[ARENA] Shale

Seba

DR. BIG FUCKER, PHD
aa
Jun 9, 2009
2,364
2,728
:eek: bootifool! We need to Gameday this.
 

Dain

L3: Member
Oct 21, 2009
106
43
You can shoot stickies all the way over the top of the central building.
 

Attsy

L3: Member
Jan 31, 2010
110
29
Very impressive! This your first map for TF2/source/etc.?

Thank you all for the comments, this is actually my second tf2 map, I have been mapping since counter strike.


Compared to my past Tf2 map, I worked towards a good layout/design and would love to test it out.

Also is shooting stickies over the top something I should fix? I'm not sure if it would be a problem but I can fix it quickly if it is.

Thanks again.
 

Tekku

aa
Aug 31, 2008
723
873
The only thing that i don't like is the square buildings in 2nd and 5th picture a roof would look better then just a box, anyways this is sure a good looking map specially as 2nd one you made.
 

Attsy

L3: Member
Jan 31, 2010
110
29
The only thing that i don't like is the square buildings in 2nd and 5th picture a roof would look better then just a box, anyways this is sure a good looking map specially as 2nd one you made.

I agree, I'll get that fixed up.
 

Attsy

L3: Member
Jan 31, 2010
110
29
Updated B1
Changed Blu and Red Battlements to make them less flat
Small detail work
Added barrier to under-point-route
Added roof to blu side passage
Added B1 to title for gameday
Minor prop fade changes
Minor optimization tweaks
Removed small health pickup in pipe room
Added directional sign below cap
Fixed shooting stickies above tower
Fixed clipping over tower
Lowered lightmaps on some blocky shadow areas
Lowered HDR intensity
Added clips to train area
Removed some unseen displacements in the cliff area


I cant wait to test this out.

And also, should I update the screenshots?
 
Last edited:

Attsy

L3: Member
Jan 31, 2010
110
29
Updated B2
Reworked tower area
Moved control point to bottom of tower
Removed left side industrial building
Removed many spectator cameras
Removed 1 small health and ammo pack
Removed some awkward detailing on Reds base
Closed off area underneath the capture point
Added addition cover on tower catwalks
Removed Sheds in back of map
Fixed Railroad wood texture
Fixed crate lighting bug in Railway room
Increased ambient wind sounds on the highest catwalk as well as the idle train sound
 

Siveran

L1: Registered
Aug 29, 2010
8
5
Great stuff Spank, great stuff! This map gets better every day. Shame today's gameday is full, eh? Since beta2 has some big changes (and you're not on right now) I'll post my feedback here. (Also ironically my first post on this site <.<)

This sight line allows players to start shooting at each immediately as they come out of the shortest route out of the spawn area. I can only imagine the rage if either team had a really good sniper or two!

Is there really any point to these rooftop holes? Cause to me they were nothing more than an annoying thing to fall into.

Another unfinished rooftop here...

...and here.

The new control point area is better than the last one, but is not without faults. For starters, it's even harder to find than the old one! Expect new players to be wandering around for a while trying to find it. As well, the new cp is really, really CRAMPED. For arena this will probably be fine, but you'll definitely wanna fix this if you go through with making that koth version (Which I still wanna see, by the way! Any updates on that?).

That darn crate still isn't fixed! At this point might I suggest replacing it with a new prop entirely?

The lack of ammo packs is also painful. I count 1 medium and 2 small ones, though admittedly I didn't scrape every inch of it during playtesting. A full ammo pack somewhere would really make Engie's lives much easier, as if they weren't crippled enough in Arena... Might I suggest buffing up the ones right outside the spawns?

And finally, a personal request... Can you let us in here? :D
 
Last edited:

Attsy

L3: Member
Jan 31, 2010
110
29
Ill save the space and not quote you for this reply

First off thanks for the comments I intend to continually tweak this map until I believe its finished.

I know exactly what to do to fix both the sightline out of spawn and the capture point being hard to find, and maybe next gameday I'll make it in :3

Those rooftops are not unfinished, when you noclip to it it looks plain but from the ground they look ok, except the blu side, I never liked it as much as the red. Next release I'll give the blu side a slanted roof.

I'll fix the holes, I agree with what you said and also they werent of much use anyway.

As far as a koth version I'm still on the fence with it, I am however very interested in doing a king of the flag version.

I already replaced the crate as well as rotating it, I guess ill switch it out for two smaller ones.

Theres actually an additional two medium in the spawn for engies to build, ill add an third smaller one on the left side of the map.

During the first playtest that area was left unused, also with the spawn point being moved the ramps which used to lead to the area are needed as an walkway to the roof/point.

Thanks agian!

And absurdistof I'll try to get the new version on next gameday to test it out.
 

Attsy

L3: Member
Jan 31, 2010
110
29
Ive updated the screenshots with the new release
B3
Reworked capture area
Added lights to cap to make it more noticeable
Added more directional signs
Upped small ammo pack to medium in pipe room
Added transitional textures to Red and Blu spawn
Changed some textures in Blu base
Minor detailing
Changed railway from a prop to a brush to fix shadow issues
Rotated satellite
Added more cover on bridge
Fixed a z-fighting issue
Raised gravel piles to be used as a way up to train tracks
Included a readme in the .zip file
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
I have to admit the layout doesn't look that interesting besides the fact it appears players can access the roofs.

It looks like you've taken ravine and viaduct and thrown them together. Since "Arena" are small maps that can be executed quickly i generally expect arena authors to approach the level design from a unique and original perspective, otherwise what's the point?

Of course there's also the fact that the smaller project size is an easy cop out so many authors don't put in the effort when making arena maps. Not that that's what you're doing here. It just doesn't look like you've responded to the presence of other arena maps.

I'd like to have seen more play area and winding routes at the centre.
 
Last edited:

Siveran

L1: Registered
Aug 29, 2010
8
5
Love how you solved the navigation problem!

A few thoughts.

The gravel pile. The way it intersects with the beam. It looks kinda bad. Just a cosmetic thing but still.

Point is still a little cramped, and getting up there requires going on some nice narrow little catwalks that are very easy to accidentally fall off of if you're fighting on them. But much, much better than before.

There are a few spare props and details in the area under the point you closed off that can't be seen. Honestly I don't really see what was wrong with the area in the first place. Re-open or remove props to save FPS?

Finally, don't think I didn't notice that intelligence briefcase at the top of the tower! I know what you're up to mister!
 

Attsy

L3: Member
Jan 31, 2010
110
29
@grazr I really only play arena which is why I make arena maps mostly, so its not like I'm trying to churn out arena map after arena map, I just love arena. Maybe because I used to love cs so much, Idk.

@Siveran I think I'll open up that area and have it like the far left side to let in extra light, as far as the walkways, not much I can do there, I like the size of the tower area as it is. When the map was first playetested (b1) that area was just never used, and added to the size of the map which was too big. And about your last point, umm, well... :D

@Terwonick The screenshot of the point is in the main picture (I think thats what its called)
Anyway I didnt know it wouldn't be seen, I guess I'll have to change some of the screenshots around.