Mirror symmetry

Aki

L4: Comfortable Member
Nov 2, 2009
155
8
I've noted that no current CTF map has mirror symmetry - rather the bases are perfectly alike. Is there a reason mirror symmetry isn't employed? I have a sketch design that needs the bases to be mirror images of each other.

What I mean by this is say your in the intel room facing two entrances at a right angle, like in 2fort's intel room. In a mirror layout one side would have the entrance on the left and the other on the right. The dimensions would otherwise be identical.

I could see very slight advantages being tweaked out of the handiness of view models, but other than that I don't see how it could affect balance.

Thoughts?
 

Crash

func_nerd
aa
Mar 1, 2010
3,315
5,499
Rotational symmetry is generally easier to play on, just because of the fact that it will always feel the same no matter what side you are on.

Plus it doesn't have the issue of weapons being off-center, like you mentioned. A slight imbalance is big when you start thinking of your map being played on a larger scale (as in, lots of times.)
 

Trotim

aa
Jul 14, 2009
1,195
1,045
There are situations when a specific layout only works with mirrored symmetry. Generally rotational symmetry is better though.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
aa
Nov 14, 2009
4,694
2,579
It's also harder to pull off, since you need to make sure you only use symmetrical props, which still have to be rotated manually after you've copypasted and flipped one team's side.