1. I'm making a hotel with a few ideas I don't believe have been used yet. Anyone want rooms?
2. I'm working on a new gamemode called "TagTeam" (yes, TagTeam without a space) Hopefully some of you will show some interest.

Regarding the poll, I have to ask: did you look at the very most recent thread before you posted this? As for the hotel, are hotels not Mike-style anymore? Are we back to giving people rooms arbitrarily without making them earn the money first?

The genre has pretty much degenerated into the old "ask for a room" style. Hotel levels now are really just big levels where you can wander around, with a bunch of random stuff thrown in like test sections and battle arenas.

I suspect if someone did try to revive the more gameplay oriented style of hotel ("Mike-style" as you put it), it would be pretty popular. Unfortunately it requires a lot of work and commitment to do this successfully. I also think that of all the attempts to make a level like this, only two or three were actually *fun* when it came to actually playing it (many of the levels were simply way too big or complicated for you to have any chance of killing other players). All of this is probably why the whole genre was rather short-lived.

As a side note, if anyone ever does happen to try to make a good, gameplay-oriented hotel level, I would suggest coming up with something new, rather than looking at the old coin-based ones. Come up with (realistic) ways to encourage players to actually fight each other. That is something which all previous attempts have failed at. Consider having the level playable in multiple gamemodes (such as CTF and pestilence) and occasionally switching to them, awarding the winners a certain amount of "money". That sort of thing.

I only show interest in gamemodes with spaces in their names. Sorry.

Originally Posted by EvilMike

As a side note, if anyone ever does happen to try to make a good, gameplay-oriented hotel level, I would suggest coming up with something new, rather than looking at the old coin-based ones. Come up with (realistic) ways to encourage players to actually fight each other. That is something which all previous attempts have failed at. Consider having the level playable in multiple gamemodes (such as CTF and pestilence) and occasionally switching to them, awarding the winners a certain amount of "money". That sort of thing.

Yeah , back when I had my hotel, I was doing this kinda thing, even questionnaire's and game show style's where you could win money. As well as a lottery. Having tests in your level is also a good way for people to gather money. You should check out goldrabbits hotel, He is very compassionate about making A really good hotel which stands out, and from what I've seen he is achieving that.

Although I don't know anything about your hotel sean, Perhaps he's just giving some rooms away because he's being kind <3. I think its best if you tell us more about your hotel sean.

Originally Posted by Speeza

Having tests in your level is also a good way for people to gather money.

The other ideas you mentioned are interesting to do once and a while, but I actually think tests take away from the gameplay more than anything. If they are open all the time, it creates a large section of the level which is separated from the rest, and has a completely different style of gameplay. This makes it hard for you to really fit in regular jj2 gamemodes.

However, a test section could work if it is closed off most of the time, and only opened on special occasions (this way you can also give bigger rewards to those who complete it first). It's easy enough to do this with trigger scenery - just make it so the host/admin has to use /trigger.

I have read over this thread and saw many interesting ideas posted. While the "Mike-style" system degraded over time along with the overall quality of hotels, I still believe that the game-mode is not dead. Hotels can be very fun, and when a bit of passion is added into making them, there is a high chance people will love it.

I also believe that more-gameplay level hotels should have two versions. For example, you may have seen my city level which is, in a way, part of this game-mode (not advertising). What I'm doing is creating two versions of the same level, one for (possible) dedicated servers and one for the situation in which the host (or admins) are active. Seeing as timed trigger commands haven't been introduced yet, it is still impossible for triggers to be activated each hour/half an hour etc.

Tests are not necessarily what makes a level of this genre fun to play. Go play test levels for that. People cannot just slap in some tests under a certain cover (police tests etc.), add a few rooms then call it a hotel. Hotels are supposed to be diverse, featuring a wide range of things to do you wouldn't find anywhere else. Why not think more about the selection of activities you want your level to feature?

First, lay out a generic plan of the things you want to do. After you have finished the basic outline of the activity, think of the place where it would fit best. For example, where would a trigger mission fit? How about a maze one? This is the path to a good level. Then struggle to add eyecandy.

Of course, creativeness matters too, so have a go at that too! Good luck to Sean and whoever else is currently making a hotel, and let's hope your level turns out great!

Originally Posted by EvilMike

As a side note, if anyone ever does happen to try to make a good, gameplay-oriented hotel level, I would suggest coming up with something new, rather than looking at the old coin-based ones. Come up with (realistic) ways to encourage players to actually fight each other.

NeonPSY came up with the idea of using roasts as currency. It was a great idea but the implementation of it sucked; as I recall the level was pretty much a flat, featureless space with no ammo, and to buy something with your roasts you had to rejoin, without getting "change" - for example, if you had 7 roasts and bought something that cost 5 roasts, you'd lose all 7.

The latter would be easily fixed now that we have JJ2+ and the ability to set individual scores.

Also, Lifewater Lodge had Lark periodically setting bounties on the most annoying players (usually me), which worked pretty well.

That sounds like it would have been really slow if not hosted in instagib... was it?

As a matter of fact, my hotel features a trigger zone for every job you get, which allows you to choose only ONE job, much like real life. Of course, you have to be fired first to get a new one. Every job needs work to be done to get your coins. Weapons, shields, and other stuff must be bought (though this very much isn't original), a full SP level, a few duel levels for those interested in blowing off some steam (equipped with spectator seats for those who don't want to lose ammo and stuff by /spectate on), and, for kicks, a Suicide Room

TagTeam isn't going to be much of a hit, I can bet. With what I know about gamemodes, this is going to suck.

