EDIT (21st feb 2011) New, performance optimised version available: http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=14941906&player=MrSaddo I guarantee that if you like BTB you will enjoy this map. This is a full rebuild from scratch of my original Hog's Den map. (ORIGINAL THREAD HERE) Rebuild improvements include: Simpler, more efficient design using fewer forge pieces means there are very few frame rate issues, flicker, screen lag etc. Base lower levels have much wider corridors. Base upper levels have new area which overloocks the central area. Vehicle bay now has ramp to top level allowing defenders to access upper levels of their base more easily. Minor spawn-killing issues around vehicle bay have been resolved by placing brace tunnels further out to provide more cover. The map consists of two very large identical bases placed in diagonal symmetry. They are connected by a main road (known as the rocket road) that runs through each of them. Each base has two levels and multiple routes through and around it. Overview shots showing main exterior areas: The last pic is to illustrate the overall layout. Don't worry about the flat and barren nature of the roof tops as you never get to see this area. Each base consists of the generator room, the control room, the hog tunnel and the vehicle bay. These areas are connected by a simple series of corridors and stairways: Control room.: This provides a tactical position for snipers and DMRs, but can be vulnerable to attack from behind if other parts of the base are neglected. Generator room: This area is usefull for defending most infantry attacks through the base. Control this room and the enemy will be forced to take a longer route to his objective. Vehicle bay: this area is exposed to enemy warthogs if you allow them to get behind your base. The flag and assault objectives are in this area. Hog tunnel: This area will give the enemy fast access to the rear of your base if you neglect its defence. Concussion rifle, which spawns in the upper corridors will give hogs a real headache in these tunnels. Each base has a turret outpost off to the side. do not underestimate the strategic strength of this position as the gunner is well defended vs incoming vehicles. Vehicles on map: Warthog x4 (60s) Mongoose x4 (30s) Ghost x2 (60s) Weapons on map: (spare clips, spawn time) AR x4 (2, 30) DMR x6 (2, 30) Rockets x1 (1, 180) shotgun x2 (2, 90) Sniper x2 (2, 120) Mounted machin gun x2 (-, 120) Concussion rifle x2 (2, 120) Needle rifle x4 (2, 30) needler x2 (2, 90) plasma pistol x4 (-, 60) plasma grenade x8 (-, 15) frag grenade x4 (-, 15) Action shots: I am very confident that you will enjoy this map. Please rate and post comments. EDIT: thanks to lodex for coming up for the design for the control room AKA the lodex room
You did a great job on this Gaz. I enjoyed testing this map, and imo this has one of the most creative layouts I've seen in a big team battle map. It almost reminds me of a cross between Rat's Nest from Halo 3, while the interior of the bases reminds me of the structures from Halo 2's Headlong map. Really nice job!
Thanks chaps, although it would be really nice to get comments, feedback etc off people who had not helped with the play testing. 189 downloads and 12 likes but not a single comment from the wider ForgeHub community I kinda hoped that after 100+ hours designing, building, playtesting, rebuilding etc at least one or two peeps who downloaded might take a minute to write some comments. Whine over. Merry christmas ho ho ho.
I remember play testing this awhile ago. It's a great map and is almost like a different take on slayer games. There's a unique combination of weapons and vehicles that make playing really interesting. With that said, this seemed more of a casual map than straight competitive.
Can you expand on that point please? I was aiming for competitive with a rats nest/standoff feel to the game play. I don't want it to be casual
Maybe it was the people I was playing with but the game did not feel like it had a competitive edge to it. Instead, it felt like a game that I may link up with friends and go into some social gaming. The layout is fine, but for the amount of vehicles and power weapons, I think the map encourages fun anarchy more than competitive play. For it to be a competitive map, there has to be the idea that it was made for tournaments or matchmaking type games. I don't see that but that's not a bad thing. Also, maybe it's just me.
Thanks for clarifying that. I kind of agree with you that the map can be anarchic at times. There is a lot of vehicle combat which tends to be fast and explosive. I don't know if you tested V1 or V2, but V2 has added areas of stratgic value and wider corridors to encourage team tactics. I'm not sure that there are too many power weapons though. I think the amount is comparable to most BTB matchmaking maps. I'd like to see what other members think before I mess with the weapons.
