Which would you rather see?

[YM]

"Work on something new" isn't an option because I'm not asking "what shall I do next", I'm asking "which would you rather see happen, in your ideal imagining of the future."

Choose and comment accordingly.

EDIT2: Sorry for any confusion, this is about hoodoo.


EDIT: Poll options have to be painfully small, so I'll clarify options 3 and 4, Neither would be sent to valve to update pl_hoodoo_final, they'd end up as new map, not pl_hoodoo2 but that would probably be a working title (hoodootoo).
For 4 I'd heavily modify the layout to remove all the un-fun, bland and chokey parts as well as making it fit neatly into a spiral.
Both options 1 and 2 would see a proper ending explosion. Perhaps even a new cart theme.

 

[drp]

wat

 

[Okrag]

I don't want it completely rebuilt but I feel that changing key parts will make it feel disjointed. Sure some parts are worse than others but if you're going to update you might as well update all of it, payload maps have come a long way since then.

 

[grazr]

I picked 2, but i'm not really sure what the purpose of this thread is, you havn't exactly asked for feedback per se. Yet i'm pulled to giving suggestions by explaining my vote.

Personally i feel the outside areas just need more space, specifically, width. Also your flanks always end in a tiny choke points, often a closed doorway at the end of a corridor. It would be nice to see some exits just open up on a wide ledge. Hoodoo just suffers from dustbowl syndrome; everything's so linear. The weapon updates havn't exactly helped your map either. Plus, being a 3 stage A/D map (dustbowl/goldrush) adding width probably isn't entirely possible due to certain spacial restrictions.

 

[VelvetFistIronGlove]

I voted one, but would add a cautious "maybe 2". Hoodoo’s not without problems, but it’s far from terrible as it is. I just feel you’re better off learning from its problems and applying that in your new maps rather than reworking your older maps.

Just look at the rubbish George Lucas came up with when he went and reworked his older films

 

[Tyker]

For a portfolio piece it will probably be better if it was reworked, but I think the community's reaction would be that the map sucks because it is changed. Good or bad doesn't matter to them at that point, it's just that it is changed. I think it won't have a positive effect on how most people think about the map, but if that doesn't matter and you just want it to play better then go for it!

 

[zpqrei]

I'd be happy with an explosion.

 

[honeymustard]

Leave it and finish stark.

 

[tyler]

I voted for 4, but then realized I should have voted for 2. If you're going to make a new map entirely, there's no reason to tie it to Hoodoo, no matter what ideas or inspirations you retain from it. However, pl_voodoo using the swamp theme is a good idea that you can take from me for free.

Hoodoo has issues but also many great parts. I often feel like I am one the few people who enjoy playing on it, but even I get sick and tired of certain parts sometimes.

I think the community's reaction would be that the map sucks because it is changed. Good or bad doesn't matter to them at that point, it's just that it is changed. I think it won't have a positive effect on how most people think about the map.

And for the record I think this is wrong, or at the very least I disagree with the idea. Sometimes maps have an iterative process. Sometimes it's just a little thing that makes someone go from hating a map to loving it: I've got a friend who hated Gorge before the forward spawn. The change made to Hoodoo over 2-1 was positive and I know for a fact it had a positive outcome among many of the people I play with regularly. In fact, it was added back into rotation due to that change.

 

[EArkham]

Either tweak it and make small improvements like Valve is doing with cp_well & cp_granary in beta as part of regular maintenance (my vote), or leave it be and move on.

If you're going to make a new map entirely, there's no reason to tie it to Hoodoo, no matter what ideas or inspirations you retain from it.

This, so much this.

Rewriting completely shouldn't even be an option. There's no reason to tie your talent and time to all the baggage pl_hoodoo has.

And fwiw, I happen to like pl_hoodoo. I don't understand the community hate for it; I think it plays pretty well for the most part.

Kep

 

[lana]

It really took me a while to realize we were talking about Hoodoo

 

[Nacimota]

I'd like to see some new stuff but if you were to work on Hoodoo I think it has some balance issues that should be addressed.

 

[Ida]

Either leave it alone, or do the last option.

I'd love to see where you can take this map from here, and a few small changes won't be enough. It will still be spammy and chokey in large parts of the map if you just resort to adding a new door here and putting some cover there. That's just wasted effort.

 

[lana]

Just do what Icarus did and make a few test versions and have us play them. I'm really hoping to see improvement around 1-2 and 2-2, as those seem like the biggest speed bumps in the map.

 

[TMP]

I actuallly uh, meant to vote 3. Misclicked on two and voted that.

If you're going to update key parts, there are some other things that also need work thematically. The dirty bomb approach, while inventive initially, ends up being pale in comparison to all the other Massive Explosion maps for an ending. There also could be some more utilization of newer textures and props to make the map feel more crisp. Plus, I'd love to see you go through your old map and make it look even better

But I don't say you should do a whole new layout. It wouldn't be hoodoo if it wasn't insanely spammy in some areas and easy to play demo on!

 

[YM]

It really took me a while to realize we were talking about Hoodoo

Yeah sorry I got hit by the 100 character limit on poll options, the word hoodoo was snipped from the last two options, then I didn't realise I hadn't said it anywhere else but my edit, would have been very clear otherwise.

@grazr width is one thing that can be added easily, my previous edit included something like 384 or 512 units more width at 2-2, Because I didn't see a reason to wrap my map up into a tight spiral like dustbowl I just made it wiggle around as I saw fit, in the end it was pretty linear (look at a heatmap) so adding width would be a really easy fix.

@Honeymustard Stark is pretty much done, I'm certainly not going to work on it any more. Admittedly the koth version isn't quite done and still has a load of visual issues but both versions are fully detailed and have been tested lots. Though if there are specific things you have to suggest, PM me.

 

[honeymustard]

I don't know about Stark, I've only played it a few times but it was always enjoyable, it just doesn't seem to get played as much as your other maps (or other custom 5cp maps). Shame really.

 

[Mr. P. Kiwi]

I don't see why you need to rebuild Hoodoo. If you're going to completely rebuild it and only keep the visual style you can just call the "new" map something else. Make a new map.

 

[YM]

I don't see why you need to rebuild Hoodoo. If you're going to completely rebuild it and only keep the visual style you can just call the "new" map something else. Make a new map.

Like a reimagining, There are many different batman films by many different directors, but they're all still batman.
The final option wasn't meant to be only the visual style is the same, but the essence of the layout is the same but majorly revised to be more fun. You'd still be able to tell it once was hoodoo.

 

[LeSwordfish]

That sounds fairly similar to 2 then. But i imagine that really, hoodoo doesnt need so much.