Axle

CP axle rc

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
I was intending to update this recently but i've had no ingame shots to make it worthwhile for you guys. People tend to complain about hammer shots..

Right now i'm cordoning off the map with nodraw + skybox + player clipping for _a2 (well, i have been for the past 3 weeks actually, inbetween fighting with uni work, and fiddling with the way more interesting detail work). I kinda bit off a little more detail than was necassery for an alpha, but the number 1 complaint in the last gameday was "OMG ORANGE MAP". Despite the fact that the map name was clearly _a1.

axle_a2.jpg


Yes, i am guilty of using the waterfall from sawmill. I'm considering alternatives whilst i consider the final points theme/reason/existance. It's already recieved 4 revisions. :O

I've player clipped the middle and secondary points, i just need to finalise red's initial CP layout, balance it with blu's, player clip it and should be ready for release very very soon. I could say more but i seriously need to get back to my Uni work now :/ especially since the cats walking all over it OMG NOOOOOOO
 

FreeLance_FoX

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 6, 2008
353
173
This is progressing very nicely!

The one thing I may be able to say atm is the sightline under the bridge at mid looks enormous. You should address that... see Badlands for what I would do. :3
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
This is progressing very nicely!

The one thing I may be able to say atm is the sightline under the bridge at mid looks enormous. You should address that... see Badlands for what I would do. :3

Yea, i noticed this as well. At the moment, it is the longest sight line in the map so i am not too worried. Plus it's no longer than the sight line under the bridge on 2fort (the equivalent area). there is cover in place to reduce the total sightline in the tunnel i just exited, i just havn't reproduced this on the other side, should probably do that actually when i do release for balance.

One thing i have noticed and is of mild concern is that the middle is kinda small so the initial assault is going to be..... interesting. i remember this being mentioned in _a1 but i hadn't detailed/developed it yet; hopefully the different player speeds will hopefully not turn it into a cluster fuck.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
5,441
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Updated the threads images, primary thread image and change log. Will update the file later tonight as my cards on the fritz and it will interfere with building cubemaps.

I did just notice i need to change my light_env angle. Hmmmmmm.

cp_axle_a2a0011.jpg
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
I'm surprised no one mentioned the fact that i didn't update the file yet so no one has played my map yet :O

cp_axle_a2a0016.jpg


cubemaps are done. Fixed env_light angle. Here's the file. Time for a game day.
 

Ravidge

Grand Vizier
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May 14, 2008
1,544
2,818
I felt that health and ammo were hidden away in corners. make them visible so that I dont need to search every nook :p
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
5,441
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Hm. I figure when people play the map more there would be less "searching" involved when they come to remember where health and ammo is. But i can appreciate if they're more hidden than in other map instances.

I'll see how the ammo issue fairs and try and make it more obvious. (i put down overlays so when they were taken people would still realise there was a drop there).
 

owly-oop

im birb
aa
Apr 14, 2009
819
1,215
This map seems pretty much solid until the last cp. Fun to play on though :)


This doesn't feel like a one-way door spot, and it also opens halfway from 1 side.

cp_axle_a2a0000.jpg


This tunnel feels useless. No one goes here and no one will know a small hp kit is in here since it seems hidden from everywhere except when you're actually inside. It doesn't give anyone much of an advantage

cp_axle_a2a0001.jpg


The spawns. They shouldn't be like this. Everyone's first instinct is to go forward, so they will go across the catwalk and towards the 2nd point, completely ignoring the last cp. Also when you walk out of spawn the cp is no where to be seen, which i think is bad for a last cp so people know automatically where to defend

cp_axle_a2a0002.jpg


When you jump down here, there is ZERO way to get back up. Not even if you walk around, nothing.

cp_axle_a2a0003.jpg


This ladder at mid, because of the collision models, lets you climb them by repeatedly pressing space. It provides at advantage since it lets you jump to the upper level to the left. Either have it for both sides or don't have it at all

cp_axle_a2a0004.jpg


Me and other people often fell through these logs creating 2 seconds of confusion

cp_axle_a2a0005.jpg


This area seems boring. There's the small hp and ammo that teases you since there's no way up unless if you go the other way. I'd add a ramp up so it'll let attackers attack the other side from a different angle. Also from the defenders side, i never knew that place existed.
cp_axle_a2a0006.jpg


This area. it is rape for the attackers. First you have the defending team's spawn come directly out of it (when it should be at the last cp). 2nd you have no walking route up to the platforms the defenders have.

cp_axle_a2a0007.jpg


So lets say the attackers push through the above pic. They have little time because there's a constant stream of defenders spawning. SO they get attacked from behind, or mainly from up there. It gives huge height advantage and is a death-zone for attackers

cp_axle_a2a0008.jpg


This route seems useless since the defenders have height advantage from everywhere and theres no items for the attackers. I'd add a ramp that leads up to the full hp kit next to the doorway.
cp_axle_a2a0009.jpg
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
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This doesn't feel like a one-way door spot, and it also opens halfway from 1 side.

