Aftershock

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
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CURRENTLY CHANGING MAP NAME TO AFTERSHOCK

Assault CP map that features two rounds. The second round having three capture points, forward spawns, and moving piston. Pistons shall remain in the map until beta when I am confident they either stay or are removed because they affect game play too much.

Thanks to Midel, Ike, Boojum Snark, and LuckyNumber13 for help in this map.


Please leave some feedback if you tested! :D
Thanks in advance!

P.S. I am also very lazy and haven't taken new screen caps.
 
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Mar 23, 2010
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looks interesting. like the split ground effect.
 

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
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Unfortunately, the EU server crashed during the impromptu before any testing was done on the map, but I'm a little dishearten by the negative feedback I've already received. Just because the map has a "bad name" already had it associated that it will be a "bad map". Way to be judge a book by its cover, or in this case a map. Its only alpha 1, named for the theme I had planned for, and could easily change as well as the entire layout.

If you want to suggest another name, I'm all ears.
 
Mar 23, 2010
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1,696
Unfortunately, the EU server crashed during the impromptu before any testing was done on the map, but I'm a little dishearten by the negative feedback I've already received. Just because the map has a "bad name" already had it associated that it will be a "bad map". Way to be judge a book by its cover, or in this case a map. Its only alpha 1, named for the theme I had planned for, and could easily change as well as the entire layout.

If you want to suggest another name, I'm all ears.

aftershock. wtf is a foreshock?
 

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
131
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ThePrestige said:
Wtf is a foreshock?

fore·shock
   /ˈfɔrˌʃɒk, ˈfoʊr-/ Show Spelled [fawr-shok, fohr-]
–noun Geology .

"A relatively small earthquake that precedes a greater one by a few days or weeks and originates at or near the focus of the larger earthquake."

All earthquakes: Foreshocks then the large Earthquake followed by Aftershocks
 
Mar 23, 2010
1,872
1,696
fore·shock
   /ˈfɔrˌʃɒk, ˈfoʊr-/ Show Spelled [fawr-shok, fohr-]
–noun Geology .

"A relatively small earthquake that precedes a greater one by a few days or weeks and originates at or near the focus of the larger earthquake."

All earthquakes: Foreshocks then the large Earthquake followed by Aftershocks

hmmmm. i guess either would work. just sounds weird and it has the squiggly red line! :eek:hmy:
 

Cylence

L1: Registered
Sep 5, 2009
38
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I like the possibility for unique gameplay opportunities in your map. You made the pistons well. They look good and seem relatively easy to predict unless the player is distracted by something. I also like how the fissures look and the fact that I can conceal sticky traps in them.

Good luck further developing.
 

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
131
36
Game Day Bump
I've heard your complaints about lights, that there's a possible leak in the map.
I've heard your complaints about distance, about size, and some balancing issues.
I've heard that the map wasn't optimized enough.
I've heard complaints about health sizes, water, and respawn times.
I've heard complaints with red spawn 01/blu spawn 2.
I'm sorry we never got to round 2, cap 2.

But I had to address the red's first spawn.
wtf.jpg

Conclusion: The afterbirth of a hammer fail-save during a crash. I remembered putting it back in the spawn, but I was so caught up in fixing broken team spawn points that I overlooked it.

Round 1's Second Cap has balance issues with the battle ground that when the paths converge, the red team can hold their ground.
wtf2.jpg

Needs an alternative path.

There's more to address
- Round 1's first cap:
  • health distribution
  • drop window
  • the water
  • redoing on lower area
- Round 2's first cap:
  • Alternative path
  • Wider Paths
  • Respawn

Any additional feedback is greatly appreciated.
 
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lucky

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
May 25, 2009
583
145
Okay first off, 12 minutes timer on second stage, please no. Never do such a thing again. I don't care what dustbowl thinks, it should never go on for that long in one stage.

Now for the screenshots. A lot will be dark places you just need to add lights to!

Here at the beginning, these windows are too 'clean' and see-through.. Make them one with a wire-type frame through, like glasswindow001a


Lights please



This is the first blu spawn, and I know you like your lots of spawn exits, but you really don't need that many. I suggest getting rid of the right staircase and exit, with only the one underneath route.



Healthpackslol. What were you thinking?!
I would suggest rather have fewer [throughout the map] and just have them in key battle areas - the more intense the fighting you think, the larger the health pack, but that's just me trying to help you not make so many D:


Lights please.



