[justify]Another year, another map [mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/Spectre final/Spectre final - title2.jpg]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/Spectre final/Spectre final - title.jpg[/mouseoverimage] Silently watching over the sea awaiting an age that will never be... Although the most obvious source of inspiration for Spectre is Rat's Nest, the design of that map had little inluence until much later in the design. The initial inspiration for the map came rather from a section of Costal Highway to which it now bears little resemblance. Instead of the normal, open and interconnected playspace featured in most multiplayer levels, Spectre is centered around three paths connecting the bases at the ends and interconnected only minimally at the center. While the bases have no real base to defend, the array of braces along the front and steep ramps combined with the back ledge make the far back areas easy to hold down and generally safe for the home team. As a successor to Kiparis, Spectre features some of the same architecture and subtle elements of gameplay but the shape of the maps bring different overall strategies and skills into play. Spectre is a symmetrical map intended for full BTB parties. Battle centers on the three parallel paths across the map each increasing in the potential for a standoff closer to the ocean side. To keep things from turning into a complete standoff, each base is equipped with two warthogs, and a concussion rifle, plasma launcher, rocket launcher, and the powerful revenant lie in the center as rewards for those who push forward. Back in the bases a concussion rifle and fully loaded grenade launcher allow those who find themselves on the defensive some chance of survival. Mouseover the table for spawn time, location, and other details [table][td]Weapons [title=respawn time: 30 | spare clips: 2 | On the sides of the towers in each base]4 DMRs[/title] [title=respawn time: 30 | spare clips: 2 | Against the wall side top mid columns]4 Needle Rifles[/title] [title=respawn time: 30 | spare clips: 0 | At the edge of the top mid platforms]2 Plasma Pistols[/title][/td][td]Ordinance [title=respawn time: 60 | spare clips: 5 | On top of the ocean side towers]2 Grenade Launchers[/title] [title=respawn time: 60 | spare clips: 0 | At the end of the ocean side rim]2 Focus Rifles[/title] [title=respawn time: 60 | spare clips: 2 | Wall side bottom mid]1 Concussion Rifle[/title] [title=respawn time: 60 | spare clips: 0 | Top mid]1 Plasma Launcher[/title] [title=respawn time: 60 | spare clips: 1 | Ocean side bottom mid]1 Rocket Launcher[/title][/td][td]Equipment [title=respawn time: 30 | In the gap in the barriers in front of the towers]8 Frag Grenades[/title] [title=respawn time: 30 | On the edge of the top mid platforms]4 Plasma Grenades[/title] [title=respawn time: 30 | On the second floor of each tower]4 Health Packs[/title][/td][td]Vehicles [title=respawn time: 60 | In the base of each tower]4 Warthogs[/title] [title=respawn time: 60 | Wall side top mid]1 Revenant[/title][/td][/table]Spectre shines most for capture the flag with the flags positioned one the ledge in the back of each base. Assault objectives lie just below under cover of the arrays at the front of each base. Team slayer is of course supported along with Territories, Stockpile, Headhunter, and almost every other team based gametype. For anyone missing a few of the matchmaking standard Big Team Battle gametypes, they can be downloaded below in their original and title updated forms. [title=Team Slayer][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/1.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/1.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=Bro Slayer][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/1.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/1.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=Team Snipers][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/34.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/34.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=Elite Slayer][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/29.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/29.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=One Flag CTF][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/0.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/0.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=Capture the Flag][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/0.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/0.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=Territories][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/5.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/5.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=Assault][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=One Bomb Assault][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=Neutral Bomb Assault][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=Stockpile][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/11.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/11.png[/mouseoverimage][/title] [title=TU BTB Slayer][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/1.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/1.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU BTB Heavies][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/1.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/1.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU BTB Snipers][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/34.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/34.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU BTB Elite Slayer][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/29.