ctf_softplay a4

This version of ctf_softplay addresses criticisms recieved from A2 and A3, most importantly, the issue that the map only has one way of accessing the opponents storage area, and a choke point that was created when trying to disrupt a long sight line.

This new attack route begins and ends at the back of the storage area, through this thin door. This area is close quarters and easy to camp by design. I wanted to introduce an alternate attack route without introducing any more long climbs, and without distracting too much from the main attack route through the center of the map. The camp-ability of this room grants control of this route to whichever team has control of the main storage area. This way, controlling the main map area is still crucial, but an alternate route to the intel room is open for flankers and sneaky spies. This is all theoretical, and the way this route affects the rest of the map will require testing.

This window can be looked through while attacking the enemy via the new attack route. It has an excellent view of the changes made to the pitfall area. The glass is gone, opening up the pitfall even further. I'm not sure I like the fact that scouts can now jump between these health and ammo packs, however. An obstruction may need to be introduced.

Also nearby is this area. A choke point was introduced here unintentionally whilst breaking up a sentry sight line. The issue was resolved by expanding the room above this set of stairs to the right (left on blu side). This widens the aforementioned choke point and introduces an alternative way around the obstruction. It is also now transparent, so attack won't need to worry about sneaky sentries placed behind it.

The system used to prevent the attackers from leaving the intel room via the entrance has been changed to a more visible, less frustrating system. Instead of the previous team-specifically-one-way door, there is now a regular door that locks when the intel is taken, and unlocks when the intel is returned or capped.

This area of the jungle has been changed to introduce more height variation, and to favor the defense in this area when the attackers are trying to get away with the intelligence. This change also makes the jungle more quickly accessible to the friendly team.

One other minor tweak was made to this wall of the stairs. The geometry of this area was ugly, and I decided to clean it up a little.

Once again, thank you all for your feedback, and I look forward to hearing more in the near future.

Welcome to Softplay A3!

As you can see, major changes have been made to the spawn area. I removed the horrible pseudo-attack-from-spawn platform outside the alternate spawn exit, and replaced it with an expanded spawn room. (There is no window to attack through this time!) The walk to get over there was pretty long, so I decided to add one more room to each spawn and move the spawn points into this room. The result is a new, much bigger spawn room with less tiny doorways.

I also took the time to remove all of that unused space outside the map and make a 3d skybox instead. The concrete area will be a carpark in the future, and I plan to use displacements to make the 3d skybox more convincing.

I added a little bit more cover around the maze enterance/exits, to help protect attackers from snipers. I thought that this was necessary despite having already removed the OP sniper spawn exits.

This large health kit is new. This should help the enemy prepare for attacking the intel room.

Walls have been added to the lower levels of the storage room, to help break up a long sightline that was present here. The ramps were also replaced with stairs.

The purpose of the storage room was to make camping in the intel room less effective. It does this by letting attackers shoot at any enemies or sentries in the intel room before committing to the one-way door. However, the vent exit to the intel room wasn't visible from the storage room. I have addressed this issue by extending the vent to the storage room, but placing a grill on the front that can be fired through, but not walked through.

I also wanted to add an incentive to cap the intel, and I did so by closing the route to the upper level of the café until the intel is capped. When either team caps the intel, the door on their side will open and the door on the other side will close. (I capped the intel for red before taking the above screenshot.

Other minor changes were made, such as improving lighting in multiple areas of the map, adding more cover to the downstairs "jungle" area, and changing the way the intel room doors work.

I would like to extent a massive thanks to all who helped me test the map over the last few days. Without feedback like this, I wouldn't be able to continue making this map. I hope you all had wonderful new years, and I look forward to making and testing more maps with you all in 2017!

I'm so glad I replaced those horrible stairs!
I like how it kind of looks like a road now... I might add some miniature cars and buses to use as cover on the new ramp.

The netting that stopped players from falling from this area is now gone, it's far more open now. The small and cramped ramp leading to the intel room and the resupply room are now gone, and have been replaced by the new room at the back.

There is a new path to take through here...

This room is separated from the intel room by a lattice of thin wooden planks. These can be shot through, but not walked through. This should eliminate turtling problems in the intel room by allowing the other team to bombard campers from this area, which has a slight height advantage.

Getting rid of the one-way system I feel would be too good for the attacking team. The idea was to make the intel room easier to defend by having it be one way, to compensate for the long spawn room to intel room distance.

Scaling the map decreased the steepness of the ramps in my map. I adjusted them to make them the original steepness again. This allowed me to clean up some of the more cramped ramps, such as these in the jungle areas.

The platform beneath the slide is now thinner, and new waiting platforms have been added with hp and ammo.

I'd love more feedback! I'm feeling far more optimistic about this map after this version.