CP Fabrication

English Mobster

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 10, 2011
355
299
My first CP map (and fourth released attempt at a map, after 2 Payload maps and 1 Payload Race), cp_Fabrication. It's construction-themed!
The map is designed to be fun to jump around on. It's a small map compared to other 5 CPs like Coldfront or Granary, leading to frenetic action around the points. After the map gets feedback from some pub play, I'd like to see if I can't get it pugged to get some competitive feedback from it.

The map started out after a couple jaunts in competitive lobbies. I decided to make a map that would appeal to competitive players as well as pubs, and so I began this map with a "skeleton" of points from various maps, just tiny slices of geometry to get the dimensions of fun areas of the stock maps:
Mid began as Granary's mid.
Second began as Gravel Pit's C.
Last began as Well's last.

I mapped over the skeleton, changing things as needed. Mid saw the most dramatic changes; I added a cover on top of the point a la Foundry and used boxcars instead of containers alongside the point. This limited movement moreso than the containers did, so an alternate underground route was added on each end. This left a dead area by where the medium health pack is currently, so another alternate route was added to bridge over the trains.
The heights of each jump were calculated to allow for Detonator Pyro to have the ability to jump onto mid's cover. This allows for Soldiers, Scouts, Demomen, and Pyros to battle over the roof and the height superiority over the players battling for mid below. Demomen can also jump from the bridge on one side of mid to the other with a carefully-placed Sticky, effectively bypassing the mid fight and allowing himself to flank the enemies.
The bridges over the trains opened themselves up to be areas for Snipers to do their thing, giving them enough view of the battlefield to assist in combat without dominating it.
The underground tunnels have provided a valuable flank for Spies, who can pop out from just behind where the players fighting for mid have clustered and surprise the enemy as they retreat for the nearby medium health pack. Of course, Spy must be wary of being ambushed himself, as he exits near the bridge over the trains and can easily walk into a trap.

Credit:
The TF2M Construction Pack creators - Construction things.
TheBladeRoden - Blinds.
Void - Extra concrete textures.
Acumen - Giant lasers and a chair.
SiniStarR - Train reskin.
 
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Vincent

&#128296 Grandmaster Lizard Wizard Jedi &#128296
aa
Sep 5, 2009
912
684
That second screenshot screams foundry's cover. It's distracting. Also it doesn't really make sense as to why there's a big platform that lowers down directly on top of a moving train. Your shadow's seem a bit wanky and blob like, might want to fix that.

I like the final CPs, it's very unique. (despite the fact that you used Nucleus's cap point thing.

Overall from what I see, you have nice intricate brush work that just doesn't make a ton of sense. If you throw it up for an impromptu I'll join in, I'd like to see how this map plays.
 

English Mobster

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 10, 2011
355
299
That second screenshot screams foundry's cover. It's distracting. Also it doesn't really make sense as to why there's a big platform that lowers down directly on top of a moving train. Your shadow's seem a bit wanky and blob like, might want to fix that.

I like the final CPs, it's very unique. (despite the fact that you used Nucleus's cap point thing.

Overall from what I see, you have nice intricate brush work that just doesn't make a ton of sense. If you throw it up for an impromptu I'll join in, I'd like to see how this map plays.
Yeah, I'm considering replacing it as it's as recognizable as the Spire, but for right now it accomplishes the gameplay I want it to accomplish (and it's the exact height I need). Any replacements would have a crane to explain what the cover is doing there; I'd probably use a custom model as opposed to more brushwork. I would do it now, but I'm away from my main computer for the holidays and thus I'm working with what little I have (a computer struggling to run TF2 and the basic Source SDK with a shortcut to my Dropbox folder).

The shadows are a combination of a bad computer and not having my normal custom vertex lighting set up.

As for the brush work, I used enough to capture the feel of what I was going for, and then blocked out the rest so I could modify it at will. All my experience mapping comes from Payload or its variants, and 5 CP is a different beast altogether. Eventually, I'd like scaffolding and general construction things to be running all up and down the dev-textured areas, but that would be a lot of effort to put out for such an early alpha, where entire areas could possibly be removed.

