Map: Updraft Feedback: I'm not too worried about the aesthetics at this point. I had an idea for a layout that could work for Smackdown without the radar being too revealing, so right now I'm more interested in how it plays. Notes: There are two Sprint AAs at the Top section of each side to promote faster gameplay, but I'm worried it might be too much. Sniper spawns 120 sec in, CP spawns at 180 Edit: Upated link with the most current version, if you already downloaded it it's fine though, I just made a few aesthetic changes
So I have a couple other designs to try out. They're pretty plain atm, but I'll jazz them up once I have a better idea how they play. Map: Liar's Retreat (Album) Feedback: Everything. This is a completely new design, and I really need an unbiased perspective to help me decide which direction to go. Map: Powerhedron (Album) Feedback: This one might be a little weird. It's Octagon inspired. It's basically an Octagon map with a big crate in the middle and simple height variation. I built this a long time ago on a whim, and reworked it now that I have a better idea what I'm doing. As for what feedback I need.. is this any more tolerable than a standard octagon map? lol
Map: Reactor Feedback: Review all of it please, I just want to improve the map to be the best it can be.
Submissions after this post will be in the feedback after the next. Expect the next feedback Monday or Tuesday.
Map: Vapor Lock (In Signature) Feedback: On Other map too.. Mach Snell Notes: Looking to get advise on map layout and power weapons
All the maps are located in the first link, so I won't bother hyper linking all of them. Map: Pit Fall Feedback on: Overall flow and gameplay. The map was a big step in the experimental direction, so I'm still trying to get a broader view on how it's viewed. Map: Whiteout Feedback on: Balance, flow, and spawns mainly. The map uses the concept of having the 2 power ups in the center of the map with one directly above the other, but most of the time never obtainable at the same time. Map: Zen Feedback on: Balance and spawns mainly. This map is pretty different, and marks a noticeable shift in my design techniques to something I had never tried before that is present in Pit Fall as well; a single, relatively large room that's segmented and broken up with different floors and platforms, no large walls, no transition hallways, just an open air aggressive control design. This map is fast paced, so don't go into it expecting a Sequence. Map: Luca Feedback on: Performance, spawns, weapon layout and overall playability. It's a circular map, so the flow should be readily apparent, but is broken up by a lift placed in the center hub of the map. There's a concussion rifle jump spot (it's spawn location) to get up onto a higher counter position to the high catwalk, but I'm not sure if this is the best use of that space. I've been thinking of adding a lift up to it instead and cutting the concussion rifle. Map: The Gauntlet Feedback on: Flow, weapon layout, size and everything. This map steps out on a limb for the most part, with very large, yet segregated height variations and a man cannon the bottom of the map that launches you across the map onto the top floor, leaving you exposed for a long period of time. The weapon layout isn't final, since it still has an evade pick-up, but I'd appreciate feedback on it nonetheless.
I'm gonna go ahead and split your submissions into two feedbacks; three in the one after the next and the other two in the feedback after that. Just trying to be fair to everyone else.
@ Nexn I recently played several 1v1's on Zen, against different players. A few games were against a better player and another few were against a similarly skilled player. I think the weapon set could be shuffled around for better gameplay. As is, it seems difficult for the down player to turn the tides of the game because of the map's verticality (radar doesn't help either). The GL on the ramp is a little too far to pick up and even then it is a very long range shot to a player situated on the high ground. The teleporter receiver is a grenade trap and is also predictable and vulnerable. The camo would be useful if there was no radar. I think the GL on the ramp could be replaced with something that can more quickly engage a player on the high ground, like a Sniper Rifle or the Focus Rifle you have. It takes too long to wield the GL and even longer for the grenade to reach it's target. The CPU would give players coming out of the teleporter an edge and would also pull players off the high ground in a different way, but there's not much risk in acquiring it if it were near the receiver. It would also be useful where the Camo is to give players an extra layer when approaching the high ground and would likely be used up by the time he got there. Also, that one spawn point above the 2-notch man cannon should be deleted. I spawned in view of my opponent several times while his shields were still recharging. It's the most powerful spot on the map. I love the map. It's a great design and promotes aggressive gameplay. To be honest, it's inspiring really. I just think that the power weapons and power ups could be re-done to offer more game changing scenarios.
