CS-Nation

Covering the future of Counter-Strike
barney (aka n@rby)
interview: barney (aka n@rby)
Barney has created several popular official CS maps including de_aztec and de_inferno as well as maps for CPL tournaments. Recently Barney got hosted right here at CS-Nation and begun work on a new CS 1.4 map after having just finished Condition Zero work. In case you don't know, narby and Barney are the same creature.

Barney's New Map
CS-Nation: What's your new map about?
Barney: The map is set in a de-commissioned ex cold war soviet arms store. The plot is basically Terrorist have seized 2 nuclear warheads from a 3rd world nuclear power and set them up within the complex with the intent of detonating them and causing instability within the super-powers

CS-Nation: What theme does this map use? What scenario is it?
Barney: The map is de (bomb) and is very close quarter style combat. Fast paced and slightly paranoid :)


An early shot of the T spawn.
CS-Nation: Tell us what makes this map different from your other classics, like de_aztec and de_inferno?
Barney: Its a more believable setting for one, and lacks incredibly bright lights. It's also designed more for non scoped rifles, though I'm sure people will find
uses for the awp.

CS-Nation: The first versions of all your maps seem to get fine-tuned in subsequent releases of Counter-Strike. What are you doing to make sure your latest map is great right off the bat?
Barney: LOTS of playtesting. Then more. Then some more. Then I realize I've forgotten to send cliffe a vital update and swear repeatedly.


Another picture of narby's new map.
CS-Nation: Are you using new mapping or lighting techniques? How will you make your map look good under the aging Half-Life engine?
Barney: The map is very light orientated, lots of mixtures of lighting styles, spotlights, daylight, shadows and glows. I'm using slightly larger scale textures than I normally use, 256x256 (rather than 128x128) for the most part, walls and floors for example. This gives greater texture detail and a smoother appearance

About Barney's World
CS-Nation: Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Barney: My names Chris Auty, I'm 19 and am living in North England.


Terrorists will bomb nuclear warheads.
CS-Nation: So what is the goal of Barney's World?
Barney: I just wanted a place i could upload images, release maps and have a general center point for my work, rizzuh was kind enough to make it and hosted it on csn (thx rish~).

CS-Nation: Any particular reason you ended up on CS-Nation?
Barney: Well rizzuh wrote the code for the site, so he suggested we host it on csn since at the time they were looking for subsites to go with the new csn image.

CS-Nation: What kind of new content can we expect to see in the coming months on "Barney's World"?
Barney: I'd like to add some new maps, and add some custom maps for download. More tutorials, more links and generally pad the site out some more

What's your favorite recent narby creation?
de_aztec
de_inferno
de_vertigo
cs_thunder
the CAL maps
About Mapping in General
CS-Nation: What gives you your mapping inspirations?
Barney: TV, movies, the real world. Anything and everything

CS-Nation: What's your favorite part to work on?
Barney: The first room, because it usually decides whether the map will be good or not. You get the feel for it early on

CS-Nation: Have you ever killed a project after only making one room (even if it had a good idea)?
Barney: Yes many times, I've made entire maps and scrapped them

CS-Nation: Is there anything in worldcraft/map making that drives you nuts and wish wasn't there?
Barney: Invalid solid structures, forgetting to de-select "make cylinder", stuff like that.

CS-Nation: When you make your maps do you do your own texture work?
Barney: nope, I'm possibly the worst texture artist in the world since the blind man with no arms managed to install photoshop.
CS-Nation: So do you grab them from the web or enlist the help of others?
Barney: Usually i work with a texture artist, depends if they can put up with me requesting endless changes to textures