Excavation

Tigerbot

L1: Registered
Dec 4, 2009
6
1
Alright, first and foremost, this is the first map I've ever made. This is also the first version to actually be played, so I expect many problems. It looks like snipers could be overpowered and it might be too easy to get from one spawn to the other, but I guess that's what beta is for.

Also: I am well aware that I suck at displacements and lighting. I am learning, though. The tutorial section of this site has been a big help, but it's still a very slow learning process.

Thanks for any feedback. :)
 
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Demonsul

L1: Registered
Nov 29, 2009
20
6
This map looks interesting. I'll have a look.

EDIT:
Tried it, and it's got a few problems. For one, the control point skins need looking into. Some of them start out wrong. Secondly, the CPs themsleves take forever to capture. I'd drop the times significantly if I were you.

Layout-wise, it's just too empty. When I saw the final caps, I sure hoped you weren't done with them yet. The map is massive, and it takes forever to get around, and when you're running through empty plains you're just gonna get sniped.
Talking of which, there's some corridors here which are just eugh. Long narrow death tunnels. I commend your use of multiple routes to the point, but they're too empty.

Lesser points, I think you under-distribued health. There won't be enough, I think. Also, I don't know if this is intentional or not, on the middle point, most classes can't get back onto the upper walkways after dropping onto the point.

On a lighter note, I think the general map layout is good (if a little on the large side) and I definitely liked the 'slide' idea.

Hope this helps.
 
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Tigerbot

L1: Registered
Dec 4, 2009
6
1
Yeah, as soon as I finished the those long tunnels I knew they were bad. Those will be the first thing I fix when I open up Hammer again. The spawn area is definitely the least finished area. I pretty much ran out of ideas at that point. And those ledges at midpoint are intentionally like that.

When it comes to snipers, I really want to see the map in action before I add any more cover. As it is now you should be able to get from one side to the other while only being in the line of sight of a sniper for a second or two. Hopefully that will be enough, but I'm willing to add more in if necessary.

Thanks for looking around, though. I'll take what you said into consideration.
 

Smetzle

L3: Member
May 20, 2009
112
51
You should start your map versions with alpha 1. Go beta when you've got the gameplay solid and start detailing.

Normally, the order for map versioning is:

Alpha for gameplay testing, no real detail needed --> beta for detailing, more optimization and smaller gameplay issues that may have not presented themselves before --> release candidate (RC) for final visual work and optimization before the end release and tweaking of spawn times and such, the map is pretty much the finished product by now --> final, the end release of the finished map.
 

Tigerbot

L1: Registered
Dec 4, 2009
6
1
Sorry about that, I must have just never across anything explaining that. I'll just name the next one a2 and when I get to beta I'll name it b1a.
 
Aug 10, 2009
1,240
399
It's not that big of a deal, just make sure you start with _a1 at the start of a map :)
Also, in pic 2 the lighting is ridiculously flat, make sure you have your light settings (linear, quardatic, constant) set so that it's not too boring, which is linear I think.
 

FreeLance_FoX

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 6, 2008
353
173

Tigerbot

L1: Registered
Dec 4, 2009
6
1
Well, first playtest went pretty well I think. Maybe it's just because I finally got to play my map, but I had fun and some others said they had fun, too. I did see a lot of things I need to change, though.

-The cap times were way too long. I thought I had reduced them enough, but they still need to be cut almost in half (Especially the ones outside of spawn.

-Spawn was obviously not finished, but I think I know what to do with it now. Once I finish it, it won't be so open and you wont be able to shoot out of spawn to the cap.

-I'm probably going to make it so once you own 4 of the points then that long bridge up top will become continuous so that it cuts down on travel time. That seemed to be the biggest problem. Once your first wave was dead then the team defending could retake point 2.

-I was sniped a lot less than I thought I would be. There were certainly wide open areas where you could be hit, but I think I was only hit three or four times. The bridge and ramps definitely need something to break them up, though. Not much, just something that gives you a tiny bit of cover.

-I also might place a lot more of those open containers down on the ground. The biggest complaint I heard was that the map wasn't spy or pyro friendly. By putting more stuff down on the ground it should help both classes out (And make the map seem a little smaller).

Thanks to everyone who played today. It really helped me out.
 

Tigerbot

L1: Registered
Dec 4, 2009
6
1
Alright, apparently the map is still too fraking big. So, for everyone who complained about it, I'm going to pretty much completely change the map for the next version. It's going to still be the same idea, but in a more linear (And much smaller) version.

Thanks to everyone who played today!
 

Rikka

L5: Dapper Member
Feb 10, 2009
208
388
One of the biggest problems we had was that the middle point was out of focus. You'd end up with a large portion of the players on both teams ignoring mid during the opening fight or when they pushed out when at their 2nd point.