As you know it is now possible to have C.T.F. and assault games with more than two teams. The teams that may be selected in the the pre-game lobby are red, blue, green and orange. As far as I can tell all the built in variants are supplied with the required objectives, spawn zones, and initial spawns necessary to support these objective based games with all four possible teams. The one map that was not created by Bungie (Atom) which they have implemented into matchmaking also meets this same criteria. Whether or not the map originally supported it or if bungie made it to, I do not know. My question is this. does the community at large take the 4v4v4v4 objective scenario into consideration when they build a map? Or is the classic red vs blue objective, the template that most use to design a playspace. Obviously red and blue dominate the space but is it really necessary to include for green and orange as objective components?
I would say only include green and orange if your map is specifically designed for 4 teams. 4-Team CTF and Assault were matchmaking variants on the Foundation map from Halo 2. It was kind of fun in a chaotic sense, but the hardcore players didn't like it. Think of it this way: if you put the teams in, is anyone going to use them?
Actually, I have recently been building my maps to include all teams. But besides Red, Blue, Green, Orange, they all only support two members on their team at once.
I agree. It seems to me that the 4v4v4v4 scenario is built in to make it to where all game scenario's are playable on the built in maps, (or the maps that carry the Bungie name as the author). I just don't see this actually being utilized much except for LAN parties and the odd custom game.
Actually I'm pretty sure Assault is still only 2 teams. At least it is for me. However, I actually just finished a map that is designed for 4x4x4x4 CTF (need to add spawns, but that's it).
some versions of assault do, some dont. if i remember correctly neutral assault does support 4 teams.
If I'm not mistaken, you only really need to drop one initial spawn for each color near some respawn points that you should already have, so why not?
the issue isnt so much about the initial spawns, but the inclusion of the necessary objectives and dedicated respawn zones that allow these possible games to work. my map a utilizes an all encompassing neutral respawn zone for most gametypes. (HH,KOTH,SP,Oddball etc) but when the objective based polar gametypes require you to limit where a player might spawn (having them spawn near an opposing sides objective wouldnt be a good thing) it gets complicated. having 4 possible objective teams, increases the number of places you wouldnt want a member of a certain team to spawn, by 2. so instead of just one there are now 3 areas where you must stop a member of an opposing team from spawning. this seriously cuts down on the number of spawn points available for the engine to choose from. im just seriously considering nixxing the entire 4 team objective scenario. and eliminating the objectives and associated respawn zones i spent so much time refining. its a big cut but i dont see the validity and necessity of its inclusion.
In regards to this, there's a guide floating around relating to Spawn Systems... In there I've put a picture on informing you how to "Weight" spawns appropriately using the new system. Placing WEAK Respawn Areas inside dedicated Team Respawn Areas makes that spawn location even more likely to spawn in. If you place TWO WEAKS in the same area, it doubles the chances of spawning inside the single Respawn Area. You can Stack Weaks and Anti's but you can't stack (normal) Respawn Areas. I personally wouldn't look to Bungie's maps for spawn systems as we all know how terrible they are in matchmaking... Instead, look into developing your own system and get enough tests going on it and get people to concentrate on where they're spawning and why. The only thing you really need to watch out for is over weighting your spawns. So that your team players don't respawn in their zones when enemy players are standing in them.
as they are the spawns work great. its just that it seems pointless to account for the possibility of 4 team objective just because its possible. plus the fact that removing the associated crap that goes along with the whole 4 team objective scenario, frees up my object limit enough to create a race variant.