Greetings. This is SweepsP2K, here with my newest linear infection map, Countdown to Destruction. It is my entry into the Hub of the Dead III contest, and may be one of the best maps I have made on Reach. It goes along with the gametype C2D. Story: Countdown to Destruction is set in a ruined city ravaged by natural disasters. High magnitude earthquakes have led to the release of an undead horde sealed away underground long ago. A group of soldiers, the last remaining survivors in the city, must hold off the horde for as long as they can. There is nowhere left to hide. Time is running out... Pics: Humans start here, a street in the heart of the city. A nearby military grade auto shop harbors useful vehicles. The street is blocked up ahead. After 60 seconds, more earthquakes cause the crates in the back to drop, opening a way into the sewers. The 2nd phase of the journey begins in the dreaded sewers. This phase is home to a hidden easter egg. If you find it, tell me what you think the reference is in the comments. The center path is primarily used by the warthog, should it make it this far. Zombies spawn in small rooms on the sides. At the other end of the sewer is the 2nd holdout area. Getting the rocket hog to this point is the key to survival. Humans resurface here, in a back alley. Cross through this basketball court to get to the final phase. This crevice is a great hiding spot for a lone survivor. The final phase, another street, with a derailed monorail train as its centerpiece. Humans can hold out on this high ground, but zombies will eventually flood out from the train tunnel to the left. Special thanks to: Minister Muffin HAggIS the 3rd xCHOBHAMx FlameFistsBoyd (For the car designs) Everyone else who helped me playtest and gave feedback. Achievements: I thought it would be fun to set a few map specific challenges for the player to complete. Here's my list of fake achievements for Countdown to Destruction. -Welcome to the Jam (15g) Kill an infected by bouncing a grenade off of the basketball hoop backboard. -Pretty in Purple (10g) Ride the purple mongoose from the first to the third phase. (It can be shot up the ladder out of the sewer) -Who put this here? (5g) Find the hidden rocket launcher in the first phase. -Secret (50g) Find the hidden easter egg in the sewers.
Ah, you used the gameplay from today. I am that ODST in the third picture. This map is awesome, love it. My favorite aesthetic is the basketballl field, never seen it before, original. People would think the rocket hog is overpowered, but it actually works quite well. So, awesome job man. (If you want you can add me, im Peter 700100. I dont know many people to play halo, besides that it would be awesome to play some customs sometime or whatever with halo PS : I think i found the secret achievement in the sewers (50G for me) But i cant tell i think, people have to found out themselves right? I like the achievements, really adds to the map. You have challenges for yourself to say so.
Thank you for the kind words, and I don't doubt you found the easter egg. It's not actually that hard to find; it's more about getting the reference. Still, now you have 50g of fake achievement points, which is a world record as of right now.
While I haven't played it I think it's awesome that you put in specific challenges. That is pretty sweet
I'll just copy my comment from the THFE forums: The map is pretty cool indeed, but the thing that bothers me is that except for some of the easter eggs and perhaps the basketball field, you didn't offer anything original. What distinguishes this map from any other linear map taking place in a city/sewers? What makes potential downloaders want to play this map more than other silimar maps? Keep in mind that originality isn't solely based on the location of the map. There are tons of ways you can put originality in your map, such as gametype customization or gameplay style. You should really try to focus on that, as it is essential to win the public and make them want your map.
I love the looks of this, with the cars, and the basketball court, but the train at the end, looks very unrealistic. It could look a lot nicer. Maybe add windows, or tracks on the bottom, or just something, to make it look better.
Well, I had never seen the street barricade I used on a map before, or the staircase buildings. I placed a rocket hog where there would usually be a regular warthog, and though there are many maps that take place in either a city or sewer, I rarely see a map with both. The goal here was to take a popular concept and put my own spin on it, and I think I did. I didn't make a custom gametype because I didn't have to, and the gameplay style isn't completely original, but I took a style and tried to use to its full potential. Also, with how long the game has been out, it's hard to make something completely original from any standpoint; that's what I aim to do in Halo 4. For now I am content with taking a style characteristic of Reach and making it in the best way possible. [br][/br]Edited by merge: Believe me I wanted to, but my budget is $0, and I couldn't cut enough corners to add all the details, so I left it alone.
Okay, I can see where you're coming from, but I have to disagree with this... ... It's hard, but definitely not impossible. I actually have quite a lot of ideas that weren't used yet in Reach (without trying to brag, don't get me wrong). However, because it's useless to forge another map in Reach with Halo 4 coming out in one month and I already made a map for the Hub of the Dead contest half a year ago (which is still not finished), I'm just going to forge them into actual maps in Halo 4. If you delete the 4 supports of your street barricade and replace them with one Ramp, Steep, you'll gain $150. And that's a ton.
That's a good point, but I don't even know what I would add to the train. Minion suggested tracks, but anything I would use would stick through the overhanging platform the train derailed from. Also, I do agree that there are original ideas left in Reach, and there always will be. Forge has nearly unlimited possibilities, but as I said this map wasn't meant to invent, but to perfect.
Im off to find that easter egg now also if you saw we uploaded emergency as a community feature and i mentioned this map in the commentary about how good it was lol