Atrium

Pretty sure the default Stockpile game type actually specifies the flag count as "4" in the options...you can change this. Does anyone know what the matchmaking Stockpile settings are set to? Seems like they were 5 on Swordbase...can't remember.

When I design my maps, I usually go ahead and place 5-7 flag stands for Stockpile, but try to position 4 of them as the "primary" locations that will be used in default settings. I believe you can control this through Spawn Sequence?

Anyway, I've played on the v2 version of this map a few times with 4-6 players. Love it! I did prefer the sword up top in the previous version, but the race to the sniper is always fun as well. One suggestion: you might consider increasing the clips in the sniper rifle. I believe last night I was playing and it only had 4 rounds total when I picked it up. I cried a little.

Great map!!

 

Atrium
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[highlight]Enjoyment:[/highlight]

Atrium is a welcome surprise in a map selection that’s quite a gamble these days. It is clear that the creator put a great deal of thought into the map, and the gameplay benefits because of it. The design is interesting enough to keep the player exploring, but well structured so it was obvious what you had to do.

Aside from some minor complaints, players tended to enjoy their time on Atrium. It can be difficult at times to move from the second level to the 3rd without a jetpack, so once a player got to the 3rd level they tended to stay there. Creating more routes between the two levels would help to connect those areas a bit better while still keeping the same feel. The framerate can also be bad at times; it might be a good idea to reduce some of the glass in the center courtyard.

The gameplay is definitely unique and makes for enjoyable gameplay. The use of the glass roof creates a unique enclosed feeling, while still feeling like you’re in, well, an atrium.





[highlight] Balance: [/highlight]

Asymmetric maps can often be a challenge to balance, and even the best maps can still have power positions. The best way to counteract these issues is with a good spawn system and smart weapon placement. Atrium does a good job of achieving this effect, which results in a good flow and movement to the map.

The spawns are decently placed but far too few in number, often causing a player to spawn in view of the enemy. More spawns would help the player spawn in a safer location. From what we understand of Bungies spawn system, it would appear as though a spawns weighting also appears to have some effect on its nearest neighbor. Thus having more spawns in groups gives the safer areas a better weighting to respawn in. The starting spawns are very well thought out, and create unique gameplay with each gametype, though the respawn points are in desperate need of a rework. I would say you need at least twice as many as you currently have.

There weren’t any serious issues with the weapon balance. The weapons seemed to be in well placed locations that were easy for the player to find. The power weapons spawned in the middle of the map, with the notable exception being the sword that spawns under one team’s side. The only complaint with the weapon set is that it feels rather limited. Perhaps more plasma weapons and sidearms would spice up gameplay.




[highlight]Durability: [/highlight]

Being in an enclosed arena you have an essentially unbreakable map; although the resources used to create the arena often create the risk of overloading the map with objects. This seems to be the case with Atrium. Due to the large amount of glass on the map players have issues with framerate lag, notably while using scoped weapons.

With 5 glass covers in one area and a roof made out of glass, it might be best to replace some of these objects with less graphically intensive objects. It can often be difficult to sacrifice part of your design, but it can also be necessary to improve the map as a whole.

As mentioned above the spawning has some notable issues. While it is appreciated that the starting spawns are well set up, the apparent lack of respawn points is cause for concern. Reach’s engine encourages the use of many spawn points as it helps the engine to decide which one is safest, instead of picking randomly when there are too few spawns.




[highlight]Aesthetics: [/highlight]

Atrium is a map that remains true to its name aesthetically. The canopy of Coliseum windows creates an interesting effect, which does make the player feel as though they’re in an atrium. The windows help open up the map and allow for good visibility throughout.

Certain areas of the map were visually impressive, but with issues of framerate lag it seems beneficial to be more conservative with items. I would recommend reducing the large objects (i.e. Tower 3 story used for glass side) in place of something a little less consuming. It also felt as though the use of railings to create small lights was a bit unnecessary.

Overall the map is very smooth with interesting use of geometry. It fits together for the most part and is a very solid map graphically. The center rocks felt rather out of place from the remainder of the map. Perhaps revisit the center structure to something that fits a bit better.



[highlight]Originality: [/highlight]

It’s difficult to decide if Atrium is wholly unique. While it does feel original there is something familiar as well. The design is well thought out and connects well with itself, with the exception of the 2nd and 3rd floor. There was nothing particularly revolutionary about the design, but it is still fundamentally sound, fun to play on, and stands strongly out of the pack.

Atrium has a lot of potential for greatness, and with a few fixes would be a very fun and unique map. With these fixes the map would have a very solid design and supported by a good assortment of gametype setups. Atrium is a map that you will want to keep around for a while.






[floatleft]Enjoyment Rating:
Balance Rating:
Durability Rating:
Aesthetic Rating:
Originality Rating:[/floatleft]





Overall:

 

4 needle rifles and 6 DMRs is a lot of precision weapons for game types that do not let you spawn with them, so you may want to decrease the number of those weapons to maybe two for each. I like the look of this map, and was wondering what special FX you used?