Melee Fort

[The Asylum]

just had a go with the new SD Melee Fort in a super-secret testing session.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better. of course there's still a few kinks to work out but at least, unlike the original concept, this one's actually playable. You can expect SD to be officially welcomed into the Melee Fort family with the A13 builds, and then Event with the A14 builds

Chooser? MVM? Oh jeez. You're better off waiting for Episode 3.

 

[The Asylum]

It's official. Come A13, building everything except Sentry Guns will be kosher in Melee Fort.

 

[The Asylum]

From a barebones fundamentals standpoint, the Heavy Bag Hunt (the new Melee Fort Chooser) is completely functional.

Do not ask me how long this took.

The three circles will spin independently of one another, randomly going right or left. If I can't randomize the pattern of the heavy bags in each circle, I can at least do a serious shuffling.

Also new for A13 is a failsafe of sorts. Every round, the server will be sent a "melee 1" command. Servers that have some manner of melee-only plugins will then be set to melee mode. At the end of each round, a "melee 0" command will follow, turning off melee mode and letting players restock their weapons for the post-victory slaughter, as is the Melee Fort tradition. This ensures that when a new content update happens, the Melee Fort builds that are already on servers with a melee mod won't be crippled by the update.

And yes, I've taken into account the Engineer building things. Supposedly, just "melee 1" alone won't stop Engineers from pulling out their PDAs, but it will break their sentry's ability to target players.

........ or so I'm told. Either way, the Engineer being able to build isn't really that important, otherwise I'd have worked it into Melee Fort ages ago.

Now we wait for the next big update. C'mon Valve, let's break this shit already.

 

[The Asylum]

Finally, some progress on the MVM front.

Sorry, but all you get for now is a crappy sketchup in photoshop.

One of the challenges in making MVM Melee Fort is the bot carrier being so very huge, and the map itself being so very small. Since I couldn't squeeze it in anywhere else, I thought, "Why not just drop it on TOP of the map?"

And thus the creative spark was... er... sparked. (its late and im tired im in no mood for making proper comedy gimme a break ok) The concept I'm going with is, since the human players are all on RED and the bots are all BLU, I'll have the carrier sitting on top of the crushed remains of BLU's fort, whereupon the bots will spill over the roof and onto the ground to get making with the melee.

Also, in keeping up with the "Figure 8" pattern established in valve's MVM maps, it's necessary to have RED's base partially collapsed too. The grey areas in the drawing represent no-access areas or boundaries in general. Since bot AI and water usually don't mix that well, the moat is all dried up, with a ramp at the end being the only way out of the trench.

Obviously this is all very rough work here, but I think this is the design that makes the most sense.

 

[The Asylum]

fuck it.

http://tf2.gamebanana.com/maps/173331

I've probably already shown off plenty of SD screens, but here's a better shot of the rocket

Soooooo.... the chooser then.

The first (and only) thing players see when they join RED is the instructions. They get to look at that for 30 seconds before the Heavy Bag Hunt begins.

No, you're not on an acid trip. The screens mounted on top there give progress bars to show how many bags remain for each gametype.

Also making it's debut is CP_3Melee_Fort_Event, that 3-point halloween map. I mutilated an early build of Melee Fort, maybe it's third ever compile, long before I even gave it gametypes. This is the monster it is now. Hardly recognizable as Melee Fort, isn't it?

And the big reveal. Shocking, isn't it? The Tesla coils will randomly activate, frying anyone dub enough to be standing on them.

Believe it or not, like RCTF before it, the Halloween map was actually a request. A request for someone I couldn't possibly turn down.

CHANGES FROM A12

GENERAL CHANGES
- New gametype (officially) added: SD Melee Fort! Now with 102% less suck!
- NEW new gametype! CP_3Melee_Fort_Event! 3 Points with a spooooooooky halloween theme!
- The Chooser returns! Get ready for the Heavy Bag Hunt!
- Removed the Nobuild brush for all versions exept DUEL. Engineers can now build Dispensers and Teleporters, but not Sentry Guns.
- Extended the soundscape brushes a bit for versions that use Titantrons. Now you should be able to hear your bad-ass tunes in the spawnroom.
- Added "Melee 1" auto-fire output on all maps, and a "Melee 0" output fired when someone activates the func_regenerate trigger in the weapons caches after the round ends. For servers with corresponding melee mods, this acts as a limited failsafe to better ensure compatibility with future updates.
- The resupply sheds now open like a closet instead of a typical rotating door, allowing for easier access.
- Looping kill inputs (ie Sandman's ball) are stopped on round's end.
- Fixed issue with some weapons not stripping properly
- Some long overdue skybox optimization

ARENA CHANGES
- Fixed the order in which RED players spawned. Now they'll start inside the large hall, then spill over into the stage spawn, before the toll booths, just like BLU.

