Snowplow

CP Snowplow Final Version

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Fantaboi

Gone and one day forgotten
aa
Mar 11, 2013
892
1,050
I really want to rant about the beeping, everyone knows my un-natural hatred of the beeping and I think I finally have the solution.

The problem I have with the beeping is that it becomes immediately distracting and at first, I had no idea what it was for. I didn't know what it meant until someone explained it to me, and whilst I was still searching for what it was, every beep I found myself constantly going away from the fight and looking around for what it meant distracting me from the gameplay.

I don't think it should be removed though.

With the screen overlay, have 3 dots, and after every beep an extra dot appears, when there are finally 3 dots reset them.

My opinion might be outdated, as I played it a few versions ago, so sorry if everything I say makes no sense.


On a lighter note, the AU server is going to run the map as well, ip is: 27.50.72.254
 
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Auwi

Certified in best in fun
aa
Dec 12, 2012
188
498
Massive amount of feedback + sightlines incoming

http://i.imgur.com/gRvkOhz.jpg
I really hated dealing with this sentry spot, it has a pretty clear overlook of the point and its hard to sticky spam this area because enemies will usually flood around this spot. My thoughts would be just to remove the little house behind this wall, but keep this wall here.

http://i.imgur.com/asexrka.jpg
most annoying displacement in the world because somebody held down left click for too long. I found I can actually slide off this thing.

http://i.imgur.com/PCHl3uQ.jpg
This is also annoying because its not clipped, I have to jump up it most of the time because I just slide off of the step.

http://i.imgur.com/V88cfsr.jpg
I thought this sniper spot was too good. You can easily headshot anyone coming straight out of spawn, and most of the time, your team has your back so you don't have to worry about spies so much.

http://i.imgur.com/A4wAaJL.jpg
You can easily block off an area, and shoot through the window on the other side to lock down enemies.

http://i.imgur.com/xPKHOpF.jpg
When I wanted to get around the point via the under area, I noticed the train + the blocker stopped me from doing that. Adding a little space over on the left could help scouts so much.

http://i.imgur.com/ztCsUxL.jpg
Tasty sightline over the point, you can easily headshot engineers here.

http://i.imgur.com/zPbGoH8.jpg
I really noticed that when the attackers wanted to take the control point, their only option was to take to the upper area near the control point. The bridge really allowed players to do that more easily, thus making this point much harder to defend.

http://i.imgur.com/BhQ5b52.jpg
Putting a resupply cabinet down here would really help, sometimes when I'm on fire I come down to this area and realize theres nothing here except brushes and props.

http://i.imgur.com/ndRRaEH.jpg
I noticed soldiers LOVE this rock area over the point. You can easily spam down on defenders and quickly retreat back to your team. Maybe you should add a ramp in this back area but make it harder to attack somehow.

http://i.imgur.com/ERJIaaM.jpg
Brushes are overlapping here.

http://i.imgur.com/HJ3co7e.jpg
This is a massive "I can camp enemies" type of sightline. This sightline literally reaches from blu's spawn to red's forward spawn on stage 2. I really don't want to camp the enemy more than I have to.

http://i.imgur.com/ArhcErH.jpg
Another really powerful sightline here, I can see anyone trying to take that medkit, and anyone who does will get slammed with a bullet to the face.

http://i.imgur.com/zXcGPe2.jpg
I didn't really see any point of this dropdown, unless its to escape all those pyros or heavies. I went into here one time thinking there were stairs I could go up.

Thats all the feedback I have as of right now. I'm really tired and I'm going to bed. I'll provide more feedback if I find anymore issues. As of right now its really cool, and I can't wait for this map to be realased along with the update. Good luck!
 

fauks

L2: Junior Member
Jul 7, 2013
68
17
Cap points need to be easier to identify. The only good one is the one in the bridge-house with dev textures.

The 'device' being a bundle of logs every time is repetitive.

Final point is anticlimactic. Compared to the map's cousin Thunder Mountain, this map goes out with a whimper.

It kinda feels like a train was shoehorned into an A/D map. Being unable to directly influence the train's status (heal/damage) really just makes it an overly-elaborate timer.
 

Micnax

Back from the dead (again)
aa
Apr 25, 2009
2,109
1,585
It kinda feels like a train was shoehorned into an A/D map. Being unable to directly influence the train's status (heal/damage) really just makes it an overly-elaborate timer.

This, kinda feels unnatural and confusing. Not to mention it goes against the whole story of the train thing in EOTL (the train isn't meant to stop)
 

evanonline

L420: High Member
Mar 15, 2009
485
273
I know that this is for the End of the Line update, I know it's gotta have a train as a big central focus, but the train really kind of confuses the objective. The map is nothing more than a 3CP Mountain Lab-esque push map, all the Announcer calls going off and the train thing on the HUD throw off players and make it seem like there's a deeper objective they're missing.

I do think the layout is pretty fun, though. I just feel like things are muddled and made unclear by the extra elements. There's no real reason this couldn't just have a normal clock timer like any other A/D map.

Also, the train moves between each capture point so fast that it's hard to realize that it's even there. It would be fun if it was a little slower and provided a big rallying point for the attackers as they move up to the next area. The train itself offering more dynamic elements (perhaps it could fold out some shields or something to provide cover and change the face of the areas it travels to?) would be a good way to make it a central point of the map while still ridding things of the needless complications with the timer and the train's "health."
 
