Archive of Test Night Recaps

You got it sweet cheeks. I just uploaded the updated version of Threshing floor to my FS if you care to take a look around.

 

^Awesome to see those all done, Nutty. I'm amazed honestly at the sheer content you have.

Also, if you all havent noticed, my maps Jade and Opal are in FHF voting currently. You should go and vote for someone. Not because I want more votes, I just wish more actually participated in the FHF voting. We have a community of at least 100 active (or semi active) members I think, and only about a third as of now have voted.

You can all look to testing some new maps of mine. I've got a 2v2 nearly done and a 4v4 just waiting for me to deal with zones and spawns. If anyone feels like helping with those, feel free to join me in forge.

 

i did place the sniper towers very intentionally.

i dont think they are too powerful a position, they give a decent but not all conquering view yet they dont merge with the ceiling too great.

as you know, i have only used about 6000 of the budget so am free to make changes.

i'll go back and see what else i can do with that area.

i think that piece 4 way looks good, but i can delete it and replace it if it would improve gameplay.

after being told i was too complex, i really tried to keep it simple

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it is a bastard of Vacant!

more points noted and on my list.

i can look at the flag zone. and see what i can do.

off the top of my head i dont know what though!

if you have suggestions i'd appreciate them.

the back hallway is my 'third' route. i like to offer my inner flanker, thats flanker.... another option. but i felt anything too big would spread the gameplay too much.

it is intended as a direct route, that offers a safer way of going (being less populated), but being narrow offers little to no protection.

i can try to open that up if you think it would help

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i hope you are referring to the top middle that juanez already pointed out my upside down 4 way needing to go.

if not, can you be more specific as i felt there was ample head room (but i am not a jet packer so might not be thinking the same way as nutduster)

the vehicles i didnt want overpowered.

would widening the playing area make it too big?

i'm happy to attempt to do more with the narrow section




much to think about, thanks.

i will probably be maxing out my budget soon.

and i apologise for whoring the thread, but not many people are forthcoming this week.

 

That sniper tower is one area, but there was also one more. I'm not sure where off the top of my head. Invite me to a game and I'll show you.

The vehicles were not overpowered at all, and its good that you took measures against that, but they were driving (especially on the bridge) in such narrow paths that i just didnt want to use them. Widening it isn't necessary if you don't want to, try just removing some things that they can run in to first.

 

The suspense...

 

Thankyou 343 for FINALLY getting your **** together.

 

I am debating on whether to make another competitive 4v4 map simliar to the pit or a map that changes shape every three minutes. It's a difficult choice because each will require a lot of time.

Then again conventional maps bore me so ummm.

 

No feedback, Nutty?

 

Windfall - Some of the corridors were too tight and campy but some other areas were a little too open. The rocket was in a good risky spot. That one hallway was really overtravelled where the sniper was, possibly because we kept spawning near there. Plus that will keep happening whenver you have well covered spot in contrast with a largely open other side of the map.

Purlieu - This had a nice layout and aesthetics, especially for erosion. Some spawns were a little iffy, are there a lot of spawning options for CTF? The frame rate had some minor hiccups when looking across the middle from certain views, and even in a back alley where I wouldn't expect it to. There some crazy long LOSes, which were usually fine but sometimes a little too long. I could be wrong but the rocket launcher seemed a little closer to one team/base than the other.

Clash of the Titans - This new version was fun and it was nice to have something to do after your first death, even if your second life was brief (Maybe you could complicate and expand that second life area to make it more interesting rather than the death trap it currently is. Finally, I wish the teleportation to the next arena was a little more intuitive. It would often happen in the middle of a fight for no reason. SHouldnt it wait until each skirmish is over or does it have a fixed time? This is a really fun idea so I hope you can perfect the settings. Just keep tinkering.

Libertad - There was somewhat cramped movement in some areas, such as the long side corridors with few ways out. Some pieces would kind of pin you in and thus inhibited movement, it might help if you raised the roof in some areas such as the sniper nests and the curvy bay window pieces at the back of each base. This was an interesting elongated layout and kind of similar to something I made recently, but luckily they are different enough that it doesn't matter.

Vandelay - The ramp alteration on each side really helped since it forced people into the underside of the map. Really the only structural thing I would look into changing is the triangular/ sharp-cornered walls in the bases. If that doesn't make sense, they are like 90 degree corners that dent into the middle structure of the map. They might be one of your safe spawning areas but I think they could be smoothed out to be less of 90 degree crevice, as they may promote camping there. Overall this is a splendid layout although for some reason it doesn't suit my play style. I always seem to play especially badly on it!

Salvage - The rocket launcher seemed to help the bottom see more travel even when the hills weren't active down there. I think one of the hill locations at the bottom was a little weird for some reason because of the natural geometry down there. It seemed like there was only easy access from one team's side of the map and the other side had to jump up some rocks which were kind of hard (at least while I was getting shot at). The symmetry doesn't really matter with dynamic spawning on KOTH but I still felt like that hill location was a little campy or hard to get to for some reason. Other than that I have nothing new to report.

