuFa for helping me get a hold of New. Cheers!
The Official Team Fortress Wiki for the images and killicons of the Shiv.

…and that’s the story behind the Tribalman’s Shiv! Join us next time for an interview with one of the creators of the Dalokohs Bar.

I’m a very inconstant TF2 player when it comes to choosing classes. While I do have certain favorites, such as Engineer, I tend to play a different class every week or so, usually with a changing weapon load out that mixes in the weapons that I tend to ignore. The Soldier is the class that I’ve been getting practice with recently. At the moment of this writing, the Soldier is my 5th most played class. I’ve never been drawn to playing the Soldier that often and I’m not sure why; he’s a powerful and very well rounded class. Since I decided to give the Soldier a shot this week, I figured I’d try something different for his load out: the Direct Hit.

I’d never given the Direct Hit much a chance. Like other players, I found it to be inferior to the Rocket Launcher. The last time I used this weapon, I was not pleased. I couldn’t hit the broad side of a Heavy, and he only has broad sides. The whole ordeal was a waste of time and I even crafted away my Direct Hit, and I never craft anything unless I have duplicates. I eventually did find another Direct Hit later on through the random drop system, but had never planned on using it again.

Until now that is. I gave the Direct Hit another shot, but I found it to be oddly weak at range, even when directly striking the target. So I headed down to the ol’ training grounds of tr_walkway and did a bit of practice and I’ll say right now, that was one of the best times I had training. During the next real game I played, I was much better at fighting than before, and while I still had trouble with some enemies, I had learned some things that I think will help others interested in using the Direct Hit.

The Specs

Let’s start by looking at the Direct Hit when compared to the Rocket Launcher. The rockets fired by the Direct Hit move 80% faster and deal 25% more damage; the drawback is that the splash radius is 70% smaller. For those of you who like to air juggle with rockets, hitting an enemy that you launched into the air with another rocket will result in a mini-crit. The Direct Hit trades splash damage for more speed and power.

Hitting Hard, Hitting Fast

That added 25% damage makes the Direct Hit a force to be reckoned with. At close range it can one-hit kill Scouts, Engineers, Snipers and Spies while leaving all other classes besides Heavies extremely damaged. Successful juggle combos (blast into air + mini-crit rocket) are even deadlier, as the mini-crit will do 151 damage; enough to kill a non-overhealed Medic in one shot. The Direct Hit also deals the most damage with a critical hit, dealing over 300 points of damage; enough to kill all but overhealed Heavies. If have good aim, a well used Kritzkrieg can leave the enemy team in shambles.

The average destructon of a successful Direct Hit

Ok, not really.

The Direct Hit can make you the bane of Engineers everywhere, as two rockets will destroy any Engineer building no matter the level. Use the quick speed of your rockets and the extra damage to destroy sentries from out of range, the quick speed of the rockets can easily destroy it before the Engineer notices (if he is not constantly repairing it of course) or is away from his equipment. The lack of splash area means you will likely only be able to hit one thing at a time, so make sure to take down the most critical components first.

Juggling / Airshots

Juggling enemies in the air is what the Direct Hit was made for. Successful juggles will grant mini-crit damage, and this weapon already packs a punch as is. Juggling is the term for launching an enemy into the air, then hitting them while they are still in the air and unable to avoid the attack (unless they’re Scouts of course).

The basic premise to this tactic is simple: you need to hit your targets feet so that they will pop up into the air, and then hit them again during the flight. Easier said than done I’m afraid. While the quick speed and power offer a good launch, the small explosion radius makes it difficult to hit your targets, especially if they are jumping around quickly. If they are jumping, try to aim for where they are going to land, so they have less chance of jumping over your next rocket.

Airshotting enemies you’ve juggled is a great feeling

The quickness of the rockets makes it easier to hit your target before they hit the ground, but you must be able to predict when your rocket will reach them. When practicing airshots at medium range, I found that aiming at their legs while they were at the peak of their flight would almost always result in hit. Where you aim for the second shot depends on range of course, aim higher for closer targets and lower for targets that are farther away.

Common Challenges

There are a few challenges you often encounter when learning to use the Direct Hit, firstly is the annoying speedster himself, the Scout. Trying to fight a Scout with the Direct Hit can be a pain. He’s fast, his double jump makes him very evasive and he is very powerful up close. Unless you know you can hit his feet, try not to go for setting him up for an airshot; his double jump and speed make him really difficult to juggle unless you catch him on his landing. If you have too much trouble hitting the little twerp, try to get him when he runs up close, or switch to a different weapon.

Pyros, while not as big of a threat to you as the Scout is, can still be annoying if they know what they are doing when it comes to reflecting projectiles. While your rockets are harder to reflect with their speed, they are harder for you to dodge if reflected because of your slow movement. What makes it even worse is that the reflected rocket will be a mini-crit, and will put a massive hurt on you or your teammates if hit.

The last challenge you need to overcome is the biggest, the reduced splash radius. There have been times where I will fire my rockets and they would explode inches from the enemy leaving them undamaged and unfazed. It was as if to them that rocket was a gust of air or someone sneezing. So when it comes to the Direct Hit, aiming is everything.

Let me remind you readers that I’m not a master with the Direct Hit and I’m definatly not an expert Solider. I’m a person who is new to using the Direct Hit and feel that I can pass on some of the things I learned in my experience so far with this weapon and hope that it can help others who may wish to learn to use it as well. Now get out there and kill some maggots!