KotH Montane

phi

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Nov 6, 2011
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I could.
Layout-wise, however, I'm thinking of shrinking it so that it's just a block (no thru traffic)
layout1.png

Red outlines being existing buildings, I think the smaller one (red filled box) gets in the way of flow (green arrows) and makes a route less effective (blue arrow).
The only route that comes from the building is the one-way orange arrow and I think removing that would just redirect traffic a better way. [sic] Therefore I shorten it to the blue outline and improve traffic.

In further news, should the stairs outlined in the upper-right corner be made less significant? I noticed a few players heading up there thinking they were going to get a sniping position over the point but just to be greeted by a glass wall. I'm wondering if I should rework that.
 

Pocket

Half a Lambert is better than one.
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Nov 14, 2009
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Why does the truck have red headlights?
 

phi

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Nov 6, 2011
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Alright, so I wasn't at the latest gameday, but since I can't find Montane in the feedback site I fear that it was broken.
Was it tested on the 8th (Sunday, the day this was posted) and if so, was it broken? I fear that something that I should know about may have broken the map and therefore made it so nobody could give feedback.
If someone was in the latest gameday and played it, it would be nice if you could tell me what happened.
Maybe the feedback servers are off. I did find a5d in the feedback servers and it gives no data.
What/how/or just did it break?
 

EArkham

Necromancer
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Aug 14, 2009
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When descended, the point turned into a spammable, flammable, mini-sentriable bowl. When raised, the point was still pretty spammable PLUS in the middle of some big sniper lanes. You don't necessarily need to remove the sniper lanes, but at least allow an area on the point where you're safe from them. I don't have any ideas to relieve the spam issue.

Overall, I felt there were a couple of areas that looked like I should be heading into them only to find myself in a dead end or at the very least not where I was expecting. The geometry in general was a little hard to get used to. Despite it all leading to the point, it just didn't seem to flow towards the point if you get what I mean.
 

phi

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Nov 6, 2011
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So from the current test day I got pretty much what I expected to get.
The point is definitely something that could be static for a Highlander match, most likely once August comes around I'll make a version without the movement for the contest.
Once the contest is over, though, I'm going to re-animate the point because I think it adds more to the map.
Overall, I felt there were a couple of areas that looked like I should be heading into them only to find myself in a dead end or at the very least not where I was expecting. The geometry in general was a little hard to get used to. Despite it all leading to the point, it just didn't seem to flow towards the point if you get what I mean.
Yeah, that's what I've received from others, that yard was noisy with buildings and it didn't flow all too well. If I could ask, are there any specific buildings causing this or is it the stairway with glass at the top on the right side of the map? Or are those buildings just not optimally placed?
Other than that I didn't really get all that many negative reactions, so it's safe to say that 90% of the detail I have right now will be kept.

That odd building with 45° angles might be reworked, though. I feel that it and the adjacent stairway is the main cause of breaks in flow.

Any ideas/praises/complaints are welcome.
 

Wilson

Boomer by Sleep
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May 4, 2010
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Once the contest is over, though, I'm going to re-animate the point because I think it adds more to the map.

Yes.
It adds annoying random element out of your control that can utterly destroy succesful pushes on to the point. Pub or HL.
 

Idolon

they/them
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Feb 7, 2008
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The best dynamic elements are the predictable ones. For example, in Namicott, it's pretty obvious where the point is going. Here, it just moves up and down, it seems, whenever it feels like it.
 

tyler

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Sep 11, 2013
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I said this in the feedback too, but it adds nothing to the map. It's annoying when I'm screwing around in a pub and I would hate it in Highlander. If you can, send me a version with a static point for next Monday's Highlander test or I'll just run this last if at all.
 

Sergis

L666: ])oo]v[
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Jul 22, 2009
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The best dynamic elements are the predictable ones. For example, in Namicott, it's pretty obvious where the point is going. Here, it just moves up and down, it seems, whenever it feels like it.

in namicott you also can get on point at all times. here from what i noticed (i was sniping the whole map) when the point starts moving it can be hard to get on it, especially from below.
 

EArkham

Necromancer
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Aug 14, 2009
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koth_montane_a6_01.jpg


This is the main spot I mentioned. For some reason I kept running right into this room (technically the one on the red side). Possibly due to the level of detailing it has relative to the areas just next to it.

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koth_montane_a6_02.jpg


Another area I kept feeling drawn to due to the detail, even though it was a generally pointless area to go to unless you were a spy decloaking.

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koth_montane_a6_03.jpg


I think I get what you're trying to do here, but the windows are too big and the wrong style for the rest of the map. They really should be more traditional TF2 windows. And people wouldn't go up to them and then say "hey, wait, these are windows."

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koth_montane_a6_04.jpg


I know it's an alpha, but you should remember to fix these lights when you start detailing. They're too yellow and too fuzzy bright for such a sunny day.

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koth_montane_a6_05.jpg


I think the viaduct influence is obvious here. ;)

You know, if you extended those structures on either side of the point (the ones with the big circular doors to go below), you might be able to reduce both the sniper coverage and spam (at least when the CP is topside). Further, if those were tall enough and then had something overhead, you could put some crane props/structure there to explain why the point is going up and down. Think of it like an upside down U over the point. Maybe something like this:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/EArkham/TF2Maps/feedback_other/koth_montane_a6_05b.jpg

Anyway, hope that helps.
 

phi

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Nov 6, 2011
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Alright.
A7 is being worked on, hopefully finished by the middle of next week.
Yyler will thank me for this: reworked mid! No more dynamics! I actually got a nice test on this privately and that was the main complaint. So I removed it, or in other words make it in its own visgroup and hid it, so I can bring it back if anybody may want it.
Screenshots are not available at the time but I am sure it will be done by next gameday. I'll get it tested and hopefully the negative responses will shift towards something else.
Aesthetically it's moving nicely, hopefully less than 2 weeks before a beta comes out.
I'm looking forward to that, cheers.

(sadly I won't have it done by next highlander match, yyler, but if you host one again next week I will get a7/a8 to you. Thanks for the help.)
 

phi

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Nov 6, 2011
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So if anyone can suggest to me a way that I can get this pub/highlander/6v6 tested I'd thank you, if you could test this yourself than I'd thank you more.
And since alpha 7 has no more dynamic point I'd think there's nothing in the way of it.
 

phi

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Nov 6, 2011
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So from this recent test, I got mostly technical feedback, anything anyone has to say?
There were 4 rounds completed (thanks everyone) but BLU won all 4. Was something on the RED side that broke balance? Was that odd error with the dead-end what broke it?

Feedback pls.