Under construction since the release of Halo: Reach, and fresh out of testing by the ForgeHub Testers Guild (thanks again, guys), Fixation is a small, asymmetrical map intended for fast-paced action with 2-6 players (4v4 is possible) in a variety of free-for-all and team gametypes. I built this map over the course of a few weeks, first sketching out potential layouts on notepads at work, then moving into SketchUp, and building and tweaking each night at home. The layout has evolved quite a bit over the course of construction, but my primary concern was always gameplay, and I like to think it shows. The flow of the map could be described as a hybrid of Guardian (circular map flow) and The Pit (height differences, alternative movement options), two of my favorite Halo maps. There are (to my knowledge) no areas with Z-fighting, and no bumps in the floor. Changes Since Testing (on v0.7): -Next Gen/Juicy Special FX orbs removed to improve visibility during gameplay. -Corrected a problem that would sometimes cause a player to spawn immediately behind another player in crowded games. Weapon List: DMR x 2 Needle Rifle x 2 Plasma Repeater x 2 Magnum x 2 Plasma Pistol x 1 (120 second respawn) Needler x 1 (120 second respawn) Focus Rifle x 1 (180 second respawn) Rocket Launcher x 1 (150 second respawn) Shotgun x 1 (150 second respawn) Plasma Grenade x 4 Frag Grenade x 1 Health Pack x 3 Camping Stool x 2 And now, Pictures! (click to big-ify): DOWNLOAD FIXATION
This looks like a great FFA or 4 vs. 4 slayer map, and I love the aesthetics! The hole surrounded by sandbags is very interesting, I should do that so my friends stop falling off map all the time. Only one thing; I think a ramp around the rocket spawn would be better, just from my experience on other maps. Sorry I can't DL this right now, internet is not working with my xbox for some reason... but hopefully someday! Great job!
looks great. the map is nicely forged and well designed. I would recommend a little more space for action but thats just what I like. Ill DL and get back to you on the gameplay and map itself. Nice job!
Thanks. Spawns are set up for up to 4v4 Team Slayer (Red vs Blue) if you choose to play it, it just gets a lot more chaotic once you've got more than six people on the map, which is why I recommend 2-6 players. And although I can see where you're coming from with the ramp around rockets, in gameplay the circular structure serves exactly the purpose I intended it to. It makes the rockets stand out a bit more, but also requires you to pay a little bit more attention in order to get the rockets, which can be dangerous in the middle of the map. Risk vs reward. I should also note that all of the power weapons on this map are on longer respawn timers (from 120 to 180 seconds, depending on the weapon) and have reduced ammunition.
The map looks really fun to play on, i'm assuming those orange bars down the walls on a couple of pictures are shield door ladders? If so then all i can do is respect you for using intuitive designs in making your map. The effects definitely add a backdrop to the carnage as opposed to a lot of maps where they detract from the map and make it confused. +ratings to making a good map.
I really like what you've done with the rockets, I might have to borrow that idea and run with it. (with permission of course) I like that floaty structure over the middle too. If you've got the budget I think it would improve your aesthetics to build up to the ceiling somehow, instead of just having it floating there. All in all it looks like a great map.
Thanks for the feedback, guys! Glad to hear that people like the map. You are correct, sir! That is indeed a ladder. And thank you, I tried to make it as intuitive as possible without just building something that said "HAY GUIZ IMA LADDER!" That's why I used the ramp, left the shield doors sticking out a little more so they'd be more visible, and merged a couple of lifts into the ramp "ladder" to give it that familiar purple "this thing takes you up here" glow at the bottom. That's not really how I built it at first, though; grav lifts and mancannons are touchy and hard to get to land you in a specific spot sometimes, they kept launching me over that doorway instead of through it, so I decided to go with the shield door ladders instead. Thanks! Feel free to copy my little rocket podium thing, it's just a couple of circular ramps merged into the floor so that the ramp parts don't show. Didn't think it was anything special, just the easiest way I could figure out to get what I was looking for. There's also a white light hidden in the podium to illuminate it a little better without just having a big white ball of light floating in the map. I thought about building higher up at first, but any additional structures would disrupt the flow of the map, I think. And the top of that floating central structure is a fairly important area (in my opinion). It's where the oddball spawns! And adding any more cover to that area seems like it would make it too powerful, it's already got a decent height advantage.
I do like the shield door ladder idea, I actually helped my friend with his map by using one-way shields instead of grav lifts. The good thing about shield doors is that they don't make noise when you enter them which climbing a ladder would not make noise so kudos to you for using this idea. Plus, you can opt out of going up the ladder by moving away from the wall, once you enter a grav lift of mancannon, you are obligated to complete your journey to wherever it takes you.
This is a very nice map worth downloading. Aesthetically, it's great, but gameplay is what really makes it worthwhile. It reminds me of Chill Out / Cold Storage more than Guardian or the Pit, but I think it plays better. I would like to see some longer lines of site for DMR use, but that's more of a matter of personal preference than anything. Good work!
Thanks! I agree, I think the ladder allows for much more interesting gameplay than a grav lift would, and it keeps things moving at a quicker pace. Thanks for the compliments, it's always nice to get feedback from people whose maps I've enjoyed. And I've always really liked Chill Out/Cold Storage, too, so I'm not going to argue with the comparison. I can see where you're coming from; my map is a little less segmented than Cold Storage, but it does play similarly. I've tried to make sure that there are a few decent longer sight lines for DMR battles, but I also wanted to encourage variety and adaptability in playstyles and keep the action moving, so I had to limit that a little bit. I hope I managed to strike a nice balance between the two.