Stop

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
A new koth map that I'm working on. Called koth_stop. Is a koth map set in a bright, yet gloomy train stop between two recruitment bases which belong to the two tf2 teams. The map is pretty open, hopefully not too open (I'm looking at you, snipers!). The station itself has some traffic, so you need to watch out for trains coming from both sides (at set times, but I won't tell!).

Backstory:

The very popular train stop, located in a small canyon somewhere in the US, has been overrun by the two teams. RED and BLU. Both seeking new people to join them in their deadly battle against each other. Their battle had become so intense, that the recruitment centers have been turned into forts. And trains no longer stop in the station, they just keep on going. Trying to not get blown up
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nik

L12: Fabulous Member
Aug 14, 2009
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564
looks like it would be pretty cool.

Although it looks kinda small and one-leveled, kinda sniper heavy as well?

what do you think
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
looks like it would be pretty cool.

Although it looks kinda small and one-leveled, kinda sniper heavy as well?

what do you think

I've edited the bits in the middle so that snipers would not be able to see pretty much anything on the other side. Maybe a hole or two, but nothing else. I'm planning on making the map a 3-level map. The ground level, which is leads to the other levels and has all the health and ammo kits; The second level, in which the control point and spawn rooms are placed and the third level. Where there would be some balconies and sniper spots. But nothing that will make them overpowered.

The map will be small though, around the size of nucleus or a bit bigger.
 

nik

L12: Fabulous Member
Aug 14, 2009
987
564
I've edited the bits in the middle so that snipers would not be able to see pretty much anything on the other side. Maybe a hole or two, but nothing else. I'm planning on making the map a 3-level map. The ground level, which is leads to the other levels and has all the health and ammo kits; The second level, in which the control point and spawn rooms are placed and the third level. Where there would be some balconies and sniper spots. But nothing that will make them overpowered.

The map will be small though, around the size of nucleus or a bit bigger.

oh okay. are you going to add the moon as a light source or just leave it with lamps and stuff
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
OK GUYS. I've decided to give up on mudhole, since it was too buggy. So I went with another idea I had. koth_trainyard.

I'll suggest this for map testing now.
 
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Zwiffle

L6: Sharp Member
Jun 24, 2008
269
161
Layout looks fairly standard, which doesn't mean bad, just uninspiring. My suggestions are all theory by the way.

The only potential problem I see is with the battlements - it looks like there's only one way to get to them, and they also seem pretty well shielded from the opposing battlements and the middle point, which means demo spam would run rampant. At least, that's what I'm afraid will happen.

I also don't much like the looks of that 2nd shot - because the battlements only have one entrance and that entrance looks ridiculously easy to defend. The way the balcony wraps around the entirety of that top floor gives the defenders a large advantage imo.

I'm assuming that area under the stairs connects to that little porch area near to the train tracks. You might want to expand that and widen it out a little bit, because it seems with the barricade in front snipers can't snipe the middle from there anyway, and so opening it up for more close-range combat classes and assaults might improve even out that side for seeing some action, since that is the main way to get to the enemy battlements (and thus destroy any enemy teles, snipers, sentry nests.)

I would add another way up to the battlements that is somewhat attacker-friendly, and maybe redesign that 2nd shot somewhat as I've mentioned.

Otherwise it looks like a good start.
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
I made the battlements pretty accessible, yet easily defended. From what I planned. What I'm trying to do is prevent spawn camping by adding good sentry points, yet make it easy for infiltrator classes such as the spy to enter and cause some damage. I want the main focus of the map to be the area between each teams' first line of buildings. (In between the stations). That part should be well balanced, maybe a bit easier for snipers but I'm planning to test it out and make it less comfortable for them.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll try to get a public test for this map and see if you're right. :)
 

nik

L12: Fabulous Member
Aug 14, 2009
987
564
lol I saw this and clicked on it then I was like wtf i didn't comment on this map..

then I saw that you changed the idea

you should really make a new thread D:
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
lol I saw this and clicked on it then I was like wtf i didn't comment on this map..

then I saw that you changed the idea

you should really make a new thread D:

I decided that it was better to not make a new thread. Since then I will have 3 threads, 2 of which I have abandoned. And that's no good!

Either that or I'm an order freak.
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
Updated to v.a2. Did this mainly to block out serious sightlines.

Ignore the prop spammage for now, I'm going to find good replacements for them in later versions.
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
Updated to koth_stop_a4.

Download link: https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1835520/koth_stop_a4.rar

Changes:

- Fixed "bug" where players got stuck near a rock while running away. Navigation in some bits should be a bit smoother now.

- Added more signs in the beginning. Due to props.

- Added spectator cameras.

- Added light to central cp.

- Added doors for the train to create a more realistic barrier.
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
Post-gameday bump! Tell me what you think.

Things I've already fixed:

- Leak.
- Silent train.
- cramped spawn areas.
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
Released version a5

August 29th - Made and released alpha 5. Main changes are changing the dev textures into normal textures, beginning of map detail and 3d skybox and added alerts before the train comes (Red lights near the point and a siren heard on each side individually). I also replaced the containers in front of the spawn with barriers to make the area a bit more spacious.
 

PenPen

L5: Dapper Member
Apr 24, 2008
207
136
I liked the map on gameday. It has lots of paths that allow people to move around, and as a spy or backburner pyro it gives me a lot of chances of getting behind enemy lines.

The area near the point is rather open (good for scouts and snipers it seemed) and seems like the train stations are good sentry spots. The other team placed a sentry at our side's train station and it took us a while to take it out.
 

Jindo

L3: Member
Aug 6, 2009
121
123
Hello there!

Just played this on the Gameday (unfortunately the only map I was able to play before TF2 crashed...),

Getting to the middle seemed unusual, it wasn't far from the spawn and it wasn't exactly difficult to reach either, it was just the placement of buildings and props made the paths to the middle seem very busy, although the quickest ways to the middle still forced you to wind around several props/objects/buildings if you can't rocket/sticky jump.

Besides that, the middle point is definitely one of the best points I've seen in the KoTH game mode so far.

And as for that screenshot I promised:

koth_stop_a60001.jpg


As I've attempted to show, the props on Blue's building can't be jumped on (too high), whereas the barrels can.

---

Overall, despite the teadious entrances to the middle point, the middle point itself is so well set up that both teams really can turn things around very easily if they try, steam rolling was unheard of through out this playtest, and so I found this map very fun :).

Keep it up!
 

Ravidge

Grand Vizier
aa
May 14, 2008
1,544
2,818
Try raising the entire middle area (between tracks) by 128 units or so. will help break up the really long sightlines, and it will provide more strategic gameplay than a completely flat arena.

The trains were hard to notice by sound, so it happend often that people got run over without even knowing there was a train coming. In real-life, you would notice a train coming at you in full speed :)