Map Release: Altercation Download Altercation Here First of all I would like to apologize for my doing of making false promises to those who were expecting our next map to indeed be released the day we informed you of. With a combination of it being the holidays, we were unfortunately delayed with the release of our new map because of time. As all of you probably know time, schedules, and plans don’t always go our way, and in this case, Wicked One and I could simply not find the time to get together, work the kinks, and finalize our map. The map is still undergoing our testing as well as affiliates of ours who are helping in the preparation to satisfy you as a community. However, the map is now done, thanks to combined efforts of ours over Xbox Live. Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if you already skipped all of the writing and just looked at the screenshots to see what the map looks like and exited this post, but keep reading because THIS IS THE REVIEW. Please however feel free to refer to the screenshots as we overview how this map can be played. Wicked One and I wanted to make an all around map as we said before, and as promised we did. The map is designed on Foundry (of course what else) and is suited for 1-1, 2-2, 5-5, and even 8-8! It’s really a choice as to how many people you think it’s best suitable for. This is why I say you can even have a 16-player match. However we did find that 8-8 might get a little hectic if players do not utilize the entire map. The only way for you to find out what its best for is to play it! [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Overview.jpg[/img] Overview [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Middle.jpg[/img] Middle Section Gametypes/Variants – The great thing about Altercation is that it requires no game variant. That's right, only one download to worry about! The map utilizes the built-in versions of the variants. This map was built to support any game variant, but as we found out, Forge has a cap even past the dollar limit. After placing a heaping pile of Altercation fun into the map we had so much stuff in there I couldn't place one more spawn point. So as it is we had to sacrifice one or two of the variants. These variants will still work; they just won't live up to the full potential Altercation has to offer. Also because of Altercation's layout, it is best suited for team games with mainly 2 teams. We've prepared a recommended variant list for you. Recommended Variants - Team Slayer, Capture the Flag (Multi-Flag and One Flag), Assault (Regular, Multi-Bomb, and Neutral Bomb), Team King of the Hill, Team Oddball, Territories, and VIP (Regular and One-Sided). Scenery/Layout - Now I know there are many, many Foundry maps that have and are being released which claim to have “3 stories�. But do they really or is it just a half a story? Not to criticize anyone who may think I’m targeting them but as I’ve watched these so called “3 story� maps be published, I must say that just having some stairs lead up to a 2x2 square doesn’t make it count as one story. But when you play Altercation, not only do we offer 4 stories for player to roam about, but you’ll find that you can actually walk around and take more that 2 steps before you fall down to the story below. This feature that can be seen on both sides of the map was the main element that Wicked One and I wanted to create, and so we did. Now we’ll go through each floor in detail. Also take into account that each side of the map is not symmetrical, they are each different, once again going back to what I said about Altercation being an all around map. [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Overshield.jpg[/img] Overshield [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/ActiveCamo.jpg[/img] Active Camo [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/ActiveCamoExplosion.jpg[/img] The Risk of Getting It Floor 1 (Ground Floor) – Floor one will most likely be your best bet if your trying to either hide or sneak around the map. We found that most players enjoyed getting to the higher ground, which left the first floor open to anyone who couldn’t take the heat or felt the need to sneak up on that pain in the ass Sniper. The first floor is the main spawn for players and to avoid instantly being shot, we placed open crates in the middle to complement team games. Regular Slayer however shouldn’t be a problem in this category. The first floor is where you’ll also find our “Escape Pods�. Two man-cannons have been placed on each side of the map that sends you up into a small loft. Please refer to the screenshots of these spaces because it’s impossible to explain their location in words. These places are great for Sniping but leave you vulnerable to much fire. So if you do decide to use these places to eliminate you targets, plan on getting a lot of attention if you are indeed seen. Invisibility has been placed on four explosive barrels meaning you must take a risk of getting it. And as for the Overshield, there is no risk involved but it’s farther away. Now, moving on to floor two. [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Floor1BaseB.jpg[/img] Floor 1 Base "B" [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/ManCannon.jpg[/img] Man Cannon to Sniper Loft Floor 2 – Plan on floor two being your worst nightmare when infiltrating the enemy base. As it offers great protection, it also lets players fire their weapon. These