CTF Project_908

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
Project 908 (CTF)
By Cryptonaut / Syzzle
Current Version: Alpha 4

Right, so this is my first attempt at using hammer and my first attempt at designing something playable for a game, so please don't be too hard on me just yet.

About the map:
It is very much inspired by Turbine, themed as an underground bunker with as main visual detail a large missile silo.

I'm very interested in what you guys have to say about it!
 
Last edited:

GPuzzle

L9: Fashionable Member
Feb 27, 2012
638
414
Holy crap this map is big as hell.
Also, you need cover.
 

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
Is it? It takes about 40 seconds for a heavy to go from one flag to another, without stopping. I thought that was pretty reasonable.

I do really need cover though, do you have any suggestions?

Thanks for your input so far!
 

GPuzzle

L9: Fashionable Member
Feb 27, 2012
638
414
Is it? It takes about 40 seconds for a heavy to go from one flag to another, without stopping. I thought that was pretty reasonable.

I do really need cover though, do you have any suggestions?

Thanks for your input so far!

Well, that's a reasonably sized map.
Cover is something that every map has. Shacks, rocks would be believable outside. Inside, however, cover just like the barrels on Badlands last, or maybe something like the boxes in Gorge last. Junction also shines on this, with the boxes.
 

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
Good post, though I'm struggling to come up with some covers that fit in this military base of sorts, I can't really put barrels in this reasonably neat hallway. I could make some rooms to hide out in, with only one entrance. I guess I'll do that then.

Any more feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks again!
 

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
Oh, that is a good example indeed! I'll go ahead and have a run trough. The wiki screenshots look really promising!
 

dr_digital2

L1: Registered
Apr 23, 2009
28
8
My one complaint is the trigger area for the spawn doors feels too small, you have to get too close to the door for it to open. Also I was able to open the other teams spawn door. But I think overall it has a pretty good layout
 

TheKieranator

L6: Sharp Member
Mar 6, 2011
282
213
You have a few long corridors that would benefit from having a few bends in them, particularly the grey one at the bottom of the first screenshot. You would be able to break sightlines and provide cover that way without using props.

eg something like this:

TyWEN.png
 

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
My one complaint is the trigger area for the spawn doors feels too small, you have to get too close to the door for it to open. Also I was able to open the other teams spawn door. But I think overall it has a pretty good layout

I noticed this as well, but the door and I don't really get along well, so I need to put some extra effort in that.
You have a few long corridors that would benefit from having a few bends in them, particularly the grey one at the bottom of the first screenshot. You would be able to break sightlines and provide cover that way without using props.

eg something like this:

- snip -


That is indeed a good idea! Will definitely do this.

Thanks for the input!
 

xzzy

aa
Jan 30, 2010
815
531
Also don't forget the game is 3D. Based on the screenshots so far, your map looks extremely two dimensional.. no routes cross at different elevations.

So that hall in the foreground of the overview image, maybe consider routing it above the map and drop down onto a contested area.
 

Aulli

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 28, 2012
188
203
One thing I would suggest is more back paths, maybe some vents, or just other ways around. From what I can see, most of the map is going to be heavily traveled, and it may be hard for spies or scouts to really fight or get behind people, especially since scouts rely on ambush and heavily on evasion which would be hard in those tight corridors.
 

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
Also don't forget the game is 3D. Based on the screenshots so far, your map looks extremely two dimensional.. no routes cross at different elevations.

So that hall in the foreground of the overview image, maybe consider routing it above the map and drop down onto a contested area.

I have indeed been struggling to keep the map at different elevations. Although I feel that there are plenty of routes if you pass the midfield, there are currently only 2 ways to do so, and they're also rather close. So that's something I have to fix. I'll look into it this weekend, thank you!

One thing I would suggest is more back paths, maybe some vents, or just other ways around. From what I can see, most of the map is going to be heavily traveled, and it may be hard for spies or scouts to really fight or get behind people, especially since scouts rely on ambush and heavily on evasion which would be hard in those tight corridors.

This lines up nicely with the other comment, so I see that it's really something I need to do. If you have any suggestions how I could go about doing this in my map, they're more than welcome!
 

xzzy

aa
Jan 30, 2010
815
531
Unfortunately, as a mapper, that's technically your job to figure out.

Your best bet may be to get the map into a gameday and let people bang around on it for a few minutes. I guarantee the criticism will flood in and give you lots of ideas for where to start changing things.

But if you're not ready to do that yet, there are a few "rules" of CTF style maps you can compare your map against to maybe give you some inspiration:

a) Don't let engineers be too powerful. Make sure there's always some way to get around or behind a sentry nest. Avoid requiring all assaults to pass through the same part of the map,
b) If you have a long narrow hallway, always provide an alternate route for times when a sniper sets up in the area (or at least provide a way for an opposing sniper to set up to counter him),
c) Try to give every class some point on the map where they can feel powerful. Scouts, soldiers and demos love having vertical areas to jump around in. Pyros love a couple blind corners. Spies love shady corners to decloak in.. stuff like that.
 

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
Unfortunately, as a mapper, that's technically your job to figure out.

Your best bet may be to get the map into a gameday and let people bang around on it for a few minutes. I guarantee the criticism will flood in and give you lots of ideas for where to start changing things.

But if you're not ready to do that yet, there are a few "rules" of CTF style maps you can compare your map against to maybe give you some inspiration:

a) Don't let engineers be too powerful. Make sure there's always some way to get around or behind a sentry nest. Avoid requiring all assaults to pass through the same part of the map,
b) If you have a long narrow hallway, always provide an alternate route for times when a sniper sets up in the area (or at least provide a way for an opposing sniper to set up to counter him),
c) Try to give every class some point on the map where they can feel powerful. Scouts, soldiers and demos love having vertical areas to jump around in. Pyros love a couple blind corners. Spies love shady corners to decloak in.. stuff like that.

Good tips indeed, I should reread that valve-dev article again! Thanks for the valuable tips so far Xzzy!
 

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
Alpha 2 [Sept. 29 2012]

- Added an extra route behind intel.
- Changed the tunnel on the side of the map to reduce sightlines.
- Added cover in mid.
- Changed the area behind midfield, less tunnel more room.
- Added an extra area near intels.
- Fixed spawn (hopefully)
- Added lighting on several spots.

So I got around doing this, I need to get around putting ammo / heath packs in there, but it keeps crashing, which is annoying.

I'm pretty sure when I've done that I'm ready for the a gameday test, because I know it's bad, but not sure where exactly and how I can fix this.
 

Syzzle

L1: Registered
Sep 9, 2012
46
5
Alpha 3 [Okt. 10 2012]

- Added Health and item kits around the map.

- Optimized the map a bit by creating func_details

- Made it Gameday ready.

I really hope there aren't any critical errors and curious to find how awful it actually is!
 

GPuzzle

L9: Fashionable Member
Feb 27, 2012
638
414
On the gameday, it is just too cramped. There is just a small central area with no extra flank route, and there is a need of some signs in the enemy base. Otherwise, the map plays good, and I had fun playing as a Mini-Sentry Engie.