Deadline

[Jimmy]

Well, I think the test went better this time, so I'm going to keep the layout size more or less like this and focus on smaller issues.

First of all, spawn times will be reduced for a3. I'll also look into the other stuff you said.

Something I want input on is whether the return time is good. In my opinion, 60 seconds should work well because any less makes it easier for the defense, and I don't see how that is good. On the other hand, long return time makes Scouts better because they can get the intel quite far on their own and wait for someone to carry it the rest of the way. I'm tempted to reduce it, since comp teams usually have 1-2 Scouts...

I d reduce flag return by at least half for competitive, I mean 2 scouts could carry it
through most things faced in comp pretty easily, so 60s gives even 1 time to respawn and nab it form wheer it last was....

 

[absurdistof]

Provided the map is large enough, touch return can be a good alternative as well.

 

[Ida]

I think touch return is a good idea, but I don't want to use anything that's different from the norm because to my experience all TF2 players are illiterate and need to be spoonfed how every mode works.

 

[Ida]

DEADLINE A3 RELEASED!
Layout/Balance

• Opened a window in the defenders' battlements.
• Made the drop from the battlements to the connector building shorter so you don't take fall damage (unless you jump).
• Added a window to the shack next to the intel room to make it less of a dead-end.
• Added an exit to the middle from the staging area near the "back entrance" to the intel to avoid this being a dead end.
• Reduced respawn wave times from standard to 10 (unless I'm wrong, that should turn out to be 6-14 sec).

Bugs

• Set a camera as the welcome point.

Details

• Some texturing.

 

[Ida]

Any thoughts on today's test? I think it went very well.

Here's a preview of a4.

 

[Engineer]

Whoo! Center has changed a lot (since i last played). What theme will this map be? I'm pretty sure its not winter any more.

 

[Ida]

That is indeed not winter.

It's swamp theme. It'll probably be more obvious once I start detailing properly.

 

[Ida]

Sorry for all the double posts, but I have an important issue.

The test yesterday revealed that everyone except me thinks this map is massive. Even though I don't like it, I'm going to have to trust you, which means I could use some feedback on why it's so big/confusing and what I could do to change it.

I have some things in mind, but I could use opinions on these points as well...

- One major complaint was that very few paths intersect. If I make new paths, where would be good?
- I've heard it's annoying to walk up to the battlements coming out of your base, only to find yourself having taken a slow route to the middle. Should I maybe remove the staircase or add a direct drop to the mid from the battlements?

 

[Psy]

People are correct in thinking it's large because it's true. One other issue is that a lot of the paths split the team up all around the map which is something that a lot of the current entries seem to do.

 

[Uriak]

Gameday :

Well, it is large. During the playtest, they were many sniper/other duels on the long bridge but it was almost pointless. In the first half of the round, I went to take intel as scout, and almost encoutered no resistance, because the layout let people evade the other team on long portions of the map, even if some carefully chosen traps can be laid.

You should avoid falling damage when going through windows. The issue with this map size is not than fights are avoidable or scarce, it's simply slow classes won't be amused, and thus manypeople went on random killing/sniper camping instead of playing seriously.

The map itself is not confusing, though. I didn't felt like it. The small rooms near the intel rooms surprised me, and I didn't get their goals at first glance.

 

[SPHinx]

People seemed to have given up on the intel here by the time I joined. This meant that the rear areas near the spawn and the intel were empty most of the time (at least for my team) and as such, it wasn't at all clear to me where or why I should defend. Instead, the play all seemed focus on the central bridge with a deathmatch kind of feel.

That said, I did enjoy myself. If I remember correctly, there are at least 4 ways to get from the center to the intel area. Maybe reducing this by 1 and narrowing the rear playing field a bit would help to focus the play back to the intel.