PL Weatherlab

Weatherlab
Version: Pre-Alpha 2

Introducing PL_Weatherlab, a branching Payload map.

You're probably wondering "how the shit does branching payload work?", well it's quite simple. This is a 'badwater' style payload map, so there are 4 points to capture. The first and last points are always the same, and the two points in between those are branched. This means that when the first point is captured, the map will randomly choose to go down one of two paths, which are simply mirrored versions of each other (to keep the HUD correct, and to keep it balanced). It might seem a little confusing on your first go, so I've added some arrows and changed the way the paths open up since the first (bad) release.

If you're wondering what the name means, basically later I will detail each "branched" section a different weather theme. Below is a diagram that should help explain this.



Besides that, I don't have much else to tell you, but the spawns may seem a little silly right now, and I'm working on that.

[Seba]

This certainly looks interesting, although I hope that the mirrored stages vary, if only slightly. Hopefully it won't crash any maps c:

[Mr. Wimples]

The engie player in me is a bit apprehensive. I'd hope the opening pathways are balanced enough to give defenders a bit of time to solidify a defense. Otherwise it may become a steamroll til the final point where players can predict where the offense will attack from.

[HellJumper]

I can't wait to see this in action
I'm really digging the ramps.

[Boylee]

[stevethepocket]

I guess the only question left is "why", since the branching routes don't really do anything to enhance the gameplay if they're perfect mirror images. It comes down to a difference akin to which team you join when you start 5CP, except in this case it was just more work for you.

[LeSwordfish]

i'd guess it nullifies a static defense at those points, making chokepoints more chokey, but everywhere else far less so.

Worth trying i guess.

[nik]

I'll probably change the content of the branch paths later.

The other option is to determine the branches at the start and open them right away, so you could build as far back as you'd like.

[nik]

So I'm back (sort of) after a long lapse of activity on the forums. I just wanted you guys to know that I'm going to be continuing my work on this map, trying to get a 3rd pre-alpha out (haha oh god). Nobody is probably going to read this, but if you have, and you have actually played this map when we tested it a while ago, then get ready for a new version sometime soon. Mainly I'm going through the map and making it tighter (and smaller) in most places, by both reducing hallway/area size and adding other elevated areas where it seemed to be too flat. I know I talked about making the branches completely different, but that might have to wait until I get this rebooted version out first, and see how things go from there.

tl;dr

I'm back and working on this piece of shit again.

[Doctor Paprika]

When the map choose which of the paths to take, will door close off the other path via doors (like in Badwater Basin), or will players still be able to use them for movement but not push the cart through it?

Either way, I can't help but think that there must be an easier way to work in the "four seasons" meteorological lab theme, which I think is pretty cool. Maybe Gravelpit or multi-stage A/D? I'm not sure, but since it revolves around four separate visual themes - one for each season - I'm wondering why you would invent a custom game type that only lets you see two of the four in any given round.