Current version: v1.3 My map started a very, very ambitious dream: to combine elements of maps from two of the greatest competitive shooters of all time, Halo:CE and Shadowrun. As you will see from the pictures, the map has come a long way from its original design, which had a bunch of good ideas, but no solid foundation. With the help of a few different people, the map slowly evolved into what it is today. Expanse takes influence and inspiration from several different maps, mainly Prisoner, Hang 'em High, and Pinnacle, but despite this, it still manages to be its own map that both looks and plays great. The multiple sprawling catwalks and balanced high points create fast-paced, intense, and competitive gameplay. No "lazy" cover is used, as the map geometry itself serves to provide cover and block lines of sight, which are numerous and yet limited at the same time to give the map a less open feel. Top control is vital, and yet all powerups and power weapons are placed low and spread across the map, promoting heavy teamwork and roaming setups. Gametypes: - Team Slayer - Oddball - King of the Hill (hills spawn top mid, custom graveyard, camo graveyard, and C2) Weapons: 6 BRs - 10 second respawn 4 carbines - 90 second respawn 1 sniper rifle (1 extra clip) - 150 second drop spawn, spawns at S2 1 rocket launcher (1 extra clip) - 180 second drop spawn, spawns on rocket ramp 1 custom powerup - 120 second respawn, not spawned at start, spawns back custom 1 active camo - 120 second respawn, not spawned at start, spawns in camo corner 6 frag grenades - 30 second respawn 6 plasma grenades - 30 second respawn Pictures: Main areas of the map and objective spawns only - for more pics, check the callouts section. Top mid: Sniper tower: Rocket corner: Custom corner: Camo corner: Graveyard: Ball spawn: Callouts: The link to the map can be found here. Keep and eye out for updates, and be sure to leave feedback on the map.
This is a nice map. The interlocking is smooth and its not that open. It actually works really well for a mlg map. The only conflict is that you could add a little more cover ex. wire spools and crates. You should also put something to hold the dumpsters from moving to make it a true mlg map. Nice job though I really have high hopes for this map.
The map geometry itself serves as cover. Pillars and walkways help block lines of sight, making free-standing cover unnecessary. Also, dumpsters can't be knocked over by anything that's on the map. Thanks for the feedback, though
Amazing my friend showed me this map only like two hours ago...and to be honest It looks and plays MUCH better than Regicide. To bad you couldn't of had this map done in time for the v6 MLG. Anyways onto the map...I looked around on it in forge and I only found one problem...a slight tilt in a stair geo but no worries considering you must of took months to complete.
Please add wire spools, crates and trucks for pointless random cover on the bottom floor. Will give better review when your map is complete........... OK, seriously a great map. Hill/ball/slayer all run very smoothly. There are a little rough spots that kinda throw you in the air but other than that a very enjoyable map to play on. Hopefully all the new asyms will get peoples ideas moving about MLG design and how they don't all need to be Amplified/Onslaught knock-offs. Great job. Oh and 4.9/5. Would've been 5/5 if you had truck.
Ok. I didn't actually "play" on this map. Mainly because I didn't have anyone on I felt like playing with. So I loaded it with "MLG FFA" settings and ran around it by myself. You know, throwing nades shooting at pretend players to check lines and committing suicide to check spawns. I love the lines. Cover is not necessary. The map geometry works as you stated. My only issue is, when I set it on teams and played around by myself, whoever spawns by Camo can have their pick of map control. At least it seamed that way. I would like to see Camo and OS moved to either side of the middle of the map, and Snipe and rockets moved high and low in the middle. Rockets down low of course. I love the LoS. And nade points are amazing. Oh, and the "Gay Corner" really is gay. Can you block that somehow?
WOW! This looks really nice, the asthetics looks amazing and the interlocking/geomerging is masterful. Great idea with the tilted pillar it looks awesome.5/5 and I think this might have a shot at getting featured. Keep up the good work
This is one of my favorite asymmetrical maps to date. The structures and layout are really unique, and the gameplay pacing is fast without being chaotic. I actually prefer TS on here to Regicide TS by a bit as I feel the larger structures are more balanced and more connected (nothing against Regicide though). Anyways I would recommend this map to anyone, not just mlg players, because of how unique and inspired the layout is, and how well everything ends up working. Great job, plus rep on a different forum.
Thanks for the replies everyone. OP has been updated with a link to version 1.2. The map has been updated to be unbreakable ingame.
Not necessarily testing them. More like just seeing where I spawn. Should of stated that more clearly. It's not any type of scientific testing technique. Just something I do.
I was confused the first game I played and was uncoordinated, but it got better as the game went on and into the second game of oddball. Theres a lot of cool lines of sight with the walkways, I like that. There were a couple bad spawns by graveyard, people spawned behind you (by the fence walls) when you were jumping up on a few of the dumpsters. I looked in forge and I can't remember if your respawn area goes all the way to the fence walls, but if it doesn't, making it extend out that far would probably fix the problem.
gosh damn, i dont think anyone has ever done better with their first post (although its obvious you've been doing this for some time, lol)! amazing gameplay and interlocking of course, and the structures really flow well together to make the map one solid "piece". the only part of the map that doesn't strike me as awsome is the S3 position, the double box coming out of the fence wall looks a little odd...but maybe thats just me. dl and 5/5 rating, keep up the good work
@ Novak: I was in that game, and that particular spawn happened because the negative influences on the other spawn areas was higher than the area that my team spawned at. I've noticed that this will happen occasionally due to how fast-paced the map is. I'm currently working towards eliminating most, if not all, bad spawns, though. @ Sour: Yes, I've been designing competitive maps for a while now, but this is the first map intended for 4v4 that I actually forged. @Gunman: The time is 150 seconds, I can guarantee you.
Great map Ciabatta! The only games I've been able to play on this, Slayer and Oddball, were great, and the map is perfectly balanced. Very unique and I love it. No problems besides spawns (which weren't that bad) but this is only a v1, and I'm sure it'll be fixed. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the support. Keep an eye out for a new version with most (if not all) bumps and graphical problems fixed.
The only reason he called it gay corner is because in one of the testing games I was on the opposing team(I think with Pulse Zonked and someone else) and held the ball there for a ridiculous amount of time(like 140 seconds) and we completely anihilated his team. Either way awesome map Ciabatta, did you ever end upp fixing the spawns on Rocket and OS spawn?? I can't seem to remember if their is a spawn on Camo and I know there is not one on Snipe so you need to remove the spawns directly on the power weapons.
Wow, looks really cool with its tilts and towers. I like how you named each thing in the map. If you made a custom gametype, what does the custom do? Anyway looks cool.
I do something very similar, and as he later stated it's more of a way to get a feel for the map. It's also an excellent way to tell if spawn placement was an afterthought or if the author really took his/her time and placed spawn points in the direction of travel that would provide the best (re)starting route. Glad to see you here, Ciabbatta. I can't tell you how happy I am to see more and more maps use geometry as cover compared to random objects. This is the way it should be done, people. You've done and insane job on this, and it seems to have lived up to what I was hearing about it. Invite me to a game sometime, will you?