KotH Sky

Hello and welcome to my first map submission on TF2Maps.com.

Overall this isn't my first map, but I'm not that skilled in Hammer.
I also posted the map here because i hope i could get some help with some of the bugs i cannot fix:

Spawndoors won't open, but sound is played.
Red Spawns won't work. Red team is Spawning in Blu base.

Dr. Element · 08-04-2012, 07:51 PM

First of all, welcome to the site

When looking at your map, I'd say that the entire thing makes no sense.

Why would you have 3 big concrete pillars in the middle of nowhere, and then connect them with bridges?
The layout is basically one airborne road to a point with very little cover.
It will either be a sniperfest, or a race about who can get over and camp the other spawn the fastest.

I know that you are new to hammer and stuff, and I salute you for taking a crack at it (Can always need more people to produce, rather than consume only

), but we kinda want to keep the workshop for more serious projects (Tho some recent additions might seem to contradict this).

I'd suggest you to read up on some design theory. There are lots of good tutorials, and theoretic writings on what makes a good level - Things like multiple routes, short sightlines and height variance - And then get cracking with a real tf2map! Its not quite as unmanageable as it might sound actually

As you progress towards your first testable alpha, you can get feedback along the way by posting screenshots in our WIP thread, which is the most popular thread on the forum.

Once you have a playable test version of your first map, we can test it during a gameday event. You'll just have to sign it up accordingly (You will find gameday announcements in the events subforum)

Good luck with it

743rage · 08-05-2012, 05:47 AM

Thanks for that helpful feedback.
I will read those designtheories and improve this map.

And now when i think about it my really first map was exactly what you thought about this project. Too many snipers or spawncamping with no limit.

Deodorant · 08-05-2012, 07:09 AM

I second what Dr. Element said. However, while the map currently does look pretty damn broken, it does so to approximately the same degree as most first map submissions do, and in a more intriguing way. The 'suspended bridge below suspender bridge' thing can create some pretty cool area layouts if used correctly (see Upward), the low houses with walkable roofs is a good use of architecture, you seem to have a pretty good grasp on scaling and esthetics in general (in the playable areas at least; the giant random concrete pillars on endless grassy plains thing looks way too big and surreal for TF2) and your willingness to accept criticism to to improve is commendable. Do your best to learn stuff and keep working, I'm looking forward to seeing this evolve.

Oh, and I got the red team spawns in blue room glitch too some time. From what I understood it's just a random bug that can be solved by deleting your playerspawn entities and making new ones.

743rage · 08-05-2012, 08:07 AM

Thanks for that tip with the spawns. Would it maybe be better if i made those pillars to skyscrapers in a town or something?

Deodorant · 08-05-2012, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 743rage

Thanks for that tip with the spawns. Would it maybe be better if i made those pillars to skyscrapers in a town or something?

The basic concept of making the whole map a suspended platform overlooking a lower landscape seems pretty unwieldy. You don't really have to worry too much about the landscape of the map until you reach the beta stage; it's really recommended that you mostly just use basic geometry and dev textures in the alpha versions. If you end up with a suspended-bridge layout similar to that one, though, I'd recommend making it a railroad bridge through a canyon. The bridge parts could be bridge parts. The bigger chunks of solid ground could be cliffs. That style of houses seems like they could easily me made into maintenance booths and such. The map could be surrounded by big cliff walls, which would save you from having to build a gigantic skybox landscape stretching to the horizon. Cliffs and bridges along those walls would let you make alternate paths on the other side of the lethal drops. The canyon itself would explain the lethal drops conveniently, and would be a great opportunity to add some decorative water.

743rage · 08-05-2012, 08:40 AM

hmm... cliffs... i will think about that...

GPuzzle · 08-05-2012, 01:19 PM

If you follow Deodorant suggestion, which is pretty awesome, you might end with a really cool and fun KOTH map with Upward Style. Anyway, it might plays like Nucleus. With everything to go wrong (three different levels of height in a single Koth map, world second biggest sightline, point over deathpit, point only acessible by four long walkways) it works somehow with the only flaw being the fact it is a bit spawn camp friendly.

743rage · 08-07-2012, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deodorant

Oh, and I got the red team spawns in blue room glitch too some time. From what I understood it's just a random bug that can be solved by deleting your playerspawn entities and making new ones.

This did not work idk why.

I opened that error window with Alt+P and it said there were no player spawns at all

Deodorant · 08-07-2012, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 743rage

This did not work idk why.

I opened that error window with Alt+P and it said there were no player spawns at all

I'm pretty sure everyone gets the 'no player spawns' error. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it has something to do with hammer expecting a single player type of spawn and not counting the multiplayer ones.

Your glitch is probably due to the red spawns being unusable for some reason. Do they clip into the floor? You might want to move them up so there's a margin of a few units just in case. If that doesn't work, just try to go through all the entity properties and see if anything looks off. I have no idea.