l4d2 daybreak campaign update

From: DannBo

Hello, everyone! I know its been about four years since this was last updated, but I have been working on an update for a while on and off to try to solve as many of the bugs reported with the last version as possible, while also optimizing each map with HDR and many other changes to improve the visuals of the campaign as well as some smaller balance changes based on your suggestions. If you were experiencing crashes, particularly on map 3 around the cruise ship, I believe this new version should solve the problem for most players (as beta testers who had the crash before no longer have it). Please take a look at the changelog for further information about what was updated, and while this is intended to be more or less the final version, I am still open to feedback. I am working on getting the workshop version updated as well, as we speak!


09/01/17:
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UPDATED TO VERSION 3!

ALL MAPS:
* Added Survival & Scavenge game modes (to all maps but map 3)
* Added gnome-related easter eggs, only unlockable by carrying the gnome through the campaign: secret rooms, unlockable areas, minigames/events, and an unlockable custom community-made weapon (made by Rectus)
* Added improved High Dynamic Range (HDR) support and lighting effects
* Added custom retextured & recompiled community-made vehicle models (See credits) to add more diversity and realism to vehicle population, including fire trucks, minivans, sports cars, muscle cars, contemporary sedans, among others
* Ambulances retextured to red L4D1 skin to match the color scheme of San Fransisco's emergency vehicles
* Minor changes to weapon/item densities & locations for versus balance
* Improved geometry detail, including removal of flat looking overlays and replacing with more detailed prop equivilents
* Significantly improved 3D skybox geometry and details to extend map surroundings out to look more like the real San Fransisco, adding more buildings with improved mesh details as well as cars on the roads in the distance
* Improved transitioning between real world geometry and 3D Skybox geometry, particularly around the Golden Gate Bridge
* Added miniturized versions of real world geometry to 3D skybox so that water would reflect surroundings more realistically, particularly around the Palace of Fine Arts and the Golden Gate Bridge
* Minor improvements to soundscapes with better transitions between indoor and outdoor environments
* Dramatically reduced brush/brushface count for optimization:
- Turned complex and frequenetly reused func_details (railings, pillars, stairs, counters, chandoliers, etc.) into props
- Turned 3D skybox geometry into grouped prop
- Removed/merged unnecessary world geometry & func_details
- Cleaned up messy geometry to reduce visleaves and numportals

MAP 1:
* Split map up into two rendered halves by redesigning a building to arch across street, using an area portal to seperate the two halves so that the entire map isn't rendered at once.
* Added new skybox texture & color correction to accomodate HDR
* Improved hotel lobby interior texturing
* Fixed world-lighting bug caused by poor optimization
* Parking lot now accessible to survivors as alternate route out of alleyway
* Added geometry detail to hotel exterior and a few surrounding buildings
* Smoothed out road incline shortly after exploding barrier event
* Added a few props blocking one of the early hotel windows to reduce death charge options for versus balance
* Added additional upstairs apartments in building just before the Palace of Fine Arts park
* Improved detailing on Palace of Fine Arts pillars & dome

MAP 2:
* Improved lighting around Fort Point so Golden Gate bridge would cast shadows
* Removed some fencing around apartment complex with gatling guns allowing it to be skipped
* Add exploding barrels to Fort Point event
* Improved clipping on fences to prevent survivors from getting to places they shouldn't
* Added new higher-res skybox texture to accomodate HDR
* Added alternate sewer route/exit
* Replaced tall buildings towards end of level with parking lot and hillside scenery
* Added more detail to highway overpass & vehicles
* Fixed lighting bug in first enterable two story apartment next to the semi-truck crossing
* Added ladder to semi-truck crossing so survivors can get back over easily without going through building
* Added geometry detail to a few flat looking building exteriors
* Minor reduction of horde in Fort Point running event

MAP 3:
* Added area portals to cruise ship & reconstructed messy geometry for optimization
* Removed "wedding" common populations which were causing a crash on some player's games where the models were not precached from playing the Passing
* Improved 3D skybox for bridge detail with better transitioning between real bridge and skybox bridge.
* Improved clipping to vehicles just after elevator to make crossing onto the bridge a bit easier/smoother
* Fixed broken infected ladders on the collapsed portion of the bridge before the cruise ship
* Fixed jet animations so they don't appear to be flying through the bridge
* Added melee weapons to starting saferoom
* Removed break in railing at the start of the map at Fort Point to reduce death charging options for versus balance

MAP 4:
* Fixed cubemap bugs where reflections weren't rendering properly from vehicles
* Added area portals to cruise ship & reconstructed messy geometry for optimization
* Converted a portion of the ship exterior from messy func_details into a single prop
* Improved "hidden" geometry beneath natural environment to improve shadows, visibility blocking, and general optimization
* Added area portals to tunnel area
* Added burning car to create better lighting under bridge after the event
* Fixed buggy lighting on rocks, barriers, & vehicles that were getting improperly shaded by neighboring/overlapping geometry
* Improved clipping on vehicles by CEDA trucks

MAP 5:
* Finale scoring fixed in versus so that score increases with gas can count and so that survivors don't get 100% just for making it to the finale
* Added interior to Barracks/Residential building at beginning of map to create an alternate route with items and to accomodate the addition of Survival mode to that area
* Added witches to finale in coop & versus. Prison cells with yellow biohazard tape contain witches when opened, some of these cells are ones with gas cans. The cells where witches spawn are randomly picked so that its different every game
* Seperated cellhouse roof from rest of the map so that the entire map isn't rendered at once (i.e. you can no longer jump from room to cellhouse entrance as a special infected)
* Improved foliage rendering so they wouldn't jarringly "pop" into view as you approached them, but fade in more subtley
* Extended area accessible to infected before the series of stairwells leading to the cellhouse to accomodate the additions of Survival mode
* Added dock in first area of map accessible to infected as well as a portion of tunnel accessible to survivors with items to accomodate the addition of Survival mode
* Added break in railing on one of the stairwells next to the Barracks to make it easier for survivor bots/infected to drop down without getting stuck on the railings
* Optimized cellhouse geometry, turning complex meshes into func_details and props to improve frames per second during event, may still lag on older systems
* Improved finale scripting with better horde spawns and less bot tanks getting stuck and despawned
* Improved clipping on railings and military trucks
* Added G-Man