I don't know which version I played but we had a good 5v5 match on this map last Friday night. Everyone liked it and that middle bridge/ramp section is really fun to do battle on. Warthogs ramping over Ghosts and infantry was a blast! We only played it once in the rotation but it was alot of fun! Good job on the map!
Thanks. It was version 2 we played on friday night. Funny that I never really intended the rocket road to serve as a ramp... it just turned out that way because of the height I needed to build the road and bases at to avoid grass poking through into the bases. Turned out well though as that jump does make for some cool moments. It also has the bonus effect of serving as a solid bit of cover from the snipers in the control room. I've just checked and I'm at 608 downloads and 24 likes, so I think I may actually have cracked a good BTB this time... HUZZAH!
That's exactly what I mean by competitive vs. casual. Big Team Battle is more casual/social gaming than, say, a 4v4 game.
Im really liking this map. It brings together wide open vehicle/precision weapon fights and close/mid range combat for a perfect BTB blend that all of the Bungie maps are missing. This kinda reminds me of waterworks from halo 2, wich was a great map ( alot better than hemorage or paridiso IMO). as far as complaints about vehicles and power weapons, i havent ran a 8v8 on here yet, but i think as long as the respawn times are 2-3 mins on each of them it should be fine. Keep up the good work!
I wanted to play this before commenting but my halo night tonight got canceled so I'm just going to comment on what I liked in forge before this gets buried. The building aesthetics are really nice. I like the three layered look you have going on with the exterior, it felt like I was walking into a building and not just a block pile. And the sharp cut you've got going on with the tunnel ceilings is good too, I love how that looks in game. I like maps like this that take one or two core ideas and focus just on them, I think it makes the map easier to pick up. The road you've got connecting the buildings is novel and fresh and the rest of the map looks like it does a good job supporting it. The buildings nicely straddle the line between complex and interesting. You've got a perfect amount of complexity going on with the interior, any more and it would've been too confusing. As it stands the buildings seem to offer lots of paths and options while still maintaining a pretty basic layout. So good job with that. This seems like an nice, focused, easy to learn big team map, which is pretty rare, so I appreciate that you made this.
Thanks very much for the positive feedback in the above posts. Before I made the first version of this map I gave a lot of thought to what was the core essence of the maps I enjoyed most in BTB. The answer was that BTB maps I enjoyed combine open fast open hoggin' areas with simple tunnel/room areas where alternative fighting styles would be required. I always liked the way rats nest combined the fast explosive action of the hogs on the outer road with the tight corridors and walkways to be exploited by infantry. I also attemped to make the buildings with multiple attack routes without being too mazey. The bases in standoff, for example, had lots of interesting methods of getting to the objective. The fact that you've both picked up on these intentions is great. Encourages me to make more.
Okay, I've recently been looking to get this map to MM quality. gameplay is spot on but one or two players reported slight frame rate issues in large games. Therefore, I've been busting a nut to further simplify the map. The aesthetics have taken a hit, but in three 8v8 games I've not had one report of even slight issues. Here is the link to the optimised version: http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=14941906&player=MrSaddo
From what I see, you have plenty of great ideas for map flow and control here. I'd be very interested in playing this; however, I never have a party big enough for BTB . I'll try to take a look around in Forge and give some feedback.
You made a good map and it looks good and I like how at the start you can jump in the hog and splatter N00BS and epicly T-bag. Also I like the big bases and they are pretty hollow so some nade fests can explode in these places. you made a good map and make some maps like this in the future
This map looks simple but very nice....the overall layout is simple but works but a closer look of the map shows that the map has a nice aesthetic value to it...the map also centers its self to the center of the map with a constant push and pull factor...this map look like a nice and fun btb to play on...
Once again, an awesome BTB map! My only problem with this is that there seems to be no really good path for spartans to take between bases. Vehicles shouldn't have an issue, but players on foot have to go through a bit of a no-mans-land area. Maybe it plays better in that respect. The rest of the map looks amazing, a nice blend of vehicle and on foot areas. Just wondered why there was no specific on foot area in the middle.
Crossing the middle on foot is tough for sure. Running across solo is unlikely to succeed. The other team need to be surpressed, especially anyone in the upper window. There is enough cover to make a co-ordinated fighting advance, but its definitely not possible to just sneak across to the enemy base (without camo).