Three and a half Questions: 1) Is there a preferred ratio of respawn points to initial spawn points? For example, for every 4 Initial Spawns, should I have 6 respawns? 2) Is there a way to set up a map to detonate fusion coils and destroy a vehicle as soon as the map loads in Custom Games or matchmaking? 3) If I want to set up a map for multiple game types (like SWAT, Slayer, Assault CTF), can I put in all the necessary items in during "Basic Editing" and set them to be game specific, or do I need to change the editing option to each gametype (instead of Basic Editing, switch it to Assault or CTF) and then add the necessary items in? Also, is there a guide on here detailing how to create a CTF and/or Assault map like the one available for Invasion? Thank you for the help!!
First to answer your question, there is no "preferred ratio" between the two. Now to explain. Initial spawns are named exactly as they function. The only thing they do is designated the spot players will spawn at in the beginning of the game. They are only used that one time, so your minimum requirement for these should be the maximum amount of players your plan to have in your game at once. You can always add more than that if you want to randomize where players will start the game at. A respawn points main function is to designate a spot for a dead player to respawn at. They also will function as initial spawns in the beginning of the game if you have more players present than initial spawns. The question you should be asking is what is the preferred ratio of respawn points to players, to which I would answer at least 5, depending on how well your spawn zone system is set up. If you don't know anything about spawn zones, read this. Yes there is. A simple way to do this (assuming you have a high enough ceiling), is to build a platform a good deal above the spot you want them to detonate at, set the explodable objects on top, then delete the platform without touching the objects on top. In forge mode they will float in mid air, but when the game starts they will drop, and assuming you positioned the platform high enough, explode upon impact with the ground. While they won't explode the second the game starts, players will not be able to notice due to the fact that there is a five second loadout camera at the beginning of every game. By the time this camera expires, the objects will have already hit the ground and exploded. You can place all the hills, capture plates, and flag stands necessary for all game modes while in basic editing, but you cannot edit their labels. In order to set up each game mode you must load the map in a forge lobby under the gametype you wish to set up, and then you will be able to give labels to the hills, capture plates, and flag stands you set up previously. CTF and assault are quite simple to set up, a list of the required objects for each game mode can be found here. Just click on the spoiler tab and it will tell you what you need.
Next Question - when I put the map I make into Custom Games, no matter the game type, the player always "fell to his death." Player doesn't get to move or do anything, whether in or outside a safe spawn. Any ideas?
You've probably added a Safe Zone somewhere on the map and forgoten about it. Safe Zones are the things right above Kill Zones in your menu, and they have an inverse effect, which is to say that anything outside of a Safe Zone is treated as a Kill Zone. If you have a Soft Safe Zone for example, anyone outside of it will get a ten-second countdown to get back in. They're often used as a safegaurd to make sure players can't find some way to get past any Kill Zones covering a map, but they can cause a lot of trouble for new forgers who don't know what they do. To delete the Safe Zone just spawn another one and use the Delete All option.
so how do you use safe zones (along with killzones)? I made mine into a box that covers the entire map inside a killzone that covers the entire map.
The point of a safe zone, is that everywhere outside of it is OUT OF BOUNDS or instant death, depending on whether it was a safe zone or a soft safe zone. Just cover the intended playing area with one safe zone, and you're done. No kill zones required.
So why do the default Forge World maps have Safe zones and Kill Zones if I only need one large safe zone?
The Safe Zone defines the outer limits or the general shape of the play area, but you can use killzones to block off smaller areas you don't want players getting to, like the tops of buildings and such. Also, killzones override safe zones, which is why your players were dying instantly.
So now that I figured out the Killzone/Safezone thing, here's my next question: The map I'm working on is a multi-level (3.5 levels). I have 4 initial spawns on "Level 1" for Red and Blue each, and 4 initial spawns on "Level 2" for Red and Blue each. Is there a way to set it up so that in a 4v4 game, when players spawn at the start, they spawn on different levels randomly (say in Game 1, 4 players spawn on "Level 2;" Game 2, 2 players spawn on "Level 2" and 2 on "Level 1;" Game 3, 4 players spawn on "Level 1," and so on and so forth), instead of always in the same spot?
1) NO 2) Let me know if you figure it out. 3) NO, you need to select the game type to choose the labels. You can add all the objects in basic editing, but you cannot change the labels without selecting each game type first. My signature has a link to my tutorials, which talk about respawn zone and how to use them. they don't cover specifically CTF/Bomb, but they do talk about the strategy of setting up for team and objective maps. Once you understand the concepts, you will be able to answer your own questions better. for the last question you pose, from my tutorial: