Implosion

The_Ulf

L6: Sharp Member
May 26, 2009
399
115
Ka-Boom!

...Except not yet. This is the next map I'm going to be working on in the 'Bomb the Base' ctf variant game mode I'm developing with ctf_bomb_factory, inspired by Schmitz's amazing tc_meridian and the suggestion raised in the initial playtest of Bomb Factory to have only 2 control points/capture zones dueling at a time.

Implosion will be a ctf territory control map ala Meridian but with 'Bomb the Base' rules - that means that once a territory has been destroyed, it cannot be reclaimed. I'm hoping this will prevent the map from being the stale-fest Hydro is often known to be, as the battle must converge to one side being victorious.

I'm posting this thread now to reserve the name (it'll be awhile before I get to the .bsp here, I'm afraid) and because I only recently developed a layout plan that will support this playability.
 

Darth Gman

L1: Registered
Aug 25, 2009
22
4
That first pic looks Aw-some.

I love the way the "I bombed your territory, you can't take it back! :p" style.
 

J4CK8

L11: Posh Member
Mar 4, 2009
820
243
Indeed on the AWESOME screeny, but if BLU own 3 of the 4 areas, is RED's only chance of victory capping BLU's last area...which is uncappable...? I'm a bit confused.
 

A Boojum Snark

Toraipoddodezain Mazahabado
aa
Nov 2, 2007
4,775
7,669
It's not really territory control if you can't take it back. You're destroying it so it's the opposite of control. I also think you are misunderstanding the stalemate people hate about Hydro... territories changing hands and constantly moving around without an ultimate victor is not the problem. The problem is an individual stage stalemating because neither team can get to and capture the other side.
I'm not seeing how your solution helps this, and in fact it seems like it would just exacerbate it. In Hydro you must get to and hold the point for the 10 seconds it takes to capture it. In Meridian you must get in and out which is relatively easier than Hydro's objective if you are considering equal team pushes. But with your style you need to get there and then wait around doing nothing for the bomb to detonate, during which time the enemy can just up and run away with it if they manage. (and waiting around for the timer to run low and then ninja-bombing it is just a lame victory and a lame loss)
 

Mexican Apple Thief

L3: Junior Member<br>LEAD FARMER
Aug 23, 2008
345
60
Indeed on the AWESOME screeny, but if BLU own 3 of the 4 areas, is RED's only chance of victory capping BLU's last area...which is uncappable...? I'm a bit confused.

I think since there's 4 areas, Blu would blow up a base, but they wouldn't own it, that zone is entirely out of play now so it would be one of Blu's surviving points vs Red's one surviving point, and Red has to kill both points to win.

It's not really territory control if you can't take it back.

Probably the closest prefix. This community is very anal about prefixes, so I can understand where he'd have trouble picking one everyone would agree on.
 

The_Ulf

L6: Sharp Member
May 26, 2009
399
115
but if BLU own 3 of the 4 areas, is RED's only chance of victory capping BLU's last area...which is uncappable...? I'm a bit confused.

Whoops - rushed to post the thread before class so I didn't explain fully. Lemme update that.

When a point is capped, it can't be reclaimed because it doesn't get claimed by the enemy so much as blown up, removing it from the playable field. In other words, fights between sides are always from points they started out owning. The trick for designing the layout here (and thus why it took me awhile to figure out how to do this) is that there need to be paths between all the possible states of combat (but not between areas that start owned by the same team as the enemy never moves between them, i.e. there is never a RedA - RedB fight - it was realizing this that finally allowed me to solve the layout). As such, point C needs to be accessible from the enemy's points A, B and C (so for Implosion's layout, point C is beneath A and B, opening up when A and B are destroyed). That probably didn't clarify too much, so how 'bout an example!

The game starts and randomly chooses the RedA - BluA fight to start.
A___B
__\__
B___A
Blu wins the first matchup, destroying RedA, so the game continues with RedB (Red's only option now) and BluA (by chance)
X___B
_____
B_-_A
Red wins this one, and the game is even again. The only matchup available is RedB and BluB (C doesn't come into play until both of a side's forward bases are down, just like normal tc).
X___B
__/__
B___X
Blu wins again and is now threatening RedC.
X___B
_C___
X___X
Now it can come down to a Blu victory or a C versus C fight if Red manages to thwart the invaders and take out BluB.

Sound exciting/fun? I hope so! :D
 
Last edited:

The_Ulf

L6: Sharp Member
May 26, 2009
399
115
It's not really territory control if you can't take it back.
Yeah, - but as was said it's the closest official type - just as ctf is the closest-ish type to Bomb Factory. It's still a map with many control points but only combat between two at a time.

I'm not seeing how your solution helps this, and in fact it seems like it would just exacerbate it. In Hydro you must get to and hold the point for the 10 seconds it takes to capture it. In Meridian you must get in and out which is relatively easier than Hydro's objective if you are considering equal team pushes. But with your style you need to get there and then wait around doing nothing for the bomb to detonate, during which time the enemy can just up and run away with it if they manage. (and waiting around for the timer to run low and then ninja-bombing it is just a lame victory and a lame loss)

Mostly true, I fear. :bored:

But I'm hoping the Btb playstyle will help each round play quickly, with more opportunity to avoid a round stalemate (albeit 'lamely').

There being only one point each team must defend and only one option for what point for each team to attack each round will hopefully reduce ninja-bombability (although I am worried about the risk of points being entirely uncappable, instead).

First alpha will be, inevitably, pretty horrible. But that's what we're all here for, yay playtesting and feedback! :D
 

Omnomnick

L6: Sharp Member
Aug 16, 2009
335
111
I like the great combination of props you have in that screenshot, really makes the control point look interesting. I'd make sure you're map works before trying to construct an explosion.

Good luck!
 

Agentkid

L1: Registered
Feb 27, 2009
45
15
the screenshot looks great but please optimize the nucleus like middle, as that thing (in Nucleus) is graphicly intensive to my commpy and i want to play it without lagging out
 

The_Ulf

L6: Sharp Member
May 26, 2009
399
115
Lots of shine for a pre-alpha...

Just that one room because I cut it pre-baked out of an older project of mine (a map that I mostly abandoned after realizing that I'd horridly miss-scaled everything else in it).

Don't expect such flashiness for the rest of it when it first comes. ;)