Converge

Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
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Alpha 11b - 25th March
  • Cut flag return time from 20 to 10 seconds.
  • Reduced respawn timers from 10 to 8 seconds.
  • Improved handicap mechanic so multiple caps stack the handicap period. For example, 2 caps in a short amount of time will increase the period in which the losing team has reduced respawn timers.
  • Removed one of the routes within the middle.
  • Fixed non-symmetrical middle. (facepalm)
  • Fixed several miscellaneous problems

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Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
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I might start the bases from scratch or at least heavily modify them as to add a lobby area and to sort out the general structure of it so it flows in a more linear fashion but I'll see how it goes in Sunday's test before I make a decision.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
5,441
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ctf_converge_a11b0001A.jpg


As we already discussed moving the spawn area to a central position (behind/above the cap area) should make the right flank less of an obvious choice for attackers. The route was previously OP due to the medium health kit in combination with it's generally short travel time to cap room, and being the far side of the base from the defenders spawn room.

providing a drop down from the spawn here is one way to reduce spawn camping efficiency (which comp players are very good at, apparently) as it is close to the front lines/main path to cap room, subsequently causing it to see much of the player traffic. As well as reducing a players confidence in successfully traversing this route, making the centre path a much more viable option.

Because moving the spawn like this will make the left flank a much longer journey to nomans land, it may be worth pulling the front of the base there back. Doing so would help reduce the feeling of infultrating deeper in to the base for attackers; if they were to flank and enter the base further along the path. But also allowing players exiting to weigh up their options sooner by gaining that visibility of the centre. It also means you have more potential for outside details as it's currently a very small portion of the map.

There's a possibility of joining the far left and right flanks in the middle doing this, but i don't know how much criss-crossing you desire in your maps gameplay. It would probably also reduce optimisation and dilute player focus by giving them too many options. But this may not be the case for competitive play as team coordination is that much more coherant. It also helps the defence when there are limited routes to the objective as they can better anticipate player movement. Which may be another consideration for balance.

Hopefully these changes (or variations there of) don't skew player movement too much, as it may make the lower right flank more of the main exit than the central one. Which may be an issue in getting players to notice the intel on the bridge if they do end up exiting the base on the lower right flank.

ctf_converge_a11b0000C.jpg


Just an illustration of moving the cap area back. This allows the previous cap room to serve as the 'go between' or 'buffer', whilst trying to reduce the additional travel time involved, as the current times are within acceptable limits already (IMO). Adding a significant add on to the exterior of the base reduces some of the maps positive novel gameplay such as fast paced action and quick caps.

ctf_converge_a11b0002B.jpg


Just a little comment on the middle. There's not really a whole lot of space to manouvre on the sides. You could probably afford to open up a bit.

Also it's generally not sensible to allow players to "trip over" health packs on the way to an objective. grabbing the intel i could chose to get half my health back from under the bridge (fair sacrifice in height handicap and time taken out of reaching the objective), or trolly on through the middle still passing 3 minor health kits and another slightly out of the way on the left of the cap room. I've found the practice of providing ammo but not health (without a significant sacrifice at least) around the centre of a map to be a common and sensible practice (Reference: badlands central cp, 2fort's nomans land). Of course this depends on other health kit placements in the map as well, i mainly mention this because of the health kit immediately on the other side of the entrance here. In the case of turbine, the 2 nomans land mediums are somewhat justified by a complete lack of drops anywhere else nearby.
 
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Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
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Gameday bump.

I'll reduce the spawn times to 8 seconds (16s max) and I'll add more cover to the right exit out of the base from snipers on the balcony.
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
1,706
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Alpha 13 - 31st March
  • Reduced respawn timers from 10 seconds to 7 seconds
  • Increased capture zone height by 32 units up to a height of 96 units
  • Modified the underpass so there is a holding room. The healthkit and ammopack that were at the end of this route have now been moved into this room [1]
  • The right exit out of spawn has been simplified [2]

DOWNLOAD NOW!

After some more comp testing and I shall be hitting beta sometime soonish.
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
1,706
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Make that A13b because I forgot to change RED's spec cam to the RED team. Again.
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
1,706
1,491
Tonight hopefully. Outlook A9 and Converge Impromptu, ja? :D
 

HeaH

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Oct 2, 2008
553
102
Necrobumb. Keep working on this!

We played a Ravipug on the map, and everything was good. Actually I'm mostly writing this to bump the thread
 

Icarus

aa
Sep 10, 2008
2,245
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As a soldier, I felt all the beams and stuff sticking out of the ceilings made it difficult to go anywhere as soldier. The spawn times also felt irritatingly fast.

Don't rely too much of the STV, though, the BLU team just plain out sucked.
 
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Jimmy

L420: High Member
Jul 6, 2009
421
228
As a soldier, I felt all the beams and stuff sticking out of the ceilings made it difficult to go anywhere as soldier. The spawn times also felt irritatingly fast.

Don't rely too much of the STV, though, the BLU team just plain out sucked.

I admit I was sucking on Converge, but on Cloudburst I was decent :p I feel the map plays well but spawn times are too fast , which we noticed most when taking them out in the mid and then pushing up to the intel room to find them there :O
 

Psy

The Imp Queen
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Apr 9, 2008
1,706
1,491
After an almost 15 hour stretch of knuckling down, beta 1 is finally here. There are lighting errors up the wazoo and I haven't managed to create all the content I wanted too but enjoy nonetheless.







I am now going to go die in my bed due to fatigue. Good night.
 
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Ezekel

L11: Posh Member
Dec 16, 2008
818
246
impressive looking. i both love and hate the "manne-frame" pun! :)
 

Penguin

Clinically Diagnosed with Small Mapper's Syndrome
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May 21, 2009
2,039
1,484
equip sandvich; do both.