Looking for feedback on map concept

goem

L3: Member
Sep 15, 2016
104
83
Hello! I'm new here, as I have just recently got in to TF2 mapping in the past week (Crash you are a god damn saint for making your tutorials, you are the reason I learned to map. Otherwise, I would have given up trying to learn before I even started), and I am now working on my first map, which is named koth_double due to the fact that a lot of things have two floors or height levels. The name may change. Right now, all I have is the middle area, and I am still adding stuff there. There will be more stuff.

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The map has sort of a unique concept to it, in that the capture point has two floors. The bottom area is more covered, but leaves you at a disadvantage for height, while the higher platform grants you a height advantage, but you have no cover.

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The upper platform can be accessed via two methods The first method is to come from the second floor of the building and use the ledge to reach the point. All classes can jump the gap between the ledge and control point in both directions.

The second method is by using the small bridge that connects the hill to the upper platform. This method leaves you more open than the former one, but it is more easily accessed, as the hill is in the main combat area.

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Inside the building, on the second floor there are medium health and ammo packs, as well as two windows on either side that allow people inside the building to fire out easily, and are also large enough to allow players to fit through. There are two ramps leading to the second floor from the lower floor. These will most likely be changed to stairs once the map begins receiving detailing.
NOTE: I have not added proper lighting yet. This room will be well lit once I do.

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There is a wall on each side of the control point to provide cover for the lower capture area. I may add more cover if needed.

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On the ramps leading into the central area, there are ledges that have barriers and small health and ammo packs. These are ideal for use when the enemy team has control of the point and your team is trying to push them back in order to capture, as they allow you to hide behind the barrier while you reload or grab the health and ammo, and also allow you to peek out and fire at the enemy. This addition will a major role in allowing the matches to go back and forth rather than having one team destroy the other for the entire match.

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Opposite to these is a small alcove with a small building beside the main slope. The alcove has a ramp on the side that allows players to exit out the back instead of getting stuck with the only way out being the front, which leads into the central combat area.

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When you enter the hut, the ground dips down. There are medium health and ammo packs on a small "counter" in the front. It almost reminds me of a poolside bar.

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Just like the capture point, you can access the upper level of this hut as well. There is a ledge that allows any class to jump onto the top of the small room.

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There is a hole in the ceiling that players to access the health and ammo packs. If players are behind the building, this allows them to get to the health and ammo quicker than going around the side to the main doors. It also allows players who are fighting from atop the building to retreat down to the health and ammo in order to not die. At the same time, it makes it harder for players to camp on top of the hut, as there is less space for players to back up to in order to use their height advantage for cover.

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The roof of the building itself is one of only two places that has long range line-of-sight onto the lower control point. This makes it especially useful for Soldier, Demo, and Sniper.
NOTE: I will probably be adding more walls and barriers in the future, so this area will not be as open as it is currently.

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There is a cluster of small health packs and medium ammo packs right between the hill and the point, under the bridge. While these are near the point, their position makes them dangerous to pick up. They are in a lowered indentation in the ground, beside an open wall, and in the middle of the battle field. This leaves you at a height disadvantage to anyone else, especially those on the hill, and allows Soldiers and Demos to use the wall in order to land easy splash damage on you. Additionally, since these are in such a common area where fighting is always occurring, there will usually only be one or two packs available (depends on server size). The main purpose of these is to allow damaged players who are in control of the point to retreat back to the middle to heal up. I would not recommend going for these while attempting to capture the point.

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Thanks for reading all of this! I'd appreciate any and all constructive criticism on this map concept. I'd like to think I know what I'm doing, since I have a good sense of balance and what makes things fun v.s. boring/unbalanced. Sorry it currently isn't playtest-ready. I am posting this here so early in development because this is my first time mapping and I really want to know if I am doing this right.

I have included a download link for anyone who wants to take a better look at the map. Screenshots don't really show the map like how I want to, and I don't have a mic for my new computer yet, so I can't make a video.

EDIT: Download file now has proper lighting in the second floor
 

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Gatorix

L1: Registered
May 6, 2015
31
12
Hey there! I'm new as well! However, there is a specific location to go to to upload maps. This is just a thread. Go to downloads, and in the upper-right corner, there should be a button with "Add Download." Upload your map there and more people will notice it for it will be featured on the front page until it gets pushed out by more recent maps.

As for feedback, the map seems kind of small. The sniper sightlines are pretty powerful because they cover a lot of the map. The main sightline issue is that the point is shootable from a really long distance. I suggest add more buildings and cover. When you expand the entire map (coz it's kinda small) you will have a lot more space to work with. The point itself is definitely an interesting design. The little underpass should be covered better (unless you're going for a trench feeling. Then it should be steeper and longer.). I also suggest with putting less packs in the underpass. Make sure you have working spawn rooms for each team as well.

Overall, the point is interesting and worth working on. The entire map can use some terrain diversity. Put some buildings or hills. The one building you do have, try to make it interesting inside as well.

Also, when you have the spawn rooms put in, try texturing the areas with red/blu dev textures. This can help people identify the sides of the map better.

Don't forget to put the appropriate version name after the map name itself in the filename. I'm guessing that this is a1 (alpha 1). So the filename would be "koth_double_a1."

I'll definitely fix some of the basic functions of the map before posting it. If you don't know how to, then you can let the more experienced mappers explain, but if you can fix it, try your best. You can always post a question in the forum! Glad to see a new mapper like me! Cya!
 

Crowbar

Spiritual preprocessor
aa
Dec 19, 2015
1,455
1,297
Don't like the point much. Yeah, upper floor makes you higher, but it seems extremely hard to take advantage of it, because it's just a little platform, isn't it? Height gives advantage if you can establish there.
 

Three Million

L4: Comfortable Member
Jul 2, 2015
197
75
Wow that is pretty good for a first map! But definitively make the point a little bigger.
 

goem

L3: Member
Sep 15, 2016
104
83
there is a specific location to go to to upload maps... As for feedback, the map seems kind of small

I'm not uploading a map, because this isn't even a map yet. This is just me asking for some feedback on the middle point of my map. The map seems kind of small because it is just the middle of the map. Once I actually have the full map it will be 3x as large.


Don't forget to put the appropriate version name after the map name itself in the filename. I'm guessing that this is a1 (alpha 1). So the filename would be "koth_double_a1.

No, this is not a1. This isn't even a version yet. As I previously stated, this is just the mid area of the map. koth_double_a1 will be when I actually have a full map not just mid.

Please read all of the text in the post before commenting. At the very top of the post I plainly stated that "Right now, all I have is the middle area, and I am still adding stuff there."
 

Gatorix

L1: Registered
May 6, 2015
31
12
Sorry. I didn't know that you meant "idea" in that way. I didn't mean to offend you. I could've sworn you referenced the area as a map though...
 

goem

L3: Member
Sep 15, 2016
104
83
Sorry. I didn't know that you meant "idea" in that way. I didn't mean to offend you. I could've sworn you referenced the area as a map though...

No offense taken. When I referenced it as a map, I was talking about the existing area plus whatever I will add later on.