Landing Bay Landing Bay boasts some unique aesthetics. The Pelican for instance, is a nice touch even if it looks somewhat crudely made. It served as a nice landmark for the map, as well as a nice play space to fight over. Another aesthetic feature that I enjoyed was the round structure made from XL inclines, 2x4's and windows. It just looked nice and I enjoyed the fact that you could see rocks on the other side of the windows. Some pieces throughout out the map could have been replaced with nicer looking textures and I noticed some z-fighting on the middle floor. All in all though, Landing Bay has a unique aesthetic that I have never seen in a 1v1 map, and the open air style it contains is a nice feature. Landing Bay was definitely way too large for a 1v1 map. That, along with it being symmetrical, made this seem like it would fit better as a 2v2 map. The spawning was also static (each player spawns on there side every time) so a very skillful player could spawn trap there opponent by sitting on top of the pelican with a sniper. This brings me to my next complaint: the snipers have too much ammo. Reduce each one to one clip so they aren't so overpowered. Another thing that was too strong was the evade. It provides way too much mobility and speed for the player that has it. In my opinion a Jetpack would be much better choice as it would provide the player access to higher levels, but he would be extremely vulnerable. The last issue I have are the pillars. Players could easily evade their opponents if they were injured by circling around the collumns, since radar is ever-present. Good luck in the contest. Legacy Legacy has some decent aesthetics. Everything looks neatly forged and cleanly put together. While the map is not totally visually impressive and unique, it definitely doesn't look bad. I just wish that you would have branched out and provide some more originality, especially since this is a 1v1 map and you have plenty of budget to use. There just is not anything that stands out to me as being cool. Due to Legacy's size, engagements were fast-paced and fun. While the map is very simple, it provided some decent gameplay and an intense match. The biggest problem was the lack of movement to the bottom ring of the map, as there was basically no incentive to go there. We couldn't find any power weapons, so it'd be a good idea to add one to the bottom area so players have a reason to venture there. The last problem I found was with the pistols. They were surprisingly powerful without bloom and they spawned way too fast. They were much more useful than the DMR because of the map's small size. I'm not saying you should delete them, just increase the spawn time. Garden Like with your map Legacy, Garden did not prove to have much originality in regards to aesthetics. The only real unique feature of this map are the pillars that jut out of the wall. While this does increase the map's character, it was not enough. Like I said with Legacy though, the map is cleanly forge and looks good overall. Garden was a little boring to play on. There was very little height variation, and the height variation that was present was very insignificant. I believe that if you add more variation to the z-axis of the map, it will do wonders and make it much less stale to play on. Another thing was with the crate structures that you had. While they were cool, they allowed players to escape their deaths by running in circles around them. Lastly, we had no reason to go to the lower portions of the map, more specifically the middle. I think that the addition of a powerup would give players a reason to go there. Allure I really enjoyed much of the aesthetic features of Allure. I thought the custom powerup holder was awesome, and the tactical jump up to the Grenade Launcher was clever. I also enjoyed the amount of blue that was present throughout the map as it gave it some great color. The rocks that were on the map were also showcased very well. My only aesthetic complaint is that there is framerate lag when looking out into the map from active camo spawn. I bet you could easily fix this or at least tone it down so it is not as noticeable. Other than that, Allure looks awesome aesthetically. I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing on Allure. It was a nice size, and the weapons and powerups balanced out nicely. I loved all of the height variation throughout as this caused for some interesting engagements. I also liked the man cannon/teleporter gadget, but the problem was it failed to work most of the time. My opponent and I had to jump to get out of the room we were stuck in. I'm guessing the problem with it was the teleporter wasn't low enough, so it should be an easy fix. My last complaint was that it was sometimes a little easy for players to run away if a battle wasn't going their way. My only suggestion to maybe solve this would be to open up some of the lines of sight, making it harder for your enemy to run to cover. Updraft Updraft is a clean map. Most of the map uses appealing textures that work well together overall. Other than the cleanliness of the map though, Updraft is fairly dull. It just doesn't bring much originality and uniqueness to the table. It is just a boring map to look at, but I think you might be able to alleviate most of the problem. You should open up the map and let players see what is outside so it feels less cramped. The removal of some of the roof could be nice too. Overall you just need to add some aesthetic flair that makes the map yours. Updraft didn't yield the best gameplay. Engagements consisted of my opponent running away from me, and this was because of two reasons. The first was because of sprint. It just is not a good choice for such a close-quartered map. The other reason was because of how segmented the map was. It allowed players to easily get around corners before they could be killed. I did however think the weapon set was perfect and balanced. Just address those problems you should have a solid map. Liar's Retreat I enjoyed how airy and crisp the map felt since the map is mostly composed of natural terrain. I also like how the walls made out of XXL Platforms were colored to form a pattern, although I'm not sure why you made blue's side colored two shades green while red's side was gold and red. It didn't look right to have one side have two completely different colors while the other was just made from two very similar colors. In my opinion, you should make blue's side colored blue and gold and keep red's side the way it is. My only other complaint is that some of the structures were lacking in creativeness. Since this is a 1v1 map, I think you should come up with your own structures rather than place down a few modified building pieces. I liked the fact that the map was open, so it was impossible to run away, but it I think it might have been a little too open. The map had massive lines of sight from end to end, and sometimes this caused some spawn killing. I just thought that the map was lacking a little in paths to choose. My opponent and I fought in the middle every single time. For some reason the cave was underutilized, and my guess would be that it wasn't very obvious for players. Weapons worked well, but unfortunately the hologram is going to have to go. I recently learned that hosts see the hologram as a red dot, while the other player sees it as a gray dot. I hate that it has to go because hologram is awesome. Powerhedron Being a non-Forge World map with limited pieces, I'm site it was difficult for you to come up with aesthetics. However, I thought camo's spawn looked neat, and was surprised to see that the tube matched so well with the powerup. The only problem that I managed to find was with the the two Traxus crates that were used for blocking off the map. I feel like you could've have placed those in a neater manner. While Powerhedron was somewhat fun to play on, it was much too small. Spawn killing is evident, especially when one player is on top of the central crate. Even if the plasma coil is on top of it sometimes, that position proved to be too advantageous. Also, it is essentially impossible to come up with a strategy with a map so small. The only thing you could do was try and take control of the central crate. While this could be a good warm-up arena, it just doesn't work well for true competitive play. Reactor Overall, Reactor failed to have much aesthetic appeal. Textures were used poorly, and the map was extremely grey. Everything looked poorly merged together, and the FX made the map feel 'cheap.' You just need to pick objects that work well together rather while thinking about how you can make it look more professional. You also need to figure out how to open the map up in some areas, giving players a view of some sort will make the map much more appealing. Just work on it, and you'll get it in no time. I commend you for trying something new by making the most of the map built at an angle, but it just didn't work. The player that was higher up always had an advantage over the lower one. This simply made battles terribly frustrating and annoying. Also, the structures throughout the map looked and felt random. This map needs a large overhaul if you want it to go far. Good luck.
