alpha 6 is here! This is a big upgrade: the third section is now connected to the rest of the map, making it complete!

-------------------
ctf_haarp_a6
-------------------
Gameplay Changes:
-Capture points that Red owns function as dispensers for their team.

Layout changes:
-All three sections are included.
-Partially detailed through capture point 1-1
-The intelligence in section 1 now spawns on a platform in between the two paths out of Blue spawn.
-The area leading up to CP 2-2 is different. There are now two main paths, instead of three small paths.
-The room containing CP 2-2 is larger, and there is an additional staircase to the lower level on Red's side.

Oh wow, that first screenshot looks really nice- love the setting (and the huge pipe :P)

Looking forward to having a playtest on this map, is it entered in any gamedays :)?

It'll be on this Sunday's gameday

And I'm going to try and get a test in today (friday) as well if I can.

Had alot of fun on this last night. Good layout, looks like it could be really cool when it's all finished up.

bump for gameday.

Wow, section 1 got locked down multiple times. I guess defenders are getting used to the map now and it's easier to defend than I anticipated. The attackers weren't very organized, but even still it seemed too difficult. I think I might raise the timer for each capture as well, blue didn't get very much time for section 2 the one time they made it that far.

Any suggestions are welcome.

We played stage 1 and stage 2 on gameday and they were both fun, I like the map. :)
And yea, stage 1 seemed much harder for blu than before, especially at point 2. There where always atleast 4 - 5 reds standing in that small 'room' with the 2nd cp in, but blu couldn't kill them, because it was very hard to reach the entrance of that room.

The first cp in stage 2 wasn't that hard I think, but that cp fine like it is now, I think. But, the 2nd cp was just a sentry fest. It was very hard to take 3 - 4 sentries out, even with some ubercharges there was always one left over. I don't know how to fix it, but maybe some little more advantage for blu there would be cool. :)

I must say I love the map, and can't wait until you put in the skybox, because it will apparently be something amazing =DDDD

I only just noticed this, but the pointer on the bottom that points at the intel points at Section 3's intel, and never the intel for the section (unless it's section 3 of course =O)

Not sure if this would ever confuse anyone or if this actually even happens in maps.

It looks beatiful. Actually yet to play this bugger, so no gameplay advice. But i don't like the name.

Makes me think of seals.

The name is amazing, and if he's actually using HAARP, then he's amazing.

If he's NOT, then I'd gladly steal the name and the idea and make my own thing, but that would be silly.

Also, I'm loving how you included the album cover to it =P

Unfortunately, because of what will be in the skybox, I can't put it in until the end. But I think people will like it when they see it.

/teaser.

Updated to alpha 7!

-------------------
ctf_haarp_a7
-------------------
Gameplay Changes:
-The HUD compass is fixed, and now points at the correct capture points.

Layout changes:
-The section between CP 1-1 and 1-2 is redesigned to make it easier for Blue to setup a staging area.

I really like the redesign! I kind of feel like there's a lot of metal in that area, though (There's a Med Ammo/Health AND a Small Ammo/Health within like 256 units of each other, I think)

It should allow for a faster/better staging area for blue, which is your intention. I'll try to be there to test it out =D

EDIT: It's at 12, so I should be able to wake up for it...

I don't know what it is about Haarp, but it is an epic map. I just hope you don't detail it so much I lag.

Only problem I saw was the RED spawn door that BLU could open, and on the first round, that one hut has somethign sticking out of it at the top.

Yeah, the hut without the CP in it for section 2 I think is the one with something sticking out of it.

Don't forget Blue spawn in part 2, you need to make it so you don't have to jump to get out!

Also, the third section is really easy for soldiers/demomen to get into, so I'm not sure if you want to change it or anything.

After playing today, it looks like the spawn times are alright? I do think that one team was better than the other though, in general, so I'm not really sure what you want to do about the spawn times.

Map played really well today, and I think everyone loved the new additions!

I didn't see that, which door is it?

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/3...0917351629.jpg
I think there should be health and ammo right where my cursor is pointing.

Nice map spud.
A few issues: reds respawn times were too long, I don't think they should exceed 20 secs at all.

