(WIP) Wendigo

As I'm getting this map out in the wild, tested and whatnot - I wanted to create a WIP thread for feedback from anyone who has been able to play it, so that hopefully I can get it polished and made into the "release" version that I'll post in the maps section eventually.



Wendigo is an inverse-symmetric map designed from the ground up with CTF in mind. It takes some thematic inspiration from Beaver Creek, but the map is an original design that keeps Halo 5's mechanics at the forefront.

Lore-wise, an electrical company has set up a power station in what natives consider to be a "cursed" canyon, whose inhabitants tend to turn on each other after an intense form of cabin fever drives them psychotic. Hence the name "Wendigo" - there is a real medical condition called Wendigo Psychosis that causes people to turn cannibalistic and eat each other. A thinly-veiled explanation for why there are two different-colored bases fighting each other in the middle of a canyon, but I digress.

The map itself features two bases, each of which has a basement, main floor, and roof. The bases are connected on the "main" level by a bridge, which in turn supports two massive electrical transformers. The wires on the transformers spark all over the place, and serve to provide a super-risky but fun "tightwire" route between the roofs of the bases. Mad props to @Red Paint's "Beyond" for inspiring me to include some dangerous wire-crossing shenanigans.

Sandbox-wise, a neutral weapon pad Sniper (180 sec) spawns on the bridge, with 2 plasma grenades. Below that, Active Camo spawns (120 sec), with 2 frag grenades. Each base has a 0-clip deletion Shotgun (60 sec), a disturbance Storm Rifle (30 sec), and 2 plasma grenades in the basement. The main levels have a 1-clip deletion Hydra (60 sec) and a disturbance Battle Rifle (30 sec). The rooftops have a disturbance SMG (20 sec) and 2 frag grenades. The back alleys behind each base have a deletion Mongoose (30 sec) and 2 splinter grenades.

Ideally, the map should be pretty easily readable and players should be able to learn the layout relatively quickly, as it's a pretty simple figure-8 configuration with some added depth in the form of skill routes, terrain height variation, and some key line-of-sight blockages. But I am by no means perfect, and I want you guys to tear this map to pieces. I made a quick preview video, so check it out!



Specific feedback I'm looking for is along the lines of:

• Weapon/vehicle/powerup choices, spawn rates, etc.
• Spawn point fairness
• Pathing clarity
• Engagement variation (is there a good mix of long-, mid-, and close-range fights?)
• Potentially needed line-of-sight blockages
• Exploitability/kill zones
• Forge quality (gaps, lighting, etc.)

Feel free to throw this map into your customs lobbies whenever you get the chance - it should play 4v4 and up pretty well (things might get hectic and heinous around 8v8 but, like Beaver Creek, it's designed to handle it). Cheers all!

 

v0.4 is ready for testing. Lots of changes have been made to hopefully fix most of the issues people had during last night's stream.

Changelog:

• Added rock arches on the lower path of the figure-eight; these totally block the lines of sight from the central bridge to the back bridges, and can be climbed up for a fast thrust+clamber route to each base's roof.
• Indented the cliffs near these rock arches, so that a sneaky outside path on each side provides two more obvious lanes to cross mid.
• Added additional wiring to the transformers to make tightrope crossing from roof to roof easier. Simply clamber up the generator on each roof to access an easy path across.
• Fixed a literal hole in the map spotted by @xxBRYTExx in our playtest this morning
• Switched Sniper Rifle for Railgun.

Next update will probably incorporate named location volumes and any other terrain/layout tweaks that crop up in future tests.