CP axle rc

[Seba]

Random useless feedback time go!

odd shadow here
move these point_spotlights (or light_spots; I can never remember which one is the actual light cone) up a bit
this room is very bare
add a metal frame here
z-fighting with a concrete ground texture
wood is out of place; replace with that brick texture
can stand here
tops of these beams are nodrawn
since the facilities have a feeling of actually being used, turn on those cameras
clip these
and these
and this

If I could provide feedback on the gameplay without playing, I would. Sadly, I can't, so I won't.

 

[grazr]

Regarding "bareness", the map is obviously WIP, so there will be gaps in the level of detail.

Unless people have suggestions/ideas as to what sort of detail or a concept to apply to a given spot, it's not really worth your or my time saying "add more detail"; because it's probably a given. Save this for later beta's. Probably after B4, even.

As it stands, FPS for me max's at 300 for Source. CP1 runs at 160-180, CP2 runs at 200 and mid runs at 150-200 (depending whether in mid or looking across the mid). This itself was an improvement after seperating areas of CP2 and 3, where FPS could dip as low as 80.

I wouldn't mind reports on FPS performances as this seems fairly significant for my (2 month new) rig (i7-GTX 460-4MB RAM) to be taking such hits on performance from a Source game.

 

[Loc_n_lol]

Spawn : move the spawn points a little back and in front of the gates : the lass doors make it look like they should open up, especially when you spawn directly in front of them. Always being able to see the actual door the moment you spawn would probably help.

I preferred your cp 2/4 where it was before. It's easy to simply ignore it to move into the base/towards mid, and it's really hard to take back due to defenders having high ground on the other side of the point.

Mid : the capture area itself seems small to me, which makes standing there very uncomfortable. Is your capture time standard for mid ? It seemed quite short to me, maybe it's just that there were always a number of people standing on it.

Last : It seems this one is always harder to cap than the rest, you may want to try giving the attackers an (universal) access to the top level from the antechamber.

During gameday, red always won, probably just a coincidence but it's worth double-checking the spawn times.

 

[grazr]

The glass doors have always been a static prop; the grey metal shutter doors on the other hand are gameplay props and should obviously be the exit. Also, you do spawn facing the grey doors; people just naturally turn to look out the window since you can't move for the first 5 secondsof a round.

Also i think you're right about CP2/4. I was hoping it'd be harder for RED to attack a atructure than a ledge but they just simply reach CP2/4 before BLU even have a chance of reinforcing. I could increase spawn times but i might be better off physically increasing the distance between CP3 and 2 at the dividing building, as per standard 5CP.

It's strange, even though i gave attackers -4 seconds to the respawn timer they still find it difficult taking CP1. The -4 spawn second wait just makes it that much more difficult for defenders to counter-attack CP2. I should probably return to my old basic timers and somehow make CP1 easier to attack with a route up to the top.

The score was 7-0 but BLU were playing defencively so they were never going to win. I was RED 4 rounds, BLU 2 and RED for the last one. RED's medic was healing the entire team whilst BLU was pocket healing and then going battle medic when his partner died. That coupled with the fact that despite winning combat at CP2 RED's faster spawn wave meant it was readily reinforced whilst BLU was capping.

RED having the high ground at CP2 was less of an issue as it was it usually being 1-2 stray BLU attacking 5-6 overhealed RED.

 

[littleedge]

Want me to clipcheck it?

 

[grazr]

Nah, that's ok. I'll probably release B3C/B4 fairly soon if i have to fix the gameplay up. CP1 stalemates more than ever despite efforts to increase the attackers advantage.

 

[Jonny]

Just to let you know I reccomended your map for Hampshire Heavies new maps test next sunday. They gave me some great feedback with a packed playtest so hopefully they can do the same for you.

 

[grazr]

cp_axle_b4a out now.

Change log:
Mid can be captured from platform above.
Added 4th route to CP1 at upper floor, left flank.
minor changes to ammo/health placement.
Reduced respawn advantage after capturing CP4 (-2 from -4).
Other aesthetic modifications.
Fixed some player clip exploits.

>>DOWNLOAD<<

 

[tyler]

I like the look of that mid. Somehow I've never played this map though! I'll seek to change it.

 

[grazr]

These days axle mostly gets comp testing (besides over at playstuff, which axle is on rotation on). It only ever gets tested once or twice after a release here, that's kinda how TF2M works (no map gets a regular testing when in beta).

Our server rotation doesn't really get used because our servers are mostly organised gamedays and impromptu's and a large majority of our active members are donators who will vote in specific maps when and as they are needed.

