pl_hoodoo [Final release]

[Uriak]

And that happens to be the case, on I would say dustbowl. Goldrush was more difficult (the hitmap says it all) but people approach the 50-50 global result. This design is very obvious with the final stage of these maps, where even a frail defending team can have its chance.

Tough I didn't play much on the map, I noticed too that blu could have a difficult time extracting themselves from the spawn. But hey, it's the same story on stage 2-3 of goldrush.

Unfortunately, Flubber is not present for a couple weeks, in case a hitmap would have been handy.

 

[Chilly]

I think stage 1 is fine, but to make it slightly easier for the attackers (so they win 75% of the time) I'd suggest changing the entrance to the upper platform. Right now defenders can access it as easily as defenders until the cart is by the bridge. It should be far easier for the attackers to control it than the defenders, similar to Dustbowl stage 1. To do this you need the entrance to it moved further away from the red spawn. I'd just block off the entry from that side tunnel and instead have the entrance come in only from the first main area. Since I don't have an overhead image of the map, I'll describe it better using this:

http://image.hazardstrip.com/ss/maps/141583.jpg

I'm thinking the entrance would be on the right side of this area behind the Brown Nugget (heh) building. Another option would be to just put a 1-way gate on the part of that hall that defenders use to go up. That would allow attackers to still use the hall to go directly to the bridge, but defenders would lose their easy access to the upper platform.

On stage 2 FLOOR_MASTER's comments are pretty much what I would say as well (although I already chipped in additional info).

For stage 3, the shortcut hall doesn't help much. How about having it exit into the building on the left and having the building positioned closer to the shortcut wall to accommodate (or just make the building longer)? Right now the stage works pretty well until you get to the choke point, which is between the shortcut's exit, the upper exit, and the end of the shallow trench. I think having the shortcut a little more protected would help the attackers just a bit while still making it hard for them to take the area.

Another minor note... that small trench on stage 3 always bothered me. It doesn't really look right and there doesn't seem to be any purpose for it. To incorporate it more into the gameplay, turn it into a tunnel entrance that just leads into the trench right below the final cap. I'd suggest instead of making it look like a cave, make it look like a basement entrance made of concrete and put some open doors on it. This would also help attackers just slightly since they'd have a 3rd way into the final room, and it'd be a bit protected from sentries up above.

Final note: how about an overhead image of the map? I'll do some drawings on it to make my comments more clear.

 

[YM]

Whats this? a new route? surely not. (one way door from inside making it largely blu only)

 

[grazr]

I say move that metal archway thing you have there in the second image, in a bit, so it's the same amount of units into the corridor as it is wide. Doing this you might want to move the light to the ceiling, but it's just a suggestion.

In the first you might want to uneven some of those truss's, so it looks less a bit like copy n paste. (Also, spiderwebs! ).

 

[Randdalf]

Does this mean we get a new version soon?

 

[YM]

not soon, but I'm working on it.

And i have absolutely no idea what you're trying to describe with the metal frame grazr...

 

[Randdalf]

not soon, but I'm working on it.

And i have absolutely no idea what you're trying to describe with the metal frame grazr...

I think he means move the metally bit inwards a bit so it isn't flush with the concrete.

 

[YM]

ahh wide, I was interpreting that as its length, which would put it halfway into the corridor behind. Silly me :laugh:

 

[Snipergen]

You might want some variation texture wise youme, it's very monotone atm.

 

[Chilly]

Excellent addition so far, though. I actually don't mind the repetition of the same trusses, since that's how it would look in real life. However, snipergen's suggestion would give it some variation. Even some overlays and props (shovels hanging from a tool rack?) would help some.

 

[Snipergen]

It's grazr his pic chilly, I'm just talking about the textures, and the floor texture is a wall texture, I'm not used to see that on a floor

 

[Chilly]

It's grazr his pic chilly, I'm just talking about the textures, and the floor texture is a wall texture, I'm not used to see that on a floor

I should have been more clear.

I don't think grazr's suggestion is necessary, since repetition like that is realistic.
I do like snipergen's suggestion of varying the textures, since it'll add depth and make it more interesting.

 

[grazr]

I don't think grazr's suggestion is necessary, since repetition like that is realistic.

I get you Chilly, but TF2 is not about realism, that's why i suggested this. Where i can see that being quite relative in HLDM, CSS or even DoD.. if you take a look at the truss's in Dustbowl etc they are all over the place. Even on gravel pit, if you jump out of the left exit of the B route for blu and take a look at the tunnel underneath, a lot of the beams are off at angles and the like.

If it were a blue base or simple doorway cove i'd overlook it, but for red with a mining theme it comes with the territory. I wouldn't say every beam, either most or just some.

Do it on all of them and it looks like you've forced it, do it on half of them and it looks like you've just tried to balance it, do it on none and it looks a little too clean.

But that's my personal opinion.

 

[ColdFire]

Here you are, deathmap and killmap for hoodoo_b1a (select the heatmap you want with the dropdown)

http://www.coldfire.info/psycho/mapheat.php?id=59

As you can see, on my server, it's hard to go to stage 3

 

[YM]

Here you are, deathmap and killmap for hoodoo_b1a (select the heatmap you want with the dropdown)
http://www.coldfire.info/psycho/mapheat.php?id=59
As you can see, on my server, it's hard to go to stage 3

Awesome stuff thanks. :thumbup1:
Its always unfortunate with psychostats that the latter stages are less vivid, I think in this one the green in the final stage represent one kill each so not incredibly useful data, but good to have none the less.
Go play it some more!

and chilly, theres your overhead map

 

[VelvetFistIronGlove]

Some points I noticed in b1:

STAGE 1

1. Crosses on the ambulance should be red, just like on the resupply locker.

2. Textures on "round" curves of concrete curb aren't aligned, and it looks like the faces are not in the same smoothing group.

3. No soundscape effect for generators (nice detail)

4. Side passage (by "Gold" sign) needs more playerclipping on upright beams.

STAGE 2.

5. Misaligned concrete floor texture in alcove off blu setup room

6. Upper side passage just after 1st CP feels very very bare, and very confined. Raise the roof a bit and make it a different texture at least.

7. Entrance to ground side passage (the one with the one-way gate) is not easy to spot. It blends in with the wall too easily. I'd suggest using alpha gravel that you nearby have leading up to and into it, to give a visual trail.

STAGE 3

8. Metal ramp in blu setup room has no supports, looks a bit strange.

9. Jumping off rock into window on upper right is very fiddly even when not in battle. If's it's intended to be an entry point, tweak it a bit? This one really bugs me.

10. Clip boxes on points levers at first corner need changing. Feels like a big square box right now.

11. Trigger hurt seems to turn on sometime after the explosion sound.

 

[Randdalf]

7. Entrance to ground side passage (the one with the one-way gate) is not easy to spot. It blends in with the wall too easily. I'd suggest using alpha gravel that you nearby have leading up to and into it, to give a visual trail.

Or possibly removing the walkway across people's sightline to the passageway, and put a set of stairs going to that ammo pack instead. Although that would maybe kind of make the mining tunnel there defunct...

 

[MrTwoVideoCards]

It's lookin good Youme. Keep o the work, and let me know over steam chat when you might have one of those big playtests if possible.

 

[Randdalf]

Do you expect to release the thingy we helped contribute material for this morning with beta 2? And, is it a secret?

 

[Username]

If you don't know if it's a secret, you should probably ask via private messages.