Sogen Castle V3 (A Medieval Fortress) Sogen Castle was an idea sparked by my friend yoyoecho2. He thought of the idea of a massive castle with ramps, rooms, and catapults and together, we built it. Download Map Download 'Castle Battle' Team Slayer Gametype Download 'Castle Raid' One Flag Gametype Download 'Castle Ball' Team Oddball Gametype Download 'Castle Control' Territories Gametype Map Description: The idea is simple. One team spawns inside the castle, while another spawns outside the castle. Each team has two catapults. The defenders have mancannons and fusion coils, while the attackers have Wraiths that cannot move. Each team also has equipment and the equipment serves purposes. You can lay traps and barricades or you can climb the castle's battlements. The equipment makes defending a castle and raiding it much more interesting. Now, unlike many other castle maps out there, this one is different. I only added items that represented something from medieval times such as a fuel rod representing a magic spell or a grav lift representing a climbing rope. So everything in this map has medieval written all over it. This map took about 9+ hours to create and refine. Gametypes Description: Now I remember playing a Halo 2 gametype called Medieval Combat. Every player spawned with a sword, overshield, and a sniper. There were other weapons on the map like Plasma Rifles rep. Magic Spells and Carbines for Short Bows. I decided to make an even better version of the gametype using Halo 3. Every player spawns with a 300% resistant 4X Overshield (armor) and an Energy sword (what does this represent?). Their shields do not recharge since, once you got hurt, you can't heal up your wounds. So whenever you are in combat, you must kill the enemy while trying to preserve your overshield. However, after the update in V2, you can now look around the castle for some health packs that can heal your wounds very effectively. Now I liked the idea of Magic Spells in medieval times. So I also made it so that every player spawned with every type of grenade. These represent the magic spells of medieval times. They also balance the combat between bows and swords since every player can use ranged attacks using the magic spells. More info about the gametypes are provided in the links. Remember, it would be best if you used the gametypes linked above. Weapons here Consist of: x12 Carbines / Short Bows (5 carbines for each side, 2 in middle) x8 Beam Rifles / Long Bows (4 beam rifles for each side) x8 Gravity Hammers / War Hammers (4 per side) x1 Needler / Needler Magic Staff (behind breakable gate) x1 Fuel Rod Gun / Fire Staff (on top of breakable gate/ castle battlement) x4 Trip Mine / Traps (2 per side) x4 Grav Lifts / Climbing Ropes used to climb battlements (2 per side) x4 Power Drainers / Magic Drainer, again (2 per side) x4 Deployable Cover / Barricades (2 per side) x8 Firebomb Grenades / Tinderboxes/ Magic (4 per side) x2 Wraiths / catapults (2 for attackers) x4 Mongooses / Horses (2 per side) Inside the Castle #1 Inside the Castle #2 Front of the Castle Where Attackers Spawn Breakable Gate Equipment room for attackers The Sniper's Tower Defenders' Equipment Room Chaos Praise for Sogen Castle: Tips, Tricks, and Tidbits 1. Now everybody knows that sword beats hammer, however in this map, a hammer is recommended to cause heavy damage while knocking back enemies. 2. It's sometimes good to have a close ranged weapon and a long ranged. You can weaken players this way before they are within close range. 3. Deployable cover can weaken the damage of a catastrophic Wraith blast. 4. Use Power Drainers to choke off areas or in a crowded area. 5. It's helpful if you fight in pairs, so that way, if you encounter any loners, your pal can assassinate him while he is distracted. 6. Look for the health packs after you just finished a battle. Going against a freshly spawned warrior with no shields is not a good idea. 7. Grav lifts/ climbing ropes can help you get to upper ground quickly. 8. Remember that sword clashes will happen often and it's best if you polish up your skills with this weapon. Try doing some dodging moves such as side strafing, jumping, or moving back and forth. 9. Since Equipment Rooms are a key area to traveling around the castle, leave traps such as Trip Mines around these areas. 10. Health packs will only heal when you are safe. So don't try rushing for the health pack when you're being sniped because health packs only heal when there was a certain amount of time since you last recieved damage. 11. It's best to use the Wraith against battlements or the sniper's towers or better yet, blindfiring into the flag area. Using a Wraith against a hammerzeit next to you is unhelpful. Get out of that Wraith once they are within breaching limit! 12. You have an endless amount of grenades.... use them. More Screenshots and Information about the Map is provided in the download link.
I like the concept of this map and how you thought of everything in medieval terms. The pics look good, and everything looks neat and tidy. How's the gameplay? Also, are the "healthpacks" custom powerups?
So far I've only gotten to test the map with 6 players and less since I can never get a big party, however the gameplay is fun and unique. Players never need to spend too much time searching for somebody. And yes, the health packs are represented by custom powerups. If a player obtains a custom powerup, they can heal up to three full shields out of four.
I'm sure I must sound like a broken records on these forums, but my 360 is broken so I can't check out this map. Someone download this and tell me what you think.
I don't know if that was sarcasm, but it was spam, regardless. Let's keep comments constructive, folks. The castle looks tidy, yes, but it also doesn't look very interesting. Consider adding some geometry that would change gameplay from an open space to having a couple hallways or something. Also, try to make some form of decorationg/aesthetics, whether it be using barrels to create an ale rack, or something. Make us believe we're really in a castle!
I've been thinking about adding hallways for a long time, however, I have never been able to find a good place to add them. I added a 'hallway' however, it was in the back of the castle, which was the only place I found it to fit in well to allow the player move freely while also giving them a sense of direction. Also, i want some of the players to be able to use grav lifts in any area of the castle whether it's to get up to a walking ramp, a cieling, the catapult area, or just the battlements. And hallways will obstruct many of the possible areas of using grav lifts.
Ah, I understand. I was merely giving my opinion based off of the openness I can see in the pictures. What about some decorations? Have you played "The Estate?" It's got a kitchen table at one point. Consider using the same technique to create a banquet table that the king would use or something...anything to give it some life, some feeling. =)
Well, I tried adding some aesthetics to the map except I was cut short of cash. Turns out I only had enough cash to fit in a two barrels and a pallet. Hahaha, but I guess I shouldn't worry too much about aesthetics. As long as the game plays well, I shouldn't worry too much about adding a few tables, but thanks.
intresting...i do have to admit it looks slightly too open, but thats probobly just the pics...of course i havent played, but if your playing with snipers, cant you have easy camping on the castle side?
Well, that's if you're playing a regular Team Sniper's match. In the gametype I created, there are plasma pistols, needlers ,power drainers, beam rifles, carbines, swords, hammers and trip mines and what I've noticed is that the weapon players tend to pick up is the hammer because it doesn't waste out of ammo quickly and it does alot of damage. Beam rifles are only used on the battlements against sword-users, but even then, they can be targetted by an endless amount of grenades. I played ten customs with this map and I only got killed by a beam rifle once and that was because I was weakened by the needler.
I'll try to make a video showing the map and how chaotic it can get in the map in a 3 v 3. Maybe that way it will get more downloads.
Nope, the catapults aren't moveable. The Wraiths are just on the fence boxes, there's no teleporters holding them.
Oddly, no. Even if you use the Wraith's boost, the Wraith won't move. Try it on Forge and you'll see. Get a fence box and place the Wraith on the OPEN side