Thanks for the feedback cluck! You're completely right about opening it up with windows and open ceilings and adding more aesthetic touches. That's the first thing on my to do list for this map. I was mainly concerned with how it played with Smackdown, which unfortunately is not what I was hoping. After several tests I think the layout lends itself more to a 2v2 than 1v1, would you agree? Also, if I do submit this for the contest after some tweaks, Sprint will most likely not be a pick-up. You are definitely right about it aiding the escape factor. Thanks again man!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. As for the buildings, I was just playing with their geometry, and that's when I came up with this. I'm thinking of adding to them a bit more instead of replacing them. As for the colors, it's supposed to be green/gold, but I was just screwing around. I'll see about coming up with a less distracting pattern. As for the openness, I think I'll try some sort of LoS blocker at mid. Maybe a rock formation of some description. I might throw a light ball or two in the cave to draw focus. Maybe a couple more spawns too. As for hologram, I expected it to be ignored as relatively useless and just serve as a pretty aesthetic feature. Did you find the hammer? And of course, do you haz vidz? I expected as much. How was spawning for you? I think I need to put an anti zone on the ledge that leads to the toilets. The crates are jammed in there. I can try to improve it, but, well - try it in forge lol - they really don't fit there. Do you think I should cut access to the top of that crate? I wasn't sure if I should or not. But yeah, glad you somewhat enjoyed it lol On to my next topic; remember Graphene? Well, I tried a 1v1 on it, and it was... interesting. Anyhow it got me thinking, which got me forging, and two hours later, this was what I ended up with. Mind taking a look and giving me your thoughts? It's set up for 1v1-2v2 TS. The object usage is still pretty rough, but I intend to clean that up. Like all the coli-walls. So ya - a 4th rebuild of that design. In Alaska now.
Thank you very much for the feedbacks Cluck. I just wanted know, did you noticed that there was a health pack and a plasma pistol at the bottom ring on Legacy ? There is a sniper rifle on each map too (Garden and Legacy). And i'd like to have videos, if possible.
@cluck. Wow, thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it, but can you specify which area to open up?
That is really up to you to be honest. I couldnt pinpoint an area, sorry. As for the videos, I'm not too sure that I still have them. I tested all but one yesterday and have played many games since. I'll make sure to check for those of you that asked. By the way, I will not be accepting anymore submissions after the 25th, so hurry up and submit whatever you have! [br][/br]Edited by merge: We weren't able to find a sniper rifle on Legacy... We did find the PP and Health Pack, but it didn't make us want to go down there.
The sniper rifle is at the opposite side of the Health pack. It works with drop spawn, it has so certainly disappeared, but it spawns every 2 minutes. And of course the bottom ring is not very used, but imagine if I put a grenade launcher instead of the PP, people will go there to take the weapon and will go again at the top. The bottom ring is like the r2 or r1 on zealot, it may help you to avoid an ennemy, but it is not an area where you stay a whole game, for sure !
Not saying that you should stay there, but even on Zealot you have to go onto the bottom floor sometimes, whether it is the evade danger or flank. On this though, the bottom ring was barely traveled on.
Is this still going? If so, I've updated my maps and hopefully resolved the various issues you highlighted. Liar's Retreat Powerhedron Graphette [New!]
Yeah it is, I should have everything done on the 25th. And a reminder to everyone else, I will not be accepting any maps past the 25th.
Map: Extrinsic Link: File Share Halo Official Site Feedback On: Spawning, weapon choice/placement, and overall gameplay mainly. But I would appreciate any other feedback you can give.