You should never think it's too early for ground displacements! You probably were going to anyway at some point, but make sure this is displaced so it looks more like a shore or something.



Okay the big one. This is the final point of first stage, and my goodness those sightlines. You already know that it needs more than just the one converging route to the point, so I have made some suggestions in this picture. Red is what sniper should already see (roughly). I filled the gap between two rocks with one of those wooden barrier things. I would personally extend that building you get on the left forward to where the rocks are, and exit out there. Also, if you need a one way route for some safe harbouring of ubers, then I would put it in the right side cliff, and it's up to you where you put the entrance.
I also included a raised defendable area for reds on the left there, to counterbalance the new advances blu will have. I drew a little sentry with what sort of sightline it might have (not the full range obviously) - height and size subject to your will.


The tunnels going from 1 - 2, so very very dark. I didn't actually REALISE there was a route to the building on the left until noclipping through the entire place. That's how dark and un-noticeable it is.


A clearer view, the left part is just hidden completely from the point of entry.



back to that final point. lolsightlines. I hated that one ):
mainly that pesky sniper who ALWAYS managed to get me somehow.. but anyway.





I didn't feel like the first point could really be defended effectively, so here are changes I would make. Sorry about the mess of my drawing.. unskills.
I would make that building on the left blocked off, with a door only outlooking to the point, and a window, of size i do not know, looking to the right. I would add wooden decking around the point, and stairs leading down to the point from the railing, as the route through the building is no longer there. in order to help flow, I would wall the right route off a bit so that blu can't really completely circumvent red, adding a little bridge to that grey house, with a bit inside, and another small bridge back to the right (the other side of the new wall).




so ANYWAY, second stage

I really don't think you need THAT many spawn routes.




I would in fact, make the spawn here. (more lights please)



I would make the right exit here a drop down, by making the current ground a wooden platform bit or something, and then lowering the ground to the left of it. blu arrows illustrating routes


in red, that part seriously needed clipping. caused me much aggravation. Especially since it's right next to the point.
clip or raise ground to it, something (;
Also, as we had before, it all converges to one point /before/ the point, again. So I wanted to make it a bit more fancyriffic, and make it raised (i do love me some raises eh) , how much by i don't know, but going off left would drop down, and the way up would be from the stairs drawn in white, the one side of the rockpillarthing.
You could try spicing the house up a bit, but that's for you to do.



Lights please.




Now this area I wasn't really too sure on. Personally I think it would be better just to split it up after you go through the two doorways, rather than them both leading to the same place.
How you make that split is up to you.



This is back on the first point because I forgot to cap the point to get me more time lol
But yeah, the stairs need to be neatened up here!



Not exactly sure what's going on, but there was a yellow line across here, So take a look in hammer what's going on there. Brighten those lights too.


Really need signs to make it clear where you're headed for!
and not just above these doorways.









lights lights lights.

I didn't get to play for the final point, defending or attacking, so I can't really give any feedback on it.




The album of all these is http://img190.imageshack.us/g/cpforeshocka10000.jpg/
 
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Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
131
36
cool map so far! I found a clipping issue whilst playing. If you're any player that can't double jump / rocket jump / sticky jump and you fall behind these stairs you can't get out again!
Thanks for the fine. I've redone most of that capture point for ver. A2 (after this orphan map), so its not there, but I will keep an eye out for things like that again.

alecom said:
Okay first off, 12 minutes timer on second stage, please no. Never do such a thing again. I don't care what dustbowl thinks, it should never go on for that long in one stage.
I've looked into that and have it set now to reset the timer after capping round 1's cp2. Still also looking at spawn wave times as well, what I added should of helped in balancing. Since the caps were also fast, I ran several tests with the bots to see how fast they made efforts to cap as a group. Right now, it feels alright for what is set.

alecom said:
Here at the beginning, these windows are too 'clean' and see-through.. Make them one with a wire-type frame through, like glasswindow001a
This has been fixed. Thanks for the heads up on this one.

alecom said:

This is the first blu spawn, and I know you like your lots of spawn exits, but you really don't need that many. I suggest getting rid of the right staircase and exit, with only the one underneath route.
This whole area has been removed. I felt that a lot of the area would play better if it was a less severe chasm. I also removed the water under the bridge as well. People commented in game testing that they wanted to rocket jump up to the point. I had wanted it to be the bridge they fight to get on to. Many of the other changes in this area are adding larger rooms to the buildings, for better defense for Red, hopefully.

alecom said:
Health packs, lol. What were you thinking?!
In a panic, I added extra not feeling there was enough because I didn't want to hear the complaint that there wasn't "enough". :/ They were certainly removed now and the ones that remain I hope balance the map.


alecom said:

I would in fact, make the spawn here.
This is a much better alternative suggestion for improving the map. Not only does it help for flow direction, it can help improve optimization. The only concern is that it may confuse round 1 players of Red, even if there are signs everywhere.

