Hey everyone! I'm fairly new to TF2 mapping and your forum, although I have lurked in the past, studying various threads on the design theory of TF2 and peoples maps ( you guys got some great mappers here ) and generally just trying to take in whatever I can. I have played around a bit in Hammer with TF2 in the past, but not for very long. I've been mapping for about 6 or so years, so I do have a bit of experience with various engines ( including Source ) and other games, just not TF2 itself.
That being said, I've also been playing TF2 since the beta. I'm not a pro, but I know my way around the maps and classes, as well as some of the do's and dont's. There is a lot of subjective appeal in what makes a map enjoyable, but I'm here to ask everyone for their thoughts on what common problems and mistakes you see people make that are are objectively unacceptable. Things like extreme sightlines, overpowered vantage points, a lack of cover ( or too much for that matter ) and all that sort of stuff. To me, TF2 is a very intimidating game to map for. You got 9 classes to think about. Will Sniper have too long of a sightline from this room? Will a Sentry shut down an entire team from this section? Will Soldiers dominate from on top of this hill? etc.
I know play-testing is key. You gotta have people play your map and discover any unbalanced places in it for you. But I'm here to see if anyone has any useful tips or advice for balancing a map from the get go. I'd love to hear what you guys think.
Thanks!
Oh I forgot to mention. I'm planning on building a map in the style of Dustbowl - that is, stage based CP. I forget what this is called exactly. So tips about this gamemode specifically would be much appreciated.
That being said, I've also been playing TF2 since the beta. I'm not a pro, but I know my way around the maps and classes, as well as some of the do's and dont's. There is a lot of subjective appeal in what makes a map enjoyable, but I'm here to ask everyone for their thoughts on what common problems and mistakes you see people make that are are objectively unacceptable. Things like extreme sightlines, overpowered vantage points, a lack of cover ( or too much for that matter ) and all that sort of stuff. To me, TF2 is a very intimidating game to map for. You got 9 classes to think about. Will Sniper have too long of a sightline from this room? Will a Sentry shut down an entire team from this section? Will Soldiers dominate from on top of this hill? etc.
I know play-testing is key. You gotta have people play your map and discover any unbalanced places in it for you. But I'm here to see if anyone has any useful tips or advice for balancing a map from the get go. I'd love to hear what you guys think.
Thanks!
Oh I forgot to mention. I'm planning on building a map in the style of Dustbowl - that is, stage based CP. I forget what this is called exactly. So tips about this gamemode specifically would be much appreciated.