When I tested version B1, I saw that people hadn't been that happy with the framerate. Due to this, I decided that it will be enough with one playtest not to make anyone suffer. Even if that was only one playtest, I did receive enough feedback to improve the map.

The first problem is the number of props. I personally struggle with detailing. It's not that I don't know how to detail, but how much I should do it. In other words, I over-detail lots of places.

I have been told to reduce the number of props, but I have no idea which props I should remove since some props are apart of the gameplay.

uMQ6oYy.jpg


Later, I got confused with the tree feedback. I have been told that there are too many trees blocking the sightlines. The problem with this feedback is that most of the trees are located in the non-playable area (covered with player-clip). Or are placed next to the walls or cliffs.

Sure, there are some trees next to the pit. But I don't understand why anyone would aim there with the sniper rifle. Who are they trying to shoot there? On the other hand, there is another tree located not far away from the pit, which is blocking the one-way entrance door. That is understandable why would someone complain about it. Although not so much when people say that the map is quite open for snipers. When two thoughts are countering each other, I honestly don't know who I should listen to or side with.

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But that's okay. I did remove some trees and other greenery in some areas to reduce the number of props. I even removed some trees that have been blocking the sightlines next to the defense balconies. It didn't make much sense for them to grow there anyway.

Speaking of sniper sightlines. That's the second problem. Well, kind of. Not a biggy. Anyhow, the majority of players tend to feel safe when they are entering a cave from the mid. However, that hot zone has been quite open for snipers, so it got abused. To fix this, I placed a concrete doorframe in the cave. It will look like it is supporting the cave, so it doesn't collapse. Then I put a wall next to the train tracks. So now, if you want to snipe someone, the sniper must either be in the mid or the defense area.

The mid is still open, but nobody seemed to complain about getting demolished there. All PASS Time maps have an open mid anyway. So I guess it's good now.

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The other problem is the vents. I thought that I was done with it in the A1 version, but I got proven wrong. Apparently, even if you place a sign about the presence of dihydrogen monoxide, it wouldn't make players care about what is awaiting them. Barely anyone seems to have a desire to have some explanations about what is what - only touch it and experience it. With this mindset in mind, it was a living hell for some easy-minded players to hang there.

In this version, if you get out of the chemical water, you will stop receiving damage. That means you can freely walk in the vents. However, the water now will damage you more. Don't worry. Kunai Spies can survive there, but they will only have seven hp left, which is not a lot. Considering that vent is a place that allows anyone to bypass the whole defense area, I don't think that Kunai spies should go there. They have invis-watches after all.

Also, the one-way door for the vents now opens twice as fast. Plus, it has a five-second delay before it closes, so anyone can quickly grab a health kit, and get back into the vents to hide. You will hear five beeps before the door starts closing. No idea why it has been suggested, but it sounds hella interesting to experiment with. This gimmick seems complicated, but trust me, it's not that complicated as you might think it is.

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Either way, I really have to thank PootisGodAnimations for giving me feedback about what I should do and shouldn't do, especially about things on the map that didn't make much sense. That also includes which feedback to ignore. I am talking about the ones that didn't make much sense at all.

I would be very happy if other map-makers could help me giving me thoughtful and constructive feedback, just like PootisGodAnimations did.

Making PASS Time maps isn't easy. Nor is testing when not a lot of playtesters refuse to playtest this kind of gamemode. Hopefully, the microcontent that 14bit arranged shapes the thoughts of some people while playing PASS Time.

I could have updated this map back in May, but due to health complications and other life events, I couldn't do it faster. I don't remember every single thing that I changed. I usually track every change by writing it on the WordPad, but not in this version.

