CTF Turbine re-artpass Alpha 6

[cool_myll]

I do need to get back to this. After remembering that we have wind turbine props available, I've been giving serious thought to ditching the nuclear power plant theme for a wind-power facility, which would solve the problem of where to put the cooling towers without interfering with the skylights. The drawback is that I have even less visual reference for what such a facility might look like than a nuclear power plant. That is to say, none. All the pictures are just of the wind farms themselves. Yes, Google, we know what windmills look like, thank you.

Thanks a lot, i thought you abandoned it. Btw as far as textures goes, is the spawns the only places that dont have textures?

As i said i have turbine pro for now but i ll be waiting for this map to replace it when possible.

 

[Pocket]

They are, but a good deal of the rest is still either undetailed or subject to change after further testing. The latter of which is the biggest problem, since it's not eligible for Gameday and I don't camp the chat waiting for someone to plan an impromptu test.

 

[tyler]

If you submit it to a gameday, I would probably let it in.

 

[cool_myll]

I have a full server if you want us to test it, just tell me.

 

[riking]

When are you going to return to work on polishing this map to the point where you can say it's done? I'd really like to see this deployed on more servers.

 

[Melvin D Engineere]

Got a video of this map from last week's gameday.

TF2: ctf_turbine2_a2 (aka Turbine re-artpass)

 

[Pocket]

like the balcony over intel, breaks the op wrangler spot

I like the sound of this. I didn't even know engies were using the wrangler in this map. Where was this spot?

And speaking of that balcony, a while ago someone said they were concerned that it could be used by the defense to camp the intel instead of as a flanking route. So I decided to test that by building a sentry there. Turns out sentries can't see down onto the briefcase at all, or if they can they're not going to be able to attack fast enough to stop anyone from taking it. And any humans trying to camp from up there (as well as engies foolhardy enough to try wrangling) will probably be sitting ducks for attackers who are already going to be using that hallway as a flanking route.

I think that's preferable to Turbine Pro, where the ductwork opens out on that narrow ledge that used to be exclusive to skilled explosive jumpers. It's easy to hide around the corner from flanking attackers on that thing. Here, you either jump down (and take fall damage) or you stay in that hallway in plain sight.

 

[cool_myll]

As i said i really like to see a final of this map!

Will it help you if i put it on my server for testing? To provide feedback? It is a very active server.

Do you have plans on detailing the spawns?

 

[Trotim]

I like the sound of this. I didn't even know engies were using the wrangler in this map. Where was this spot?

You put a Sentry at the end of the stairs down to the intel room so it can shoot around the corner. You can cover the entire hallway in front, can spam the whole room with bullets/rockets so Spies aren't an issue + a medium ammo is always right behind you so you don't even need a Dispenser there

With the balcony you can now shoot down at it pretty safely. Better than Turbine Pro because you can just shoot into the added banana hallway with Wrangler from there as well anyway and the dropdown is suicide

 

[cool_myll]

People loved it on my server!!!

 

[sitebender]

I like the idea of remakes to just put something different. The outside is very nice and makes it feel different. The inside hallways and corridors though.... just feels very samey to the original, but maybe that's because you're not done with it. Even if there are path changes for things like the air ducts and the stairways down from the safe point. Perhaps put windows in the hallway to look at the outside even if there is no player area outside.

The map feels fun and on the easy side like the original Turbine. Less challenging than 2Fort that can sometimes have draws due to turrets on the point.

 

[Pocket]

You make a good point; I've actually been seriously considering tossing the out-of bounds spytech hallway in the trash and putting a courtyard in its place, with nice big windows behind the ledge. I'm already going to be removing the skylight (as soon as I can find a decent wrapping texture for the pillars), so I'll need to do something to liven up that space.

Actually, this is a good time to share something that fell right into my lap the other day. I was private-messaged out of the blue by a guy named "mir" who has never posted on the forum, saying he had also been working on a re-imagining of Turbine that he never got around to finishing, so he sent me the source file. In addition to figuring out the "turn the air vents into hallways" thing long before I did (sort of; he left them ungodly-narrow for some reason), he had some ... interesting ideas:

Here's how he tried to spice up the aforementioned ledge, since we're on the subject.

I found his changes to mid especially intriguing. Ignore the detailing (other than the merciful removal of those dumb shipping crates) and focus on the raised platform running down the middle with stairs by the "spawn exit" and a ledge by the main entrance. I'm curious how this would have affected gameplay, especially after those comments that mid isn't interesting to play in. Sadly this map is not in compilable condition, so we may never know.

 

[Sergis]

The ledge spiceup is interesting, although I think it'll mostly help the defending engineers as cover, making turtling only easier. It'd be probably more fitting in turbine_pro.

The middle changes me no likey. The turbines on top of the ex-containers make them a bitch to walk and build on, effectively plainifying the battle. The raised platform is interesting, but likely would not work well. First off, it makes exiting the main entrance a bitch, or, rather, a ditch - you have only one way to go until you reach enemy side of the map (except advanced movement classes of course). Exiting "spawn" entrance is slightly harder too due to height advantage behind a door that can be easily used by whoever is waiting out there. It still becomes obviously the superior option as it gives three potential attack paths unlike the now only one of the main entrance. I think the ledge/stairs would work better if they were mirrored, though even then, there is another problem - a team that controls mid often gets an engie to build between the exits on the enemy side. Having a height advantage and a ledge on the one side only strengthens this sentryspot and makes it easier to keep defenders from ever entering middle and in effect, from having fun.
There are also some more minor effects such as a scout path over the turbines and removal of the center turbines changing things a bit, but thats minor.

 

[WolfKit]

What if you lowered the middle platform by the doors and main entrances, but left it raised in the center?
Just bouncing ideas off a wall here. I think that some height variation would make mid more interesting.

 

[Pocket]

The middle platform is short enough to crouch-jump. And I'm envisioning the sides being turned into huge planters and the turbines replaced with trees (since mid would still be outdoors), so there'd be some room to build. Though now that I think about it, I'm not sure I've ever seen engies building on those crates.

But the point about camping the exit from a height advantage sounds scary. After going to a lot of trouble to make that exit more viable, I wouldn't want that.

 

[tyler]

I build on those crates to be a jerk.

 

[sitebender]

I think I've dealt with a Mir through trading. Anyway, at least you've been injected with new ideas. It is always a good thing to keep thinking Since this is outside you could also winter it up for the upcoming holiday.

 

[mir]

If you are making middle as outdoor you can remove side stairs, connect ledges with catwalks and put dual spiral stairs right at the center. Spiral stairs can be disguised as a silo (grain, etc). Then id develop the layout from that central construction

 

[Pocket]

A4 is finally ready! What happened to A3, you ask? That's where I've stuffed the changes I'm actually planning to keep. (See changelog.) The changes in this version are very experimental and nearly all layout related. This screenshot sums them up in a nutshell:

And since there are apparently people putting this up on their own servers, I threw in a handy sign with a TinyURL link and, in the off-chance any of these servers have Feedback installed, instructions on how to use it. I was going to make it look more like a proper construction sign in-universe and add some more any place something is blatantly unfinished (like that bare roof), but I wanted to get this out the door ASAP and also I suck at textures.

 

[tyler]

But your download is still a2!