Makes sense now. Thanks for clearing that up. As for the path, that's just a general idea to make sure me and xzamplez are on the same page. If I do make the path, I won't leave a cross-map LoS in.
@Spin: No. I mean to make the tan room large enough that the two additional hallways can be 45 degrees.
heres a couple screenshots of a map sketch i pooped out the other day. the general inspiration for the map was to have a central room similar to ChillOut/Cold Storage, only in that it has an upper level that requires players to jump across from one side to the other. the red circle in the large room on either side represents a lift. i wanted to have multiple paths from either side toward the central room, and also toward the opposing teams base. the second pic is another view of one of the side rooms so you can see the ramp in that room. this part is subject to a lot of change, as is the structure of all of the hallways in general. when forged, i would not have them be such long corridors, and would end up breaking them up with more bends in the hallway or LOS blockers. the room with the lift would also have additional structure in it that i did not bother with since i want to wait and fiddle with the pieces in forge first. i was also thinking of adding additonal lifts in the central room to launch players up to the middle structure.
Dax was messing around last night and asked for an item, number, environment, and shape to base a map sketch last night, and being the frozengoat I am, I barged in and announced that I too would make a map sketch with the same critique. The set objectives are as follow: Pencil sharpener, 3, air, triangle. So that meant that Dax and I had to create a triangular shaped map in the sky of forgeworld with the center atrium somehow incorporating a pencil sharpener-type center structure and 3 rooms surrounding it. Here is my interpretation: Red arrows represent an incline and its direction of elevation, blue circles are grav lifts, and green hourglasses are teleporters. I believe Spin was also going to make one as well. CnC would be greatly appreciated for making an updated version.
Hahaha, harrassing Spin was just too much fun last night (That sounded so wrong ). But anyway, I guess I'll throw my interpretation up here too, why not. It kinda started off as me being bored and needing to pass the time, but since Goat seemed pretty into it then I decided I might as well be too. This was just a quick 5 minute sketch and I don't really have time to make anything of it, so no need to comment on it if you don't feel like it. Especially when there are some really nice sketchup designs up in here. Just thought I'd show you guys Spoiler Edit: Still haven't found a way to incorporate the pencil sharpener.... You would, Spin. Edited by merge: Also, that sketchup is looking very nice. I think this is what xzample is talking about. Spoiler Personally, I don't think that's a bad idea: It gives more connectivity to the map without creating a huge LoS between the two bases. But at the same time, I feel like doing this would pretty drastically reduce the amount of action on the far side (green area), and it would lose the sort of curving theme you have going on now. So overall I think it's just your personal choice on how you want it to play. I feel like if you did make that change then you'd also have to somehow attract more attention to the opposite side. One more quick thing, can you see across the map here? Spoiler And no Erupt, I don't have the sketchup skills yet, so no sketchup of it :/ Sorry about that. Maybe over christmas I'll actually take the time to learn it
@Spin: Let me try to explain it better. I would have a 45 degree hallway that starts along the flat part of the wall. Then enlarge the central room that's so it connects both hallways. I also think this map would benefit from a basement-like area on each team's side.
****: I like the central room. It looks pretty awesome, but I can't really tell what's going on in the rest of the map? I'm assuming this is rotationally symmetric like Citadel? I also think the central room should be open to all floors. From my interpretation I think the circular room also has a concealed bottom floor? I'd recommend making the second floor more platform based like the very top floor. Although, attach it to the central podium, or make the middle floor a ring running around the outer wall so you can look down into the central area and up to the jump platforms.
Couple things: 1. I will be making a troll pencil sharpener map. 2. The criteria were altered, sadly. Dax and Goat found it difficult to design a map with -3 rooms around the center. 3. I specified a 45-45-90 triangle, so just to poop on your parade, Goat, you messed up. lol The new triangle should make things easier in terms of forging. Lol @ pencil sharpener I'll post a pic of the sketch when I'm done. @Dax: Shorten up some of those hallways? Also, perhaps open up the lower level? Also, about the cross-map LoS: It's there (to the right of your current line) but it's rather thin and short at best (those gaps in the walls are going to be shorter than I have them pictured). Might break it up anyway. EDIT: Your comment has made me realize that there are all of these other interesting long but narrow lines of sight... xzamplez: I'll try to make a pic of what I think you're saying and put it up in a bit. I like the basement idea, but your description is a tad vague. Are you suggesting a full basement extending under the hill? @Titmar Some of the outside rooms are completely flat. Maybe add some more height variation, especially in the bigger ones? Not sure if that was included with the whole hallways thing. Picture: Spoiler Purple is what I think Xzamplez is suggesting. Pink lines are the LoS available from the green area. Black circle is what I find to be the center of many long sightlines. Blue circle in the center of the map, at top mid: Tentative idea that I'm probably not going to go through with because it opens up tan to green's mercy, which it almost is anyway. Other blue circles: Some tactical jumps made cleaner and some cover added to break long LoS going into the tan area. Forgot to do it on both sides
I'll give you +infinity rep But if you decide to do it, let me know if you have any questions about it. Hopefully to clear a few things up: Yellow, green and the grey-blue platform are all somehow connected under the second floor on the left side of the map. Also, the red platforms are removed. You just jump from grey-blue platform to grey-blue platform, with snipe resting high up on the center column
So i don't really know where to put this, so ill put it here. Its a rough draft made in reach that i plan to make in h4. I would have made this in reach but, h4 is right around the corner, giving me limited time to test. Also i ran into a problem with zombie speed. Basically, its inspired by the last level of halo CE (where you race to the longsword while flood are chasing you) and its linear infection. The zombies would drop down from bridges Spoiler and come up from vents Spoiler to attack the humans, driving on a wide track in a warthog with obstacles along the way. the linear infection would come into play by spawning parts of the bridge at certain times, and the last area would be a holdout, that the warthog can't enter Spoiler zombies come up through the bottum aswell to make it hard to survive the holdout will close up at the end, giving the humans the win. Zombies would be fast, faster than the hog, in order to catch up to the hog, but weak (not to weak obviously) And if possible, i'd use a trait zone to change the zombies traits (slower) when in/ around the hold out. (if anyone knows if a trait zone can effect one team and not the other thatd be helpful knowledge) So what do you think?