Either way, here's my simplified changelog:
  • Improved optimization:
    • Added lots of hint brushes.
    • Added lots of areaportals + areaportalwindows.
    • Added lots of occluders.
    • Rearranged some skybox brushes for better rendering.
  • Fog changes:
    • Fog start reduced from 3200 to 3000.
    • Fog end reduced from 3800 to 3500.
    • Far Z clipping reduced from 4000 to 3800.
  • Changes to detailing:
    • Added a doorframe in the cave entrance.
    • Added a func_detail wall on each side next to the train tracks.
    • Moved crates next to the newly created wall.
    • Moved tires slightly in the BLU defense base, so it doesn't look like they are about to fall off.
    • Removed lots of trees. Chop, chop.
    • Removed some bushes.
    • Removed shop signs and some of its belongings. It went bankrupt.
    • Removed Driller's vehicle next to the defense spawn.
    • Replaced the bottle models in the defense spawn.
    • Removed and changed some overlays.
    • Removed one wooden lamp in the mid on each side.
    • Replaced one big crate with a small crate, so it's easier for scouts to get on the balcony in the mid.
    • Removed bookshelves in the depo defense spawn.
    • Divided one railing into two parts in the depo defense spawn, so players stop receiving fall damage.
  • Changed vents:
    • Now after getting out of the water, the player stops receiving damage.
    • Damage has been increased from 8 to 14.
    • Spinning vent blades will no longer push the player.
    • One-way vent doors now open twice as fast.
    • One-way vent doors have a five-second delay before they close, indicated with beeping.
  • Improved and changed the lighting in multiple areas.
  • Fixed func_respawnroomvisualizer not appearing in defense spawns.
  • Changed geometry next to the attack spawn, so one rock model stops spamming error messages.
  • Added and improved clipping all around the map.
  • Added a neutral func_respawnroomvisualizer for a one-way door in the building after exiting the cave.
  • Added func_nobuild in some areas. Go build somewhere else!
  • And more which I don't remember.
Well, you look at that. I have finally made a map that actually has gone to the BETA stage. I feel so glad that I made this through with all the pain, and have received feedback from players that have barely played PASS Time.

To be honest, it feels like forever since I have updated this map. Even though the last time I updated it was February 2, 2020. But still, the first version of this map has been created on July 30, 2018. That's two years ago, but for me, it still feels like I made it yesterday. Well, maybe not yesterday, but close to yesterday if you know what I mean. But I definitely thought that it had been created in 2019.

Either way, the most significant change that you will see in this map is a variety of textures, and most importantly - no slippery effect. Yes, people seem to hate when their movement is limited or taken away. A lot of people have been complaining about it throughout the whole ALPHA stage. So, let it be. No slippery effect. However, this shouldn't affect the gameplay that much. At least I hope.

When it comes to the vents, well, it's complicated. I decided not to touch them at all. You see, at first glance, a lot of people hated it and were confused about why are they were getting hurt. Those who played more have realized what's the point of it, so I decided not to bother myself. The only thing I did was add an arrow sign that would tell players that they can pick another direction and not go inside of the vents. That might help newer players, in my honest opinion.

Remember. I created this layout to make sure that PASS Time is more enjoyable to play compared to other existing PASS Time maps. The most crucial thing that I wanted to do is to make sure engineers do not dominate the areas where you would typically score a goal. During the play-tests, I saw that people really did enjoy playing my map, and they did not have any problems with engineers. However, in my last play-test, I concluded that I was too harsh to engineers. Engineers couldn't understand where to place their buildings. Their choices were severely limited. In this version, I placed two fences in the goal areas. Hopefully, that will relieve all engi-players.

There's one more important thing to mention. While making this map, Rick May has passed away - the voice actor of our beloved character Soldier. The work that he has done is significant. And seeing that we as the community lost him has really struck me, especially knowing that Valve might not add anything new to Team Fortress 2. Due to this whole event, I decided to add a tribute to my map. I recommend everyone to check it out.