CP CHANGES
- Removed a bunch of superflous cameras and fixed the rest

CTF CHANGES
- Fixed issue with the broken resupply locker function still working.

KOTH CHANGES
- Coulda' sworn I fixed that texture alignment with the respawn visualizer at RED's side...

RCTF CHANGES
- Added weapons sheds inside the Slobberknocker Storehouse, and by BLU's spawn.

 

[The Asylum]

So the Chooser ends fast. Very fast. Even with 10 players the Heavy Bag Hunt lasts under a minute. Not sure yet if this is a good or bad thing. What is a very good thing though is that it works without a hitch- from a technical standpoint anyway. Players going BLU and then ask "Why am I in a box room with a big sign saying WRONG TEAM?" however, I can only do so much.

Though I managed to hide it exceptionally well in the screenshots, Melee Fort Event is still laughably incomplete. The outside lighting still leaves much to be desired, and the skybox... what skybox? And then there's the lack of weapons sheds, the bare stage spawns and secret lab, the leftover Titantron, the- um, I think I should just stop here. Yeah. Stopping now. So that's what I'll be working on alongside MVM Melee Fort.

Now here's where I get to ask you guys a question: Map dispensers. You know, the ones off of the Payload carts and rocket platforms. Should they stay or should they go? Originally I had intended to do away with them. But then I thought, "Nah, melee damage is like 70 hp per swing, 180 crit and that's got a boosted ratio too, may as well leave it in." After all, like I've said countless times before, breaking away from the Valve standard is nothing I take lightly- even though it's Melee Fort. If anyone's got a good argument for their removal, let me hear it.

 

[The Asylum]

Speaking of things missing from Melee Fort Event...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhiRqlX-hNo&feature=youtu.be

Something that I'm working on for A14.

 

[The Asylum]

So the Short Circuit. You know, this thing that nobody uses. I've recently gotten a request to have it left alone in future Melee Fort releases. Sure, it does pitiful damage and isn't even good for destroying buildings, but it is pretty rangy.

I think it's a daft idea. But I'm always open to convincing arguments.

 

[Limeaide]

So the Short Circuit. You know, this thing that nobody uses. I've recently gotten a request to have it left alone in future Melee Fort releases. Sure, it does pitiful damage and isn't even good for destroying buildings, but it is pretty rangy.

I think it's a daft idea. But I'm always open to convincing arguments.

The range couldn't be much longer than the Disciplinary Action, could it? It's pretty much a melee weapon with blast radius and pitiful damage.

 

[The Asylum]

Something big's happening to DM Melee Fort.

What's this? A valve that will slowly turn when approached by an enemy like the nosecone of the SD rocket, that will kill ALL your enemies once fully opened?

Yes indeed, that's exactly what it is. Why? Because fuck idlers, that's why. Just in case sever admins leave Sudden Death on anyway, this'll take care of those idlers and runaway scouts

It takes about a minute to fully crank, and it doesn't matter how many people are activating it.

I am a genius.

 

[The Asylum]

well fuck me

Apparently, the Eureka Effect restocks you weapons. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem I guess, except for Arena Melee Fort. Since its stripper operates on just one fell swoop, using it AFTER the round starts breaks the map. And since it shares entity names with the default wrench, there's no way to strip it without taking all the other wrenches with it.

I guess you could say this throws a wrench in my plans.

 

[Limeaide]

well fuck me

Apparently, the Eureka Effect restocks you weapons. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem I guess, except for Arena Melee Fort. Since its stripper operates on just one fell swoop, using it AFTER the round starts breaks the map. And since it shares entity names with the default wrench, there's no way to strip it without taking all the other wrenches with it.

I guess you could say this throws a wrench in my plans.

