Ascension

Hobbes

L1: Registered
Feb 26, 2009
30
0
This is a 4 point attack defend style map. The map is located on a mountain side with Red's spawn higher up the mountain so the Blue team has to keep moving upwards for each point.

The layout is similar to Gravelpit, but with an added control point between what would be "A" and "B". This center point needs to be taken first, at which point the two side points are both opened, and once those are taken, the final point is unlocked.

TODO:

Base Geometry: Done
Game Entities: Done
Signs: Done?
Textures: 1st Pass Done
Displacements: Done
Lighting: In Progress
Detailing: In Progress
3D Skybox: Not Started

cp_ascension_a80007.jpg

cp_ascension_a80005.jpg

cp_ascension_a80006.jpg

cp_ascension_a80001.jpg
 
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HeaH

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Oct 2, 2008
553
102
I don't understand why people wants to make maps in that format. Anyway, looks nice, looking forward to playing it :)
 
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frothy

L2: Junior Member
Mar 3, 2009
87
21
What format?

The Gravelpit format, I assume.

I think people are drawn to the this layout because there's only one official valve map that's like Gravelpit... and that's Gravelpit. These kinds of maps are great and offer a lot in the way of teamwork.
 

StrafeHunter

L1: Registered
Apr 3, 2009
5
0
Junction is like gravelpit.

Mmm... I'll try this one out.
 

FreeLance_FoX

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 6, 2008
353
173
At first glance, at least, this looks rather well designed. The one thing that I think will quickly become a problem (from looking at the overhead) is the number of entrances and exits to each area... You've created only a couple to each area, the first and last especially, and those choke points will make this map another junction.

That said, I'd love to see this map opened up to be less spammy so that it could become a good successor to gravel. :3
 

RavenStryker

Former Alias: †Blade†/Xi.Cynx
aa
Nov 25, 2008
782
844
From the first screenshot this map looks like it has a great center route from point to point with lots of variation in paths and height. The 3rd screenshot you have look absolutely fantastic! and no, i'm not gay, but fantastic was the only word i could use to describe it. Lol Hopefully you keep this map up cause it def. has the ability to be one of the best Gravelpit style maps to be made. ;)
 

ProfFiendish

L2: Junior Member
Nov 15, 2008
95
10
This map was extremely fun to play today. I want to thank you for making the cap times long. This is one of my pet peeves with many TF2 maps because quick cap times don't allow proper defense and are usually an antidote to bad map design; with long cap times you can only successfully capture a point when your entire team has a presence in the area. The last point here in Ascension is a great example of how one uses map design to counteract the location near the Red spawn to allow a longer cap time. </rant>

Balance was good overall, but point A falls a bit too easily in my opinion.
 

Hobbes

L1: Registered
Feb 26, 2009
30
0
Updated for a new release.

Alpha 2:
- Removed windowed area above blue spawn building
- Changed "pit of death" to be water, and moved closer up to point D
- Added paths up from the water to point D
- Added path from Red spawn to the water under point D
- Added path from point A to the water under point D
- Slight changes to entry-ways for Red to reach point A, should make defending easier.
- Fixed (i think) the player-clipping on the cliffs at point C
- Added soundscapes (still learning)
- Added clearer and more plentiful directions and signage.
- Remembered to include cubemaps this time
- some smaller changes that I don't remember right now.

Here is the new area below point D :
picture.php
 

A Boojum Snark

Toraipoddodezain Mazahabado
aa
Nov 2, 2007
4,775
7,669
First thing I noticed it you need to set the team roles via tf_gamerules. The SetRedTeamRole and SetBlueTeamRole inputs. Red should be set to 1 for defense, blue to 2 to offense. This makes random team put the odd man on offense.

When leaving spawn as red, you don't see which side is which point until you've already chosen a direction.
 

Mar

Banned
Feb 12, 2009
607
63
This map really needs to be widened out. Point A is too small, the room becomes a cluster-fuck. The paths to it, especially from the B side, really need to be widen out, they are way too narrow and spammy. When attacking A, I fell out of a window by B, had a lot of trouble getting back to A.

Spawn rooms are too close to the points. They need to be further away so that attackers could be able to kill the defense before they reach the point.

Point B is too bright. When in the house looking down people were enveloped in the light and I had a really hard time seeing them.

there is a small plank near the Window that lets you into point B, make the plank bigger. I kept on falling of even when no one was attacking me. just make 50% larger.

Again, make all hallways and doorways wider, this map is too tight and too spammy, splash damage classes can really shut down the area. Don't have this map turn into the next goldrush. The spam was a really big turn off and it was pointless deathmatching, no really strategy except of spam. This map could work in Quakelive, but it's too tight and spammy for TF2.
 

HojoTheGreat

L5: Dapper Member
Nov 11, 2008
206
34
Can't post a full review at the moment, but here's a couple quick notes:
cp_ascension_a20000.jpg

That lip in the water either needs to be clipped or flattened to the fall so that players don't get caught on it trying to get out. It could also benefit from having the upper edge of the edge to be lower so players don't need to work too hard to get out.

Overall I'm loving the feel so far. I agree with Mar that things could be wider, as a lot of the routes are quite narrow and don't give a lot of opportunity for long-range classes like Snipers and maneuverable Scouts to battle with short-ranged classes.

Lower the cap time on D, anywhere between halfing it or taking a quarter off. And raise the time-reward for capping B and C.
 

Hobbes

L1: Registered
Feb 26, 2009
30
0
Thanks for all the feedback guys, I've added the playerclips for the river and the side of point B. And I reduced the cap time for point D from 10 seconds to 3 seconds.

Right now I am laying out a complete re-design of point A which should be both larger but allow more cover and prep-areas. It's a big change so I may not have it ready for the next gameday, we'll have to see.
 
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ProfFiendish

L2: Junior Member
Nov 15, 2008
95
10
And I reduced the cap time for point D from 10 seconds to 3 seconds.

Noo! Keep your long cap times! 3 seconds is way too short for this point and too short for most points. Keep it at least 5-6 seconds.
 

Hobbes

L1: Registered
Feb 26, 2009
30
0
Noo! Keep your long cap times! 3 seconds is way too short for this point and too short for most points. Keep it at least 5-6 seconds.

10 felt a bit long, and most people on gameday seemed to think so as well. I'll see how it goes this time around, and if I need to push it back up a bit then I will ;)
 

Hobbes

L1: Registered
Feb 26, 2009
30
0
Updated:

Alpha 3: [April 23rd, 2009]
- Expanded and re-designed point A. More paths and opened it up a bit
- Enlarged some of the more tight areas.
- Added new paths from point A to points B and C
- Changed full medpacks at points B and C to medium medpacks
- Added Playerclips to the cliff at point B and to the water at point D
- Fixed respawnroomvisualizers so they fit
- Reduced point D cap time to 3 seconds
- added inputs to tf_gamerules for team roles
- made directions easier to understand, and added more arrows.