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Changes for B1:
  • Added textures.
  • Added skybox.
  • Added more props.
  • Added more displacements.
  • Added more areaportals and occluders.
  • Added more clipping.
  • Added Hydro sign next to the vents.
  • Added railing props on the bridge in the mid.
  • Added one small rock next to the pit/behind the attacker's spawn.
  • Added two fences next to the goal areas.
  • Replaced some props in the defense spawns from inside.
  • Replaced some props in one defense spawn from the outside, so players do not receive fall damage when getting out of the spawn.
  • Replaced one small health pack and ammo pack to medium packs in one building not far away from the cave.
  • Replaced the trigger_hurt's kill icon in the mid, so it says that the player has been crushed, and not hit by the train.
  • Replaced ice texture.
  • Removed slippery effect from the ice.
  • Removed one prop from the goal areas.
  • Adjusted a couple of displacements.
  • Adjusted the timing of train bells, so they start playing earlier.
  • Adjusted the appearing of the train from 20-40 seconds to 30-50 seconds.
  • Fixed the case when a player gets stuck by the train by touching its left or right sides.
  • Fixed all spawn doors showing holes from the top.
  • Fixed the direction of the trigger_push for BLU jump-pads.
  • Fixed leaking PASS Time textures.
  • Fixed some props that haven't been mirrored correctly to the RED side.

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So, I haven't worked on this map for quite some time due to life and mood. Although, I have to say that I am very satisfied with how A5 has been received to TF2maps.net play-testers and other private play-testers that sometimes tend to help me out.

However, while play-testing all of the versions, I did not notice that the vents had a huge problem with LDR lighting. If you previously used LDR lighting, then you might remember that you could not see anything since the light would bleed there.

Due to this issue, I have decided that the map should be tested again just in case with one special gimmick that probably hasn't been used in other maps before (hopefully), just like my ice placement in this map.

What is the special gimmick, you may ask? Well, you can no longer enter the vents while being in the cave - it is separated by the grid looking door. That door can be opened only from another side. Once the door starts opening, you'll hear the siren alerting everyone that someone is opening it. It opens slowly, but not that slowly as you might think. Once it is closed - the siren will stop playing the sound.

I also decided to rework one defense spawn, since I did not appreciate how symmetrical it is. I am talking about the one that had two wooden stairs. Now it has only one side that has stairs. It also has one small ammo and health pack and some nice cover as well. It won't look too boring to my eyes anymore.

Other than that, I have also placed some decorative props to see if they are blocking anyone's view. I hope that the majority of them are not going to be huge obstacles for the layout.

Anyway, by reading this, you can already tell that I am trying to move to the BETA stage. Once vents are tested out successfully - I will happily move on.

Changes for A6 that I still remember:
  • Ventilation system changes:
    • Added a slowly moving door in the cave that can be opened while being in the vents.
    • Fixed LDR lighting.
  • Reworked defense spawn that had two wooden stairs:
    • Added some decorations.
    • Removed one side that had stairs, and replaced it with some cover. In the low-ground, you'll find one small health pack and one ammo pack.
    • Removed the resupply locker from the right side.
  • Improved optimization:
    • Added more area portals in multiple areas.
    • Added occluders in the middle of the map. (If you're somehow able to see that they are invalid - ignore this error. They work perfectly fine.)
  • Added trigger_nobuild areas in some places.
  • Added a lot of clipping.
  • Added some lights to make some areas less dark.
  • Added cubemaps in the death pits to avoid weird artifacts.
  • Added spark effect when the JACK is being spawned.
  • Added two easter eggs when the ball is being thrown into the darkness where the train would typically go in or out.
  • Added spectating cameras for other spawns.
  • Added ropes in some areas, so it looks pretty during the Christmas event.
  • Added light_origin entities to remove shadows and other weird lighting effects from some props.
  • Added some dirt patches on some displacements.
  • Added lots of props for decoration purposes.
  • Added more displacements.
  • Adjusted some displacements to look less weird.
  • Increased light value slightly for the light_environment entity.
  • Moved attacker's resupply locker to the place where it can be seen.
  • Fixed some displacements not being sealed properly.
  • Fixed some speed boosts disappearing on all sides if one of them is touched.
  • Fixed some lights being too bright.
  • Fixed some props not being appropriately mirrored.
  • Fixed vPhysics for some props.
  • Fixed the train sometimes being stuck like a pleb:
    • Due to the player.
    • Due to the JACK.
  • And more. I don't remember what else I did.

