Welcome to Tyrant, A big team battle map designed to support heavy vehicle combat. [bungievid]17594388[/bungievid] The initial intention was to create a map utilising banshes and scorpions without allowing them to dominate the game, spawn kill and so on. After a lot of playtesting and modifying, I believe I have struck a good balance between safe infantry areas, the speed and maneuverability of the hogs, the arial power of the banshee and the slow trundling might of the scorpion. The design is reasonably basic: I have split the canyon in half with a very large forerunner structure. There are five basic paths from one side to the other: Over the top (banshee only), main tunnel, laser tunnel (both of which can easily accommodate scorpions), orange keyhole and green keyhole (infantry only similar to the keyhole on avalanche). Green keyhole, main tunnel and organge keyhole are interconnected. laser tunnel is a stand alone passage which provides safer (but slower) vehicle transition from one side to the other. Without further ado, here are some pics: Overview red side. Overview blue side The main tunnel is the quickest route base to base, but is vulnerable to attacks from orange keyhole and green keyhole. The high value spartan laser can give one side a strong advantage. Ignore it at your peril. Green keyhole houses the shotgun. Controling both keyholes can give you a strong advantage in slayer games. Orange keyhole is home to the grenade launcher. The banshee has a high ceiling of operation and can fly right over the main structures, but beware of trick spamming as this usually results in crashing into the structures for an embarrasing suicide. There are spawn areas spanning the entire width of the canyon, making spawns less predictable and making spawn trapping very difficult. Weapons and vehicles on map: Symmetrical vehicle and weapon spawns: Scorpion x2 (150s) banshee x2 (150s) Warthog x2 (60s) Ghost x2 (60s) mongoose x4 (30s) Sniper rifle x2 (120s/2 clips) Rocket launcher x2 (120s/1 clip) DMR x6 (30/2 clips) AR x4 (30/2 clips) Mounted machine gun x2 (120s) Needle Rifle x4 (30s/2 clips) Needler x2 (60s/2 clips) plasma pistol x2 (60s) plasma greande x4 (15s) Frag greande x4 (15s) Neutral Weapons and vehicles: 1 x rocket hog (90s) 1 x grenade launcher (120s, 5 clips) 1 x shotgun (90s, 2 clips) 1 x spartan laser (180s) 1 x spiker (30s, 2 clips) 1 x plasma rifle (30s)
wow, this looks like an awessome map... i haven't seen this done before either. its original, its great forging, its really cool, and it looks really balanced. 9.5/10. i only dont give it a tenbecause the bases look a bit open. i know its supposed to help the vehicles, but i think it helps them a bit too much. if you can, put a little bit more cover there. =)
I remember playing on this. The map is actually really balanced, which is remarkable given that there's an abundance of vehicles on the map, including the Scorpion and Banshee. There's a great balance of both infantry and vehicle combat, which not many maps can achieve very well. I had no idea that you could fly the Banshee over the center wall. Why did I fly through the tunnels? Great map, with wonderful aesthetics. Definitely one of the better BTB maps that I've played. You got a download from me.
I have to agree with others that the map was surprisingly-balanced despite the amount of vehicles on it. It's weird that there's a map with banshees and scorpions that actually works. It's definitely one of the good BTB maps out there.
YES! I'm so glad to see you post this here. I didn't get to play on it, but I did have the opportunity of flying through it in Forge with you and the others. The design is great and I hope to play on it someday. Hope you fixed your framerate issues.
Yes. The current version has used about £1200 less budget than the first. I've had to lose some asthetics though. There are definitely no frame rate issues in single screen, however I have not played split screen in a full 8v8 yet so I'll have to wait and see for split screen.
Based on my own experience of playtesting, I can say with certainty that this is a truly excellent map. In terms of vehicles and infantry it is by far the most balanced BTB map I've ever played on. The variety of terrain provides a varied spectrum of short to long range sight lines, evenly rewarding everything from CQC detachments through Sniper/DMR teams to Heavy weapon/vehicle units. The Banshees, though a powerful asset to each team, are not invincible and invariably meet their demise after only a handful of kills, whilst the enclosed tunnels ensure that the Scorpions do not have free reign over infantry units and often meet their fiery death after only a small spree. The neutral Rocket Hog is a bonus to whichever team wins it but again is easily countered by coordinated teamwork and/or clever use of the neutral Spartan Laser or Grenade Launcher. Objective game types (Assault and CTF especially) are amazing fun on this map. Scoring flags and detonating bombs is no easy task and requires good use of teamwork, making these gametypes particularly balanced and exhilarating. I'm trying very hard to come up with something to criticise, but I'm finding it very difficult. I think perhaps the only thing that could be worth looking at is the Tower, Large on each side of each base. I actually think they're perfect for access purposes, but they could be replaced with a custom-built structure that is slightly more aesthetically pleasing. Having said that, I realize you've decluttered the map to address frame rate concerns and that custom-built structures may well cause problems in this regard. To sum up though, I think it will be hard to find a more well-balanced map in terms of vehicular-infantry combat. This certainly raises the bar and puts a few of the maps which find themselves in Matchmaking to shame. I raise my glass to honor a truly superb BTB offering from this master of cartography. Well done, good sir! Well done!
