Sandbox Chromatic

Download Version 2 Here​

Chromatic is a room-based, asymmetrical MLG map set in the Crypt of Sandbox. It is my second MLG map that I have forged and easily eclipses my first. It has taken a few months worth of forging, from just the simple laying-out Blue Room and the idea of using grass (which was fairly creative at the time) to the five-room megastructure it is now.


Contents:
-Map Description
-Supported Game types
-Weapon List

-Screenshots

• Map Pictures
• Action Shots

-Additional Notes

• Change Log
• Tactical Jumps

-Special Mentions


Map Description:

Chromatic consists of five unique rooms – Red, Blue, Green, Objective and Wood. Each room has several entrances and exits, intertwining with each other to give the player plenty of options but not restrict their movement. An Overshield and an Active Camo spawn in the Red and Blue Rooms respectively, while a Rocket Launcher spawns in between Green and Wood Bridge. This weapon set is designed to keep players moving around the map and to reward efficient map control and knowledge.

Line of sight plays a huge role in Chromatic. Generally, most rooms are fairly spacious to make sure the player is not cramped and has plenty of options to choose from. As a result, the lines of sight in each room are fairly uninterrupted and are designed for optimal mid-range combat. Line of Sight between rooms is much more restricted, but there are plenty of interesting angles to shoot and look through. An example of this would be from Wood Bridge to Green and from Red to Blue-Objective. This, combined with the few 90 degree angle turns on the map, eliminates camping and promotes map movement.

Chromatic is fast-paced, but not overly so as to ensure bad spawns and extremely quick gameplay. It is also set-up to minimise standoffs wherever possible. This is made possible by the frequent spawning of power weapons and power ups such as Active Camo, Overshields and Rockets, and to a lesser extent, the Plasma Pistol and Mauler. The actual map design is set-out to encourage map movement, where staying in one room and camping will not be beneficial to the team. The result of this is fast-paced, competitive gameplay.

Finally, aesthetics were an integral part of making Chromatic. It is well known that interesting features on a map help players to remember the map. To do this, I tried to create a variety of interesting structures that a player would see and remember. For example, the Camo Triangle and the Overshields spawn. Combined with smooth forging and clean transitions from each object to the next, the map is pleasing to the eye and engages the player.


Supported Gametypes:
-Slayer
-Hill
-Oddball

Weapon List:

-4x BR – 10 second respawn
-2x Carbine – 90 second respawn
-1x Plasma Pistol – 90 second respawn
-1x Mauler – 150 second respawn
-1x Rocket Launcher – 180 second respawn (Drop Spawn)
-6x Plasma Grenades
-1x Active Camo – 120 second respawn (Spawn at Start: No)
-1x Custom Powerup – 120 second respawn (Spawn at Start: No)


Screenshots

Map Pictures

Overview


Red Base


Blue Base


NEW Green Room (Second Hill spawns here)


Objective Room (Oddball and first and third Hill spawn here)


NEW Wood Bridge (Fourth Hill spawns underneath)


Red Street


NEW Blue Window


NEW Green Street


NEW Objective Room from Ramp


NEW Top Blue



Action Shots

Retreat


Hill Contested


The Ball


Double Team


Watch your back TaK…


Additional Notes

Change Log

Release to Version 2: (for reasoning see page 4 on 10 posts per page)
-Ramp from Top Blue to Green Room through Blue to help balance Green/Blue setup
-Tube in Green replaced with Tube, Y-intersection and ramp added from tube to Green street
-Rocket position slightly altered
-Jump-up from Bottom Wood Bridge to Rockets
-Obelisk on Wood Bridge lowered to prevent escaping
-A few items subsituted to save budget
-Objective Ramp moved slightly closer to Objective Room
-OS structure moved half a block towards Objective Room
-BR Run-time Max. changed to 7
-Minor spawn tweaks
-Aesthetic changes in Green, Objective

Beta to Release:
-Re-designed Green Room
-Line of sight reduced between Wood Bridge and Green
-Pillar in Objective room slightly moved
-Minor spawn tweaks
-Various item swaps to save budget
-Flag Gametypes now supported

Tactical Jumps
Green to Blue Street (discovered by HanpMechWarrior)

1. Run up onto the Wedge and as you hit the bump, jump forward
2. Hold crouch and land on Blue Street

Red Ramp to Red Street

1. Jump up on top of the Red Double Box
2. Crouch jump over to the pillar
3. Jump over onto Red Street

Blue Street to Blue Window

1. Jump off Blue Street at the place shown
2. Slide jump off the top of the Camo Triangle
3. Hold crouch and land in Blue Window


Special Mentions:
I would like to thanks these people for helping out:
-Someguy343 – for keeping progress of the map and providing some ideas
-Cerberus_Beast – for providing the idea of the Blue Column ramp and letting me use it. Thanks heaps, your thread was at the exact same time I was considering what to do with that area
-TaK/Seth – for providing much feedback (there were many people who provided feedback, but these two the most)
-Everyone who helped test – thanks heaps, I hope you enjoyed it
-Everyone who was amazed by the Camo Triangle, proceeded to stand on it and Change teams to make it look like the spike killed you, and then a week later, stared at the Custom spawn for about a minute proclaiming it the “coolest thing ever”. Yes, there was more then one of you.

Well that’s it. Please download the map, take a look around on it and give me some feedback on what you could see improved. I will gladly accept any valid constructive criticism. If you like it, play a few games on it and tell me how those went too. I can’t force anyone to do this, but it is satisfying as a forger to know that your map is being played on and enjoyed.

Download Version 2 Here​

 

Sorry about that, the link is fixed now. Had problems with the post, but it's good now. Thanks for the comments guys!

 

Like Limey said, Hill plays the best. I think everyone agreed with that. Slayer also plays very well and not just by default like on many other maps. I personally like Oddball, but Hill and Slayer do play better - but in no means is Oddball a weak gametype.

You would be quite suprised to hear then it plays really well. As they are on same timers, it takes skill to be able to control them effectively throughout the game. They are not always picked up exactly on 2mins either, so timing them is a great skill. The rockets are a definate set-up breaker and work to their exact purpose. Not to mention the craziness that occurs at 9mins in a Hill game, where Rockets, Camo, OS and a new Hill is up - then somehow realising you have each one

A bit like how Onset (featured on the front page now) and other MLG Forge 1v1 games work. Having an OS + Snipe + Camo on 45/60 respawns seems way overpowered, but it works very well because you must traverse the map and be able to control each when the time is right.


Thanks for the comments everyone, I'm working on a few changes and reviewing films. I'll update when it is read.

 

The run-time min is 4, so having a maximum spawn limit should be balanced by the BR spawning instantaneously. The main reason however was to save budget, because I didn't really know whether or not I would need that $11 I have left.

I don't want to release a whole new version just for one change, so if I can find enough valid changes to make to the map I will include this in, budget permitting.