PL Swiftwater (swift revisited)

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Citizen Snips

L3: Member
Apr 8, 2010
118
16
Okay, after checking out the latest version, I have to take back some things that I said, but not others.

First and foremost, visually, it's gorgeous. The best it's looked by far. I was stunned by the amount of detail in some locations. However, there were a few minor visual glitches I noticed.

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Now, on to the final two cap areas, which were my main focus for concern. The final cap is just fine. Whatever problems I may have had, it works perfectly fine now, as battle flow is focused into the upper area, as you intended. No changes required there.

However, the penultimate cap remains a bit of a problem. When leaving the spawn, you walk this way.

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Now, whether you're new to the map or know it by heart, where is your eye automatically drawn to? The open area or the obscured stairwell that's covered by some kind of cabinet? The former, obviously. And that's still a bit of an issue; while players can have the choice between the two spawn exits, they should be predominantly using the stairwell, since it gets you to high ground faster, which is where you want to be when fighting off BLU, not on the low ground where you're susceptible to oncoming fire. You either need to remove that cabinet and make the path to the stairwell far more obvious, or just have RED spawn facing directly this way.

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And going up this stairwell, there is still an issue with the sniper deck that it leads to.

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Why is this grating here? I'm serious; never would I actually WANT to fall down there, and I found myself more often than not slipping down the hole, shouting obscenities to myself, and then making the long way back up to the deck. As for BLU, why would you want them down in that area in the first place? They should be pushing the cart, not spawncamping RED. It's an annoyance to both sides.

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There's also the matter of BLU access to this deck. The only way up here are those tiny barrels on the left, and I found them to be really tricky to climb. If you want that to be an access point, then perhaps have them jut out more so that it's easier for BLU to climb them. And there has to be SOME way of BLU getting up here, otherwise Snipers are at way too much of an advantage to camp up there and not be attacked.

Now, looking at the final cap, I was reminded of something. RED is forced to defend the area from above, not below. That's good; that's how the map was intended. However, that begs the question: why does this area still need to exist?

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I'm dead serious when I say that this area should not be open to both classes, and should be an extension of RED's spawn room. Why? Well, for starters why would RED need open space down there? To build a sentry? Seeing how the sentry would be defending the final cap, and RED can't go through that door during the final cap, that makes it a moot point. What about BLU? Do they have any business going down there? Well, no. All that's down there is an access point to get to the upper area where the last cap was, which is useless at that point, and a long-winded way to get to the house above the final cap, which can just be accessed by taking the upper catwalk.

If you just botch this whole area, it'll fix all the problems that I mentioned. Convert the area so that it leads directly to the stairwell that's not being used now. It'll give RED a better attacking point, and it'll make use of what's otherwise dead space. I'm sorry I keep harping on this, but I can't stress enough how this area needs to be fixed, seeing how it's the only thing left wrong with the map.
 
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Wilson

Boomer by Sleep
aa
May 4, 2010
1,385
1,223
I think it is just detail, he could easily made it out of one solid brush instead of bunch of small ones like that.
 

Citizen Snips

L3: Member
Apr 8, 2010
118
16
In fact, Schwa provided a very good comparison shot with one of his screenshots.

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You can clearly see that the entire surface is consistent, except that one area.
 

tyler

aa
Sep 11, 2013
5,102
4,621
Yeah, but what you don't understand is that holes don't just appear like that. You have to make them. It's on purpose.
 

Citizen Snips

L3: Member
Apr 8, 2010
118
16
Oh. I have no idea why he would, then; it looks more glitchy than it does artsy. Maybe if he made the holes more obvious, and not tiny little slivers, it'd look more realistic. Like, if there really were chips in a wood (?) paneling, there wouldn't be a thin line at the base where it's nonexistent; the spacing would be between planks, or there'd be chips in the wall.
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
Those holes look like part of the detailing, unless i am missing something.
In the case of that room I took cues from the blue base in 2Fort. The design may have been too subtle or poorly executed. I'll keep it in mind though. Thanks.
 
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I-Fling-Poo

L1: Registered
Aug 15, 2009
18
10
Speaking of the room right outside of BLU spawn on the right... if a BLU sentry is built right up against the back side of that wall, it can shoot THROUGH the wall.

Also, in the river on the left, the BLU bomb and the wooden cart are NOT clipped (ie: you walk through them). Not sure if this was intentional.

Poo
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
Snips, you'll be happy to know I re-oped this and currently in the process of re-building that lower area from scratch. It will still be a playable area for both classes, but I think I can solve all your valid concerns.

Don't expect a playable version for a long time though, if at all. If the improvements aren't significant enough to justify another release I won't release it.
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
Anyone have feedback from the latest gameday?
 

What Is Schwa

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 13, 2008
375
445
The ligts are cool but i think there should be more to show which of red's spawndoors are open and which arent.
Unless it is broken, the "current quickest exit" has a green light. Locked doors have red lights. Doors with no-lights are open, but not exactly the exit that is best at that time.

Do you think there is a better way to do this?