Map Testing/Suggestions

[iller]

[CrashFu]

[iller]

LoL, I wouldn't call it a treasure trove since I'm the only one here who seems to care about optimization.
But to really go into details I'd need to decomp your map and have a look in Hammer ... and due to etiquette,
That's really your call to make, not mine. As for metal placement, Frau would probably be a better judge on that than me.

PS: Nope, ...tho I have technically known Duo since before he was "Duo" and I don't think his wrist could handle this game. But you can click my profile if you have a FA account, and get the full story on that pic there. Try not to be too confused about his "quitting" either, I figure hitting the reset button comes naturally for him ever so often.

[Ayeaka]

I can run around a bit with it to give opinions on metal placement I guess o_o (I'm a metal consultant now? xD )

Ideally you want enough to build for engies, but not so much that there's no need for dispensers.

You want to place your largest metal spawns where there's a need for heavy defense at either side.

Another approach; run through as a spy with the normal watch. If you can run all the way from one side of the map to the other without losing cloak once, there's too much metal. (Which some Valve maps even have a problem with. xD )

CTF maps notably have less metal than capture points or cart push maps, additionally, where additional defense is required, as in CTF you're expected to be able to run back for spawn and grab metal.


Take a look at where teams will likely defend. Where are defensive locations going to be? Where is the team defending going to be able to hold off offensive attacks?
Where is the team attacking going to be trying to construct forward bases? This is where you'll want your metal to be placed. Make sure the defending team is given the most metal, naturally. This is one of the few ways Valve gives 'convenience' to the 'losing' team; Badwater is a good example here.
At the final point there are two full metal spawns in the pit, making it easy for Engineers to quickly build up. A short ways out, just up the ramp, there's another full metal, and there is a mid-sized metal box in the balcony overhang.
While badwater has a lot of metal all throughout, the heaviest concentration is at the very last point for capture, giving RED a chance to build up a defense without being slaughtered once the cart gets to that point.

This is a problem with a lot of player-made maps. Once one team gets going, they literally steamroll through. Steel still seems to retain this problem, although it's greatly alleviated by metal around areas engineers are likely to be defending E, and by small metal spawns at D.

[Stormcaller3801]

Hoodoo's a pain in the ass about metal as well, specifically the second stage. It seems like I'm never able to find anything except the smallest ammo boxes on defense, while all the best places to defend are either too far or too isolated to run back to the spawn room to get more metal.

[Ayeaka]

[CrashFu]

Hmm. By design I have the actual capture area (The 'Zig') containing few resources, both to encourage the participation of medics and engineers (though maybe less so on the engineers. I think that's something I need to work on) and to make it much harder to defend. That's one of the key differences between CP and KotH; in CP if the map is hard to defend, then the attackers can just steamroll their way right through and the match ends too quickly, but in KotH if the map is hard to defend then you simply get a lot of changover in ownership of the point, which leads to a more exciting, prolonged match (though never more than 10 minutes, since it takes 5 minutes for one team to win in mine)

I had assumed that the frantic battling, and thusly lots of dropped weapons, would make up for the paltry amount of ammo boxes actually contained in the 'Zig'. It's fun to encourage the engineers and heavies to go scavenge after a fight. But if you really think I should, then I might upgrade those ammo boxes to a larger size and make them more convenient to access.

And Iller, if you would like to help me more with the optimization then I give you permission to open it up and look around. I'm not terribly secretive about any of the designed-from-scratch goodies I put in my map. Heck, if someone wanted I'd probably let them copy or reconstruct parts of it, s'long as they asked me first and gave credit in their map.

[Andrew]

http://andrew.geraldperhaps.com/files/reactorcomplex_b4.zip

New version

[Stormcaller3801]

With regards to the Ziggurat, I thought it would be worth noting that the map seems to shift back and forth between two styles of gameplay. The first is when the CP is inside the zig- this heavily favors short-range assault types and Engineers, the latter particularly because of Sentry Guns. The small area and darkness means that anything that explodes, burns, or doesn't rely on light to see is going to be at a significant advantage. The second is when the CP is on top of the zig. At this point the game favors Snipers heavily. While you can't see (clearly) terribly far, you can see far enough to hang out near the rim and snipe anyone on the point, or hunt other Snipers doing the same. The very long, clear passages make it difficult to avoid being shot, and the widely spaced health and ammo packs means you have to hope there's no Sniper looking at you while you cross the area.

[Sekh765]

Suggestions for the Reactor Room map

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I like the map, but the points are FAR to easy to defend right now. One reason is because there is a med health/ammo right ontop of the point. Myself as a medic, one heavy and one sniper defended the point against multiple rushes and a few ubers by counter ubering and using the health packs. If they were moved out of the room into a side room or hallway so you had to leave to get them, that would help greatly.

You also might want some sort of sign or something in the spawns so people know whats up.

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Suggestions for Ziggurat map.

No one can see what is going on in the point. I'm sure it was said earlier, but not being able to see what your fighting is really really irritating. Most fights just devolved into pyros flame spamming everywhere.

The sniper thing is a problem to..there's really nowhere to hide until you get into the middle, so maybe some cover/covering the conveyor belts would help alleviate getting picked off constantly by snipers.