So I have been working on this map for a few solid days now due to having time off work, and after a few tests I think it's ready to be previewed here. Widower is an Infection map based heavily on the aesthetic style and layout of the map "Widow's Court" from Destiny. The map also interested me because the areas I thought were most interesting, namely the high walls and unconventional segmented sightlines, didn't always translate well into Destiny's meta game. With Widower, I started by trying to adapt the most geometrically intersting areas of the map into a layout, but the map quickly took on a life of its own as the map was changed to accomodate for Halo 5's playstyle, particularly with the Infection gametype. Widower takes place in a small abandoned European town. Once a quaint little residence, the town has become overgrown, with vines and weeds sprouting up around the town, and areas falling into disrepair. The hurried evacuation of the town is also extremely evident - trash piles have been left to clog up the well, windows have been left open and vehicles abandoned, left to the mercy of the elements. Widower aims to fully accomodate the base infection gametype by allowing a variety of different ranges for encounters, several holdout spots, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, and a distinctive visual style that allows players to quickly orient themselves on spawn. Widower is also designed to encourage player movement to both the lower and upper halves of the map. The weapon set features the usual UNSC weapons - SAW, Sniper, Rockets and the usual loadout weapons, but the weapons are laid out in a way that players will have to change their position to make best use of them. The stronger weapons are also tougher to reach - the lower areas of the map offer more reliable holdout locations, but the weapon sets are far less powerful than the much more dangerous upper half. In its current state, Widower is fully playable with the base infection variant. The playtests have allowed for changes to weapons, spawns and geometry to be implemented already, and the results have been fairly exciting. The games played rarely have a repeating holdout, and almost always reward players for playing smart and sticking together. Some action shots: My aim with posting this thread is to gather some feedback, critisism and comments that can help shape the map into more than I could have imagined it to be. I'm very excited with the way the map is progressing, but this time more than ever I am ready to dig deep into the bones of the map to really strengthen its core. So if you are interested, please give it a test in your lobbies, or invite me if you're online and want to test it out. I'd love to hear what you guys think.
I host lobbies almost daily, between forge and customs i think ill give your map a full lobby playtest.
I can remember playtesting this with you. The bedroom is a little bit camp able, but I know there is a window, but I think jt would be best to make it easier to get thorough the window, and some cover right by the window. Just to help a little bit.
Thanks for the feedback mate, I think I'm going to look at what you suggested, I was hoping the area wouldn't be too campable, so I'll watch the room more closely in my next play tests.
This looks pretty sweet. I'm not a big fan of infection, but you obviously have skills. Nice looking map.
Change log 20/05: Anti camping measures: Widened some soft kill barriers to work more effectively Changed geometry at the top of the map to prevent players from camping on the wooden outcrops of the buildings. Housekeeping: In relation to @ProFessor436 's feedback, the window ledge now has an invisible ramp to help players escape the room through the window. This also means players have to expose themselves a bit more if they want to shoot directly below the window ledge. An additional cover piece has been added in the room to break up the empty space a little. The cover is an overturned shelf, meaning it offers little protection but can disrupt sight lines when players are moving. Frag grenade moved from behind the TV to under the bed after noting players had never found the frag in session. Holdout changes: The top holdout proved very difficult to attack as zombies when faced with a decent team. These changes aim to keep the area powerful but balance the zombie entrance routes to make the area less predictable. The makeshift cover and SAW spawn in the upper holdout have been shifted to the left. This makes the road entrance to the upper section a more viable option, as previously the zombies would funnel through the room and back street. Cover has been added by the back street entrance to prevent players from reliably killing zombies as they turn the corner. This also gives zombies a full sneaky route around the left flank of the holdout. General upkeep: Altered some aesthetics with the church to make it more distinctive. Moved some grass, vines etc. Lowered the object count on the well. Increased the body count in the well. Changed cameras to include better intro, outro and static cams.