WIP = Battleroom

Starting this thread as a way to collect my ideas, feedback, etc.

I'm in the early process of developing a map based around the Battleroom from Ender's Game. I know I'm not the first to try this concept, but hopefully I can bring something new to the mix. Here are some of my preliminary ideas:

- the map will be focused around breakout, with slayer and oddball as secondary game modes.

- players spawn with a suppressor and a boltshot, to make tracking spartans easier

- spartans have 0% jump gravity, 150% jump height, 50% shields and infinite boosters

- power weapons on the map include a hydra, incineration cannon, needler , OS and a phaeton. Weapons will likely have to be adjusted for balance in breakout later.

Once I move past the blockout / proof of concept stage, I'd like to work on scriping objects to appear and disappear that change the layout of the map. This could either be done on a round by round basis, or it could be activated by players. One idea suggested by @Sn1p3r C in another thread was to have a doorway that has to be opened at the start of each round. The doorway could have three switches in front of it - pressing one despawns the other swiches and spawns one of three options for a map layout. If each team had access to this for each side of the map, then there would a variety of possible layouts for each round.

Another option, which is probably more acheivable, is to have the level change from round to round. For example, the first round would be totally empty, the second would have layout A, the third would have layout B, the fourth would have layout C and then the fifth could be empty again but with a phaeton in the middle.

Either way, I'm hoping to build something into that changes the strategy of the level as the game goes on. We'll see how it shakes out. Here are some pictures of the blockout I have so far:

Spoiler: Images - First Blockout

 

PREPARE YOURSELVES!!!

It's been a while since I updated this. I took a break from working on it since custom games were buggy in the latest update. It seems like this issue has been solved however, so I've jumped back in and redone the entire level. This current version looks a lot more spiffy and has a few cool gameplay improvements.

In addition to being made of cool looking breakout blocks, this version has a central pillar which breaks up the line of sight down the middle. Red and blue teams spawn in contained bases on either side of the sphere, and two platforms in the middle house an Overshield and a Damage Boost as well as an assortment of weapons. Both powerups are active in Slayer only, and despawn at the start of the match. After the match starts, OS spawns in on 2 minute intervals and the DMG boost on 3.

The pillar houses a lift that takes you to an upper 'solar system' room. This room hosts a SAW in Slayer mode, and the flag in Breakout.

One of the biggest improvements to this design is that the curvature of the walls and pillar always keep you moving when you hit them. If you run out of ground pound and can't get down, simply boost to the side of the level and the walls will help you out.

Check out the images and video for a peek of me playing against some randoms:

Spoiler: Images

Walkthrough:


Slayer sample video:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-5-guardians/xbox-one/game-clips?page=1&gamertag=Pat Sounds#ugc_halo-5-guardians_xbox-one_gameclip_Pat Sounds_c0309664-dc25-4d98-860e-aeca87361ad4

Fiesta sample video:

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-5-guardians/xbox-one/game-clips?page=1&gamertag=Pat Sounds#ugc_halo-5-guardians_xbox-one_gameclip_Pat Sounds_c5db4ef8-1fed-477e-a253-6a73e3742918

I currently have the map set up for Breakout, Slayer, Assault and Fiesta. I'm hoping to get some more legitimate tests on the map soon. So far it's been very entertaining!

 

Here are a few more sample clips. Both are 1v1 tests so the action is slow moving, but they give you an idea of weapon placement / layout. I'm still waiting to get a proper match on this map.

Slayer:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-5-guardians/xbox-one/game-clips?page=1&gamertag=Pat Sounds#ugc_halo-5-guardians_xbox-one_gameclip_Pat Sounds_b382c9f3-ad98-466d-b663-251b3db0c3a3

Breakout:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-5-guardians/xbox-one/game-clips?page=1&gamertag=Pat Sounds#ugc_halo-5-guardians_xbox-one_gameclip_Pat Sounds_f3436d20-092a-49ca-b986-c65eb10e1ec3

And here's some 2v2 action:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/...t Sounds_075d11e4-20ff-4440-a5f7-c770c17e1a41

 

Made some more modifications based on early testing:

- Switched to Hydra / rifle starts
- Needler / pistol starts for breakout
- Removed damage boost, replaced it with a Binary Rifle
- Modified bases to tunnels beneath for flags / objectives
- Removed the shield doors in favor of a metal door and made the opening smaller. The shield doors provided a safe spawn area but encouraged camping.
- Added respawns throughout the map
- Added two banshee rooms accessible via teleporters. I'm working on getting the Banshees to spawn in at 3 minutes only in slayer and CTF modes

In addition, I've started working on an Assault / Basketball hybrid game called "Graffball":

-Hoops spawn near the bases with capture points
- Players get 2 points for a carried delivery and 3 points for a thrown delivery.
- Needler / plasma pistol starts, no other weapons on the map
- First team to 15 wins
- It's basically griffball in space

Here some new-ish images:

Spoiler: Images

And a few more gameplay clips (with an now obsolete weapon set):

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-5-guardians/xbox-one/game-clips?page=1&gamertag=Pat Sounds#ugc_halo-5-guardians_xbox-one_gameclip_Pat Sounds_e34a94d2-aeb9-43fa-abe7-6c42f4eee5a7

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-5-guardians/xbox-one/game-clips?page=1&gamertag=Pat Sounds#ugc_halo-5-guardians_xbox-one_gameclip_Pat Sounds_36ba666b-495e-4978-8a4b-53b042c3e40e

 

Yeah I'll have it ready for Friday. Unfortunately there's a bug in the game where the custom game type doesn't apply when you have a large lobby, so I'll have it in the 4v4 section of the night. Once the bug is fixed I'd like to see how it plays in 8v8...

I'm still fine tuning the weapon set - Sentinel beams would be really good fit for it if we had them. The SAW is working really well, but I'll see how the Binary Rifle plays out. Since the map has so little cover there's nowhere to hide from it, but it does require a bit of skill to hit with.

The only issue I've run into with Fiesta so far is that sometimes you get stuck with a shitty weapon and it becomes really hard to get kills until you die and re-spawn. That's probably the nature of fiesta, but it's exaggerated with the zero g physics. I'll probably turn weapon spawns back on for this mode to compensate.

Breakout is kinda interesting because you really have to work for the kills. Players stay alive more and rounds last longer.

Next on the docket is to set up CTF and strongholds modes, then this one will be close to finished.

Here's a link to the map and the Slayer gametype in case anyone wants to poke around on their own time:

Map:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/...t Sounds_2a56d09f-ba82-4634-bea2-b531f2dda41b

Slayer Gametype:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/...t Sounds_3a38f57d-cdb8-4fa8-a633-6d922a53c0d7

 

Here's another gameplay video. There's still a bug with custom games so I still haven't a full player count without some people being sumos. Here's a sample of gameplay before we realize a few people can't fly and end the game:



If 343 can fix the bug in the next update, we'll be in business. The map seems to play pretty well when it's working. Just a few more things need to be ironed out and I'll be ready to call this one done.