[WIP] pl_coastline

Gadget

aa
Mar 10, 2008
531
527
pl_coastline_button.jpg


headline_a1_screenshots.jpg


(pl_coastline_a1.zip | 13.3 MB)


* Update 09.02.2009

o new name COASTLINE
o new layout
o alpha 4 of initial map (started as contest entry)

Feedback needed:

o gameplay
o path layout
o area sizes & running distances
o ammo & healthkit locations
o respawnwavetimes
o team & class balance

Feedback & suggestions received:

o CP1 : Very well balanced for fast CP. Good choke points. Perhaps, more 15-30sec longer is better.
o CP2 : Very easy for attackers. Maybe move the CP a little further down the track or change respawnroom or respawnwavetime, add some cover to the bridge (props or small building)
o CP3 : Good chokepoint, side path too wide
o CP4 : Bring the crane in the middle of the area, a lot of open space that is not used by players, increase track length ~512 units
o I also received a couple of screenshots that I might post later...

ToDo:
o change layout according to feedback and gameplay tests
o add visual style and more details
o more lights
o more displacement work
o skybox
o optimization
o soundscape, cubemaps, nobuilds, menu photos

Well,... initially I had planned to create a map for the payload contest and started with some ideas and a layout (pl_downhill_a1) but soon discovered from gameplay testing that this didn't really work. So I created a new layout that was totally different (pl_downhill_a2) but I wasn't satisfied with the result either. After another new layout (should have been _a3 but I haven't released anything about that) I'm now done with the basic layout of alpha 4 version which is renamed to pl_coastline_a1.


_______________________


* Old Alpha 2 (pl_downhill_a2)


Download old Alpha 2:

(I apologize for a bug that the blu forward spawn door wasn't working, I forgot to enable the triggers after capturing C. I've just uploaded a fixed version so if you already downloaded the map please do again.)

pl_downhill_a2fixed.zip (11 MB)
 
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laghlagh

L6: Sharp Member
Jul 15, 2008
389
53
pl_unleash is a favourite I am going to give to you Gman!
 

Gadget

aa
Mar 10, 2008
531
527
* Old Alpha 1 (pl_downhill_a1)

* Update 09.10.2008

You can download the playable alpha 1 version of the map here pl_downhill_a1.zip (12 MB)

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* Update 06.10.2008

I've completed the basic layout, added some direction signs, added water to the harbor, added observer cameras, added some doors and turned most of the brushes into displacements. I also completed the payload track along with the necessary entities. I still need to complete the spawns and add clipping brushes before you will get a playable alpha version but you can expect that to happen within the next two days.


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* Initial post from 27.09.2008

I spent about a week now to block out the layout of a new project. It's a downhill payload map with four control points. Environment will be mining and industrial in a canyon that leads down into a little harbor. pl_downhill is the working title for now but I'm open to any suggestions for a better name. After finishing the basic layout for the last control point I'm going to do some of the displacements, add the game entities...and it should be ready for testing.

Some screenshots of what I have so far:
 
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Gadget

aa
Mar 10, 2008
531
527
* Update 09.10.2008

You can download the playable alpha 1 version of the map now pl_downhill_a1.zip (12 MB)

This release is for gameplay testing and optimization in the first place so
please ignore the under-construction-look all over the map and provide some
helpful feedback on the gameplay.

I especially would like to read your feedback about

* overall layout and possible changes
* ammo & healthkit locations
* gameplay balance
* is it fun to play?


Status (09.10.2008)
* Basic Layout: done
* Details: 0 %
* Displacements: ~1 %
* Game Entities: done
* Hints & Area Portals: 0 %
* Lights & Lightmaps: ~15 %
 

Master of Spes

L1: Registered
Aug 17, 2008
22
0
Hey, that looks good, i havent played it but it does look interesting. I'll reply with what i think of it later. Just play around with the lighting a bit as lighting really underestimated in maps. Don't like the name downhill. How bout some sort of environment matching names like redthorn for a desert theme or ironwood for a more industrial and mining building type. I cant really think of something matching downhill (*desert type name* decent, maybe).
 
