narby

interview: narby
author: Exo date: january 3rd, 2003 print: printable b&w version feedback: 138 comments

Barney, or more recently known as narby, is an established mapper in the Counter-Strike community. His more recent works include Aztec, Inferno, and Vertigo. Recently, CS-Nation's Exo and rizzuh spoke with him about his latest map: Airstrip. It's set to appear in Counter-Strike 1.6 (more info on 1.6).

The BETA version of CS 1.6 should come very shortly. Stay tuned to CS-Nation for the latest news about this exciting release.

CS-Nation: What's this new map about, the basics?

narby: I'm not one for complex story lines behind maps, the average CS player really doesn't give a crap as long as it's fun. Simply put, the map is set deep in a jungle on the perimeter of an airstrip that's being used to supply special forces into the area to wipe out the drugs trade. If you've ever seen the movie ``clear and present danger'' it's a little along those lines, only without the laser guided bombs.

CS-Nation: Will players who've liked some of your other maps such as aztec and inferno, enjoy airstrip as much? Or is it a complete overhaul of your previous style of creation?

narby: The layout is very simple. I think complex layouts kill maps, and anything that takes more than 3 or 4 rounds to learn isn't going to be enjoyed quite so much. Ideally players would take the time to learn the map and refrain from the deathmatch style of play that frequent most maps, but that isn't how things work unfortunately.

I wanted to make airstrip a little more pleasant to look at than my previous maps, spend more time on visuals for once and stick to a trusted layout. I had the help of Iikka Keranan (2d artist with Valve) who produced some really kick ass textures for the map, as well as the grass sprites. Valve also supplied some really nice plant and tree models which finished things off nicely and took full advantage of the new masked skin technology included in 1.6.

CS-Nation: Where did the idea come from?

narby: During one of our weekly tea and chit-chat self discovery discussions on IRC, rizzuh and I were trying to come up with some ideas for locations that would make a really cool map. Something a little different and hopefully something that could take advantage of the new technology included in 1.6. rizzuh mentioned he'd like to see a map set in the jungle and the whole thing evolved from that. It turns out he's not just a porky, no talent assclown after all, but a no talent assclown who can come up with cool ideas.

/me hugs rizzuh the friendly goldfish

CS-Nation: Are you using new techniques in the making of this?

narby: The two main techniques new to this map are the models and sprites to create foliage and give the map a little more depth. Creating the tree lines and keeping areas separate was tricky, especially with the entity limits of the HL engine. The cool thing about models is they'll be available to everyone to use in maps once 1.6 has been released.

It was tricky to get the look of a jungle, a real jungle is very confined and stuffed with foliage and trees but is very hard to pull off in the HL engine. Airstrip has a series of clearing linked together with borders of trees behind perimeter fences to retain the illusion of depth. Model trees and folige were used to add a little bit more realism to the map.

CS-Nation: What kind of mapping techniques have you used in the past to modify gameplay? Any that you're using on Airstrip?

narby: I think height is very important in a map, aztec/inferno/thunder all used a lot of height changes to make gameplay a little more interesting. I've also used simple layouts through out the maps to avoid overwhelming the player with paranoia as to where an enemy may be. Having areas with loads of different entrances and exits tends to make things very ``panicy'' on the players part as they try to cover all exits and predict where the enemy may be coming from.

These vats not only hold gasoline for the airplanes, but they allow you to play checkers or chess on the exterior.

The bombsites are clearly marked.

CS-Nation: Lately, newer Counter-Strike maps have failed to reach the popularity of many older maps. What differentiates Airstrip, in terms of gameplay, from some of the more recent official maps?

narby: It's more simple for one, the layout is very easy to learn after playing just a couple of rounds, but big enough to provide a good selection of tactics and choices for the player. I really wanted a map that anyone could pick up in a short period of time, something that was also suitible for the CPL in terms of fast paced gameplay and (hopefully) unbias to either team.

CS-Nation: Do you think the way you personally play Counter-Strike influences how you map gameplay-wise?

narby: Yes and if possible they'd all contain a sniper nest.

CS-Nation: Unlike most official mappers, you like to update your maps from version to version. CS 1.6, for example, will include new versions of de_aztec and de_inferno (more info). Do you plan on doing this with Airstrip? Do you have any fixes or updates in mind right now that you might make, given enough time?

narby: I intend to support the maps as much as possible, I hate seeing bugs in them and hate getting emails telling me about bugs I already know of even more :) It's also good to keep things visually more up to date as CS is getting on a bit in years, a little eye candy is nice. Airstrip is more or less final now, I'll probably be fixing things during testing and i'm sure it will be updated during later releases too.

CS-Nation: What kind of challenges do you realize when making a map that, based on your mapping record, will likely be a very big hit?

narby: Aztec has been dogged a little by being weighted towards the CT (I think all de_ maps are a little). I'm trying to keep airstrip balanced without devoiding either team of a challenege. I guess it all depends on who you're playing at the time. It's also good to make sure the map will play well for clans, since the clan community is so large with a game like CS. I get a lot of feedback from my pal Frank Nuccio of CPL fame which is a big help in making sure the map is ready for competitions such as the CPL.

Thanks for your time, narby. And here are the more shots of his Counter-Strike 1.6 map, Airfield:


related links

» CS 1.6 Information
» Barney's World


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