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Based on the previous version A4, a lot of players who actually gave a try at playing my map had positive feedback towards the layout of the map. Except for lighting.

Although after a couple of tests, I saw two areas that absolutely required the rework. As small they might have looked, I felt very concerned about the new changes and what could they bring to the gameplay. Well, mostly one area in particular.

The first area that I felt concerned about was the ventilation systems filled with dihydrogen monoxide. I already questioned myself about it when I was developing it during the version A4. When a player drops down in it, s/he already realizes that s/he's taking damage and starts panicking while still staring at the wall having no idea where to swim - left or right.

The reason why I was concerned about expanding the area was that the ventilation system itself was created in a really narrow location, making me think that I'll have to move some other buildings which would lead to the change in the gameplay as well. Luckily, I had enough space to expand the ventilation system to the point the player would no longer be facing a wall when s/he dives into the chemical water. I've also added some arrows in the vents if the player still feels confused about the directions.

Now the second area is the area that concerns me the most. And that the area is the small house standing next to the jump pad when coming up the hill. Apparently, it was a lot easier for a player to score a bonus goal rather than a non-bonus goal. So changes had to be implemented pretty quickly. What I did, in the end, was place a door which couldn't be accessible by enemies from inside but rather from the outside, and place an alternative route which would make you walk longer to reach the jump pad itself.

The reason why I am concerned about it is due to activities of the engineers - I don't want them to start turtling around this building either it be outside or inside regardless if it's by the enemies or your teammates. So let's see what the next playtests will tell me about this new small route.

Changes for A5:
  • Ventilation system changes:
    • Expanded the area quite a bit, so the player no longer stares at the wall when dived in the dihydrogen monoxide.
    • Added arrows to signal the player where to swim.
  • Added a new route for the building next to the jump pad:
    • Added a door next to the jump pad which can be opened only from the outside area.
    • Replaced a small ammo pack with another small health pack.
    • Added more clipping.
    • Added more areaportals.
  • Added inaccessible outside area filled with snowy mountains, rocks, trees, and oil pumps, so it doesn't look like the map is inside of the box.
  • Changes for the train:
    • Added icicles to the train.
    • Fixed the case when point_spotlights wouldn't render. The change might make them look buggy.
  • Added a proper tonemap to improve the lighting.
  • Added and fixed more lights while increasing the brightness to brighten up some dark areas.
  • Reworked some displacements:
    • The cave area next to the train tracks should look more smooth now.
    • Snow on some containers.
    • Fixed some cases when some displacements would become fully dark. Some small bits can still be seen though.
  • Moved construction barricades closer to the rock, so the player no longer runs around them. Jump over them you lazy shit.
  • Added trigger_push entity in the area of the walkable goal. If the player decides to throw the jack into the goal rather than walk into it, the jack would fly away.
  • Added steam particles when:
    • Throwing a jack into the walkable goal.
    • Getting pushed by the ventilator in the vents.
  • Added a new small room in the offense spawns to improve the optimization and add more space in general.
  • Added some small details to hide the snow from the crates next to the train tracks.
  • Added an electrical box with a looping sound.
  • Added two metal barrels in each shop.
  • Added two wooden barrels on the center bridge.
  • Added an overlay warning about the slippery ice under giant balconies.
  • Added a small beam that would allow a player to get the offense spawn in a different way.
  • Added a sign next to the jump-pad in the giant room.
  • Added custom soundscapes.
  • Reduced the size of the fog and z-clipping. That might hurt optimization.
  • Moved spectators cameras a bit.
  • Moved some point_spotlights closer to the lamps to avoid some weird anomalies. (I forgot about some. Whoops!)
  • Removed some trees. 3kliksphilip didn't like them. He didn't actually play it lol.
  • Added more clipping.
  • Added more optimization related brushes.
    • I am very concerned about optimization in this version. Please let me know if your FPS is low. And most importantly - where.