This path needs a sign to point to it, when we played no-one used it as they probably didn't think it existed at all :P
Also that building should have some supports, looks a bit fake.
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247188019

I think this area was too dark, and perhaps a bit too open in width.
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247188126


Nothing major, but the edge of this building isn't touching the ground.
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1247188175

Oh, I do agree with Mashpotatoe's first thing he brought up. I played through HAARP by myself to look at the layout and I noticed it, but only after I had explored the capture point and the room it was it (I walked out and turned left and found a ramp and I was confused)

And even with prior knowledge of this area, I solely attacked the point from the right side.

I think when I was defending, I was doing a good job of blowing up whoever went this way, though, but there were a few pyros and soldiers who came by this way, including one who must have seen the path AFTER rocket jumping over the rocks.

It might also have to do something with the floor there being grey instead of blue? It just doesn't stick out as much since it blends into the skybox, I think.

I personally didn't notice the 2nd picture being dark, but I think my brightness is up too high. I do think it's a bit big, though, but I don't know of any way I'd recommend to reduce the size, because it played pretty well. I just wish there was a way to warn people of the possibility of soldiers/demomen rocket/stickie jumping into the cap, though.

http://gaming.calculatedchaos.com/demo/getTheDemo.png
http://gaming.calculatedchaos.com/ra..._a7&color=blue

I got a chance to play this map last night and I was very pleazed. We had a great time, teams were balanced and we had many exciting moments. You made the intel areas perfectly accessable while also making them easy to defend. For instance, as a Soldier, there are many points that you can rocket jump to. This would be fine and dandy but if the cap area had a SG or a pyro was blowing people back, this was still difficult to accomplish.

I came in about half way through the match and someone had mentioned that they had gotten stuck in one of the spawns or something. I'm not sure what he was talking about but I am sure it will be in the demo.

One of the best maps I've ever played.


A few minor bugs:

No sign:
http://imgkk.com/i/tIS.jpg

Then the sign suddenly appears as you go further forward (visually distracting):
http://imgkk.com/i/76q.jpg

Weird thing on roof:
http://imgkk.com/i/tbS.jpg

Another update, mostly to fix the terrible respawn times. If everything goes well this alpha should hold its own for a while.

-------------------
ctf_haarp_a8
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Gameplay Changes:
-Red's spawn time is reduced by about 8 seconds. They should take roughly 16 seconds to respawn now.

Layout changes:
-More detailing in section 1.
-Added a fence near CP 1-2 to help Blue out.
-Player clipped the floor in Blue's second spawn.
-Removed some of the glass near CP 3-2.

Some thoughts:

1. Love this map. Plays well, well detailed.
2. Seemed a bit RED-engy-campy
3. Outside the one-way gate for BLU on stage 1, you have metal beams that look like wooden beams... choose one or the other, no one supports a building with metal beams like that

Curse you, pointing out where I ran out of ideas! I thought I'd slip that by undetected.

1. You can stand on both sides of the window in the Red spawn, should be playerclipped imo (Screenie)
2. This door really looks usable. While not many players seemed to have noticed it, those who did almost always ran right into it. (Screenie)
3. This doorway on the other hand was hard to see (for me), I would never have noticed it if Blu players hadn't come out of it. (Screenie)

I'm working on a new build to fix balance issues, and I'll fix little problems here and there too. Thanks for all the feedback!

I really love how this is shaping out :)

In general i´d say it could be more straight forward, there are tons of corners, nooks, turns that overcomplicate the layout, but its tolerable
although i like the idea of the dispensing point, it seems to easy to get stuff build up and get the defenders back to full health
maybe use a reverse trigger-hurt, so you can control the dispensed health better and play with ordinary ammopacks and its respawntime


1-1:
the route beneath the window is suicidal and hardly used, too easy for red to spam down

1-2:
the turn on the top level to the cp is a clusterfuck, too many players on a too narrow bottleneck, double the width of the path maybe

2-1:
no problem getting that point for blu, it´s too easy to encircle it and destroy all defenses

2-2:
very spammy point, i think thats because red spawn and the cp are that close to each other