I was a big fan of Hog's Den, and this looks like a great sequel! Hopefully you won't have any problems with split screen performance, but with banshee bombs, tanks and items everywhere... it leaves me concerned. Consider it downloaded and I'll see what I can do to stress the system and see how your map reacts.
Nice a map with heavy weapons and heavy vehicles that actually looks nice. I assure you there are a lot of people I know who will love this map.
Well, that's yet another BTB masterpiece. It sucks that you're the only one who can make original BTB maps nowadays. I'm definitely going to give it a download. There's just no way I could pass this map up. Also, you and I had a forge project in the exact same area with very similar looks. (Beach side of the canyon, but since mine was nothing more than a project, I deleted it to go start yet another project)
Saddoooooooooo!!! I've tested this map with you several times and NEVER has the Scorpion or Banshee ever dominated the map. Great forging, great aesthetics and great gameplay.
After playing this again tonight, I almost feel like the vehicles on the map were under-powered.... I know that sounds stupid, because they're not really, but there's so many ways to kill every vehicle. I spent most the game running around, and I never once felt threatened by the vehicles. The mid part is a great place to camp, and destroy everything that comes through the centre path. I'm still not 100% happy with the actual bases though. Its nice not to get constantly sniped from the oppossing base, so good work fixing that. I think the bases are functional, but I guess I just don't like the look of the towers at each side of the fronts. lol.. I'm too picky! Just that everything on the map looks great, then there's these two pre-fabricated pieces at the front, that look outta place to me. That's the only complaint I got on this map, and it's pretty lame, so you know I love the map! I also still really want to play a different gametype other than slayer on it one day too!!
I like how the map looks, but I worry about two things: 1.) Will it be frustrating having to take the banshees through two very low areas on the map? Maybe you should have a small tunnel up top, not the whole area but a small overhead space that would still be vulnerable to fire from almost anywhere on the map. 2.) Taking the flag requires you to run through a decent sized no-mans-land and up a campable pre-fab building, or to drive up the back area and stop while your team mate goes for the flag... and you get taken out by the tank or banshee. Maybe a man cannon to the top could help this if it turns out to be a problem. Otherwise this map looked pretty cool, maybe a few less areas for infantry than I like, but all maps are different. Keep it up, hopefully I can get a game on it at some point. I am trying to learn all I can about BTB maps to make my own designs better.
Currently the banshee can fly straight over the top, eating about 4 seconds of soft-kill time. The idea of a tunnel through the higher level is actually quite nice though. However I'm not going to make any changes for a few weeks. Game types played so far and my honest opinion of them: - Slayer, CTF and assault all played fine. - played one-sided territories which was intense and fun. Not tried land grab or three plots. -Bro slayer sucked balls. This was mainly due to the ability to constantly respawn on the scorpion and protect it from being jacked. Not a lot I can do about this, so I would avoid bro slayer on this map. -Stockpile worked fine but like almost all BTB stockpile games was slow and boring. KOTH still untested. Probably won't play headhunter on it since headhunter lacks vehicles.
This is an outstanding map for BTB play! It supports the large amount of vehicles well for it's small size. Playing on this map gives me a great sense of optional opportunity. I can get in the banshee, get the laser, take the tank, get a warthog, grab the rockets, snipe, get the shotgun and go inside the center, or flank on the enemy's end. This is what I enjoy! Unlike hemorrhage where you can snipe, get in a vehicle, or dash into the open and die. The gameplay can be hectic, but it's controlled too by the condensed structures coupled with the specific sightlines. All you have to do is find a niche and use it to your advantage. You really can't go wrong. The center structure is also an aesthetic I can enjoy. It's HUGE, and makes the map feel like its own. Well done with this MrSaddo, I love playtesting it and I hope to see it in matchmaking someday.