For alpha 1, it's gameplay first, looks second. My only experience so far was with bots, and that was enjoyable, but humans play maps very differently.
 

bob+M|M+

L6: Sharp Member
Mar 31, 2008
346
394
I like the ceiling architecture in the last point, although it would make more sense if there was a sky opening for the satellite. I also like how you have the point "B" sign hanging from the cranes. good idea!

for gameplay, I can tell you now you will receive a lot of constructive criticism. If you listen to it with an open mind, this can be a good map!
 

Schrikvis

L1: Registered
Aug 3, 2011
37
11
All I can say is that the bots seem to like it and have so far come up with pretty interesting paths.
Yet they somehow can't handle the sheer awesomeness of the middle point and start spazzing out at the sight of it.
So you might want to replace the foundry roof (placeholder?).
 

English Mobster

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 10, 2011
355
299
I like the ceiling architecture in the last point, although it would make more sense if there was a sky opening for the satellite. I also like how you have the point "B" sign hanging from the cranes. good idea!

for gameplay, I can tell you now you will receive a lot of constructive criticism. If you listen to it with an open mind, this can be a good map!
If you look, the geometry of the roof on the final point has a large brushwork upside-down U over the laser. The idea is that on victory, that's a large "dome" that will open up , and then the laser will fire, doing something or another to the opposing side. Probably going to be a model for that, too, but for now it's just brushwork. :D
But that's the idea for the constructive criticism bit. This isn't my first rodeo. ;)

All I can say is that the bots seem to like it and have so far come up with pretty interesting paths.
Yet they somehow can't handle the sheer awesomeness of the middle point and start spazzing out at the sight of it.
So you might want to replace the foundry roof (placeholder?).
Yeah, it's a placeholder until I can get to my main computer and make something new (after New Years' Eve). But for now, it gets the thing I'm going for gameplay-wise on the last point. I think I'll wind up making a similar prop with a single hole in the center (above the point), and I may get rid of the "crane" ropes I have now in favor of a simple kind of gangplank across.

Certainly looks epic, I'll have to play it to see how it looks when it isn't on ultra low settings :p
Haha, at least I don't need to use an FPS config. ;P

The foundry prop will be a "Taboo" prop. One you never must use for fear of "Hey it's that prop from that map" syndrome. Just you wait.
Yeah, I can already see that. It's going to need to be replaced. :p
 
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Yacan1

D I G I T A L I N F L U E N C E R
aa
Nov 7, 2010
411
793
The last point reminds me of well's last point... the portable stairs, and layout with the second floor and such.
 

English Mobster

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 10, 2011
355
299
All the points started with a stock map for a frame of reference. Mid began with Granary's mid skeleton, Second began with Gravel Pit's C skeleton, and last began with Well's last skeleton. All have been tweaked a tad, but the last point is similar to Well by design. The portable stairs were unintentional additions, they just happened to be at the correct height.

E: Screenshots have been updated with the best this computer can do on higher settings without blowing up. :p
 
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English Mobster

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 10, 2011
355
299
Updated to A2:
+ Spectator cameras added.
+ Cover added over i-beams.
+ Supply cabinets added closer to last, matching the travel length found in Badlands.
- Double doors removed.
* Foundry cover removed, replaced with brushwork.
* Bridges over trains lowered.
* Ceilings made higher in various places.
* Medium Health and Ammo changed to Large.
* Dropped Second down a level.
* Shadows fixed.
* Various other minor changes.
 
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Ptimz

L2: Junior Member
May 8, 2011
61
61
The idea is that on victory, that's a large "dome" that will open up , and then the laser will fire, doing something or another to the opposing side.

If the dome above blue C opens when red wins, wouldn't it shoot red base? or if the red dome opens, nobody would see it.
 

English Mobster

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 10, 2011
355
299
I was thinking of possibly making the crane a func_door_rotating. By default it is as it is currently, but on victory the winning team's base would open up and fire a laser at the crane. The crane, being a rotating door, would rotate and topple over onto the opposing base, with the explosion particle effects and whatnot to go with it.
As of right now, it's just an idea. Probably won't happen until the artpass.