bases offer two ways to the second floor, one being direct and another requiring players to take a longer walk, however, it provides more protection. You might say the 2nd floor is “A Campers Dream,� where he sits in hopes of preventing any attacking infidel who plan on disgracing him and his teammates. But besides being a defender if such objective games are being played, the floor offers a great amount of openings to shoot back. Players will find a Brute Shot, Needler, and Plasma Pistol on this floor. [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Floor2BaseB.jpg[/img] Floor 2 Base "B" [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Floor2BaseA.jpg[/img] Floor 2 Base "A" Floor 3 – Floor three will be your best bet when trying to pounce onto an unexpected n00b who lures around the ground floor. We utilized the open crates by putting them on floor three to act like windows that players could easily use to shoot out at the opposing team or enemy. Players will find a Battle Rifle in each of these rooms for their convenience of shooting back at opposing snipers. But if floor three were best described, you could easily say it’s a mix of floors 1 and 4. [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Floor3BaseB.jpg[/img] Floor 3 Base "B" [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Floor3BaseA.jpg[/img] Floor 3 Base "A" Floor 4 – Don’t plan on jumping at all on floor four without hitting the roof of Foundry. Floor four happens to be a favorite of mine because even though you’re fairly exposed, this floor gives players the ability to see the entire map. After finishing our first rough draft of floor four, Wicked One and I felt that it was so basic, and flat, and there was no cover. So since we had zero dollars left to spend (Yes the map is MAXED OUT) I soon made an interesting discovery. Windowpanes, and I was quite excited to see that they cost nothing, not a cent. So by taking advantage of these we quickly put them into play so that more cover would be offered. These windowpanes were extremely useful when a battle was occurring from each base at both fourth floors. [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Floor4BaseB.jpg[/img] Floor 4 Base "B" [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Floor4BaseA.jpg[/img] Floor 4 Base "A" Altercation, The Reasoning Behind its Name – Altercation: A noisy, heated argument or disagreement. Not only does the definition fit the setting and game-play the map provides, but also, it sounds catchy. After making a long list of possible names, I found this one as a synonym of Skirmish (Weird huh?). And after the process of elimination, Altercation won our maps title. Weapons/Equipment – A wide variety of weapons can be found on this map as we always try to do, so that players don’t complain. Both sides are given Needlers, Plasma Pistols, Brute Shots, Battle Rifles, and a fair set of equipment. The only weapon offset that can be noticed on Altercation is the placement of the Sword and Shotgun. At one base, we placed a Sword, and at the opposing base, we placed a Shotgun with 1 spare clip. Since this map is open to all game-types, we gave the Shotgun 1 spare clip while the other base is given a Sword. Some may say, “Well Shotgun beats Sword all the time,� but because of the design of this map, we found in our testing that that’s not always the case. Complain if you wish but this is an all around map, and its not meant to be symmetrical like I said. And if you truly hate this concept, change it to your liking when and if you download Altercation. [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Sword-DeathAlley.jpg[/img] Sword and "Death Alley" [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/ShotgunAlley.jpg[/img] Shotgun Alley Not only are the Sword and Shotgun to controversial weapons, but the Sniper also falls along this category. Instead of giving each team a Sniper, we placed one centrally so that each team would get a fair shot at it. However controlling the Sniper will not win you the game. The Sniper is placed above an open crate where inside this crate lays a teleporter. This teleporter connects to two sensory nodes that are placed at each corner of the back hallway (once again refer to screenshots). The teleporter sends players at random, meaning that sometimes you’ll be sent to one side, and other times you’ll find yourself at the other. In the middle of this hallway players will find the Rocket Launcher. Rockets are a convenience to obtain but when testing players found that Rockets were only effective at close range, in the open, or obviously when targeting an unexpected player. In the connecting rooms from the hallway there is a diverse set of weapons placed it the gun racks. And to all the Uber l33t camping n00bs who love owning with the Mauler, well, this is where the only one can be found on the map. Players will be able to find an array of equipment scattered all over the map. [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Teleporter-Sniper.jpg[/img] Sniper and Teleporter [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Rockets2.jpg[/img] Rockets Grenades you might ask? What!? Firebomb grenades you are seeking, yes? Well there are two of them on Altercation for the pyromaniacs who enjoy setting their opponents ablaze. But to those who fear that the map is setting up games to turn into a firebomb fiesta, fear not because like I said before there’s only two and