[WIP] CTF_Firepower

[Apex_]

Hello all, I've been lurking about the mapping community since the days of Jedi Outcast and the Radiant editor, having switched to Hammer back when HL2 and CS:Source came out. I have an unfortunate habit of drawing up really great looking maps on paper and never actually making them (or stalling and never finishing ones I try). None the less, I've gotten about a third done on a CTF map for TF2, which is more than I can say for most of my projects of late!

[skip this section if you just want to see the bloody map!]
This map was originally going to be a wacky spytech-styled secret weapons factory, where RED made flamethrowers and BLU made miniguns. I was stuck for awhile on what could connect the bases, but finally moved the whole complex underground where tunnels could come into play. The premise now is you're in the "back" of the factory, where the corporate brainstorms had the company excavate a tunnel out the back door to dig toward the enemy's conveniently placed (and also top secret) base. It just so happens the other team did the same, and so they met in a large central cavern (which forms the battlements). An air exchange system runs above the cavern, while a second tunnel runs below it providing two additional routes.

Unique mechanic: The vents are team-filtered, one way trips. A powerful gust propels you up from your entrance, while a trap door blocks you from turning back once you've made it to the enemy side. The vents don't cross, so there are no vent battles. The exits are easy enough to defend to make using the vents a real choice, since there's no turning back if you're staring down a sentry gun! You can bail out into the central cavern, however, if you lose your nerve.

Possible additions: I've been deeply contemplating a potential secondary objective but really lack any place to put it without greatly increasing the map's complexity and adding in more tunnels. Any suggestions along this line, or if you think the map should be fine as it is without any gimmicks, I'd greatly appreciate feedback.
[ok, enough babbling about map theory and history]

So, without further adieu...
http://www.apex-games.net/screens/

Note that the "alpha2xxxx" shots are somewhat old. I haven't worked on the map for some time due to family crisis and various distractions.

This is the original layout sketch

I moved the air exchange entrance/exits so they're part of the main base area in a sort of janitor's closet, so they're not in the middle as that image would seem to show

==========

So there you have it, my first serious map project in years. I can only dream of putting out a map anywhere near the quality of maps like Quarry, but if I'm really lucky I'll finish something this time!

Questions, comments, critique welcome as always.

 

[Gonzales]

Looks pretty cool to me. Some places look kind of dark, though.

Is it playable yet?

 

[dirtyminuth]

Oh yes, a map layout sketch! Love these things

Some comments, based entirely on the sketch:

Your map might fall victim to single sentry. That is, there is a location in the map (not including the intel room) where you can place a sentry that has LOS to everyone trying to steal the intel. This location is right outside the intel room, where the two intel hallways converge.

It looks like the mineshaft entrance and the vent exits are very close to eachother. This might reduce the incentive for players to make their routes varied. Might not be a big deal for gameplay, but it's something to consider.

You have three main routes : Middle, Vent, and Mineshaft. Each route has to involve a tradeoff of effort to benefit. Looks like you've balanced each route effectively. Why take the middle? it's the shortest path to the intel. Why take the vent? You avoid the middle area. Why take the mineshaft? You avoid the middle as well as part of the base.

Adding spawns to your layout might make things even more interesting to analyze.

Anticipating future updates!

 

[Apex_]

Oh yes, a map layout sketch! Love these things

Some comments, based entirely on the sketch:

Your map might fall victim to single sentry. That is, there is a location in the map (not including the intel room) where you can place a sentry that has LOS to everyone trying to steal the intel. This location is right outside the intel room, where the two intel hallways converge.

It looks like the mineshaft entrance and the vent exits are very close to eachother. This might reduce the incentive for players to make their routes varied. Might not be a big deal for gameplay, but it's something to consider.

You have three main routes : Middle, Vent, and Mineshaft. Each route has to involve a tradeoff of effort to benefit. Looks like you've balanced each route effectively. Why take the middle? it's the shortest path to the intel. Why take the vent? You avoid the middle area. Why take the mineshaft? You avoid the middle as well as part of the base.

Adding spawns to your layout might make things even more interesting to analyze.

Anticipating future updates!

Thanks for the input! I forgot to mention the sketch is quite outdated, so there have been a ton of changes since then. Primarily, I added a spawn room which isn't at all pictured on the sketch but you can see its location in the screenshots, and the vents are moved to janitor's closets on either side of the spawn room. They're rather easily defended I believe, but that makes the decision to take the vents that much more crucial since you can't turn back once you've dedicated yourself to finishing the trip through.

Regarding single sentry placement, the main room in each base is large enough that one gun can't cover from wall to wall. A single gun would be exposed to at least two directions of fire no matter where you put it, if it were intended to cover multiple routes, and the angles would be wide enough to be outside of the cone of fire and delay the sentry's turning. If you take a look at the screens of the main room, there's a central column that helps block LOS, and the two intel hallways are on different vertical levels. I'm hoping that will all add up to requiring at least two guns to cover all the paths.

I'd also like to mention the section of the mine shaft below the main cavern runs through the cavern, making a cut through the room which you can drop down into. It'll be filled with water to provide a 2fort-like Pyro reprieve, and the drop-down access should have a similar effect as the 2fort sewers (where you can anticipate an attack because you saw the player drop down).

Some places look kind of dark, though.

I've been toying with the lighting off and on for quite awhile. Since it's a symmetrical map and I haven't really completed a serious map project in ages I decided to take an approach where I'd complete the majority of one base first, including semi-final lighting and some assorted props/cover objects. I've got a lot of work to do on the lighting, definitely. I have the general "feel" for what I want in, but from there it's a matter of trial and error really.

It's not playable yet, maybe a bit over a third completed. The red base is 90% done I'd say, almost ready to mirror and reskin it. From there it's the neutral areas including the cavern, vents and mine shaft, and it should likely be playable once those are all complete in their basic forms.

Like I said earlier, if there's enough interest to complete the map I'll get on it

Thanks for the input guys!