[WIP] pl_haywood

[Laz]

looks like I finally nailed the balance with this version:

http://psychostats.canardplus.com/map.php?id=14
58 blu wins, 60 red wins.

rc1 almost ready

 

[Username]

I digress. One important thing I'm not sure you've looked at is the individual round wins. Yes, red defends half the time, but I believe half of the time, red should be pushed back to the final round before pulling off a victory. Think about Dustbowl and Goldrush. The one problem I have with Goldrush is that the first round is way too easy for the defenders. It's boring to play the first round over and over again. Other than that, bravo, I'm looking forward to seeing the completed map.

 

[MangyCarface]

Congrats on the balancing! Certainly beat goldrush in that regard

 

[Laz]

I digress. One important thing I'm not sure you've looked at is the individual round wins. Yes, red defends half the time, but I believe half of the time, red should be pushed back to the final round before pulling off a victory. Think about Dustbowl and Goldrush. The one problem I have with Goldrush is that the first round is way too easy for the defenders. It's boring to play the first round over and over again. Other than that, bravo, I'm looking forward to seeing the completed map.

well the timer on the first round gets a bit big... someone already suggested that I should shorten that, to give defenders more of a chance to defend. But If I shorten that, red will win the first round more often. unbalancing even further.
I could shorten the timer there, but make the red respawn time longer. but that one is already pretty long. I believe 20 seconds would be a bit over the top. blu already gets close to instaspawn when they are at the second part.

I do have a feeling that last part, right outside the red's spawn in stage1, all the action is to closely packed. step outside the spawn and you're right in the action. Perhaps I could adjust the red spawn there to have a different exit, or something. Changing the balance structurely there... or I could remove or make the healthpacks smaller that are in the back. No ammo refill stuff etc, give engineers a harder time building there stuff up...

 

[flubber]

For me the biggest issue on part 1 is the opened windows, in blue spawn, it's impossible to prepare a proper defense when a sniper can shoot you.

 

[Uriak]

I just hate the opening of the map. Or should I say the sniperfest I was taken into. The rest is quite good in my opinion, but I've played it less often than Flubber

 

[Laz]

the windows at setup were an experiment, and will most likely be taken out.
There is a way around on the left if you want to avoid snipers. But perhaps more cover would not be such a bad idea.

 

[Uriak]

The problem was the following. Main exit is sniper prone. Then you may ingage in left passage, but, there a couple demoman and an engie can help settle things. Medics have an horrible time trying to get to the sniper/sentries position alive. But once this first zone is cleared, the game flow returns to something much much more enjoyable.

 

[Laz]

I also got comments on tf2 banana that people are getting stuck in my gates? when 2 people run through at once, the 2nd one can get stuck. I haven't been able to reproduce this, and this is the first time I hear this complaint. Anyone else noticed? could it be serverlag related? would I need to enlarge my triggers?

 

[flubber]

Please, please please, chonge the spawn direction for defensers or close the shortcut to first part once it's closed, i just can't take it any more.

 

[Laz]

Please, please please, chonge the spawn direction for defensers or close the shortcut to first part once it's closed, i just can't take it any more.

that is already done in my next version no worries. Expect a release soon, when I fiogure out what the problem is with my gates. if it even is a problem and just not some guy's crappy server

 

[Laz]

Been reworking alot of things,
mainly the red spawn area for stage 1. as it was to heavily favoring defense.
I removed all healthpacks and ammopacks from the back there, and switched up the spawngate so it takes a few seconds more for red to reach the track instead of practicly spawning on it. This offered a great alternative to making the respawn time longer.
Just some WIP hammer shots as of now,
remember you can keep track of all the bugs that have been fixed right here:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pRSZbqToAZFdJxZjX7KyaeA

ok here are the screenies:

 

[Uriak]

Didn't read enough the topic, but did you remove the issue with many gates staying open when several players tryed to pass, or sometimes stucking players ? Something I believe been related to the On Touch opens flag.

 

[Laz]

yeah I figured it out I had a small delay on the trigger to allow players to get fully through before the gate closes on their head. that caused conflicting issues when someone enters the trigger while another has just left, but his output hasnt been sent to the door yet.

 

[Uriak]

Great. Hope this new edition will change my opinion on the map

 

[Laz]

hope so to
I will make a compile tonight, but expected a few more days of recompiling/iron out minor bugs before I release my beta5.

 

[Laz]

beta 5

 

[Uriak]

We tested it but only one round, yesterday. I've missed a bit the new elements, but other players noticed them ^^

Can't say much because the BLU team couldn't get the first cap point at all... The first zone is ok, even if still sniper prone (but players keeps forgetting about the side passage, blame them). The issue was after the first turn, where all attackers where wharmly welcomed with heavy machinegun, scoped fired, rockets and stikies. They did ask for some side passage as well. Of course there is the upper way and the lower one, but they felt lacking cover. As a defenders, I stayed in this zone, often rocket jumping in the upper passageway to kill incoming BLU.

Of course this was only a one round trial, so it's too early to draw conclusions.

 

[Laz]

its mainly due to people not knowing there is a completely covered side passage as well in the second part. you can go the lower way, through the water, or through the hallways popping up under their spawnroom. you can also take the backway and come out on the bottom or the top.
there are 6 ways you can take to enter that area. give them a few rounds to figure the map out. I especialyl tried to make the spy a more viable class. Providing routes around that are less prone to heavy traffic.
Now with the extra house on red spawn at the end of stage 1, spies should have even more cover to disguise/uncloak.
Snipers will now have to do without the little medpacks and ammopacks beside their feet, so pyros can flaregun-annoy them much more effectivly. The trip back to the spawnroom is also a bit longer so engineers will have a harder time setting up sentries.

I have yet to test these things on a crowded server myself, over many games

 

[Uriak]

It was not in the second part, but after the first curves, in the line that lead to the first CP. This straight passage was impossible to break, in that game.