***See bottom for weapon, vehicle, ordinance and gametype information***

Though Halo 4 is now well past its prime, I figured it was time I got around to releasing my most recent iteration of the map “Void”.

The gist: The Central Structure is where most of the action should be focused, making it a high risk, high reward location due to its abundance of weapons, open sightlines and various entrances/exits, particularly as you move toward the lower levels. However, the Cliffs and Container Field each have their own power weapons and/or vehicles to balance things out. As such, moving around the perimeter of the map offers players the best chance of getting around without resistance. For CTF, each base features multiple entrances/exits, giving players a wide range of possible strategies for attacking and defending.



Map Structure:

5 regions: Central Structure (3 levels), Cliffs, Container Field, Blue Base, Red Base

Central Structure: On the surface, it may seem that the Central Structure is a bit overloaded: after all, in addition to hosting the Rocket Launcher, Sticky Detonator, and an Ordinance Drop, Red Base vehicles spawn not far from it. However, this was done by design in order to make this area the primary focus of the map, particularly for slayer type games. Moreover, its open nature and large number of entryways should limit control of this area. The rocket launcher spawn, for instance, resides at the lowest level of the structure, with this level featuring the greatest number of entrances/exits. Also, the ordinance drop here is the weaker of the two drops and is present mainly to change the focus on the map. The middle level of the structure gives the quickest access to and best sightlines of many parts of the map, but is fairly wide open as a result. Several ramps connect each set of levels.

Cliffs: The Cliffs are home to the single Mantis on the map, located in an alcove beneath the cliffs along with a Mongoose. The Cliffs also host the more powerful of the two ordinance drops, which sits on a vulnerable rock formation. Carefully placed trees and rock pieces ensure that players will have at least some protection from enemies high up. At the rear of the Cliffs is a gravity lift. Though its existence may seem to negate the need to risk traversing the Cliffs, this is not necessarily the case. Players on the Cliffs will have ample time to make note of advancing players through their motion sensors and, having the high ground with lines of sight to approaching players, will be able to engage them as they make their way toward the lift or even while coming up it.

Container Field- This region of the map is the least likely of the three main areas to see intense action, though as the site of the Spartan Laser spawn it still gives players plenty of incentive to visit. The presence of several containers here offers shielding from enemies at a variety of distances. Isolated paths at opposite ends of the region connect to each base, making these routes particularly useful for CTF. Given their lesser usefulness in Slayer gametypes, a Ghost was added to make the region more attractive to players.

CTF Blue Base- The slightly larger of the two bases, all three of its vehicles spawn just outside of the main base. A top level accessible via three ramps allows players to defend the base from an elevated position and engage in medium to long range fire while also providing adequate protection. Aside from the main entrance, the base can also be reached via two side paths, both of which use large cover pieces to minimize their lines of site. A Sniper Rifle, Scattershot and Plasma Pistol are among the weapons contained within the base. Given its open nature and ground level position, vehicles should have no problem maneuvering in and around the base, making it somewhat more vulnerable in this regard.

CTF Red Base- As with its blue counterpart, the Red Base vehicles spawn slightly removed from the main base itself, and players will have access to the same set of weapons. A set of connecting towers give players long lines of site to several parts of the map, making it a good defensive position and potential sniping spot.




Misc

CTF Notable Differences- Aside from the points I’ve already covered, there are two main differences in map structure between CTF and non-CTF games. First, two large cover pieces were used to block off the ramp that leads from Blue Base to the top of the Central Structure, and second, the ramp leading into Red Base from the lower level of the Central Structure was removed. Both of these changes were made in order to prevent players from simply running straight through the middle of the map to the enemy base, given that this path represents by far the quickest way to travel between the two bases. As such, the hope is that by having made these changes, players will be encouraged to traverse different parts of the map. However, even with their implementation one issue still remains: Red team players will simply be able to jump down to ground level and proceed directly into Blue Base, while Blue players will be forced to take specific routes to reach higher elevation (and Red Base). In other words, it may be a bit easier for Red Team players to reach the enemy flag than vice-versa. If this turns out to be the case, I recommend re-adding these pieces in the meantime, and I'll adjust the map accordingly.

