Map Link: Kentucky Tango Map Overview: Alright, I thought it was about time I tried my hand at an asymmetrical competitive map, so here it is: Kentucky Tango. I'd suggest playing one flag or one bomb with 3 minute round times. Shorter if you're all really good, longer if you're all really bad. Make use of the suspension bridge, attacker's sniper mound, mid-map tunnel, and the little niches around the defensive base to get your objectives accomplished. This is kind of experimental, in that there are a lot of weapons I don't usually work with placed on the map. But the testing has been fun with them in place, and I believe I've balanced them nicely. Screenshots and further walkthrough: Defensive Base Here's an overview of the defensive base. The objectives are in that main room and there're a number of ways to get to them. The most obvious, and fastest, is through the main door, though. And the ramp is smooth, I promise. A flamethrower spawns on the 'star platform' a brute shot spawns on the wall top, and there's a trip mine available in an open box adjacent to the main entrance. The Suspension Bridge One of the main features of this map is the big suspension bridge that can carry attackers over the water hazard to the defensive base wall. A bubble shield, rocket launcher, and flame grenade spawn on the attacker's pillar, bridge center, and defender's pillar, respectively. The water fountain in the water-hazard allows for a quick jump to the bridge as well. Also note the ribbed tunnel down the center of the map. There's an active camo in there for anybody who wants it. Those angled tall boxes in the background are the offensive sniper mound. It's a powerful place to be, and can see directly into the base. Sniper Mound Overview Here's the battlefield from another angle, better detailing the sniper mound. That sunken, angled box in the right hand corner that looks kind of like a face is the place where the attacker's sniper (a beam rifle) spawns. Sniper Spawn The beam rifle spawns right on top of the box in the foreground. Make sure you aren't contested before getting onto the hill or something like this may happen. Attacker Base Here's the attacker base. You score the flag in one of the open boxes right there. Note that the spawns are shielded by the hanging walls over the entrance. There's a shotgun available (but you might not want to bring it to the defenders) here to prevent griefing as well. The 'offices' are open., so be sure to send somebody out the back to grab the offensive sniper. You've got 2 'gooses and a 'hog if you want... just be sure not to drive them into the water hazard. The ramp in front of the base allows the 'hog to make a dramatic jump right into the base. The weapons in the box are just for show. You can't have them. Water Hazard From the attacker base, you can go to the sniper, to the camo, to the bridge, or just simply through the water hazard. It provides excellent cover. There's a deployable cover in the water, and a grav lift on top of the 'pool-house'. Sky Box From the top of the suspension bridge, you can jump to the sky box. It's a moderately useful position in slayer games, but can be used for a short time to annoy the attacking team in objective games. Sentinel beam here if you want it. Flag This is what the main room of the defensive base looks like. There's a way out from the front, both sides, and the bottom. Make sure you learn how these work. Base Top Here's the top of the base. There's a laser and a power drain up here. as well as some excellent sniping positions. You can get up here from the wall, from the main room, and from the gutters. Back-way If you're not into frontal... assaults, that is, you might consider jumping in from the back of the defensive base. There's a mongoose, a ghost, and a shotgun back here. Inside Here we are inside the back of the base. Again, make sure you know how to get around in here. In Again Here's the same area from another angle. The overshield in the background is in the 'gutter'. Note the 'spider-hole' that leads up into the main room of the base. There's also a radar jammer available back here... down a hole beneath the spider-hole. Gutter Finally, we have the gutter. You can crouch into the main room from the gutter for a sneaky entrance. Map Link: Kentucky Tango
This is, I gotta say, an excellent map. The interlocking looks perfect and judging from the screenshots, the map is perfect.
This looks very promising. Looks like your best work yet Rick. Are those wall corners merged into the ground? They look like they are. I f so, good job, That could be very frustrating I'd imagine. Definitely downloaded, although I probably won't be able to play on it for a week or so, but I'll let you know then....after you've heard from just about everyone else here, haha. I love the name too....it just sounds fun.
How did you get objects like the bridges to go underground? Is is like what you have to do to fuse objects together by starting a new round? By the way great map its fun.
Another great map from Cosmic Rick. I honestly don't know how you churn them out so quickly. I want to be in a game where this happens, because it would be so amazingly awesome. I've played 3-4 games here, and I still haven't ever gone into the 'Skybox'. I should try that next time. And I'm sure there will be a next time because this map is too cool to not play again. They are indeed merged with the ground. A lesser map designer would have just placed them there on the ground. But Rick took the extra time and effort to merge them. I'm guessing for aesthetic reasons, or possibly so you don't stub your toes as you walk up it. Rick, if I may make a suggestion about your post, I don't like your images. It appears that you're posting large, high quality images but having the forum shrink them down as the page loads. I think it is causing me to experience long load times for your map threads. I hate it. Do you think you could resize those images before you upload them next time? I can PM you with the details for the program I use. It takes literally 10 seconds per image. I have the keystroke shortcuts down: O (for open), click image name, Ctrl+R (for resize), 510 (for my desired width... it automatically preserves the height ratio), enter, Ctrl+S for save, enter. 10 seconds flat... or maybe less.
Lol, it definately is a great map. And I love the name too. Like Draw the Line said, it's a fun name. Yup. I taught 'im that. Thatta boy Rick. /prideful boasting
looks amazing Cosmic, to say the least... you just HAD to release this the only day i dont have acces to my 360... big sad face. lookin forward to checkin it out as soon as i get home tomorrow night.