their respawn times are set for ninety seconds. Refer to the screenshots below to see their hidden location. This has been Wicked One and I’s trademark or signature for each our maps and we will continue to do so with future maps. Plasma and Frag grenades are scattered throughout the map as usual. Also congrats to those who found the previous ones on Resilience, but I’m sure the third one we placed has yet to be uncovered. Players would most likely acquire it without even knowing they obtained it, or would be even unaware as to where it came from. [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Firebomb54.jpg[/img] Firebomb Grenade (Base "B") [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Firebomb2.jpg[/img] Firebomb Grenade (Base "A") Action Shots - [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/TurretPwn.jpg[/img] Turret Ownage [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/SnipersHaven.jpg[/img] Sniper's Haven [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Battle.jpg[/img] Battle [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/Regenerator.jpg[/img] Regenerator [img width=522 height=392]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c16/rigatoni612/Altercation/3v1.jpg[/img] 3 vs. 1 So like I always say stop listening to me blab on about the map, go find out for yourself how much fun you can have with Altercation. Invite your friends, play against each other, and see what you think. Wicked One and I are open to any suggestions, questions, or comments. To those who are interested in seeing an older map of ours, Resilience can be found here. And to those of you who took the time to read this entire write up, some may call you insane but I would like to thank you. It seems these days very few people would actually take the time to read more than a paragraph before becoming disinterested. Video Walkthrough - Here is a video walkthrough of Altercation. We apologize for the poor quality, as neither of us have a capture card. [youtube]bxMDOHskDo4[/youtube] Download Altercation Here To view a slideshow with additional screenshots of Altercation click here. Thanks again. Contact Info – SsRC Forging Models – Email: claytonry@proctornet.com GT: ShadowSnip3r RC Wicked One 612 – Email: jcady92@yahoo.com GT: Wicked One 612 Fun Fact – “How long did it take you?� After approximately 10½ hours of hard work and determination to reach completion, Altercation was made...And if you'd like to download the video of only the making of the map (6½ hours) of how Altercation was formed, click here. This post was made by Wicked One and I at 5:30 AM. We were fueled by Mountain Dew: Game Fuel. After viewing numerous amounts of poor attempts to post Forged maps on ForgeHub, Wicked One and I decided to use this opportunity to show everyone how it's done. ForgeHub community, this is how it's done.
Re: Map Release: Altercation Looks great from pics, but it looks bare when it comes to scenery. Crates 'n' stuff. Well Ill DL it and see. Ill reply l8er.
Re: Map Release: Altercation I believe the area that you are talking about is where the overshield lies. Since we found that this area was not commonly used for battle, and the fact we had an empty bank account, we decided to focus more on the design of where most of the fighting would actually take place. This allowed us to add in more strategic material which would complement the gameplay better than placing scenery in an area where little action could be seen. Hope that answers your question.
Re: Map Release: Altercation Yeah, that post must have taken forever. If the quality of the post is any indication of the quality of the map, Altercation must be great. I'll download. But please keep the name of the topic the same as the name of the map. Otherwise we'll end up with things like: @@!!@@!!@@<<<ALTERCATION>>>@@!!@@!!@@ and that's just annoying.
Thank you all for the positive replies. This post did take a long time, we wanted to perfect this map in every way. And yes the map did take over 10½ hours, mainly because ShadowSnip3r and I are both perfectionists when it comes to this kind of work. Please enjoy, and sorry about the title. We will remember that for future maps.
A well thought out post usually reflects your personality as being a nice and organized person. I'm sure you are a really cool guy who has a fun well put together map. 5/5 for the post. I will download it now.
Thank you for all the positive feedback you have been giving to Altercation. I hope that you all enjoy it. And as for the post, yeah it took a while, and I'm still a little tired after going to bed at 5:30 and having to wake up at 8:00 to leave Wicked One's house. I'm already in great shape to study for my math test tomorrow.
It's nice to see a map where the creator didn't create 4 levels just by throwing a few open boxes and walls together. This map looks really well thought out, and I dig the fact that there is no specific gametype to download. Queued.
Very good job posting this! So many picture I feel as if I have already played the map Will download and comment on bungie now. -Donuts
It was awesome. The multiple levels came out great, the floor descriptions were exactly what i was thinking when I toured the map. Your post is almost as great a piece of art as the map itself, which was incredible.
Yeah I have too many maps for Foundry as well. Don't worry though, my next map will not be on Foundry. I'm beginning to have enough of it myself.