I am updating this thread with version 5, which is still a forge in progress. Airlock is a space station that is totally enclosed. all 100 pieces of the Impact palette are used, and version 4 of the map on my FS is setup for Oddball, CTF, Slayer, and KOTH, but it is not finished yet. It is functional with ordinance drops and spawning and flags, ball, etc., but I want to add more decor and some ramps or crates to jump up on or duck behind. This map is large enough for 6v6 and I suspect a comfortable 8v8 as well. See the entire Photo Album for version 4 here... I am updating with version 5 pics here... The space station is perfectly symmetrical. The spacious interior is made up of Ts and Corridors, transforming the tubes into wide rooms to dance inside of. This is the version 5 red base with flag. I added ramps around the outer edge of the base and raised the center of the base as well. More ramps near the outer edge of the red base... I used 1x1 and 1x1 shorts as crates because there were not a lot of scenery crates to fill out the halls. I wanted to give the feeling we saw on Andromeda (H3) with cluttered corridors and loose wires both hanging from the ceiling and laying on the floor. In version 5 I removed the reduced gravity across the map and leave them only in the areas where you can jump up to the next level - at the open airlocks and in the core rooms (v4 pic).
The whole 'reactor room-low grav' thing reminds me of... whatever it's called from Reach. Overall I think it looks good and I like the symmetry style. Also the floor-changing style is nice. That said, I don't think an ENTIRE map being low-grav will be very well received. Not that the idea is bad, it can certainly be fun for minigames and non-competitive gametypes and players, but for those who play primarily slayer (like myself) or things that are specifically not slayer or objective (also me, though I obviously don't avoid slayer)... this map is not particularly fitted to either case. But I like it anyway.
Even though there will probably be countless maps that use these Impact corridors, I really like the layout from what I can see. Even though the layout is pretty good, the lack of creative forging with objects other than prefab buildings will probably raise some issues with hardcore forgers. Its your map and I think you should make it the way you want to regardless of what I or anyone else thinks. I agree with Rethal about the low gravity throughout being a problem. Its in space, I get that, but its an enclosed space station-type map where you would think the gravity would be normal. Again, that's your call. I realize this is a map preview and that you will probably be doing more to the map. A few suggestions: 1. You need some structures in these long corridors to break up the ridiculously long lines of sight. Maybe some low, ramped platforms in the centers of the corridors. Whatever it is, there needs to be more cover. 2. This seems like a good map to put mongooses (mongeese?) and probably a couple of warthogs. This has a Rat's Nest feel to it with the big open corridors and vehicles would probably work very well. Like I said, I really like the layout of the map, it looks like it would flow well. I wish 343 would get their act together so I could download this when its finished.
I will be removing the low gravity across the map except for the two core rooms and the four open airlocks. I mentioned that I need to fill out the empty spaces. I began last night adding decor, such as crates. The problem is that there is something like 10 or 12 crates total. I am using 1x1s and their shorts for most of my crates through some of the boringly long corridors. I agree with you I think that this can play like rats nest. Perhaps instead of low gravity and the core object in the core room I should put a bridge and a grav lift? You can do a FS search with my gamer tag and DL it now. It is currently "Airlock.4"
looks pretty good so far. Its a shame there isnt more unique forging though, it seems that most of the map is made from default pieces. When the fileshares come online and there is an influx of maps there will be numerous maps on impact which utilise the the corridior pieces. I feel its important to add unique features to help the map stand out from them.