3-1:
only played once, so can´t say much
the two wide paths leading up are long, you´d need to defend both sides with sentries, and those are easy to take out because the paths up aren´t cover by the sentries distance

stage 3 needs definately mor light, had a hard time to figure out what´s happening

good job so far

i played on it last night a little bit, its a very good map so far i really like it, but one thing i noticed is that on the second stage going to the second point, when defense (sorry forgot the team... not good with stuff like that haha) comes out of spawn there is only one way to exit and it's pretty easy to be killed when leaving if there is a heavy-medic or soldier-medic pair across from it coming out of that little connector-room thing

You should probably mark the points with a control point plate or, preferrably, an intel stand. It was a little hard to see where the point was, regardless of the hazard strips. Speaking of this, the "dispensers" weren't very obvious, not to mention I don't really understand why they're there. All they do is make it more inviting to stay next to the point, which doesn't really sound good.

The models around the control points are completely temporary right now. I'm going to have custom computer terminals eventually. They will also make the dispensers more obvious. You won't see these models till the first beta probably.

The dispensers are there because I want to invite Red to stay on the points. It helps beat it into their heads that they can block captures.:)

Double-post-update time! You want same-day delivery? I've GOT same-day delivery!

Based on today's gameday test (and stuff I've been thinking of over time), here's an update to improve balancing:

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ctf_haarp_a9
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Gameplay Changes:
-Red's spawn time is now roughly 18 seconds for stages 1 and 2, and roughly 14 for stage 3.
-Blue's respawn time is now roughly 2 seconds for stages 1 and 2, and roughly 4 for stage 3.

Layout changes:
-modified the right hallway leading to CP 1-1 so that Red sentries don't see straight down it.
-added small health/ammo behind the fence near CP 1-2.
-widened the catwalk path to the right of CP 1-2.
-changed the area outside of Red's spawn in stage 2. It should now make it easier for them to get to the point, and harder for Blue to spawn camp.
-added a new room across the long hall from CP 2-2 which should give Blue a better angle on sentries.
-brightened up stage 3 a bit.

This is my favorite of the A/D ctf maps and you'll most likely be getting my vote, unless something unexpected happens :)

Definitely getting my vote too :)

This map, despite alpha status, is on the same level as Orange_x3, Balloon Race and Dustbowl (my other favourite maps :P)


Also I've found this map to be most fun with 3 or less players on each team, making it a perfect server filler. If you could do anything to scale down RED's respawn time when there aren't many players that would be awesome :D

What.

Ok, here's a hint: Don't ever compare a map to Orange_x3 here unless you're saying IT SUCKS. The majority of us hate... hate... HATE... that map. It is a disgrace to maps everywhere, how something that completely disregards class balance can be played by so many and overshadow the maps that have WORK put into them!


Sorry. Rant over. Haven't played A9, but I might suggest this to a server I play on, mostly because of the fact it doesn't get 4 new alphas a day and it has pretty good gameplay.

Unless that server is used to testing stuff I'd rather not get an alpha out into public use. It's low quality and all that.

I should - should - get a beta out within a few weeks.

I know all that, but it is actually quite fun for the classes that are actually playable on it :P

You know, Darkimmortal brings up an interesting point. I think that the CTF maps work well with any number of people. I've had a few small playtest things with people, and somehow my map has held interested for a few rounds. (well, it depends on the number of SCOUT. I HATE THEM SO MUCH)

I haven't actually tried HAARP with less than a full server, so I'd be interested to see how it plays at half capacity.

http://gaming.calculatedchaos.com/demo/getTheDemo.png http://gaming.calculatedchaos.com/ra..._a9&color=blue

ive played it on cpt.angry's Cc server,and one thing i can say is extend block zones. esp on 2nd poitnts each stage.

The block zones are already much larger than the capture zones. Red can block anywhere within the hazard tape. If people stood within the hazard tape and it didn't block though, let me know what points that happened on. I haven't seen any bugs like that, but it's possible.

Epic as always, Dr. Spud.

Only thing I've got is that you can build in the blue spawn
http://files.getdropbox.com/u/149072...arp_a90005.jpg
http://files.getdropbox.com/u/149072...arp_a90006.jpg