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It's been quite awhile since I have updated this map. When I tested the A3 version, I found out that this version had mostly some problems with spawn-camping and with the bonus goals. So I thought that the A4 version will solve those issues and will, later on, move my map to the BETA stage.

However, I was heavily wrong. Once the engineers started turtling in the A3, I literally got disappointed with the gameplay. As we all know, almost in every single TF2 map, a swarm of engineers can ruin your fun within a couple of seconds. That's what exactly happened in the A3.

So in this new version, the map itself will combat engineers and will reduce their desire to do something awfully stupid. In shorter words, this version includes major changes to the defense/back zones for each team respectively. They've been completely reworked and they will include more fun for the mercs to score the goals. At least I hope so.

But don't worry. Engineers aren't unplayable in this version. They still are. This version just reduces their dominance, so it's more fun for other classes to enjoy this map.

But most importantly, the tress had a diet. So as of now, you can stop complaining that they are covering your entire screen.

Changes for A4:
  • Reworked Defense/Back zones completely:
    • Each defense spawn room has been reworked and one of them have been moved to the very back of the map.
    • Each defense spawn room will now active whenever a player is located on its side.
    • Changed the bonus goal to look like a smaller version of the normal goal
    • Changed the position of the bonus goal to be now slapped on the back side of the roof.
    • Changed a small frozen pond to a death pit.
    • Changed a normal goal's position to be now stuck on the newly added hills.
    • Replaced one container with a giant rock.
    • Added even more containers.
    • Added three lights on the side of the roof for the walk-in goal.
    • Added a new ventilation zone filled with dihydrogen monoxide for the enemies to flank the other team.
  • Minor changes to the Mid:
    • Added a trigger_hurt entity under the control point in order to prevent players from being stuck inside of it (that's due to the train).
    • Added two STOP signs for each jump pad in order to tell players to stop jumping on them while standing on the control point.
    • Added a sign for the players to understand that there's another way that leads to the sniper spot.
    • Added some snow on the containers.
    • Added some new giant hills.
    • Changed the proportions of the brushes in one small room under a giant balcony/sniper spot.
    • Changed a direction in which doors move in the offense spawn from TOP to BOTTOM.
    • Changed the colors for the floor in the offense spawn.
  • General changes:
    • Added some bushes for the pine trees mostly.
    • Added some other small props.
    • Added even more clipping.
    • Added some lights to brighten up certain areas a little more.
    • Added areaportals to improve optimization.
    • Added a better fog with Z clipping to improve the optimization.
    • Replaced the giant pine trees with the smaller versions of the pine trees.
    • Changed the mirrored rock props to proper models on the RED side.
    • Fixed some other anomalies that have been missed in A3. At least I hope so!
Forgot to:
  • Add clipping in two known spots to prevent players from being stuck forever.
  • Extend a ventilation zone, so players can know where to go once they drop into the dihydrogen monoxide. For now, a sign has been slapped to indicate where the players should face once they drop down there.
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It's kind of funny, but sometimes sad. Some people love my map, some people hate it. I might I understand their love, but I might find it hard to understand their hate. I gotta say this, it's really stupid to hate the map based on the game mode. The map is new. It's still in the testing phase and some players just refuse to play just because it's PASS Time. It's really stupid to behave like that without giving the map a chance.

Despite that hate which didn't make any sense whatsoever, the majority of folks who actually play-tested it properly and truly loved it, have said in the public that the map is completely different while comparing to other existing official PASS Time maps; It brings a new unique gameplay to the mode and is more fun to play in general. I was actually quite happy to hear someone actually saying, "I love this map", with an uplifting voice. It gave me hope to continue the development of this map.

However, some folks have said that the map feels quite tight. That kind of made me a little bit worried.