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ThrowingPie

L1: Registered
Apr 6, 2014
28
30
I agree with fauks that some of the cap points were hard to find on the first couple of playthroughs, more signs to point to points and when leaving spawns would help with that. The fight also focused around the train (since it glows) and the points felt somewhat secondary.
Interesting gamemode that, once I understood the map, was enjoyable,
The art style looks good so far.
Keep up the good work
 

Ælement

Comfortably mediocre
aa
Dec 21, 2010
1,481
1,616
We know.

It's already fixed for the next version which will be out *when it's ready*

reaction-neil-degrasse-tyson.gif
 

harryhenry

L1: Registered
Nov 24, 2013
1
0
OK, I've been trying to connect to the map, (specifically the austrailan server) but when I try to connect to the server, it stops and says I'm missing the map. And btw, I have "Allow all custom files from the server" selected.
 

puxorb

L69: Emoticon
aa
Dec 15, 2013
531
798
I just want to say that I think this map is quite brilliant. I figured out what the objective was almost instantly and I never really got lost (except when you had a sign pointing the wrong way but that was fixed). I am really looking forward to seeing the map finished!

But I must ask: Why is the train so small? It seems weird that it is so small. I don't really think that the size of the train would change how the level plays too much, so making it bigger wouldn't be a terrible idea. It would of course require that some walkways are raised up or the ground made lower, which I can understand might affect gameplay.

Anyway, great job YM and Frozen! Can't wait to see the final result, and congrats to Frozen on being yet another community mapper to have his work in the game!
 

robotortoise

L1: Registered
Feb 1, 2014
7
3
The uh.....the train model is temporary, right? :p

But yeah the mode certainly looks interesting. There's no snow particles, and the train on the HUD is rather low-res though.

The sounds are rather big. The map is fun, though it's hard to figure out what to do.

Maybe have the train on the HUD have a "progress" bar? Like, a bar that fills up the closer you are to completion? And more steam pumps out of the train's top?
 

puxorb

L69: Emoticon
aa
Dec 15, 2013
531
798
Well first of all they said that the HUD is only temporary until they make a proper one, and why would steam come out of a diesel train? Do you mean smoke since it is damaged?
 

Fruity Snacks

Creator of blackholes & memes. Destroyer of forums
aa
Sep 5, 2010
6,394
5,571
But I must ask: Why is the train so small? It seems weird that it is so small. I don't really think that the size of the train would change how the level plays too much, so making it bigger wouldn't be a terrible idea. It would of course require that some walkways are raised up or the ground made lower, which I can understand might affect gameplay.

If it was actual size, it would very clumsy to play around. Making it bigger would affect a lot more than just walkways.

The uh.....the train model is temporary, right?

But yeah the mode certainly looks interesting. There's no snow particles, and the train on the HUD is rather low-res though.

The sounds are rather big. The map is fun, though it's hard to figure out what to do.

Maybe have the train on the HUD have a "progress" bar? Like, a bar that fills up the closer you are to completion? And more steam pumps out of the train's top?

Yes, the train model is temp, everything is temp.
Particles, HUD will both be updated later.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
It kinda feels like a train was shoehorned into an A/D map. Being unable to directly influence the train's status (heal/damage) really just makes it an overly-elaborate timer.
It really is; that's the hilarious thing. All this work going into making the players understand what's going on, when it's really just a countdown to RED's victory-by-default.

I mean, props for coming up with a way to actually explain why RED wins if BLU doesn't cap within a certain amount of time, I guess, but even so, I wonder if just using an actual standard timer would still be the best way to convey the information.
 

A Boojum Snark

Toraipoddodezain Mazahabado
aa
Nov 2, 2007
4,775
7,669
Why is there a train instead of a timer? Because the map is about a train.
Why is there australium that launches a rocket instead of a briefcase and capture zone? Because the map is about a rocket.

The narrative of a map shouldn't be thrown out just because it is an elaborate version of a plain mechanic. What's wrong with dressing something up in a creative way to make a map more unique, exciting, and engaging? Do you really WANT a timer instead? What's wrong with using a train?
 

xzzy

aa
Jan 30, 2010
815
531
It really is; that's the hilarious thing. All this work going into making the players understand what's going on, when it's really just a countdown to RED's victory-by-default.

I mean, props for coming up with a way to actually explain why RED wins if BLU doesn't cap within a certain amount of time, I guess, but even so, I wonder if just using an actual standard timer would still be the best way to convey the information.

I don't know about that, a standard timer is certainly simple and informative, but it doesn't tie into the game world at all. Why would there be a clock on a battle? Wouldn't you just keep fighting until someone won or ran out of reinforcements?

Point being the train gives an in-game reason to care about how long the match takes. Now players aren't fighting over anonymous metal discs, they're fighting to actually accomplish something.

Don't get me wrong, the train is a gimmick meant to tie in with a video and serves no other purpose, but I do think the attempt to incorporate the victory conditions into the play area is a noteworthy and interesting design goal.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
Not instead of the train, silly. Instead of the custom HUD. Except instead of counting down to a purely arbitrary failure condition, it would be counting down to when something of consequence actually happens. So, best of both worlds. You'd still get the custom announcer lines (not the ones we have now, the ones we will have once the map is done and in Valve's hands) too.