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/29.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU Capture the Flag][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/0.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/0.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU One Flag CTF][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/0.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/0.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU Territories][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/5.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/5.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU Assault][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU Neutral Bomb Assault][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png[/mouseoverimage][/title][title=TU One Bomb Assault][mouseoverimage=https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/25717477/Halo Reach/gametype images small/6.png[/mouseoverimage][/title] Video courtesy of Psychoduck and The Halo Forge Epidemic. Layout images highlighting equipment placement are in the spoiler below. Action shots are in a slideshow. Spectre Spoiler Thanks to everyone who put up with the countless tests this went through over the past year. Including a certain crazy duck forcing me to finally post this.[/justify]
You did a good job with the presentation. I loved screwing around with the warthogs on this... But then again, with me, doesn't that apply to any map? :3 I do think I played one competitive game, or at the least caught the end of it. Glad to see it's finally up. Despite my disinterest in Btb customs, I know you've been working on this for a while and it's great that you're getting it out there. /advertising: You happy now? :3
Nice job Pyro, Spectre has always been a lot of fun as a big team map! I love how fun it is to be both in and out of vehicles, how you can push through and up into the bases up those brace large ramps, and how balanced the Revenant plays amid the hogs and multi-leveled structures. This is certainly on of the good ones when it comes to BTB. And by the way, are those game types you linked to TU? If they aren't I feel they should be, as it is easy to make non-TU game types but not TU. Edit: Ah, I see. Some are TU. If you posted a thread somewhere with all the TU game types for Download it would be very well received, because I still can't get TU 1 Bomb Assault, TU Territories, or TU KOTH.
Spectre is a welcome addition to the sadly lacking lineup of good BTB maps to play in Reach. The simple design combined with clean aesthetics and the uniqueness brought about by the inclusion of a revenant all serve to make games on Spectre quite a fun experience. The map is pretty conservative, not taking too many risks with combustible gameplay elements. Thusly, the map never had to undergo massive changes, and worked rather well from the very start. The sightlines now find themselves in great balance, as d the vehicles and weapons placed on the map. Perhaps most importantly of all, driving a 'hog on Spectre just feels great. This all factors in to the great experience that is playing on Spectre. Thanks for finally finishing this up, man.
It's hard to get the TU gametypes since it appears I'm the first one to compile them. I just got a game of BTB one flag last night so the only gametypes from that playlist I'm missing are one bomb, territories, and stockpile and knowing you it's probably the BTB gametypes you want most. I posted this compendium which has the majority of current TU gametypes. I think I have one for every gametype so you can change the settings of one from another playlist if necessary.
I pretty much concur with everything Ducky said. Very cleanly done and solid gameplay. It's a nice change from the usual "blocks in the gulch" BTB maps that we see all the time. Shamefully, the gray is something I feel compelled to gripe about... Couldn't let you off scott free here. Oh, and lightspeed glitching. Yay. Hopefully that'll be fixed in H4.
this map looks great! I love how all of the objects seem tilted, or curvy, and the water is incorporated in. The post is very well laid out as well, although you might want to add some pictures, instead of only a video. Also, nice job with getting so many compatible game types!
Try clicking that there spoiler button below the video. Pyro, we should do some customs some night with just the old set of BTB maps, basically Metropolis through Spectre/ Port Authority and all the ones we used to be testing day in and day out.
I think that the three paths were interconnected very well, and in an efficient (per space, including height) and interesting way; there wasn't too much space from which a player couldn't get from the bottom to the top or from the left to the right side (vice-versa) quickly. I was wondering what maps you were thinking of when you said "interconnected"- do you mean short travel times, or distinct covered paths from one side to the other? This efficient use of space/ division of sightlines in the center is what makes non-terrain BTB maps play well with limited resources. Congratulations on first in FH favorites! BTW, at what point did you come up with the elevated base/tower design? Was in it response to problems caused during playtests with less elevated/covered bases, or was it there from the start? I was wondering the same thing about the flag spawn location as well.
Finally this is a Forge Hub Fav ! Amazing looking map, the whole desing is pretty interesting , A good weapon choice that is matching with the map and the warthog spawn with the Avalanche lift desing just blow me away ! Keep on forging these Beauties map like you always made !