Ok so one of the hardest things I have attempted to forge is those jackal sniper towers. I just can't get it right! So Im asking you the community to either find a map that uses one or forge one and send it to me and I will give you full credit for it in my next map. Oh and this is IMPORTANT! It will be an infection game and there will be 150% gravity so instead of a gravlift a mancannon might work better. Here Is a picture of one
Use small wedges to form a hexagon, use tube ramps at an angle along these to make the slanted part and tiny ramps (not sure of the exact name) for the parts pointing up. Hope this helps and ask for clarifaction if you need it.
I made two Jackal towers in the first map I ever submitted to Forgehub waaayy back when in March last year. You can see it best in pics 6 -8 on the original thread Crossing. Looking back they look pretty rubbish, but it was one of my first maps and ghost merging hadn't been discovered yet (not that it would have helped that much :L). They have those little roof bits on them to stop people from escaping the map btw. Although not the most beautiful Jackal Towers, they do work just fine. I'll have a go at making a more polished version sometime this week and let you know if I come up with anything good.
I'd use Corner, Large as the base of the Jackal Tower. Maybe Ramp, Thick as the upright pieces on the base. Merge 8 half walls into an octagon to form the hovering platform, so you have the opening to grav lift through. Ramp, Thick again for the uprights and Ramp, Short for the pieces hanging from below the platform.
I can't say I fully understand what you're describing. Maybe I'm just not seeing it right. But that sounds like a very big Jackal Tower. I always thought a jackal tower should have been a premade objects in forge. Especially in covenant themed maps.
I wouldn't bother building one at all. There horrible for the flow of any map and are very easy to camp in.
He's not building it with competitive gameplay in mind. I'm pretty sure he's trying to simulate a gametype revolving around jackals. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Jackals do nothing but camp their asses off.
Try get 6 tube ramps merged upside down in a hexagon shape. (that will make the floor of the tower) Then merge 6 more tube ramps upright with the slanted facing inwards (that will make the barrier around the perimeter) Next, using Ramp Shorts, Build one facing outwards, Then inwards, then outwards, directly on top of each other (This will create each of the spires on the top of the nest) To create the downward spires, simply place 1 Ramp short merged downwards As for the Base, Merge any 3 ramps about the distance of a Block flat apart. Merge the block flat into the floor at that level. Merge the gravlift in underneath this directly below the opening. At each of the three corners, place an angled Ramp short which will give the same spire sort of effect as the above nest. That should look like a sniper tower, well as best as someone could get it in Sandbox anyway.
That's what I was getting at. I like steve's idea the best. It sounds less bulky and I can actually envision it.
I realize you're looking for a 'less bulky' tower, but on my map I made a kind of adaption of a covenant tower, just thought the design might be something to think about http://www.forgehub.com/forum/aesthetic-maps/97275-aod-scout.html
I went into forge to try to give a quick example of my idea, but I lack patience to forge nowadays. Kinda lost my mojo. The half walls was a bad idea. I was thinking I could merge them and make a platform with a hole in the middle, but then the thin parts of the wall would get in the way. But geomerging and interlocking 3 Large Corners with 3 Thick Ramps is probably the best bet when making the part of the jackal tower on the ground aka the base of the tower.
steve11thselby's idea is basically what I said earlier but in more detail so it's understandable. Only problem with that is I think tube ramps are a bit too small since people usually want a bit more space for movement than tube ramps could offer, so small wedges (wedge, small) might be a better choice. Possibly also merge the edge pieces (like railings) bent so the diagonal between opposite corners of the small wedge or tube ramp are in line with base to make a sort of zig-zag side with the sides lower at three corners and higher at the other three corners.