Faceoff

How is the map balance?

  • Perfect! It couldn't be better

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • Good enough

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • Red is overpowered

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • Blue is overpowered

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • Total voters
    5

DoctuhD

L1: Registered
Mar 29, 2009
6
0
Faceoff is a intelligence map that is harder to describe than many. It is not simply like 2fort with 2 bunkers and a bridge in the middle. Faceoff breaks the barrier of symmetry and replaces it with strategy, giving both teams their own separate base.

Blue has a much smaller base that is much harder to defend, but has many more side passages to get around red's base. The biggest advantage given to blue however, is the fact of where the intelligence is.

All of the flags in the map are in Blue's base, while all of the capture points are in red's base. Blue starts with their own flag, as well as 3 red flags in their base. They must take them to Red's base to capture them. With this, Faceoff becomes more like dustbowl, with Red defending, and Blue attacking, but instead of a timelimit, Red must win by attacking as well. But if they push too far ahead, Blue can easily come in from behind for a quick cap. The map is quite compact, so games are much faster. Also, when one team's intelligence is captured, they get a little resupply bonus in the middle factory area.

Notes: Special Thanks to gastrop0d and SGT Frag for feedback, as well as tommyd for creating the Natural Selection map that this is based upon, and BS1 and NoSoul for testing. There is one minor glitch in the map, and that is that the resupply areas in the middle do not open correctly until both teams have captured the intelligence once, as opposed to just one team. If someone can help with fixing this, please message me when you have the time.

***CHANGELOG***
Beta 6
-Changed game structure so that Blue is mostly attacking, and Red is mostly defending by putting all flags in Blue's base, and all capture points in Red's base.
-Raised ceilings in Blue's base
-Extra flanking vent for Blue
-Removed "Models" textures in outdoors area.
-Miscellaneous lighting additions
-Red spawn layout changed
-Resupply areas added to middle for whatever team is losing.
-Other miscellaneous balance changes such as health and ammo placement, as well as nobuild areas.
 
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StoneFrog

L6: Sharp Member
May 28, 2008
395
81
Second screenshot is quite gritty (but not in a bad way), very unique lighting choices for most TF2 maps. Kind of reminds me of the original Half-Life. :)
 

gastrop0d

L3: Member
Apr 22, 2009
110
33
Yeah this gives me the distinct impression of GoldSource mapping.

Some problems I found throughout whole map:

path readability confused by a tonne of clutter
very tight combat areas

Specifics in attachments...
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
710
The poll is a lie!

lulzzzzzzzzzzzz

Seriously, red does seem to have the upper hand. Don't even have to leave the supply cabinet to defend, yet blue has an uphill battle to even get to their intel.
I'm just not a fan of non-mirrored maps when each team has the same goal.
I believe it would be almost impossible to evenly balance an assym no matter how good a map maker is.

One major problem is people can't learn half a map layout and know your map. They have to learn two maps and always have that in mind while playing.

So I think the best fix would be to pic which half of the map you like best and clone it so both sides are the same. As it is now I think Blu half is best because they can't supply cab camp the intel.
But I like the red spawn room best.

It's small, so alot of fun as demo pyro. Other classes I'm not sure. Snipers is probably better now with the update/bow.

I like all the detailing but as someone mentioned some of the props are kindof in the way of gameplay (mainly the crates/barrles in hall to right of blu.
 

DoctuhD

L1: Registered
Mar 29, 2009
6
0
Alright thanks, I will probably make two versions of the map, one will be a fixed version of this one, with better balance, for Blue will start with both flags in their base, and will have to take one into red's base to win, and on the contrary, red will have normal capture style.(So basically all blue needs to do to win is get into red's base period)

The second version will be symmetrical, with blue's base being the basis. I will try to find out which one is better.

Edit: I am also raising the ceilings in Blue's base, have changed around red's spawn a bit, and made most of the changes suggested by gastropod. I may also change around Blue's flanking vent a little to make it harder to camp.
 
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DoctuhD

L1: Registered
Mar 29, 2009
6
0
New Version Released. Many improvements. See the changelog above for details.
 

Roadwolf

L1: Registered
Jun 19, 2009
2
0
We've tried this on the FLC Flying Circus server (72.37.228.194).

I really do like it and think it has a lot of potential.

However, a lot of people are complaining about the over use of the lighting effects causing low FPS. It doesn't seem to bother the higher end computers, but everyone with a mid range or lower system seems to have problems with FPS on the map.

Other then that, I think the map is great.

A small elevator in that central area, or a ramp, might be nice.

While Red does have the offensive upper hand, it does even out nicely, as Red does have to run into Blu and back again in order to cap. Meanwhile Blu only has to do a one way trip in order to cap. The problem however is that Blu's side is also very easy to defend with 2 engineers. And that actually makes it harder for red.
 
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