ONi Station: Headlong V2.1 CTF - I also saw some definite frame rate lag this time and not just network lag. Don't feel bad though, because any shred of accuracy in a remake this large and complex would inevitably have some lag. I can't remember the scaling of headlong all that well but I feel like the cover, layout and spacing of the buildings gives one team/base an advantage over the other. I think it would be better if you set it up for and recommended one-flag over two. The really large bottom area seems to be even more open than I remember and it is really a death trap. I would consider adding one substantial piece of cover down there or closing that gap a bit. Overall this was a fun remake.

Waterfront - This looked like a real location and the layout was solid as well. I agree that that one area with the crates did look like a part of the map. Maybe you could lower or distance it in some way so that people don't get confused? I'd lose the lights since they do challenge the framerate a tad; I think you need to be every so slightly more conservative in piece use if you want to have ideal performance if you are trying to get this into MM.

Interchange - The rocket hogs were fun. I have no real complaints about the map. I plays well for the several game types I've tested and it seems like it is basically ready for release. Actually, my one complaint from before still stands: I think those room triples on the sides are too campy and claustrophobic, and were my least favorite hill location as well. Of course if you like that part of the map, do what you feel is right.

Radiant - This played well but I don't think these weapons are what the dust up is asking for. Maybe I am in denial about lights working in halo 4 but I would consider ditching them to improve performance. They harm the FR more than they help the map look good imo. Or maybe I still have the Reach frame rate stick up my ass. This played well and I don't have much new to say about this one otherwise. Nice map, sir.

Threshing FLoor (Gorilla) - This had a straightforward and enjoyable layout. It reminded me a little of turbine in the outer walkways (was this on purpose?). I am not a huge fan of the dust up settings and I think the map could be zazzed up with some other ordinance, etc. but I understand that's not the point of the version we played.

The Gem (and I) - I enjoyed the new look, even those hallways underneath the middle. This played really fast for oddball but it was quite fun. For some reason I felt like I didn't see much of the map due to being obsessed with balls. Were the teleporters to the upper level perch things still there? I'm not sure how wedded you are to this being like gemini, but have you considered adding a level or new route somewhere to expand the map and make it play out a little slower?

Windswept ctf - close game. ctf seemed improved by my minor tweaks. ?

Wetwork oddball - Sorry, other team, I wish I had just ended this game. What a waste of a slot, lol. Any comments about what you could glean from that test would still be appreciated.

Broadsword FFA - any other thoughts on this sword base-ish map for the tons of people who played it?

 

Thanks, sir Borg of the Cy. Radiant wasn't built for the dust-up tourney, i just adjusted that no instant respawn gametype so it played like regular team slayer.

Did anyone else get framerate on the map? I dont think i have ever seen it, but I am often a thick bastard and miss these things.

 

Thanks Borg. Ya actually it started out as a re-imagining of Turbine and then morphed into what you see here. I'm glad you caught that inspiration! I do have another version of this with ordnance and whatnot currently called "Chicken Wing". I need to get a few 2v2's on it if you or anyone else is interested. I will probably be online late tomorrow night.

Again, thanks. It is the nature of the beast on this one, it always plays uber fast. The tele's are indeed still there. And I have strayed far enough away from the original that I don't feel any attachment to keeping it true to gemini. So I am open to any suggestions you may have to add another level. Currently its sitting around 7500 so I don't have a lot of wiggle room. But am re-doing a lot of the map trying to bring down budget and make it look nicer.

Ah yes sorry I forgot to write anything on this. It was to big for 3 people but will probably play well 4v4. I liked the spaciousness of the rooms but I felt they could use more aesthetically to differentiate between them. It also seemed like you guys had binary rifles ALL THE TIME haha so maybe check the timers on those and increase them? I'd like to play this with full teams and I'll take a look at it in forge to give more in depth feedback.

 

Windfall by PRSplayer – I’m surprised that with the maxed budget, I didn’t notice any frame rate issues. The game was fun and I really like those few windows you have that look outside the map. I also really like the use of forge objects, particularly in creating many of the large openings, but there are many portions of the map where you’ve created some nice spaces and structure, but the combination of the forge objects used to do so seems a little awkward. I still feel some of the side pathways are too narrow for too long a distance, causing a bit of a disconnection between them and the rest of the map.


Perlieu by PRSplayer – Great job with the theme. The map fits well on Erosion. The overall layout with the buildings and side passages is interesting, but I feel many of the side passages are a bit too narrow or confusing. Some of the building interiors are a bit overly complicated as well. I’d like to see the side passages simplified a bit. I think it will help with map navigation as well as lowering the budget a bit.


Clash of the Titans by Unrivaled20 – The game was very fun. I like the nicely crafted various arenas. I did miss the Mantis from the last time I played. You might want to keep refining and when you get to the end possibly arrange the arenas in such a manner that those who are waiting can look down on some of the arenas from above. It’s not a necessity, but it might be cool to connect all the part of the map visually for those waiting around.


