CTF Biomass RC1

the term "excessive use" doesn't even describe what you're doing with the yellow railings there. i don't understand why you put even more of them in there. they need to be reduced at least 50%. they just distract the eye so much when looking at that scene :/

I think maybe if you gave them a washed out blue/red colour (depending on each side) it would look quite nice, and help distinguish each base.

They would still stand out a bit too much. Maybe an alternative to the handrails is a better option than just retexturing them.

Perhaps, in order to cut down on railings, you could take them off the rooftop?

What he needs to do is remove the catwalks altogether, making it into a regular courtyard. No need for railings then, and it gets rid of the unwarranted death pit that is annoying the majority of players.

Remove the catwalks and the water then raise the floor up to the current lowest catwalk. There is absolutely no point keeping it as it is because all those railings, in terms of movement, take a lot away from the player. If you see someone coming towards you along the catwalk you only have 2 options; fight them or jump off the ledge and go all the way back to the start again. At least with a proper small/medium area you can give player's more room to work with.

Swap it out for concrete flooring and you will be golden. The metal floor is a bit repetitive imo. :X

Not to nitpick, but you've got oildrums, nuclear waste, water crates, and beer kegs all in one shot. I can understand the water crates (the gorge-ish theme), but beer kegs? Nuclear waste?

Looks more open and underdetailed, but I guess you just started on it. A better alternative to the railings by far. Try to spread out the prop usage a bit too, I'm seeing vents, windows, and that chimney from Hydro everywhere. The metal tiles a bit too much, maybe break it up, somehow?

I guess you can say this map has been...

- derailed.

YEAAAAHHHHHHHHH-

I personally liked the environment where you were looking into water wherever you were. And as some said, it's a bit underdetailed since you've got so much more room.

Thus I'd suggest having some of the larger courtyards have an area that's like it was before. Think of it as being a well. You could place one or two small areas where you look into the water. A mini canal. Specifically that second picture. Instead of the ugly prop pyramid of random, put back a well of sorts.\

Another suggestion. Gardens. Get some trees/plants and put them in some concrete-bordered dirt/grass gardens. It would make the courtyards look better.

grazr said:

What he needs to do is remove the catwalks altogether, making it into a regular courtyard. No need for railings then, and it gets rid of the unwarranted death pit that is annoying the majority of players.

Click to expand...

Edit: take what you want from this... started writing it well before you made your change, then didn't notice that you had until after I already posted... that's what having a kid will do to you

Regarding railings and "death pits"... frankly, some of those railings are godawful ugly, but I don't think that it calls for a radical redesign of the area. Frankly, I'd take those railings off the catwalks and the stairs, and remove the "death" portion of the water area, giving a way to get up out of the water there and making it another route. Defenders will have the height advantage, but people that fall in won't be completely f*cked.

Honestly, the real key to a fun CTF map is balancing accessability vs defendability. If the flag room is too defensible, you get stalemates and nothing moves. If it's too accessable, the flag practically flies out the door, even with a good defense. In the case of the latter, the game moves so fast, it's done before it even started. In the case of the former, the game takes forever, until someone gets bored and makes a mistake. The fun in ctf lies somewhere in the middle, where after a pitched fight one team finally breaks through to win the day.

You're asthetic in the map is great. the fact that the flag areas are "outdoors" is somewhat refreshing, as far as I am concerned. This map has a great deal of potential. The key, I think, is to look at where in the map you want your fights to take place, and how, then use the layout to guide players toward that end.

littleedge said:

I personally liked the environment where you were looking into water wherever you were. And as some said, it's a bit underdetailed since you've got so much more room.

Click to expand...

He could add some grating along the bland floor that allows you to see an underpass with ze water.

Randdalf said:

Not to nitpick, but you've got oildrums, nuclear waste, water crates, and beer kegs all in one shot. I can understand the water crates (the gorge-ish theme), but beer kegs? Nuclear waste?

Click to expand...

they're making bonk atomic punch. duh.

I like it so far; will have to play it sometime

wow. that looks pretty good like that!

Provided beta 5 doesn't come out before I can fit it in, I'm scheduling beta 4 for a retest

This is a vast improvement.

The pit reminds me of the one from 300. :O