[WIP] Highly Technical

Highly Technical is a symmetrical 4v4 map set in an underground facility housing a large missile ready for launch. The name is a play on rocket science being complicated and the map being significantly tall (at least in comparison to what I typically make). I'm also a sucker for two-word map names.

As a forger, I have three main barriers I don't typically let myself break: for a long time I have not made a map intended to play games larger than 2v2, I have not made a symmetrical map, and I have not made a map with more than three significant tiers. With Highly Technical, I set out to break all three.

The initial idea was to design a CTF map where the flags were physically right next to each other with a window between them (think: Isolation), forcing you to pull the flag out and around to get a capture rather than straight across the map. This guided me in the design fairly well as I tried to make the routes that were longer (further away from the center of the map where the flags are) safer than their shorter brethren. Well, as much as I like this idea still, it won't work on this map because you retain all of your movement options in the form of spartan abilities while carrying the flag. I didn't know this until I had built a good chunk of the map, so I decided to keep the same objectives-right-next-to-each-other-with-a-window-in-between idea, but apply it to Strongholds instead of CTF.

In the following two pictures you can see the rocket in the main atrium, as well as a jump from the fourth tier to an exposed ledge boasting an Incendiary Cannon.




When adding my fourth tier, breaking my three tier limit, I kind of wussed out. Here you can see that the top tier is pretty disconnected from the lower tiers. This is why I hesitated to call the map vertical, because while it is tall, I don't think the top level will interact with the lower ones much at all.


The back of one of the bases where one of the Sniper Rifles spawns. From this walkway, you have some cheeky lines of sight to the other team's two significant towers, hopefully making it a good check against an opposing team set up on said power positions.


The lowest part of the map. Ahead is a lower room that is disconnected from the top two tiers and has two sneaky ways out of it so that a player working from the bottom up can vanish into that room so to speak and force enemies to either chase them down or lose track of their prey.


Lastly, here's a video of me running around aimlessly, showing off the significant lines of sight mentioned above as well as falling victim to my cool shoot-the-splinter-grenade-to-block-the-sneaky-path trick: http://xboxdvr.com/gamer/Frantjc/video/17407118

Anyways, I'd like to hear any criticism anyone has! I'm interested in having in tested aside from the fear that it might play like ass.

Here's the download if anyone is interested: https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/..._Frantjc_0635ea59-a6dd-45d8-a56e-1a2194e3147a

 

@Sikamikanico thank you, I look forward to hearing how it goes if you manage to get a lobby!

@Xandrith I did that on purpose to stick with the underlying theme since you so kindly pointed out that my bridges looked like them also Thanks for the compliment!

@MetalDeadKid Thanks for supporting my rocket

 

Will do

 

Thank you! And it stands for work in progress like @MetalDeadKid said

That, my friend, is a tall order. It sounds really cool and wouldn't change anything super important about the map (though I'm not sure about the momentary blinding smoke), so I could do it. That said, I hardly have the patience to script easy stuff like doors If I can get the motivation I'll toy with it and let you know what I come up with

Thank you for the compliment