Why not activate the stripper every time someone enters spawn or something like that? are there restrictions in Arena that keep you from doing that?

 

[The Asylum]

That was my initial knee-jerk solution, believe it or not. However, for that to work without the restocked Engineer ever becoming capable of shooting anyone with his weaps would mean having to block the respawn room off with a visualizer. In every other Arena map, not just Valve's, anyone can enter the respawn room, enemies and allies alike. Breaking away from the Valve Standard is something I really, really don't want to do.

Thankfully, I've devised a solution that involves two sets of spawnpoints and teleport brushes. Thanks for your contribution nonetheless.

 

[The Asylum]

frankly, i'm amazed.

Not even a month into a13's lifespan and I've already amassed a gigantic changelog for a14, from meaningless skybox hiccups to substantial gameplay alterations. Plus of course all the resulting bugs from the Engineer's regained building ability. If A13 was the Great Engineer Buff, A14 is the Great Engineer Nerf. And yet, finally, aside from MVM Melee Fort, I think I actually mean it when I say I'm pretty much done here on the alpha level.

We won't likely be seeing mvm_melee_fort_a14. But mvm_melee_fort_b1 however...

 

[The Asylum]

So, all bugs, oversights, and oddities from the A13 builds have been dealt with. Normally, when this happens, I let them all sit and rot for a few months until Valve doles out new unique weapons. But, as we all know, the Hammer Apocalypse will be upon us soon, and it may change my usual song and dance. The A14 builds are all ready to go- compiled and packed and everything. Depending on what Valve's planning to do with regards to editing tools, what I've got now just might be what you're getting come update time. As much as I hate having to rely on plugins though, my little built-in failsafe- limited as it is, will probably just have to do.

Obviously, releasing something that I know is broken is incredibly bad form, but sometimes you just gotta' work with what you're given.

 

[The Asylum]

well i guess i may as well show off what I've got then

Melee Fort Event gets a lot brighter. Now you can see what you're doing!

Finally did away with the leftovers of the scrapped ladder match gimmick. Now the belts sit there on a display pedestal. The best part? No more sideways indicators!

PLR Melee Fort finally gets something worth bombing. The cart will fall into the hatch and go blammo, just like every other PL/R map.

Instead of just some supply cache or whatnot, I decided to make the target look a little more important. This mini-spytech room is what's going up in smoke.

And now here's where YOU tell me what's going to happen next:

Pumpkin bombs and the Horsemann in Melee Fort Event. Pumpkin bombs I guess could be fun. Horsemann, I'm not so sure. What do you think?

 

[Ælement]

Add trims to all the buildings huehuehue

 

[The Asylum]

While experimenting with the Horsemann on Melee Fort Event, I've discovered that if there are two or more Horsemanns spawned, they can attack each other- instant kill axe instant kills other Horsemanns as well as players.

Cheesy 50's battle of the monsters movie. I love it.

 

[The Asylum]

Sleepless nights like these are when the Bad Idea Gremlins come out to roam Asylumland.

The A14 build of the Chooser will feature a DUEL override control point. Once captured, the map will ignore the heavy bags and change the map to duel_melee_fort. Because of the special natue of the Duel gametype, it's necessary to have near-unanimous support from the players to activate the override. The same will go with MVM Melee Fort, assuming I ever finish it. While I'm at it, I thought I should add a random selector override as well, you know, for shits and giggles. I find myself torn between three choices: Plinko, Roulette, or forget about the random override. What do you guys think?

 

[The Asylum]

The more I think about it, the more I realize it just isn't working.

I'm talking about the crates in RCTF Melee Fort.

I guess the first one on top of the scaffolding is okay, but the second one inside of RED's ring, I don't think so. With my remodelling of PLR Melee Fort's endpoint, I thought, hey, why don't I have that for the RCTF version too? A giant pit that BLU has to jump into with the intel in tow, ala MVM?

Then I thought I could make both points look like SD- that is, plugging the Australium into the nosecone-socket prop to power some wacky spytech doomsday device? But I guess that wouldn't make much sense, would it?

The thing is, it's essential that, whatever object I choose to be the "point," that it's only cappable from one side. If it was accessible from any direction, then we'd have a huge balancing issue on the defensive team's side.

Or maybe I'm thinking too much about this and it's fine like it is. What do you guys want to see?