I'd call them competitive maps but I'm using more modern pronouns. Gotta be politically correct, don't want to sound racist. In all seriousness thanks, going to check it out.
So to start, I don't think anybody can deny there is some pretty killer art work on here. The piece use in certain spots is actually really really neat, most notably some of the gates, doors, the throne itself and for me, most noticeably the gated wall outside. That being said, the aesthetics are not enough to drive this map. I feel in it's current form, it is a class-A example of a map that focuses waaaay too much on it's gimmick, to the point where it feels like everything else in the gameplay spectrum came second. - The scaling is ultra tight and in some spots and in some areas I can almost cross an entire room with a boost. Each little hyper segmented part of the map is effectively tiny when you mix in extended movement options and that's with just one person in the room. How two people are supposed to have a well fleshed out fight in some of those tower rooms is beyond me. What's more, you tried extra hard to force jumps and clambers on this map, which conceptually isn't bad but your spacing for these things is awkward at best. Jumps are almost never accommodating of the full jump distance length-wise and height-wise the clambers are almost at the pure peak of a jump, with so little room for error you could almost write them off as inaccessible. Example: The clamber jump in the throne room is so forced. Why do we need to get on that trapezoid platform which mind you, is at a terribly awkward ramp degree just to make ANOTHER tiny leap to a tiny platform that feels more like a cage than a power position because you cant even boost out from it! All four actions required to get in that spot are geared at punishing the player for a spot that is effectively useless. This type of punishment for movement is a constant theme throughout the map. On top of that, the segmentation of the map makes it so almost none of the different areas actually interact in ways that result in kills. Most cross-area engagements ended with tiny spots of damage to both sides since either player could just retreat into their own segment. Now, the easy response would be to pursue your opponent, right? Preferably not from the same direction you were just fighting in. So you start a chase and locate an alternate route but guess what, a giant ass door is in your way and you can only open it with a key. Yeah, the key that seemingly only one player at a time can have that grants access to pathways that are often so far detached from the actual action that they aren't even worth going to. So here you are, in the same room, shields fully charged unable to push your opponent because how can you? You can throw your body through the hall and hope you get the jump on your opponent but that's given that they haven't already run away to another area you don't have access to because you need a key. As a concept, the key is cool. In execution, on this map it almost brings gameplay to a screeching halt. It almost took us the full twelve minutes to complete a 2v2 to 25 kills and trust me, we were playing as any regular player would. Overall I think you need to really reevaluate how that key mechanic functions on the map. If it's supposed to be fun, it really is not. It's an added annoyance to a map that already spends the majority of it's time punishing the player for using anything that isn't the left stick to move. I'm just another unnotable forger, so feel free to ask anybody else who played or spectated the match for more info.
@Ascend Hyperion hey man, check your discord. Let's get the winners of the contest out today or this weekend
It is going to be a blood bath when I finally post my ****. Considering the number of stabs I have taken at the overall quality of maps over the past year. Thank god I am a masochist.
tbh im just upset he has organ pipes and no organ piano, like wtf is the point of that. The map did feel really awkward to navigate though, he has this odd spike thing and these floating platforms that were confusing. The jump to the right of the throne has terrain that looks accessible that kills you as well. Map is beautiful though, my personal favorite is the tiles and how he used the gray alpine terrain.
I think you are making unnecessary assumptions about my intentions with certain things. Like the balcony for example, why assume i wanted it to be a power position? If you and your partner are in throne room, having a fight across the crypt room; your partner can jump through the balcony towards top mid and pinch them from the other side. That's one of it's intended purposes. "Preferably not from the same direction you were just fighting in." And what is the basis for this? Why wouldn't you be able to push straight forward? That's actually what you should be doing if you win a gun fight, push them back enough until you get the punish. Yes, if you don't have the key it will be harder to get around. You will have to take longer routes around certain areas. This is a staple of a key map, it gives the team with the key the ability to cut corners and steamroll your targets, changing the tide of the battle.
Here is a good example of how the doors can be used, and how it changes the pace http://xboxdvr.com/gamer/SoldatDuChrist/video/40657815
All I see is a player not standing a single chance whatsoever to come back because he doesn't have a key. Edit- Shouldn't the doors be more so of an opening for a slightly better route, not a vastly superior one allowing you to straight up destroy your opponent because they can't run or finish you off?
full disclosure though, so far my issues with the map would be pace. It's def not as fast a pace as i prefer in 2v2s, but i'm not too concerned about it. I believe this has more to do with learning curve than anything. for example, this is a perfect example of newbs first game on Arcanum: 15 min tell the game ends... 15! Compare that with the pace of the match that i last played with multi and xan on Arc and it's a dif story Edit: 13 min
I don't think the key doors are overly punishing on Soldats map, in fact I think the key is underwhelming. The map is very big and horizontally stretched, and there is basically no interplay between what little height variation exists on the level. As a result, players are forced to confront eachother head on and there really aren't any moment to moment pushes and pulls. No quick counters with or without key. I think it's more of a geometry problem than a key problem. Not only is the map large and flat, but it's very segmented which compounds the problem of players not finding eachother. I ran around the map with and without key and it really didn't feel any faster with key. I'm sure it is faster with the key, but the difference is so negligible that I couldn't really tell. I mean, just watch that video Soldat posted. That key teleporter took him about 5 feet, lol, and that is one of the more effective key uses on the map. So yeah, I think the shape, width, and very restrictive nature of the map is the culprit for most of the problems I see being aired. Not the key.
I agree that the map is too horizontally segmented, but that's about it. All the doors cut off a good chunk of travel time, and can be used to follow through with your fights. The map is also def not flat, almost all of the fights take place on different verts so i don't know where you are coming from on that
It's not very verticle i agree, which isn't a problem, and a far cry from calling it flat. I think it strikes a nice ballence