Libertad by tombo V2 – Nice integration of station pieces. The overall layout was done very well. You ended up with quite a bit of map for not using too high of a budget. The game was fun and pretty intense at times. I did feel some of the spaces were a little too cramped, particularly the sniper nest pieces in the middle passage. You may just need to lower them or use different objects to create a similar structure. The long side passage is a bit too long and removed from the map. I see that there are a few small windows looking into the center area, but there needs to be more of an ability to move from that hallway back to the main portion of the map.


Vandalay by Nutduster – This map is simply a pleasure to play on. It looks great and is easy to navigate. I don’t know if it’s a problem with the lift or a problem with my mind, but I could not exit the lift one time. I got stuck in there, moving up and down about 8 times of so before making my way out.


Salvage by Nutduster – Nothing to add here. Had a blast. I love the man cannons and the structures you’ve created. Still having trouble with the distance between the top and bottom areas. It just doesn’t feel natural for me to want to go down there unless there’s a hill to take or a flag falls down there.


Headlong by xIvIr TryHardx – Feels like a dwarf version of the original. Some parts feel like they’re the same size as the original, while other parts feel very small, which was a bit awkward for my first time on the map. This is a tough one to get to match the original due to budget issues, I imagine. I did enjoy moving through paths I was familiar with and seeing how you re-made them.


Waterfront by TMR Legend – Sorry we didn’t get to finish the game. I didn’t hear why we quit. I went through in forge to check it out again and noticed the budget is almost maxed out. I think for the size of the map, the budget could probably be brought down quite a bit without losing any of the layout. It would probably mean refining some of your great aesthetics, so that’s a choice you might want to think about.


Interchange by LEE C G – Games went well. I think this one is done. I’m going to take the hills and Extraction point out of the Gold and Green bases (triple rooms). And put them by the shotgun locations at the ends of the main street. This will make it so driving the hogs during those gametypes make more sense than it has. Thanks for the feedback.


Radiant by Juanez – That was a fun game of Extraction. The changes to the center bridge are nice. It feels like a more solid structure now and while combat in that area is still hectic, it seems less so than before. How does CTF play now that the capture points are in a different area? I don’t think I’ve played CTF since you moved them.


Threshing Floor by GrenadeGorilla8 – I had a great time on this map. It has a very solid layout and structure. I was able to move about effectively without knowing the layout. It just seemed very intuitive. This map was definitely my pleasant surprise for the night. My only problem was that the game seemed to end so quickly.


The Gem by GrenadeGorilla8 – Another solid map, structurally and layout-wise. It was over so quick, I didn’t have time to appreciate it during the game. After a flythrough in forge, I really appreciate it. I really like the red and blue double tiered ramps on the map’s sides and the viewing windows at the map’s corners. I look forward to trying some other gametypes on it.


Windswept 0.98 by CyborgAnthro – The flag location pushed me to take different paths through the maps than I had in previous games. I actually gained an appreciation for different aspects of the layout. The game was very fun and intense, but it felt like our team was cheated at the end. We were all over protecting that flag and it wouldn’t return. I know we weren’t cheated, but it was frustrating.


Wetwork by CyborgAnthro – Sorry this didn’t work out, but I had fun chasing the ball all around the map over and over. It gave me a chance to notice parts of the layout I hadn’t before. Look forward to playing some more on the map.

 

I totally know where yur coming from Nuts, life has a habit of absorbing you like that. If I am not working then I am cooking, cleaning or looking aftermy little 3 year old. Sigh.

THE GEM

I was playing this for a good few minutes before I realised this was Gemini or fraternal or whichever. It felt bigger and more capacious than previous iterations, excellently so. Nutty was right when he said that oddball was over too quick- but IMO oddball can break the flow of any map, its BS. Couldn't possibly say more cos the game was only 2 mins long. But i noticed that superb use of the base bottom with the UNSC eagle on it. Genius.

WINDSWEPT

Excellent as always, this map can't get much better. Does CTF go too quickly on here? Defending and attacking is wicked fun, although this map generally owns slayer. Actually, no, scratch that. The game last week went quick. This time much more map got used, the top levels as well as bottom levels.
I should very much like to play a serious game of slayer on here, and as it is so entertaining I would like to play it for the full 12 minutes.

WETWORK

Due to the uneven teams this test was kind of a bust. And once again Oddball sort of didnt work. Is there a gametype that creates more sneaky campy behaviour? Possibly for this gametype the map had a little too much layering. Possibly just cos we were 1 man, then 2 men, dow n. FYI Nutty, when you left me and Lee totally bossed it. Won 300- 200. Lee got a Rampage and I got 3 exterms.

 

Regarding the lower level of Salvage, I think you're doing the right thing by leaving it in. I've just been too lazy to learn how to use it effectively yet even though I understand there is an advantage to doing so.

 

sorry for not reviewing i just spent way to much time trying to edit chimera so i could add it to the ffa contest.

I see nutduster already added vandalay. I am surprised hulk didnt add anything yet. i am pretty sure the deadline is soon. Good luck to all who play in this lobby and i hope one of our maps win


I should review tomorrow though