I noticed it never got used in play watching the demo. Probably largely in part due to the fact it didn't work (which i have no idea why, i ran through all the doors to make sure this doesn't happen purposefully).

My plan is to narrow the overall play area in areas 1 and 2 to make the combat tighter. I'll probably remove this tunnel altogether.

This tunnel feels useless. No one goes here and no one will know a small hp kit is in here since it seems hidden from everywhere except when you're actually inside. It doesn't give anyone much of an advantage

In narrowing the play area i will nullify this area.



The spawns. They shouldn't be like this. Everyone's first instinct is to go forward, so they will go across the catwalk and towards the 2nd point, completely ignoring the last cp. Also when you walk out of spawn the cp is no where to be seen, which i think is bad for a last cp so people know automatically where to defend

The idea behind the positioning was that the defenders could come out from behind the CP whilst the attackers could push forward onto the second CP a lot easier. The third advanced spawn for "the enemies" means it's more efficient to take the alt route and flank the final CP but it seems people were more intent on taking the main route (which i guess is a good thing for the second CP).


When you jump down here, there is ZERO way to get back up. Not even if you walk around, nothing.

I intend to put in stairs later.


This ladder at mid, because of the collision models, lets you climb them by repeatedly pressing space. It provides at advantage since it lets you jump to the upper level to the left. Either have it for both sides or don't have it at all

I'll clip it


Me and other people often fell through these logs creating 2 seconds of confusion

I never noticed this in the demo. I'll be reworking this side as it makes this area very wide, and the CP on the far side means hardly anyone has used this flank until the last minutes of the round.

The route up here will be available, but not by logs, and will solve this issue.


This area seems boring. There's the small hp and ammo that teases you since there's no way up unless if you go the other way. I'd add a ramp up so it'll let attackers attack the other side from a different angle. Also from the defenders side, i never knew that place existed.

I had considered a ramp but thought it a valueble defencive position for sentries. I was considering a compromise of crates to climb up that keep the strength of the defencive position but still allow access up here. This particular route is going to be reconsidered altogether given the removal of the tunnel below.



This area. it is rape for the attackers. First you have the defending team's spawn come directly out of it (when it should be at the last cp). 2nd you have no walking route up to the platforms the defenders have.

I'm not sure i will intend to allow direct access to those platforms for attackers, i believe i have a solution in mind how ever. Which will also resolve:


So lets say the attackers push through the above pic. They have little time because there's a constant stream of defenders spawning. SO they get attacked from behind, or mainly from up there. It gives huge height advantage and is a death-zone for attackers


This route seems useless since the defenders have height advantage from everywhere and theres no items for the attackers. I'd add a ramp that leads up to the full hp kit next to the doorway.

In narrowing this area this path will lead more directly to the higher ground. I'll try and rework the rocks so that they are more sentry friendly but also provide additional cover for the low ground.

Thanks for the feedback. It's a little worrying that no one is replying to this thread. I figured it would just be that it needs to be played more to get people excited, but that's not really happened.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
5,441
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Just a small update, since i'm advertising this in my sig i might as well let you know i'm still working on this map.

update1.jpg


This should make the middle more interesting, making spies more effective and providing more flanking options, not to mention providing high ground overlooking the relatively small central point.

update2.jpg


update3.jpg


I hope that addresses some issues about the area before CP2/4. I'm going to be moving the final point again. I'm not sure where i'll take it but i think it will be inside with a small buffer or something... None of my final points have been particularly amazing (mostly due to scale issues).
 

lana

Currently On: ?????
aa
Sep 28, 2009
3,075
2,778
I dare say, these changes are... axlent.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
That middle point looks sexy as hell, so much height variation! O:

Thanks :) This was the intention of the modifications. It was previously quite linear through the middle and direct access to the point was rather limited. I had considered putting the point on the ground floor which would have been rather neat, but players would have probably missed it because it would have been obscured by the arch bridge.