Cesspool

fubarFX

The "raw" in "nodraw"
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Jun 1, 2009
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A word about the game mode

this game mode is the my best effort at making CTF enjoyable in a competitive context. the objectives are pretty much the same, go get the enemy's flag and bring it back to your base. now here's the twist, this map has a KOTH timer. Both timers start going down at the beginning of the round. If your timer runs out, your team loses. The only way to get more time is to capture the flag. If we take a closer look at it, your true objective isn't to capture the flag, outlasting your enemy becomes your real objective.

this fixes many issues encountered on CTF maps

teams having to split up
no more of this! If you find yourself having more time than your enemy, it is better to assume a defensive position and let your enemy die off from the lack of time. If you're lacking time however, you'll want to give your everything on the offensive

turtling
On a normal CTF map, defensive actions will stall the game. this time around, defensive actions are rewarded has they are slowly killing your enemy, 1 second at a time. plus, each round hardly last longer than 7 minutes so the bases will be whipped of any sentry every once in a while.

static frontlines
CTF maps are known for their static frontlines, this map regulates spawn times according to teams performance, this helps a lot in getting a dynamic frontline. The ever moving frontline also forces teams to assume defensive or offensive positions according to their performances.

so yeah, ctf_cesspool is what I'd call a KOTH paced CTF.
 
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lana

Currently On: ?????
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Sep 28, 2009
3,075
2,778
Some very distinct architecture going on here. A few sections seem like they'd be completely anti-competitive (the bottomless water pit for one) and the overall layout seems rather small. I'd like to see how it works.
 

Cylence

L1: Registered
Sep 5, 2009
38
11
I played this map on test day and I felt it worked pretty well. I know enjoyed myself so, you're doing something right. :thumbup1:

Capping the intel was of a reasonable difficulty and I liked the simple and focused layout.

This will may very well become a moot point as you add detail, but I often felt disoriented and lost in the middle section after a skirmish or other distraction.

I personally love the inclusion and placement of the pits-o-doom. I feel they are removed enough from combat to not irritate most players but still offer a nice appearance and ambush opportunity. However, I ran off into one of the pits from one of the vent access hallways three times. Although it may very well be my own clumsy painful fault, I feel that a bit of warning there might be nice to help acclimate players new to your map.

You should clean up that water a bit. You can see its nodraw edges near the death pits. Also, you might want to experiment with making your falling water a func_illusionary or something.

Good job so far.
 

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
131
36
This was probably one of the more interesting to look at maps in early alphas thus far since the contest. Like Cylence mentioned, there are a few things that can be changed. Honestly, it was a bit disorienting, but that might be able to be touched up with some props but with a slight variation on where they are put.

The water near the pit-of-death need to be looked at. Either the ledge with the health kit needs to be higher, or the water needs to extend into lower area.

The hallway towards the intel vent becomes a dead end heading right instead. It might be better if you made it into a path of some sort. Its a very far path into the base, but it is also the farthest from the intel.

The only other area of the map I don't like is the spawn. Its geometry only visually feels a little too close. I'm talking about the stair case that leads upwards and that ledge. I'd probably like it better if the descending stairs were moved back a little before exiting the spawn.

Otherwise, great map!
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
The scoring system is confusing. RED team thought they were winning but on the end of the game it turns out BLU won. Not sure what that was about, nor how the timers worked.

The map is also very small in the middle. Not quite sure whether this was detrimental to gameplay but it was quite boring and monotous performing the same actions and getting taken out by the same non-counterable flanks.

The flanks are stronger than the middle making the middle an alternative choice rather than the main choice, i'm not sure whether this is on purpose but it was slightly awkward constantly getting flanked by soldiers and scouts in the middle or in ones own base entrance.

edit: just remembered some images i took.

ctf_sewage_a40005.jpg


This doorway is short enough that you bump into it when jumping.

ctf_sewage_a40004.jpg


45 degree stairs don't look that attractive. Swap them out for a 2:3 ratio where 2 is height and 3 is length (IE 8 units high and 12 deep).
 
