This looks really unique. Im gonna have to see how you made the middle bridge and probably steal it! Anyways, this looks fantastic. Your style is very refreshing and I enjoy just looking at the map. Keep it up!
@Xandrith - Thanks man! I really went all out with teleporter frames as you can prob notice @Yah biish - Much appreciated! @SPAiED - Thank ya! I always try my hardest to make the map as clean as possible. In fact I spend way too much time on things nobody will notice! It feels great to be back in the forging community!
This is a solid design. There really aren't any major flaws with the map. My feedback may very well sound like nitpicking, and well...it is. There were so many good maps submitted to the 1v1 contest, that if often came down to minor issues to separate them. What I like: - Lots of minor height variations - Asymmetry - The whole center of the map What I don't like - Cover on the bridge at top mid - made for awkward, unnecessarily prolonged battles. - Weapon set - Minor complaints...OS is fine, though it could probably spawn a bit faster. Also would've liked a Sniper on the map somewhere. Brute shot is deadly on this map - Overall pace and variety of play - All of the matches I played on here were relatively slow, with the vast majority of the battles taking place in the center of the map. This ties into my next point... Weapon placement - with the only two power items both spawning in the center of the map, there were hardly any battles around the exterior portions. I think placing a power item on each side (Sniper on one side, OS on another?), with a third in the center would be good. It would force battles to take place in multiple sections of the map. A third power item would also increase the frequency of encounters, especially if they each spawned on different timers (60, 90, and 120 seconds?). - Orientation - Despite what I said in a different thread, I didn't experience any difficulty in seeing players, or any problems with depth perception. However, I did have trouble orienting myself within the map, just because every area looks similar. The one side of the map is slightly less enclosed. I think opening it up even more (eliminating exterior walling) would make it easier for players, especially when they're first learning the map. Finally - I hate to say this because I kind of like the theme, but the 'ferns' look really strange. They all look like they have lights emanating out of them, lol. I wonder if you could fix that by having them spawn a few seconds late? I realize I typed way more on the 'don't like' section, but it's not because I didn't like the map. I like the map, and I think some minor changes could result in a major improvement in how it plays.
It is nice to get feedback from the 1v1 contest results, though I can't help but wonder why adjustments couldn't have been made. I know the announcement thread for the contest stated that small tweaks to the maps could be made by judges to improve gameplay, such as weapons or spawn times and such. So even if weapons and times suited the gameplay that was desired, the map still wouldn't be a contender due to the flow towards the center of the map. Personally, once I got the map to what it is today, I didn't think gameplay was centered in the middle. At least thats what my testing sessions proved, but then again everybody plays differently. So, with that being said, I want to bring up Fair and Square... gameplay on that map seemed to be head to the top platform connected to the hallway. Basically wait for the opponent to show up, kill him, drop down to grab sniper, and hop right back up. Then if the person sitting up there were to die, the killer would then take that position. Essentially playing a game of KOTH. I understand the points you are making Chunk, and they help me get a little better insight into what is expected, but at the same time, the winners of the contest seem to have just as big issues. I'll try to wrap this up quickly.. I just stated my opinion on F&S, but Welkin has a plasma pistol on it... a plasma pistol..? In this engine? Even THFE video shows how bad of a decision that is. 4 kills in a row because the plasma pistol magnetism is so strong its essentially an instant kill for 1v1 matches. Even more if you don't die while holding it. Now, if you swear the weapon was balanced on the map somehow, then that means the testing session wasn't taken seriously; at (1:27 - 1:33) You are getting shot at relentlessly and dont pay any attention to it... But however if you were in fact running away, and the session was taken seriously, then the players testing were not balanced. You were getting bent over in that match... The whole thing just bugs me so much. I don't want to come across as just angry I didn't win, because that is not the case. I did not think the positions were "Fair & Square". If those 3 maps HAD to be the winners, I would've perfered that the order went like this. 3rd. Fair and Square 2nd. Welkin (minus the plasma pistol) 1th. Sycamore Again that is only if those 3 maps were the absolute best after tweaking. PHEW. That was a lot to type. Now lastly, I'm glad you understood they were supposed to be ferns, as some people asked why the palm tress were so little... (Facepalm) I guess I don't feel as though all maps entered were considered to be tweaked to optimize gameplay, as the results happened rather quickly. But I'm done ranting.
Just found this map. I really enjoyed the three games I played. I agree with what Chunk said regarding the orientation. Personally, I didn't have TOO much of a problem with it. I was able to differentiate the areas from each other in my second game but the two different people I played with both complained about having trouble orienting themselves. I also don't think the ferns look strange. They're a nice aesthetic. However, in one of the main "bases", there is a teleporter frame that sticks out too much allowing people to hide behind it and it's really hard to spot them because the ferns are blocking them from view. I'm pretty sure this is unintentional so I figured I'd let you know. Lastly, I'd prefer if you lowered the ferns so that it's easier to spot anyone who decides to camp and hide behind them.
Its nice to get feedback on older maps, makes me feel like the community is back again. Much appreciated Zan!