By looking at the existing PASS Time maps, I understood that some official maps are wide as hell - using big dangerous sightlines which give big opportunities to snipers. So I thought to myself: "You know what? Let's just accept this wideness in this gamemode." The back area on each side of my map is pretty wide already, so I might not even bother listening to someone saying that these areas are wide.

So because of tightness and understanding that PASS Time maps are wide in general, I decided to build balconies on the roofs for each team with a hope that people wouldn't mention the tightness again. Although, I still think they will say it, but I hope that the players will actually think with their heads on what to do while playing the map.

Now the biggest part. Trees. Specifically pines. You see, the trees like pines aren't really used anywhere in the good maps. They are mostly placed in the areas where players can't run around. Players in the A2 version players have complained about them mostly in the mid part of the map. They are gone now in the A3 version. Although they're a lot of them in the back areas. I decided to ask a friend about the trees. To be very honest with you, he doesn't really play TF2 that much and has little experience in the game. However, when he was running around, play-testing my map by himself in the map, he was just all like: "You know what? If someone hates those trees, it's their problem. They are really good for cover." I am not sure how normal TF2 players would feel about this and should I actually take these trees seriously, but if I am gonna do remove them, what am I gonna replaced them with? These trees block the sightlines in certain places which is really good from a distance. Although if someone gets close to them, they can't see anything. If someone remade these existing pine models, so the leaves are a bit higher and they don't get in anyone's sight while walking on the ground, that would be a perfect experiment. But still, I don't know if I should actually bother myself with those pines. Maybe as of now, they are completely fine, so there's no need to touch them. I dunno really. Go test the map. And please, be being respectful to it.

Changes for A3:

  • Reworked Mid completely.
    • The area has been widened on each side.
    • Added balconies on each side of the team.
    • Added a new room on each side.
    • Added new props and some small health kits.
    • Added "No Build" brush under the ball spawner.
    • Replaced a big health pack with a medium health pack in the mid.
    • Reduced the size of the high ground to 256.
    • Reduced the size of the lake.
    • Reduced the size of the jump-pads.
    • Removed some trees.
  • Added more clipping for smoothing and blocking.
  • Replaced "No Entry" signs in the BLU side with BLU colored spawn signs.
  • Adjusted the size of certain jump-pads and the ways where they launch players.
  • Adjusted "trigger_push" entities on the bonus goals.
  • Fixed some issues related to goals.
  • Fixed some lights facing the wrong direction in the RED side.
  • Fixed certain props facing the wrong direction in the RED side.
  • Fixed HUD not showing the goals.
  • Removed one goal on each side due to gamemode's limits.
  • And maybe more.
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The very first version had some broken entities for the RED team, making the gameplay unfair. I already know what's wrong with the map, but I would like to see another test with these minor changes.

Changes for A2:
  • Added a version number to this map file. Hope you're happy!
  • Added clipping for the location of some trees.
  • Added blockbullet brushes for some wired brushes.
  • Added some wired brushes on the walls next to the attack spawns, so classes like Scout, Soldier and Demo don't jump them over.
  • Added frames for the windows so it's easier to tell that you're looking at the actual windows.
  • Added trigger_push entities on trees and on the bonus goals.
  • Added two fences next to the bonus goal and the small lake.
  • Sealed one giant crate completely while also removing one small health kit in it.
  • Reduced the size of the jump-pads next to the attacking spawns.
  • Reduced the time for spawning.
    • Hopefully that won't be an issue anymore.
  • Fixed RED Resuply lockers and doors working only for BLUs.
  • Fixed an invisible glass in certain areas.
  • Fixed the train not killing the player sometimes.
  • Fixed the train not showing the lights.
  • Fixed the train getting stuck by the JACK.
  • Fixed the train getting stuck by the player.
  • Fixed the time for when the train gates open and close.
  • Fixed some lights facing the opposite way on the RED side.
  • Removed collisions from lanterns in the caves, so they don't stop you while running and jumping as Scout.
  • And maybe more.
The map still doesn't display goals on the HUD. If someone knows the solution, please message me straight away.

Read the rest of this update entry...