WHAT'S THIS!?! AN UPDATE!? :O
That's right, I am finally alive again and so is bomb_factory. Alpha Seven is now up and represents the most comprehensive update to the map so far. To celebrate, here's a veritable
wall of screenshots:
The New and Exposed Point A
Props inside Point B
The New Mid and Intel Spawn
Maintenance access Alt Routes
300% More Explosions!
Fire Burns!
Ok that last one is a terrible screenshot, in retrospect. But I had to take it while on fire, so, ya know.
Finally, I want to announce my plans for the next indefinite while, here:
While this 'bomb the base' game mode can be exciting and fun, it suffers from some inherit game design flaws. I had intended the mode to push teams to invade and control enemy territory (rush a point with a heavy medic and perhaps an offensive engineer to
hold out until the flag blew), but it seems the timer has made the emergent dominant strategy ninja-scouting at the last second. I've got a hell of a lot to learn about game design and hell of a lot to learn about layout (this map has taught me much, but not nearly enough, I think :bored

.
That all said, I will be taking a break from Bomb Factory to work on some
standard game mode maps to get more experience in game flow, balance and TF2 mapping in general.
But first - I will be releasing a trio of alpha eights:
8a - will be a straight bugfix on alpha seven, with the bomb the base mechanics as they currently stand
8b - will be a variant (so.. an alt alt game mode)
without the bomb timer. Instead, it will function more as a control point map, but the neutral flag will need to be brought to a point to turn the capture zone on and enable its destruction (capturing a point will still blow it and the flag up). I think someone's done this somewhere, already, and it should encourage more team coordinated pushes.
8c - will be a hybrid of both. Control point mechanics enabled by bringing the neutral flag to a cp, with the timer (so you have X seconds to get to a point and capture it before the flag goes and blows up anyway and you have to get a new one from the middle).
In conclusion,
Ka-BOOM