Otherwise: I've done most of the updates you mentioned, Alecom/Lucky#13 for capture point 1 and 2 of the first round, given also the feedback I recieved from the game day test and a few friends as well. The only thing I've been hesitant to add is a one way door. I did try one with the bots for a while but it seemed Red has having too hard a time keeping defense. The changes now should help, and I'm hoping with the test of Ver.A2A, that I can move on. I am only trying this orphan because I want to see if Round 1's changes help or hinder the map more.

I still don't fully understand this map from the screens D:
I've not quite sure what to take screenshots of exactly to help you understand it better.
 

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
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Version A2a Release!​

Going to release only the first round so that I can get improvements now before I feel overwhelmed for A2 (Deal with it).

Version A2a: (Orphan of Round 1)
- Removed excess of Health kits.
- Increased area around the first point
- Removed water from the r1 cp1
- Added battlements to r1 cp2
- Added Cover to point
- Redone Red Spawn Layout for r1
- Fixed Leak/missing Respawn problem of Red Spawn that also caused lighting problem
- Added additional lighting where needed
- Added Path between cp1 and cp2 of r1


 

lucky

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
May 25, 2009
583
145
I feel bad for not making all those thumbnails. BRB.
/sorted/
 
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lucky

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
May 25, 2009
583
145
I took a look around, and looking forward to a test of this. One thing though, the inside of the building you go through from 1->2 , it's a bit mazey (not helped by the fact it's all the same texture but) it's not easy to know where you are. Maybe add some signs for the main (quickest/largest) route?
 

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
131
36
I took a look around, and looking forward to a test of this. One thing though, the inside of the building you go through from 1->2 , it's a bit mazey (not helped by the fact it's all the same texture but) it's not easy to know where you are. Maybe add some signs for the main (quickest/largest) route?

No I certainly have to agree with the maze like feeling for just the area. I thought I had enough signs to help out there. Since almost every path is signed enough to know which way is A and which is B. If there a more particular one you refer to, then by all means. I feel, after finishing this version, that the battlements might be cut. So that would cut down a little on the amount of paths but I want to see a version played with humans before I do so. Bots basically ignored it for the most part, but then again I didn't name the nav either like they do in the L4D series.

And yes, I would love to get this played. I haven't been around for a while since my computer glitched on me, so I didn't see the loss of game days until yesterday. Getting someone to run an impromptu testing for me feels like pulling teeth unless one donates. :(
 

lucky

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
May 25, 2009
583
145
Well maybe if you /only/ signed the main route. I think having A and B on this map is a bit odd, since they're not done like that in the HUD. But I suppose it works nonetheless.




Anyway, after studying your map from above, you have a ton of branching routes
From 'A' it splits to two paths, and /those/ both split in to two paths (well, three, but in a misleading way).



I don't want to change it too much as I haven't even seen it play.. and I don't want to jsut disagree with everything :p
I think just simplify it a bit by taking out the walls where I scribbled in black. You may even have to simplify it a bit more in the end, but, give it a chance first lol.
 

Knight-Errant

L3: Member
Mar 12, 2010
131
36
There was eventually a short, unannounced game test of the map It actually held pretty well for game play despite it only being 6v6. Ultimately, the only concerns were with distance to R1 cp2, the fact is that is significantly shorter than version a1 was (this was only a calculated distance from blu spawn to the second cap zone). Removing those extra walls you mentioned could help and it already feels like it should work.

There was only one other questionable thing such as the large hoodoo/mesa at the mid area at r1 cp2 having access for demo men and soldiers was a bit overkill. I can't tell at the moment until I see it in at least one full game.

The next version, A2B will only address the second round.

Version A3 will have the fixed walls and other minor bugs.
 
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