Tyrant Tyrant is a symmetrical Big Team Battle map built in the hemorrhage valley. The shape of it strongly resembles the invasion map Boneyard, minus the buildings where the core is held. Each team starts off a fair distance away from a grand, central building. This building stretches across the entire width of the valley, meaning that the only way to the other side is by going through it or over it with a banshee. This dividing structure is both impressive and awe-inspiring due to its sheer size. With such a magnificent centerpiece, players can easily and quickly orient themselves on the battlefield. Control over the center building is vital for a team to maintain infantry dominance as it provides a view over an entire half of the map. Not only this, but it is the gateway between each team’s territories. If the team plays their cards right they will be able to halt the flow of enemy vehicles into their territory. This is especially useful in objective games like Capture the Flag or Assault. With such a high value area, the map establishes a constant power struggle within a certain area of the map, instead of players running around the map randomly in search for an enemy. But when players aren’t in the structure, they are manning the different vehicles provided on each side of the structure. A lot of the time, the vehicles are able to pass through or assault the center and can easily navigate through the map. Players may feel a sense of disappointment at the content of the map. All that the map consists of is the central structure, and two expanses with little cover on offer. Of course there are simple structures and walkways but they do little to divide up the playing area. At times gameplay dissolves into an annoying puzzle where you try and figure out where all the bullets are coming from. With the outside areas being the main place for players to respawn, there is surprisingly little cover from above. This problem is highlighted whenever a banshee decides to show its face. As a result, players are often spawn-killed without any chance of retaliation and it takes a long time to regain balance in the game. Tyrant’s creator has clearly attempted to bridge the gap in power between the central structure and the valleys on either side. The main evidence of this is the two towers opposite the structure’s main walkway. They offer a protected lookout over a large part of the structure’s playing area, as well as the main gate through which vehicles and players go through. This allows the establishment of a firefight between both vantage points, instead of one place over powering the rest. All vehicles and weapons are placed fairly across both sides of the suitably symmetrical map. This ensures that no team has even the slightest advantage over the other. The main instance of spawn-killing is when an enemy banshee makes its way into the battlefield. Most of the time, since one team will have control of one side, the opposite valley obviously belongs to the other. When that valley is assaulted from above there is nothing players can do. The map consists of four main areas. There are two expanses on either side of the main structure, and there are two tunnels within the structure itself. These are really the only places in which players may spawn. Therefore it is not so much a problem in the available spawning system, but more so an issue with the lack of alternative areas. Simply put, the map is not complex enough for correct spawning to take place. Of course objective gametypes work fine and the playing area is inescapable. Soft kill barriers have been sufficiently placed to make the boundary of where and where not to be perfectly clear. Written by Oli The G Tyrant tries to reinvent the aesthetic wheel, but ends up falling back on antiquated techniques. Along with other randomly used pieces, the coliseum windows are by far the most disappointing. Although the area is possible to traverse, the dividers certainly make it trickier to do so. Another oddly used piece is the grid on one side of the central structure. It is used as a cover to stop players from entering a rarely seen gap in the wall. However, the grid itself can be seen from the spawn of the red team and looks tacky and out of place. Despite the occasional uninteresting or unattractive forge piece, Tyrant manages to maintain a lag free environment with a good amount of attention to detail. Players will enjoy the high pillars that bring the map together and interlock seamlessly into each other with no issues. Also, the use of colour coded pieces brings a welcome change to the grass and metal scheme, without being unsightly or underdeveloped. Despite the disappointing structures on offer, Tyrant excels with its attention to detail in numerous areas of the map. Although some of them may be difficult to spotFor example, there is a pillar lovingly merged into a plasma battery. This allows the bottom of the explosive barrel to be visible in a transparent part of the pillar. These small but significant touches help to build up an industrialised atmosphere The main central area is bulky and is covered with pre-made structures and coliseum floors used as ceilings. This internal area is long, and provides only a divider between both sides of the map. Although it is understandable that the creator of Tyrant wanted to distort lines of sight to encourage less camping, the sheer size and bulkiness of this main structure is just too excessive. Although it appears to copy the design from a section of Boneyard, not many maps have created such a visually overpowering structure in which players may also do battle. Some aesthetic designs really show off the creator’s unique creativity. As with most maps, it comes down to the indescribable placement of pieces which creates a unique atmosphere that just feels right. Besides the large structure, Tyrant is just another run of the mill map. It is not completely bland and it does the job of a BTB map well, but there is little beyond personal opinion to keep players coming back to it. Rating Multipliers [floatleft]Enjoyment: Balance: Durability: Aesthetic : Originality:[/floatleft]5 x 3.0 = 15 out of 30 10 x 3.0 = 30 out of 30 6 x 1.5 = 9 out of 15 7 x 1.5 = 10.5 out of 15 5 x 1.0 = 5 out of 10 Final Score Understanding the Review Hub's Ratings Have a question about your review? Review Hub Community Feedback
I love those doors, the large walkways, and the Coliseum Window. Everything is just put together perfectly. This really is a masterpiece for a BTB map. The only problem is that it is a BTB map so I'll only play it when I have a large party. Nice work and keep up the forging.
I requested this map to be played in TGIF 13. It wasn't as good as your other maps, but it was still good. I'm not going to say much, but read Tedium's review. It pretty much describes everything I experienced. From my experience though, it wasn't as balanced as Tedium claims.