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Cat™

L1: Registered
Oct 16, 2008
27
5
It was very easy to hold Blue back in their base on this map. We set up two crossfiring sentries and just hammered on blue for the entire round and they didn't get very far out of their spawn at all. The map seems too early in development to really criticize the build of it but it was a little confusing to get around at first and some almost unbalanced chokepoints. Still it looks like once it is a bit better balanced it will be a good, fun map.
 

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
aa
May 19, 2008
1,767
2,820
Map was dark and confusing. If Blu gets out of their spawn, they basically steamroll to the end. Red doesn't seem to have any good defense positions except at the very beginning, which is when Blu got trapped in their spawn.

There's a lot of signs but none seem to help, everyone was lost and confused.
 

Dox

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Oct 26, 2007
588
62
Other things we noticed were:

1. Railways in some places as much as a foot above the ground,
2. Severe lack of health kits (only about 3 or so small ones we could see),
3. The lack of signage wouldn't be so bad if there were 1 set of rails, but with so many rails you cant follow them to get where you need to be.
 

TheDarkerSideofYourShadow

L10: Glamorous Member
Apr 12, 2008
792
286
Overall, it seems interesting. Blu probably has an advantage throughout most of the map, though the completely lack it at the begining, which was the one place they were stopped. Some of the layout is a little confusing, particularly the 3rd point, where there are a bunch of different tracks. It also seems like its a little too easy to camp the red spawn, due to the high ledge across from it, when you're going to the final point. Here are some pictures of other things.


This was really annoying because the midpoint model had collision on it.
pl_downhill_a10000.jpg



Towards the final point.
pl_downhill_a10001.jpg


Inside the first blu spawn.
pl_downhill_a10002.jpg
 

tobiath

L1: Registered
Sep 26, 2008
3
1
There were quite a few textures overlapping (entire brushes within another brush), a few places (as mentioned above) where the track, ramps, or other world brushes were floating off the ground. I was generally confused about where to go.

also: in blue spawn, the window above the track is open during set up (can shoot and get shot through it), and the actual respawn room is not well defined - I attempted to switch classes near a resupply locker and just suicided instead.
 

Ida

deer
aa
Jan 6, 2008
2,289
1,372
I'm sure most of this has been mentioned, but here's what I noticed in Gameday:

1. The spawn room for BLU seems unnecessarily big. It's ok to have a resupply locker a bit farther ahead in the room, but there should also be one right where you start. If you're going to keep this huge spawn, that would make it easier to actally find a resupply locker, since most people will remember where they spawned.

2. Some sliding grate doors could be opened from both sides, assuming they're one-way doors. If they're supposed to be opened from both sides, you should just remove them. The ones I'm talking about are in the building after the first downhill stretch (for BLU).

3. Health packs needed! BTW, you should remove those in the spawn. It's just silly.

4. Those chicken wire fences are confusing. I don't really see the point, plus it's hard to see where they start and end. At the very least, some beams at he corners and ends would be good.

5. Balancing: Near the beginning, it's really hard for BLU to get anywhere, since RED has a height advantage. However, after that, BLU gains a huge height advantage, so for the rest of the map, RED is practically doomed.

Despite quite a few annoying things, I enjoyed this map a lot. It was a lot of fun to play (I played Spy, and I felt that the map did have a sufficent amount of lesser traveled routes for me, and places to approach the other team from the back), so as long as you can fix those really annoying things, this'll probably be a great map.
 

TheDarkerSideofYourShadow

L10: Glamorous Member
Apr 12, 2008
792
286
Is it a completely different layout than before? I'm just wondering since you said you're starting all over. Also, it looks much better with the daytime setting.
 

Ida

deer
aa
Jan 6, 2008
2,289
1,372
Now that's improvement, at least visually.
A few things I noticed with the screens:

- Why is the ramp in the second picture floating? If it's a way to block players from getting up, I think that's a bit too confusing and illogical.
- What's with the buried tracks? It's nice for a little visual effect here and there, but people like to rely on them to see where to go, so you should keep it to a minimum.

I'm really liking this on the whole, though.