Originally Posted by Unknown Rabbit

That sounds like it would have been really slow if not hosted in instagib... was it?

The level was very small as I remember, so it wasn't all that slow compared to ordinary hotels. Then again, hotels are not known for being fast-paced.

Anyone suggest a good way to create a battle level with the Hotel Dream tileset? The range for eye candy is rather limited or non existent.

Why that set in particular, if it has limited eyecandy?

Because it's a hotel tileset and I feel rather comfortable with it.

As will be played in this game mode?

My hotel will be playable in Treasure, Capture the Flag, Battle, Single Player, Coop, and many other gamemodes. And I'm talking about really playable.

Originally Posted by Sean

Anyone suggest a good way to create a battle level with the Hotel Dream tileset? The range for eye candy is rather limited or non existent.

When you can't make something detailed, fall back on something weird-looking.

Done that. Nice suggestion, by the way. :P

The one perfect (IMO, i don't really know) idea for hotel would be: fighting for those who want, working for those who want. Like jobs to earn coins to buy stuff (like those rare get your own room through trigger usage and the buy furniture, through trigers) or then a do a team based (cops vs robbers for example) fighting mode. Just that you make sure civilians who don't want to fight won't get killed in the process. Do this by separating the people in different areas or then just use JJ2+ /smhealth 7 would ensure you get to hospital fast enough...

My favorite is Dom

Heh, I'm also making another gamemode called Invasion. Think it will be fun. Based of Dom so I think you'll like it Red.

So, finally, an update on my hotel which none of you are looking forward to. First, the music, which I composed myself, and hope fits the hotel-style. It is 3.22 MB and an mp3 file, so please only download it if you have JJ2+. Most of you do, so I sound like an idiot. Click here.

Now, to advertise Sean's Hotel!

SEAN'S HOTEL

As you enter the hotel, you are greeted by fireworks.



Once you climb the Stairway to Heaven(TM), the Hotel is yours for the taking!



Get a job, earn money!






Should you get the urge to kill something, come on over to the fight arenas, featuring three battle arenas and two duel arenas (repetition annoying you?)! (As of update, duel arenas not completed)






Enjoy the annoyingly simple spring system! Works great for battles too!



Should you feel like visiting the zoo, well, visit the zoo!



The beach is a great place to relax.



Hungry? Grab a cheese/ham/thing/anything at the cafe!



Explore the cave without an annoying tour guide.



Wanna talk but not get shot? The chatroom is the place for you!



Life not worth living anymore? Jumping off a building won't do the trick but this sure as death will!



All this and much more coming up! Just PM the contractor Sean for any questions about the finished version!

Come on down and visit Sean's Hotel today!

Oh, and on a side note, I'm looking for someone to help create the SP level for the Hotel (I've never done any and don't plan to start). To volunteer or tell me to do it myself, PM me too. PM me again if you want to betatest or something.

Looks nice !

I don't like the idea of having teleporters that lead you everywhere as is shown in that second screenshot. It makes the level feel less like an actual world; the teleporter room can become the only landmark used to tell areas apart from the others.
Players won't memorize paths from one area to the other, they'd just know how to get from each different area to the teleporter room.

I use it to make the map more compact.

I think its a bit too hotelish (yes that does sound very dumb because it's an hotel). If you really want to differ from other hotels you should spam less events (like the monsters and springs, they are only annoying) and create an actuall world like Ae said. Try to play Carrot Shire and see if you can get some idea's of it.

No desire to sound offensive or anything, but I have put in a lot of work into this hotel, so as GoldRabbit says on his Carrotopolis thread, please don't just dismiss this as another bad hotel level. I'm working hard on this and it probably won't be out within another month or three.

True, I don't say your hotel is bad. I think your hotel better then most other hotels out there, I just want advice you a bit to make more eyecandy because it looks like most other hotels which is not very good. However I didn't played your hotel yet so you might just as well ignore me

Anyone who's played my levels on J2O would know I'm not one for EC :P

I selected Other because i like another gamemode like Survivor , i played it in NC's server but the leves was sucks xd. I preffer more Blureed's survivor pack

Well, Survivor is played under Treasure, so I would suggest having used that, but never mind :\

*cough*groundforce*cough*

*couch*ground force*cough*

*couch*

Argh, there's a flu virus looming around this thread.

Originally Posted by Jake

Argh, there's a flu virus looming around this thread.

Blame Obbie.

Originally Posted by Mak_Clite

Could anyone tell me if the hotel will be busy on 19th October for 2 weeks, and any other advice for a group of 6 travelling to GS?

Thanks

I'm sorry, what hotel again? This one? And you DO know it was only October a looooong time ago, right?

Oh man, I really hope that spambot post doesn't get deleted.

Hah this reminds me of the Hotel I made with Birdie and the tileset that went with it. If you ever want any ideas, I can post some screen shots. It's pretty different from anything else, so.. Yeah!

lol, nice to see you Hitch go ahead with posting pictures, I wanna see them.

I think I posted these pictures on the forums quite awhile ago, anyways, here's a few snap shots.









The hotel system for banking uses hotel helper. I recommend it for anyone, if doing something serious for the Zeal Server.