Gravel Rocket

[Wilson]

The map plays decently (enough) at last point and middle.

ISSUES

It is wide
The yard between middle and second point is really wide, defenders can't make up good enough counter attack before they are on point and there is no focus on any fights at that area.

Second point
It feels so open, there is open space everywhere, it needs to be smaller or needs more cover, the upstairs area is cool tough.

The boxes
There is route to 2nd point where you need to jump on boxes, while the route itself is useful, the boxes are just silly, ramp would be much better than boxes. (Boxes hate medics, really, they do!)

The health at middle
Move the medium healths futher back into side rooms, right now they are bit too close to the point and makes killing scouts capping point pain in the ass.

The last point
First of all, two spawn exits where you can shoot from point, either make demo/soldier spam from point less effective tactic or make 3rd exit.
Second, the whole last point area is open, i mean really open, snipers love it, heavies and other slow classes hate it, it also lack any decent sentry spots to set up a defence.

 

[Gerbil]

I actually like this map a lot. The concept is very good and the layout is also pretty nice. Though points 1 and 2 seem a bit like granary.

Apart from what wilson said, I think you might want to give the defenders a bit more cover on the last point.

Good job!

 

[cyked]

Bump for impromptu

 

[Stink Horse]

I think you have potential in the map but there are a few things that need tweaking to make it flow better. I mentioned a few of them in the play test and I'll reiterate them here along with my other concerns:

A broad concern for the map is that it simultaneously feels too wide and yet too cramped at the same time. This is happening due to the width of the map preventing focus in the arenas such as the open ground between point mid and 2, and other localized areas such as the distance between the center point and the wall of the first building back from it. This is easily corrected by lengthening these locations as well as dropping a few of the pathways players have to get through. Your map takes a few design cues from well and granary so I'll use them as the examples to point to.

First off the routes from the center to 2nd point are numerous and spread wide. In both the cases of well and granary they provide you with two outside paths, yes, but these are naturally funneled back toward the center, either through level layout, or via train cars blocking movement. Your routes allow the player to drive up the sides without doing a lot of deviation in lateral positioning. Think about either thinning up the width of the map or tightening up the distance between the entrances and exits for each location. If you want to have a third route between the locations consider altering it's vertical position to make it distinct. In Well the mid point upper entrance doubles as a battlements when the game play shifts between the mid and 2nd point. Also consider making this upper area high enough that players will take damage dropping off it, discouraging casual run throughs and forcing them to think about their overall health and what they might land in at the bottom.

Next, consider either thinning up your hallways or raising their ceilings to make them less claustrophobic. If you really want a lower ceiling, consider raising it anyway, but then filling the space with pipes and ducts.

In the left hand transition from the 2nd point courtyard to the mid point there is a strange curved walkway above the player. This is weird. I would recommend a regular walkway or thick pipes if you want it to be thin enough to make the player think about their steps as they walk across it.

Finally the final point is super defensible unless a team is rolled. I would recommend lowering it and tightening up the entrances the attacking team has to get into the room. I would also think about increasing the distance from the base of the point to the doors by about 1/3 to make it more of a killing field.

That should be enough for now. I'll nit-pink more on the next play through. Good luck!

 

[Grim Tuesday]

Wheres the changelog for alpha 5 and 6?

 

[cyked]

zey are coming

 

[Tyker]

The door goes through the floor here.

Apart from that, I noticed the defending party never got their 2nd point back once it was taken. It may be a bit hard for them to get it back.

 

[Fireman]

That fence on the left side (defender's pov) of the second cp probably has a lot to do with the pushing difficulty. Anyone approaching from there has to walk up to the point in order to dislodge anyone from it. It makes counter pushing rather difficult, imo.

 

[lana]

What is it with you people and these awful hazard stripes? Use the TF2 ones, damn it!

Also I see your map includes the latest in resupply technology. Hover lockers.

 

[Pocket]

What is it with you people and these awful hazard stripes? Use the TF2 ones, damn it!

That is an official TF2 stripe. It's the one used in Gravel Pit and Steel. It's a perfectly cromulent texture for places like that where it's not just a straight line.

Someone was able to build a tele entrance so far into the first forward spawn that from the outside I could barely get on it — a problem since the door only opens from the inside.

Somehow, at some point, this happened. Same door, but while we were spawning from the far end.

 

[lana]

That is an official TF2 stripe. It's the one used in Gravel Pit and Steel. It's a perfectly cromulent texture for places like that where it's not just a straight line.

Something just irks me about that texture. For one, it's obviously a Half Life 2 texture. And I don't really care where it's used. Steel, though impressive, isn't really Valve canon in terms of development, and judging by their hatred of Glacier, Gravelpit's been retconned out as well.

Also the hazard strips are in a straight line anyway.

 

[cyked]

bump for impromptu