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Rikka

L5: Dapper Member
Feb 10, 2009
208
388
What happened with the confused victory was that Blu had run out of time, but Red's intel was out at mid so the match went to overtime. Blu manages to cap it but everyone figured it would still result in a Red victory, even the blu team. That's why everyone was surprised. I only had to read the box text that shows up at the beginning of the round once to completely understand the game-mode, but then that's just me.

Mid was the weakest part of the map for sure. It's best to take the upper route to go left of the intel.
 

fubarFX

The "raw" in "nodraw"
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Jun 1, 2009
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the custom gamemode was indeed very tacky at some points. the scoring system needs to be revised but the core mechanic was working and seemed enjoyable. it will need a lot of polishing but I'm definetly keeping the ctf variant.

the mid was also in need of some fixing... I'm adding a path from mid to upper level. I'll see what else I can do to make the middle path viable.

and finally! someone noticed the 1:1 stairs. not sure I'll be changing them tho (even tho I hate 1:1 stairs myself). no one noticed before you so I guess they don't look too out of place.
 

Azazoth!

L1: Registered
Feb 6, 2010
33
14
Played it very briefly at the end of today's gameday. Really liked the style! I know it's mostly not detailed yet, but the feel of the brushwork (the curved pillars coming through the gratings...) is very distinctive.

One minor thing: it feels like this walkway should end in a fake door, instead of a flat wall, as it does now. It's a bit jarring.
 

fubarFX

The "raw" in "nodraw"
aa
Jun 1, 2009
1,721
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One minor thing: it feels like this walkway should end in a fake door, instead of a flat wall, as it does now. It's a bit jarring.

yeah, i was planning on making a "detail" door there. I won't be opening it for optimization reasons,
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
...

and finally! someone noticed the 1:1 stairs. not sure I'll be changing them tho (even tho I hate 1:1 stairs myself). no one noticed before you so I guess they don't look too out of place.

I would reconsider that request. I did notice and i came here to say so; currently you only just have 1 page of feedback which isn't really a good pool of responses to legitamtely be dismissive like that regarding the experiences and notions of play testers. 1 out of 5 responses braught it up so you might consider it more thoroughly in future. Plus I can see reasons for some players to ignore bringing it up as it is immediately outside of the spawn exits where it would probably serve just as effectively as a ledge that would get jumped from since players just want to get out of spawn and into combat as quick as possible. Speaking as someone with decent powers of observation it was the first thing i noticed about your map and it wasn't a positive impression. It looked lazy and "noobish" if you'll pardon the lingo. That's not supposed to serve as an insult, it's just the nature of 1:1 stairs, as you said yourself. It's even more noticable when you back track into spawn.

The steps should be reduced to something more appropriate and with a more appropriate ratio. IMO.
 
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Ravidge

Grand Vizier
aa
May 14, 2008
1,544
2,818
A few nice people joined me in looking at the contest maps today, just looking for broken stuff and nice details.

This map has definitely developed from last time I saw it. The kind of reverse koth you got going sounds interesting, I haven't thought much about tactics for it yet, but atleast it's new and funky..

One thing we did find was that you don't have a func_respawnflag at the bottom of the deathpit. Which is a pain since you ARE fighting against the clock here.

The watereffect on win is pretty amazing, good job on that :)
 

Penguin

Clinically Diagnosed with Small Mapper's Syndrome
aa
May 21, 2009
2,039
1,484
I love everything about this map.
 

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
131
36
This map was an interesting development from A1 to current Beta. Loved the surprise ending.


EDIT: I wanted to also mention that I feel the black wall, that we see coming out of the spawn (on either side) should be made into a skybox that basically shows it as a becomes a deeper tunnel, only for the sense of depth. It feels awkward as a black wall. Combine that with the death ending, 100% more awesome.
 
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