Invasion - New Mombasa

Can't wait to play this. This is a perfect spot for invasion. But never use a grid!
It takes away a lot of coolness out of this map.

 

This just blew me away. I will download it as soon as i can get Anniversary.

 

Unfortunately, this is not blowing me away. I can see a lot of issues keeping this from playing competitively, especially the objectives that can only be reached from one direction in phase 1 and 2. In it's current state this should be in the casual forum, though I understand wanting to put it here as the casual maps forum tends to be underwritten as only bad maps.

Your video isn't very helpful either. You only follow one person the entire time (one person who spends half the video on one platform) you show little of the objectives (including no core footage) and you also do not complete the game. You need to show off the map in the video, not one player's experience.

Overall I feel like this is the result of the classic misconception that invasion works on every big team map. Invasion maps are painstakingly designed for that gametype first and foremost, and are some of the most difficult and time consuming maps to make (I see this was made only a few weeks after CEA was released.) Invasion doesn't fit into other maps, the map fits to it (I do not believe any of the matchmaking invasion maps were designed for another gametype first) and the same respect to detail and careful planning does not follow here.

This isn't to say gameplay wouldn't be fun to some. I'm sure most would enjoy a game here, but problems such as choke points and grenade spam areas would limit it. Competitive play would be nearly impossible, as strategies often used would not work, and much less enjoyable ones such as spamming and rushing would be the only viable options.

Sum up: Invasion takes planning, and on such a complex map with such little time and forge options will not play extremely well, competitively or otherwise.

 

The grid throws the entire thing off. Truthfully, in my opinion, it doesn't resemble a Covenant barrier, it just looks like a poorly forged attempt to stop people from moving throughout the map. If the objectives and spawn points are well forged enough, people won't go places where they shouldn't and you wouldn't need the grid. I'm making an Invasion map for Breakneck too, and I'd love to compare it with yours. Best of luck in the future with more mapmaking, and check out my Invasion: Ridgeline map.

 

First impressions...

1. The electronic barrier fails to look like anything but a grid. It does not have any cohesion with the rest of its surroundings.

2. Once the barrier was down, the elite centered in the video went straight for a spartan weapon. This breaks the cohesion of weapons per species. And there was another example of this soon after.

3. It is not clear at all where people are spawning or where battle lines exist. This is not necessarily bad, but looking at how an elite spawns right in front of a spartan within the back structure gives it the appearance that the back structure is a strategic line of defense for the Spartans to maintain. So why are elites spawning there?

4. Why are covenant vehicles spawning at the objective site? It seems that they would "come from outside" the battle zone firstly to the periphery (e.g., shore line) then driven into the battle zone.

UPDATE: It seemed to me at first that the covenant were invading, but looking again it is the spartans that are invading?

Looking at the objectives, I think the phase 2 objectives are too close. It is easy to defend both from the upper objective. A good rule is to not allow LOS from one objective to the other. You can violate that rule if you can compensate, which your map does not.

Way way too many vehicles on this map. The falcon is not a good choice for this canvas, as it cannot maneuver around the buildings or the cables hanging in the air. I know that 343i gave us a total of 6, but the falcon is just useless on this canvas.

Your map was the first to use FW blocks that actually appeared to work with this canvas - the 2x2 talls stacked are very well matched to the canvas aesthetics. The other blocks you use are not that good at all.

And most important, your map does not in any support the fundamental invasion concept of fire teams. All players spawn at the same places through out it seems. This makes the map just a BTB map and clearly not an invasion map.


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These are just some of the first impression inconsistencies that add to the feeling that the map was thrown together with little to no real thought.


@Shoe... I disagree. I think breakneck is an example of a map that a great invasion game can be made on, only if it is well thought out. I am working on one right now, and I have essentially threw out everything to start over, and will throw out 50% of the last work again. I think there are great opportunities on breakneck like few other maps have to offer. But don't expect it to show here at FH any time soon. I don't want to just throw something together and say, "here it is..." And if I start any parties to test my map out I will be sure to send you an invite...

 

@ Shoe,
Finally someone who gets it! Invasion maps and BTB maps don't mix, in either direction.

Personally, I feel that this map is far too small to set up for invasion. I welcome those who are willing to try, but i wouldn't expect much from it..

@ MrGreen:
Good luck with that timberlands INV! I remember AbleSir mentioning you were going to try that, If you need help testing or otherwise msg either of us! I don't think it will work though..

As for New Mombasa:
the same goes for testing, I'm willing to jump in any INV lobby, I do think that if you plan to make invasion maps, you should read the post "Invasion Conceptualization" It's somewhere on this site(It's not my post, but it is very helpful)..lol

I guess my biggest issue here is I dont really understand the flow of the map at all.. It just seems like a BTB map with Invasion markers placed..not an Invasion map.

 

Yet, all Bungie invasion maps are set within canvases also used for other game types, including BTB... I think you are confusing the capabilities of the canvas with the quality of the game type setup. Your statement may apply to about 25% of all canvases produced by Bungie/343i, but I don't see it supported by wide spread evidence across the board.

...but we digress, this thread is about his map, not any theory on invasion game type setup.

Exactly...



UPDATE: The canvas and DLC Required are incorrect.

UPDATE: I updated my post above... See further comments...

 

Well this certainly is an interesting attempt at making an Invasion game, on a map like Breakneck. Though I don't see how it would work well at the moment.

If you intended on making a competitive Invasion map, there are indeed some major flaws I can point out on this one.

One example is that there are vehicles available in the 1st phase, when in fact there shouldn't be any until 2nd phase starts (this is how I believe Invasion should work). I can also see that you've placed too many overpowered vehicles on it. I'd recommend removing the Revenant as you've already got a Banshee, and a Wraith on there for the Covvies.

However, I'm not saying I think Invasion won't work at all on this certain canvas. You just need to familiarize yourself with how invasion works, and how you need to make it play well.

You should take a look at this thread here. It will tell you basically everything you need to know about making a competitive style Invasion map. You should also have a look at some of the Invasion maps like Boneyard & Spire in Forge, and see how they've been set up for this particular gametype. Take note of where spawn points have been placed, as well as weapons, vehicles & objectives.

I hope all this helps improve your invasion map, and gives you a better understanding of it to make more in the future.


Pfeuff.

 

Hey wow didn't see this until now just posted an invasion map on breakneck and I've taken it in a really different direction. http://www.forgehub.com/forum/reach-competitive-maps/136088-preview-dust-district.html