 

[waxpax]

Pugged this tonight. I thought mid was interesting to watch, but I guess it wasn't that great to play because the soldiers didn't think they could really do anything but bomb. Second was also a little strange, one person suggested to make it so you could take the roof of the house enclosing second and be able to attack the point through an opening, sort of like the roof of Gpit B. There were some complaints about last as well, I think one in particular was that you could run gunslinger and just cycle through spawn for more and more metal to continuously drop mini sentries as they were destroyed. I wasn't sure you'd really be able to roll out on the map, but the demo I spec'd on the roll out seemed to have found a pretty good way to do it and it didn't seem like the soldiers were excessively slow to mid. I thought it was interesting to watch and so did Stalin, but I don't think that many people that played it enjoyed it very much, possibly the "it's not badlands" syndrome.

Stv: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21561105/New Map PUGS/20110226-2052-cp_axle_b4a.7z

 

[waxpax]

Oh, I thought you might like the chat log between me and Stalin while we discussed your map a little while we sat out on the pug:

8:59 PM - waxpax: rollout seems better than i thought too, at least dorkster seemed to have found a way that looks all right
8:59 PM - gr8stalin: yeah
8:59 PM - gr8stalin: mid fight is amazing
8:59 PM - gr8stalin: second and last need to be simplified
8:59 PM - waxpax: yeah, maybe work on a way to cut down on backcaps
9:00 PM - gr8stalin: like if second was more straightforward and smaller, and if last was easy to navigate, this map would def be a contender for an addition to esea
9:01 PM - waxpax: yeah, it seems like people are picking it up pretty fast too

9:03 PM - gr8stalin: and the house that contains second should be rotated so that the point is visible from mid entrance, but defendable by the team
9:04 PM - waxpax: i liked second better when it wasn't enclosed by a house, honestly
9:04 PM - gr8stalin: the house is fine, i just want to see an opening in the roof that soldiers can jump through/demos can spam
9:04 PM - waxpax: that would probably make it more interesting

Hopes it helps.

 

[grazr]

Thanks, this really helps.

I'm not sure what to do about the cabinet at first, it's no different in position to badlands and moving the spawn back will only serve to increase rollout time. If i can create some more space on the flanks to CP1 maybe i can make player movement more simplified and/or at least more obvious; for the sake of optimisation there are a lot of corners and doorways around CP1.

visibility at CP2 has been one of the issues i've been trying to deal with currently, a problem i havn't had a lot of time to consider since the movement of the CP from outside - in the open - to inside. As attention has kind of dropped since early beta. Ironicly, it seems each time i release a version that addresses issues the map becomes less interesting and fewer and fewer PUGs are being reported back to me and i see fewer servers running it in rotation. I can't figure out what i'm doing wrong, ha ha.

This has given me a lot of fresh ideas, though. So thank you.

 

[grazr]

There are some lighting/shadow disreptancies but this should show you the basic changes that are gonna ship with the next release.

• Moved side flank from middle>CP2 further along and increased space in structure so it's less chokey and but also less of an obvious choice for entering the next arena space (height vs travel time).
  
• Added access to building on said far flank to increase functionality of the combat space in this area/on this flank.
  
• Added a platform for defenders to take CP2 since attackers had too much of an advantage in defending CP2 from the ledge looking down the main assault route and over the point in general.
  
• Blocked off inner flank at CP2 (potentially temporary).
  
• Simplified the upper flank to CP1 for both legibility and traversability.
  
• Widened all doorways in base to reduce bottlenecking and effectiveness of spam.

 

[Moose]

Looks amazing, and I'm jealous.

 

[grazr]

cp_axle_b5 out now, get it whilst it's luke warm.

>>DL LINKEH<<

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7OlrN2KkTw

 

[grazr]

re-workin' cp2

If this plays better i reckon it's only one more beta until i can throw this puppy into RC and concentrate on other projects.

 

[Prestige]

looks a lot better imo

 

[grazr]

I agree, it actually looks more like a reasonable second control point. I think the trouble i was having was that i was trying incredibly hard not to be badlands in an effort to avoid the stigma of being called a badlands clone. So i was refusing what a lot of people were asking for. A couple weeks off the map and i could come back to it with a clearer more objective perspective and gave in to recommendations. It's not exactly an accessable roof the likes that comp suggested but the complaint was that CP1 and 2 were low elevation spam traps. This should eliviate "low elevation spam trap" syndrome.

Plus it's way more visible which was like the other primary/secondary issue; players just walked right past it and this made the map generally more disorientating for new players.

Now i just need to decide what to do with all that space infront of the base(s) entrance(s). If i need to be concerned about that space at all (as axle is pretty small map).

 

[grazr]

cp_axle_b6 now out.

change log:

Added missing light in BLU's CP1 area.
Removed 2 cloned lights at BLU's base vestibule.
Fixed inconcistant soundscapes at CP1 for both bases.
Fixed cubemaps on windows at primary spawn(s).
removed CP2 building, CP is now outside and on high ground.
Removed dead ends left by blocking tertiary route to CP1.
Improved skybox on RED's side.
Improved 3dskybox behind RED's base
Fixed several prop shadow issues throughout the map.
Worked additional prop fade distances.

>>>HUZZAH<<<