In order: Nemi-Chan: Lol. Vestigel: You're making me blush. Draw: I look forward to your critique. Scuba: I used the door sinking trick (along with a lot of time and creatively placed guide-objects). There's an overview of how to do it somewhere in the forging forums. Furious: Thanks. You're such a good forums-watcher. I can always count on you to catch my posts as they come. And the walls are merged for several reasons: 1) so that you don't stub your toe, 2) so you can't throw grenades under the cracks, 3) Aesthetics (it looks better, and fits the 'ribs' length more closely), 4) Just to show off. And sorry about the load times. That's exactly what I'm doing. I'll resize in the future (I have my own program, but thanks for the offer). Neverless: You didn't teach me nothin', Lol. I did steal the idea from you, though. Thank you kindly. Lighthouse: Let me know what you think, man. (hehe... lighthouse...)
i hate you... like Beta Waffle says, i dont care what you call me as long as it doesn't look like you cant read!! haha but anyway yeh ill def. be back with some impressions homie
Can you edit your Guilder app too? My computer chokes to death whenever I try to look at it. I don't know if it's the connection or my ancient PC, but something hates you. Ha ha, I remember that from his sig too. And yeah, Cosmic, it's LightsOUT.
I know... I can read. I played with him one day and he foolishly confided in me that he hates when people call him lighthouse instead of lightsout. And ugh... That's a lot of pictures to re-size and re-host (image shack chokes my computer to death for whatever reason). I'll try to get some of them at least replaced sometime later tonight. If nothing else, I can delete some of them.
Sweeeeet... dude, this map looks really fun. There are so many aspects of this map that I like from the pics, and only 1 I don't really like. (Get to that later] For now, lemme just say there are a bunch of great designs in this map. The 'Star' platform, the suspension bridge (AWESOME), and the gutter just to name a few that caught my eye. I wish my Xbox wasn't broke... I would soooo DL this. Few questions and critiques tho. -The center of the map looks rather bare from the photos.. intended? -Is there any advantageous aspect to the water trap besides maybe crouching in it? deployable cover doesnt seem to be all that beneficial on this map. -Ummm.. I love the name! LoL **thumbs up!**
WHOA! This looks incredible, I'm downloading this map instantly.. Then immediately going to try it out. I must play this map!
I played this map with you today. Before we played I thought you had said you were testing it, but I saw it up here soon afterwards. I love the general idea behind this map and some of the design features in it. However, it doesn't feel quite complete, and it really suffers from that when you try to play a game here. The placement of the flag spawn and bomb plant needs to redesigned a little. The base is a complex and great looking structure, but it's initially hard to get around through it. Eventually you notice that there is a very easy to get into front entrance. If players get into the base through here, they then can quickly plant the bomb, which is seemly impossible to disarm with attackers shooting in the base through this gaping hole in the front. You need to add cover to the main area of the base so that it's possible to disarm the bomb and to prevent players from entering through that entrance. Another thing I didn't like was the setup for the attackers base, a few spots in the floor aren't even, and the included back of Foundry doesn't fit into Kentucky Tango. On thing that I think could be cool is if you also made it so their were four different possible spots for the gravlift in the water, then if you destroyed it, it would pop up somewhere else. After 180 seconds you'd get four though, unless one was destroyed. There are many cool design features and things in this map, and it actually gave me some cool ideas, however it needs a little more work.
Nice work, Rick. I saw your new Guilder app as well, this map boosts the app way up. I really like the suspension bridge. You just keep churning 'em out, don't you.
I agree that it's difficult to disarm the bomb once it's planted. So your strategy should be to not let them arm it. I disagree with modifying the map so you don't need to modify your game strategy. Remember Relic from Halo 2? Certainly you wouldn't suggest that they make it harder for the offense to capture the flag once they get it off the base. That's the whole point of the map. Once you get over that initial hump, it is much easier. Just don't let them arm it. I believe that would ruin this map. There is an open front entrance and several secluded side entrances. It adds variety, and is pretty balanced, in my opinion. That's the best suggestion I've ever heard from you, Gravedigger. Why didn't you think of that Rick? I think that it would be cool, and I don't see it affecting gameplay too much.
Yeah, the middle is bare for 2 reasons. 1) I wanted to make the snipers more worthwhile to hold. 2) I didn't have enough items to give love to the entire foundry floor. Mostly the water's for crouching in... it's great for a quick escape. And the deployable cover's saved my butt at least once... it's not incredibly useful, but I wanted to include it. And thanks... nonsense titles for all my maps from now on, lol. Yeah, that was my final test run. I looked at all the things you suggested in forge right afterwards, but I came to the same conclusions Furious did. The open door is integral to the flow of the base. It'd unbalance the whole base if I just had a bunch of tiny holes peeking into it. I wish I could have a vertical barrier that spawns in front of the bomb point only in assault games... but it doesn't work like that. Plus Furious' 'don't let them plant the bomb' strategy forces the defenders to take the game 'to the streets' rather than camping the plant point. This way, more of the outside map gets used, and fewer people complain about camping. I don't need to do anything, lol. Thanks for the comments, though. I definitely saw where you were coming from. It opens up the attacker's options a lot, though. And prevents spawn camping... which would be terrible on this map if the base weren't set up as it is. You should let me know what you're talking about with the non smooth floors. The open boxes, maybe? Lol. Why didn't I think of that? If there weren't any other grav-lifts on the map, I'd implement this right away. But there are, so I'm not going to deal with the spawning issues I'd be sure to encounter. Also, I've never seen the grav lift in the water legitimately get destroyed. Great suggestion, though, grave.