Gametype Thoughts- The gametypes I’ve included in my fileshare are recommended, though not necessary, to enjoy the map. However, I strongly suggest that personal loadouts are NOT used under any circumstances, as jetpacks could disrupt the flow of the map, particularly in CTF. The decision to include a single loadout containing a Plasma Pistol and Plasma Grenades was made in order to provide a more vehicle-friendly environment free from sticky spamming. Therefore, for said loadout I removed the BR/DMR as the primary weapon and swapped in the assault rifle, creating an opportunity cost when deciding to use plasma weapons. Gametype settings are otherwise standard for the most part.

General thoughts: I think the structure of the map itself is fairly sound. Given its asymmetrical nature, balancing issues are the first and foremost concern, but they would also be the easiest to correct. Some examples of changes I could need to make down the line would be to tone down the power of the central structure, alter starting weapons for both teams, change/remove the ordinance drops, consider adding a base shield, etc. Another slight concern I have is with the size of the map, particularly as it applies to CTF. The map itself is fairly spacious and should be able to host 16 players, but given its slightly oval design, direct routes between the two bases may be too heavily favored (this is part of the reason why I chose to make the changes I did for CTF). Should either concern prove to be valid, a simple expansion of the map's area or a slight alteration to its geometry would likely be enough to correct this.



Final Thoughts

I’ve put a lot of time into trying to get this map “right”, so it goes without saying that the map is fully playable, with smooth pathways and transitions, nice aesthetics and thought out weapon and spawn placements; if there are any minor bumps it could a result of some pieces shifting upon loading the map, which has happened to me on occasion. Getting the look and feel of the map to be unique was especially important to me, and I hope that is conveyed in its design. It may not look beautiful in every nook and cranny, but I figured it was more important to focus on design initially than be too concerned with aesthetics.

Any and all constructive feedback is appreciated. Thanks for looking!

One note: I know from viewing the overhead screenshot that the map does not look to be straight from one end to the other; it isn’t. However, when actually playing on the map you would rarely if ever notice this misalignment, and it has little effect on gameplay. Again, this is something I could easily “fix” in the future if necessary.

More Screenshots: http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/thegaykid17/library/Void v2



Map Info

Vehicles: Mantis (180), Warthog x 2 (135), Ghost x 3 (105, 120), Mongoose x 3 (75)
Power Weapons: Spartan Laser (180), Rocket Launcher (180), Sniper Rifle x 2 (150), Shotgun (150), Sticky Detonator (135), Scattershot x 2 (120), Turret x 2 (135)…Weapons (45), Grenades (35)
Ordinance Drop #1 (Central Structure): Damage Boost, Overshield, Energy Sword, Gravity Hammer, Railgun, Scattershot, Speed Boost, Needler
Ordinance Drop #2 (Cliffs): Speed Boost x 2, Incineration Cannon, Spartan Laser, Fuel Rod Cannon, Overshield, Damage Boost, Needler
*Spawn times in parenthesis*

Gametypes:
Void CTF- No personal ordinance or random ordinance. Game loadouts: BR/DMR, Frag, Magnum/AR, Resupply OR AR, Plasma Pistol, Plasma Grenades, Resupply
Void Slayer- No personal ordinance but there is random ordinance. Game loadouts: BR/DMR, Frag, Magnum/AR, Resupply OR AR, Plasma Pistol, Plasma Grenades, Resupply
Void Infinity Slayer- Personal ordinance and random ordinance. Game loadouts: BR, Frag, Camo/Holo/Promo/Hardlight/Regen, Resupply. 100 points needed for first drop, +20% thereafter