PL Clifftop b3

[Boylee]

Updated to b1 and entered into the contest! See the OP for screens and download. :B

29/04/2012 B0 released
+ detailed entirety of map
+ added skybox
+ adjusted a few health and ammo placements
+ added climbable route into window at B
+ partially optimised (basic hints and areaportals added)

30/04/2012 B1 released
+ added more lights
+ replaced the last of the dev textures
+ adjusted spawn timings by -1 in favour of blue when attacking C
- still needs soundscape and spectator cams

~ B1 submitted as contest entry.~  :D

 

[Tarry H Sruman]

"naval laser battery missile silo"

Need I say more?

 

[re1wind]

Love the detailing pass on this map.

 

[Boylee]

"naval laser battery missile silo"

Need I say more?

TIL strikethrough tags don't work on here. sadface.

 

[Boylee]

So anyone got any feedback since this has been played a couple of times on the server recently?

 

[Tekku]

So anyone got any feedback since this has been played a couple of times on the server recently?

Quite a lot of feedback left here.

http://feedback.tf2maps.net/map/pl_clifftop_b1/

 

[Trotim]

There's a really nasty super dark ledge you can move around and build on up there behind the chickenwire - directly over the track: http://forums.tf2maps.net/geek/gars/images/1/2/8/6/pl_clifftop_b10026.jpg
Either clip it off, which I think you wanted, or make it a lot more obvious.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

There's a really nasty super dark ledge you can move around and build on up there behind the chickenwire - directly over the track: http://forums.tf2maps.net/geek/gars/images/1/2/8/6/pl_clifftop_b10026.jpg
Either clip it off, which I think you wanted, or make it a lot more obvious.

Doom and I were having some fun up there during a test, so I agree with this. But the Cart got through it pretty easily.

 

[tyler]

There is the lighting thing I mentioned in the feedback, but I guess that is obvious and tons of people have said it.

Try playing with fog triggers so indoor areas are less foggy than outdoors. Not only does that make logical sense, but it will go a long way toward helping visibility indoors.

I think the grass/mud blend texture you're using is arguably too noisy. Is it from BulletCrops? I find those textures work better as a set rather than if you borrow them and imagine that switching to the Lumberyard or Sawmill blend would look better. If it's a custom one you made, try smoothing out some of the noise?

Towards the end of the map there is a medium health kit that is only accessible if you take a very specific route and I think that's dumb; it should either be a full or have some kind of jump route that players can take over the rocks or from below it. I suppose it is meant to help BLU, since it's trivial for them to get up to it from their left route, but I dunno. It could be this is fine--I suppose this is coming from when I was playing Spy and dominating the scoreboard by a huge margin, so maybe I don't need that medium health after all.

As far as general gameplay goes, I like it quite a bit. I know some have said BLU doesn't need to be at such a height disadvantage at times, but I think you've actually balance it quite well. As I said in the feedback, I really appreciate that you've built a payload map where BLU doesn't just steamroll. It feels like each time I play this, RED gets a hold at a different location and stalls progress pretty well but never in a way BLU can't overcome or could have overcome.

This is a bit more detailed than I wanted to be, but that's alright.

 

[Sergis]

Doom and I were having some fun up there during a test, so I agree with this. But the Cart got through it pretty easily.

yeah its definitely counterable. we'd need to get the whole team up there to say for sure though

 

[Boylee]

Derp, I can't believe I forgot about the feedback site. Great feedback guys, and thanks to everyone who's left feedback while playing.

I'll sort out that ledge above second, I did mean to clip it I just missed it. I'm a bit crap at clipping so there will be a few more bits like that I imagine. Thanks for pointing it out. :B

Yyler, I had no idea there were fog triggers, seems stupidly obvious in retrospect though. I'll take a look at getting some in there. Also I think you can easily get to that medium health between last and third by jumping from the rollback slope to it's right. If you can't then I've inadvertently broken it at some point and I'll get it fixed up for next release. The idea of placing it above the track level (but not in the high ground) was to encourage attackers to sacrifice the high ground if they want heals without making it too easy for the attackers to grab it on the run up to the rollback. Instead it's meant to be used by blue to fall back and regroup from heavy fire on that hill.

 

[Ezekel]

... I had no idea there were fog triggers...

it's not that surprising really. afterall i think that well is the only stock tf2 map that uses it.

i didn't really know about how to use it properly until it was mentioned/explained to me by one of the valve guys.

 

[LeSwordfish]

2fort sewers use them iirc.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

Coldfront too.

 

[Boylee]

So how do you use them? I can't see anything about them on the VDC. Also does fogui work in tf2?

EDIT: I can probably work it out later by looking at the vmfs for the official maps, I was just asking in case anyone had a succinct explanation.

 

[Pocket]

In a nutshell, you have multiple fog_controllers in the map, one of which is flagged "Master" to make it the default, and then set each trigger to activate the one that pertains to the area it's in. The way it does it is kind of strange, though; it targets a nonexistent entity called "!activator" with SetFogInterior as the action and the name of the controller as the parameter override. Other than that, it's pretty straightforward. Just remember to cover the entire area with trigger brushes, not just the "entrances", so teleporting players are covered as well.

And for the record it's not just 2fort's sewers; the base interiors and basements all have their own unique fogs as well. The artpass people went all out on that map.

 

[Boylee]

Damn you guys are useful. :3

 

[Melvin D Engineere]

A scout managed to get over the fence with the atomizer (whether he used the Force-a-Nature too or not, I forget). Either raise the fence height or use trigger hurt for anyone who gets behind that fence.

 

[Boylee]

Thanks for that, I'll just clip it so that people can't stand on that ledge.

 

[Melvin D Engineere]

I also uploaded a video of your map from Monday's testing.

http://youtu.be/6O3uN0B1PdA