Perhaps setting the trait zone to a team could do that? I'm not sure. The concept seems OK, but the atmosphere is lacking at the moment. I really can't judge the gameplay from the pics, partially because of the nature of pictures and partially because I am inexperienced with infection. On triangle sketch: Would a Dax-style anti-atrium count as a negative room? If we did that, we could actually have -3 rooms. Pencil sharpener: gg
@Spin: No, again. The hallways start at the middle of each flat wall to the left. Then, the entire room would be enlarged to connect to the hallway. Reason being: The tan room is too small and is only accessible from one area. It needs to be larger, to give it more purpose in terms of control. I'll let you be creative with the basements. Just think about spawning when you make them.
Doublecheck: So this? (excuse five second paint carp using an older version) I'm tentative on adding paths that far out. I feel like those paths would detract a lot from the traffic through top mid and top green. (Either side of the central bridge).. I mean, why expose yourself heading through the aforementioned pathways when you can just walk through the above? As for making it worth controlling, I was intending to put a neutral sniper (or some other power weapon.. not yet sure) there. Given the previously mentioned long but thin LoSes, snipe could be the major power weapon rather than just a "here, start off with a sniper for free". I think the map is too open for that.. I'm still looking to get on Murder Miners with you sometime. I haven't had any ideas yet.. EDIT: Damn, I just realized something. This is on your broken list EDIT2 : I think I know what I'm going to do with the basements now. It's going to be damn annoying to sketch, what with all the overlap
thanks for the feedback. yes it is symm most of your suggestions were things i was considering but was too lazy. right now there is only 2 floors, and some of the rooms are 2 floors tall and open i was thinking of maybe adding a basement route beneath it all and yes i agree with your idea of opening up more paths to the central room
Seeing as -3 is not remotely physical possible in the Halo game engine, +3 was a suitable replacement. Having 3 rooms surrounding a central atrium is lame, so I modified the criteria so that it was 3 areas instead so I'll give you that one. Replacing the current triangle with a right triangle would not only make me have to restart the whole sketch altogether, but also ruin the Christmas tree like design. This is essential due to me wanting to release this somewhere during the Holidays.
@Spin: I have a good reason to argue the contrary to what you said about centralized flow, but I don't want to go over it here. I'm sick of typing. Send me FR: The Xzample
So I've never really sketched a map, and I've never really made a 8-10 player vehicle/infantry map but here's my first attempt at both! So basically it's a U shaped map with 2 bases and a structure in the middle. It's not exactly the most original idea but I'm really trying to create good pathways for Warthog to drive along while still allowing infantry to traverse the map without constantly being harassed by vehicles. So underneath the center structure there's a 8-figure for Warthog to cruise on. There's also a tunnel underneath the bases with entrances on each side leading to the ramps in the back of the base. To the side of the each base is a tower structure. I'm not entirely sure yet how that's going to look or in what way it'll be connected to the center and base though. It's still very much a work in progress. Each base also has a mancannon which as of now shoots you directly on top of the middle structure. I may change it to either shoot you towards the potential tower structures or in between the middle structure and the base. We'll see. At the bottom of the picture you can see the rock thing which will basically serve as a quick but dangerous way to get from base to base. My idea is that there will be a ridge on the side of the rock thing that has little to no cover. So yeah, it's very basic for now but once Halo 4 comes around the corner I'll put some more effort into the specifics.
This reminds me of one of those cards Psychiatrists use to evaluate the psychos....... I see superman shooting bad guys (in the shoulders) with blue laser beam eyes while the bad guys toss red grenades over their shoulders towards superman...
@Titmar: While the design doesn't have any significant flaws layout-wise, you need to envision yourself playing the map. The map, as is, is incredibly shallow. It has awkward dancefloor distribution (tire 1: flat, open floor, tier 2: narrow hallways/catwalks). @Overdoziz: The layout is so simple, that I will hold off feedback, until I see the geometry of each structure. I'm hoping that this is merely a rough draft for structure position.