Well, the idea behind this map started with 2fort, or more specifically 2 fort engie power. That map has proven to be popular but its balance is questionable and clipping errors abound from characters walking in areas Valve didn't intend for them to walk in. Still, I've watched this map played and took some lessons from it and my towers project (which is shelved at the moment). Before I spend hours at building though I want to go over the blueprints with people that have done this before.
This map is only 2fort in the sense that I started with that floor plan and then modified it - heavily, then very heavily - and now almost unrecognizably so. I don't know if this will endear it to anyone who doesn't like 2fort already. I doubt it, though the map does address some problems of 2fort, like spawn camping.
Before I go over it in this post I want to go over what I observed from the Engie Power map (I don't know of a link to it, but several servers out there run it so it shouldn't be too hard to find). That map adds multiple new paths, including a means for all classes to get onto the roof of the bridge and onto the roofs of the buildings. The intel room is modified so that the conference table can be used for a sentry gun, and most noticably the intelligence room can be reached from the sewer.
That one change overshadows everything else in 2fort Engie. This new route is FAR shorter than any other route to the intelligence and bypasses all the choke points of the level. As a result every game I've seen on 2fort engie revolves around this one route, sometimes to the point of the rest of the map not mattering.
Now, this redesign is called "canyon" because the 2 forts face off opposite ends of a canyon. The idea is to provide a quick strike route to the intel that is one way because of a drop, and then provide multiple choices of return routes. Many of the routes are shorter but some of the new alternate routes are larger. Here's the change list and the idea behind them.
Thoughts?
This map is only 2fort in the sense that I started with that floor plan and then modified it - heavily, then very heavily - and now almost unrecognizably so. I don't know if this will endear it to anyone who doesn't like 2fort already. I doubt it, though the map does address some problems of 2fort, like spawn camping.
Before I go over it in this post I want to go over what I observed from the Engie Power map (I don't know of a link to it, but several servers out there run it so it shouldn't be too hard to find). That map adds multiple new paths, including a means for all classes to get onto the roof of the bridge and onto the roofs of the buildings. The intel room is modified so that the conference table can be used for a sentry gun, and most noticably the intelligence room can be reached from the sewer.
That one change overshadows everything else in 2fort Engie. This new route is FAR shorter than any other route to the intelligence and bypasses all the choke points of the level. As a result every game I've seen on 2fort engie revolves around this one route, sometimes to the point of the rest of the map not mattering.
Now, this redesign is called "canyon" because the 2 forts face off opposite ends of a canyon. The idea is to provide a quick strike route to the intel that is one way because of a drop, and then provide multiple choices of return routes. Many of the routes are shorter but some of the new alternate routes are larger. Here's the change list and the idea behind them.
- The Canyon: The main approach between the forts is a canyon, from which the working title is derived. Slightly longer than the existing 2fort map and narrower, the canyon is a sniper's dream. To make matters worse a natural arch bridge spans the canyon and blocks the lines of sight between the opposing sniper battlements.
- The Front Lawn: The area immediately in front of each fort has a side passage to a cave and a drop that leads down to the intelligence room, bypassing the fort on the way in, (but not on the way out). Irregularities in the canyon wall will be useable by double jumping scouts to reach the battlements, snipers and demos can still jump up.
- The Barn: The sewer entrance to the barn is gone. A stairway leading up to the battlements has been added.
- The Courtyard/Ramp room: The straight stairwell's orientation in this room is changed because the underlying intelligence chamber is changed. The spawn room now opens into this area.
- The Spawn Room: 2fort has always had camping problems because of the one exit from the spawn. In this redo there are 3 exits - the 2 new ones are to the courtyard and to the west end of the battlements and past the stairs down into the barn. It should prove an order of magnitude more difficult for a team to spawn camp this room since it will take three players to do it, but if it is a problem I'm considering adding a drop exit from this spawn room down to the intel.
- The spiral This has been moved between the battlements and the hayloft.
- The battlements Longer, only a small section of them are subject to fire long range fire but can be entered from three areas.
- The gulleys? This is the east side of the map, these passageways lead up to the natural bridge over the canyon and provide an alternate though longer route that isn't as vulnerable to sniper fire.
Thoughts?
Last edited: