Nutomic

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
This map is dead.

My entry for the ctf contest. Name is wip and will be changed when i know a good one.

A rather small map with the invasion ctf mode (a single intel you have to get into the enemy base).

I would like to hear feedback on how the classes play, if there are any overpowered classes, how the sentry positions are, and stuff like that.
 
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nik

L12: Fabulous Member
Aug 14, 2009
987
564
I'm trying to find the difference....
 

iOffline

L1: Registered
Jun 27, 2009
8
6
Solo runthrough impressions.

Firstly I have to say, this map is WAY too bright, it made me feel dizzy playing it.

From the start, the spawn room is tiny and bland. We then move into a ramp room that has far too many elevation changes for a single room. There is no form of building, just an open warehouse look. The ramps also don't add anything at all to the gameplay. Also, if you take the left top, you have to walk all the way past the windows to get to the left, there is no exit other than that.


Heading outside there is the capture point. Now I appreciate the idea behind this but it simply doesn't work. If you can get a demo to that point fast, they would be able to sticky jump to the battlements and score an easy cap before the round starts. It just leaves too much requirement for the first kill. Unlike a 5CP map you can't make this back and you would be up a capture before the round started. The winning team could set up their own defenses in that time leading to a one-sided game. Still, don't quote me on that as it would require testing (of course).

This style also leads Snipers into being defensive should they use their battlements (which given the windows would lead me believe that is what you intended). Something doesn't quite fit there IMO.

Anyway, back to the map. There really isn't much to it. The intel feels like it is sitting there in the middle of nowhere and the health and ammunition doesn't look like any thought went into its placement. It is simply at the corner of the room.

The whole map is pretty much:

Spawn -> Open area -> Intel -> Open area -> Spawn

...with no other buildings, cover, detail or anything. I am sorry to be blunt here but it really needs more to it. As it stands it is too open and gives no classes room to shine (except perhaps Soldiers and Demos).
 

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
Yeah the lighting is bad yet, i just put some standard light entities at random places to avoid fullbright, i hope people dont midn too much.

I know that the floor in the middle area is too emtpy yet, i will think of what i can add there.

What i dont understand is, how a demo should be able to make a cap before the round starts? He would have to run through the whole enemy team, and stickies wont help much either.

However, playtesting will show how it works.
 

Fraz

Blu Hatte, Greyscale Backdrop.
aa
Dec 28, 2008
944
1,152
I had a quick runthrough myself: It seems small and simple, yay. I dislike complicated maps.
The distance between the capture area and intel seems incredibly small, and may have 3 -4 caps in the first 5 mins, per team if scouts get there before engineers. The area just before the mid, feels open as well.
 

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
Updated to a2, changes:

- fixed having 2 intels
- changed cap layout
- changed health and ammo positions
- reduced general brightness

Picture of the slightly changed base layout:

 
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grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
You now inadvertantly have room to put something awesome in the middle of this room. Something that you can revolve your map's theme around.
 

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
Updated to a2a and fixed the bugged spawns.

You now inadvertantly have room to put something awesome in the middle of this room. Something that you can revolve your map's theme around.

The question is, what could that be? I wont put another rocket in, and there arent much more props in the right size that fit onto a capture point as far as i know.

Also, i was thinking about the name. What do think of ctf_homefront? (Probably with a 2fort theme on the outside?)
 

iOffline

L1: Registered
Jun 27, 2009
8
6
What i dont understand is, how a demo should be able to make a cap before the round starts?

I don't mean before the actual round but rather he could use around 2 stickies and be in the middle point in no time. 1 sticky from spawn to the front door, another gets the intel then a third (possible with an uberheal) would send you to pretty much the capture point.

Onto the A2a release, for some reason I am not getting any sound to say I have the intel, is that a local issue or are the sounds missing? There is also the initial sign that says to get the intelligence from the enemy base. With only one capture point, this should be changed to reflect this.

Other than that, the changes to the spawn rooms make spawn camping less likely. One little thing I also thought I should mention is the ramp to the intel in the middle, the top of it doesn't have a landing as shown below. The ramp should sit flush with the doorway (circled).
 

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
I don't mean before the actual round but rather he could use around 2 stickies and be in the middle point in no time. 1 sticky from spawn to the front door, another gets the intel then a third (possible with an uberheal) would send you to pretty much the capture point.

That would be a total of 4 jumps, and even with a medic (that could only heal you the first few meters) you would get really low, and still have to face the whole enemy team.

Onto the A2a release, for some reason I am not getting any sound to say I have the intel, is that a local issue or are the sounds missing? There is also the initial sign that says to get the intelligence from the enemy base. With only one capture point, this should be changed to reflect this.

The sounds are missing in the game, and the messages are wrong because valve didnt code them right. Hopefully they will fix that, or i will have to look for a workaround.

One little thing I also thought I should mention is the ramp to the intel in the middle, the top of it doesn't have a landing as shown below. The ramp should sit flush with the doorway (circled).

Thanks for telling me, this will be fixed in the next version.

Still the question, what do you think of ctf_homefront as the name?
 

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
Thought about the name a bit more, which of the following do you find best (for a map with a 2fort styled outside, and location according to the name)?

-homefront
-heavens peak
-landscape
-lowlands
 

Jindo

L3: Member
Aug 6, 2009
121
123
Just to let you know, while some players were waiting to test the first maps on my list, a few of them explored this map (since I uploaded it ready for tomorrow) and sent some notes over to the web page:

http://ctf.killingjoketf2.com/?map=5

(As I keep stating in other posts, the page is WIP and not compatible with browsers besides FF from what I know.)

---

Hopefully those comments/notices are of some use to you.
 

Jindo

L3: Member
Aug 6, 2009
121
123
We've just finished from testing your map. Unfortunately we weren't able to get the full 12 players but we did manage 10, which seemed more appropriate since your map is a bit smaller than some of the other CTF maps.

Notes page for this map - A lot of things were said in-game but people appear to not be making use of the /n feature, I'll see what they say on the forum as they'll more likely post some helpful stuff there.

Generally with this game mode I think that it will struggle as a competitive map as it is, although there are a couple of things you can do and were suggested in-game:

1) Longer Intel Respawn Time: Give players a chance to make their way back to the middle area.

2) Adjust Intel 'Ownership' When Dropped: Rather than making the intel Neutral as soon as it is dropped, why not have it so that it belongs to whichever team dropped it for a period of time, and then after that period it becomes Neutral? This would work similarly to reversing a cap in 5cp maps.

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Hero said:
ctf_nutomic_a2a:
  • The consept is great fun, lots of action
  • Needs bigger intel room with an entrence from above
  • Fix the "see into spawn " from the highest pilar in the corner
  • Tweek the map so that the team that is on top doesnt have such a huge advantage (make a delay from when the intel is caped until it spawns)
  • Remake the spawns so they cant be stickycamped so easy
  • Add objects that scouts can use as cover and jump on to get higher
  • Make some corridors a bit shorter

I enjoyed the map overall, perfect size and a fun gamemode

Monchberter said:
ctf_nutomic_a2a:
  • Good, fun and size is about right
  • Problems with access to intel. Too easy for opportunistic scouts or rocket / demo jumps to grab first thing in the round
  • Putting intel in enemy base is counter intuitive and encourages spawn camping once one cap has been achieved, leading to steamrolls
  • Suggest opening up some sight lines to intel for snipers but prevent sniping enemy spawn somehow (perhaps like koth_viaduct - a map it resembles)
  • rooms and central courtyards are too open and with no cover and with the upper side walkways the room becomes a deathtrap for any class but solly and demo as too easy to spam down on players (pyro's and heavies are particularly vulnerable). suggest making the upper passages less open and add cover for teams to attack / defend from.

I managed only to record a STV demo of the first (relatively) quick round we played, which showed a bit of spawn camping and general domination of the battlefield. The next game however was slightly more balanced after rearranging the teams, but one team was still able to bit the other by quite a lot. And regularly we'd have the entire enemy team attacking us in our base while a Scout from our team runs in to their base to cap the intel without problems.

This could work as a variation of CTF, particularly in competitive play, it just needs some refining.

Good work so far, I'll post the demo when I get a chance!
 
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