Exposed [ map | gametype | file set (newest) | file set (all) ] [ v1.0.3 | created 01-24-10 | posted 01-31-10 | updated 01-28-10 ] Overview Exposed is my attempt at a balanced Infection map. Gameplay takes place inside of a relatively large, two-floored base. The base consists of multiple sections, each of which has multiple entrances. (Some entrances spawn late into the game.) The base has several weapons in it, but none of them respawn, and none of them are power weapons. Vehicles on the map are unusable. Humans start inside the base. There, they can try to defend one of the base's floors, or they can hole up at the top of the watchtower. Either way, they will have to watch each other's backs almost constantly -- zombies don't show up on their ten-meter motion trackers. Zombies spawn in the darkness around the base. They have 150% movement speed and weak shields that recharge when they kill. In one-on-one combat with a human, they tend to have the upper hand -- their enhanced twenty-five-meter motion trackers allow them to find the humans before the humans find them. Teamwork is critical for both sides. The humans will have to work together to avoid surprise attacks. The zombies will have to work together to hunt down the last man standing (who has a normal motion tracker and no waypoint over his head). In both cases, splitting from the group tends to lead to a quick death. Tips A Kill Ball in the sky marks north, allowing teams to use compass directions. This helps humans coordinate their movements and point out zombie locations, and it helps zombies hunt down any humans that may be running for the hills. The Guardians are blocked, but they will still try to shoot players that venture into the darkness. Both teams can use this to find enemy players. Not all entrances to an area are immediately obvious. If you're a zombie and you're having a tough time trying to attack a human, look around carefully. Humans will want to kill the zombies before they get close. Zombies have the upper hand in close-range combat, whereas humans are skilled at ranged combat. More Images The top of the watchtower, being ambushed from behind by a zombie. The watchtower's first floor. A chute in the ceiling acts as a one-way entrance from the top of the tower. Click here to go back to the top.
"sounds" like theres not enough cover. but in all cereal. the map doesnt seem have enough. its kinda like, building, building, building. it would be cool if there was more transition so ur not tempted to camp.
First post In my opinion, you should get rid of the laser field. As soon as the humans spawn, they will quickly run out into the laser field to hide and the game would drag on forever. It doesn't matter if the laser towers still shoot, the zombie still has a large radius to search. And as you said, the humans are skilled at ranged combat, so they will simply pick off the zombies in the laser field. Unblock the guardians, and center in on the map's core. On a good note, despite being little or no interlocking, this map looks very well-built, and your first post is up to standards, unlike many other first posts. Just get rid of the laser field, and you have a DL from me. Edit: Darn it, someone posted first while I was writing this! : (
@defy: You make a good point. In fact, the testing that I've done shows that most people's first instinct is to try and camp the watchtower's top floor. The gametype settings, along with zombie teamwork, tend to make that a very dangerous strategy, however -- two of the tower's three entrances have very short lines of sight, so if they're not watched carefully, the humans can get ambushed easily. So I guess it's not an uncampable map -- it's more of a "camping won't break or unbalance the map as easily" map. On a side note, those that seek alternate strategies do tend to do better. I've played matches where the humans try to hold a much larger area (the whole second floor of the base), and in those matches, the humans tend to do better. (Probably because the second floor is more open, and has longer lines of sight. There are many more entrances to defend, but the humans have more advance warning of zombie rushes.) @Elite: I appreciate your concerns. The laser field can indeed be problematic if the humans all run for the hills at the start of the match (though thankfully, that isn't most people's first instinct). I have thought about this, and I've found that it adds an interesting strategic edge. The Last Man Standing (or, in somewhat rarer cases, the last few humans) tends to run for the hills, yes... But the zombies can find them somewhat easily by scouting around while zoomed, or by noting which of the level's towers are firing. (The towers shoot at distant targets.) There's been many a match where the zombies' tactical side has been advanced considerably when the LMS ran for the hills... I've seen zombies flanking, rushing -- often simultaneously, with one serving as a distraction to facilitate the other. Plus, it emphasizes communication for the zombies. One zombie alone can rush the watchtower and take out at least one human -- even if all three entrances are being watched. But when the LMS runs for the hills, the zombies need to communicate -- even if only to say, "Last man heading southeast!" Still, though, there is the problem of all the humans running for the hills at the start of the match. Players that try this have the upper hand -- ranged weapons, strength in numbers, and a sneak attack is nearly impossible! Perhaps I should make an alternate version of the map? (Just to clarify... I'm not trying to argue. I'm more evaluating people's first impressions, and describing what I've seen in gameplay. Think of this as an "I forgot to say..." post. And speaking of which, I forgot to say that SergeantSarcasm's Infection guide was extremely helpful for the map and gametype. Without that, this would be a terrible, terrible map!) To both of you: your feedback is greatly appreciated.
what you need is a refuge where most people will clump together except for a few. use crowd psychology. Not for camping, but so that they slowly get picked off and zombies gain the advantage. I suggest looking at haunted manor for examples.
Ah, a refuge! Yeah, that's what I've been trying to describe with the watchtower's first floor! Not camping -- in that they don't have a major advantage, they're still killable (though not all at once) -- but a place that they instinctually defend, as a group! Couldn't quite think of a way to explain it.