Deity by HardcoreHero We played a pretty unbalanced game of CTF on here and my team got slaughtered, but overall I thought it was a pretty good objective map. I think there needs to be a few more hard routes to the upper levels from both the bases and out of bottom mid. You have lifts out of bottom mid currently which work well, but I felt a need for a flanking route to the side streets out of that pit. I also thought that some of the clamber routes were a little undefined such as the dogleg cubbies you had cutting in off the side streets. Coloring the edges where you want players to clamber a different color could help this. I thought the aesthetics on the map were really good (except for the disco lights) and the intro where the camera pans to show the creators name form together was really creative and awesome. Sorry if this seems negative, but I think the map could improve drastically with a few changes and I look forward to testing it again. Bastille by Xandrith We had a really fun game of 4v4 Slayer on here and I have to say, I like the map more and more each time I've played it. I definitely think you need to add more gametypes. Other than that, if there is some small way to aesthetically make the areas more defined for orienting yourself within the map. Great map and I would recommend it to anyone. Garden of Sanghelios by Juanez Sanchez After a huge break from forge, Juanez is back! Your new 4v4 had an interesting inverse symmetrical layout but was a little overscaled for 4v4. I think the map could either work well as a BTB or should be scaled down a bit to promote more mid range battles. The Sniper Rifle is also a bit too overpowered to allow two of them on the map. The two snipers along with the Battle Rifles made the circular towers on the outer edges(flag plat) a little to easy to camp. Overall, good first H5 map. Hot Trash by Purely Fat This is a really nice looking covenant themed Slayer map. I think some players thought it was a tad open, but I didn't really see it. I think you need to add a railing on the death pit. I know you probably like it like that though. Hexane by Fraser MW This was an amazing looking map that played very well. I didn't have any issues with it other than to color that one ledge I mentioned to you in game to make the clamber spot more visible. The layout was perfect and I really liked the variety of battles I was getting into. I was pretty impressed with this one and I hope you post it here soon. Methane by Fraser MW I didn't really think this map played 3v3 well at all, but the later 2v2 we had was much better. Aesthetically, this map doesn't leave much to be desired, but I wasn't really a fan of how it was playing for me. I thought the death pits were pretty undefined and navigating the map was pretty confusing. A player knowing how to get to those upper ledges is very important, and currently, the paths you have to take to get there arent very intuitive. The areas where the teams spawn seem pretty strange to me as well. The outer ring seems like a dead area and the pits aroud the ledges seem akward. I think you should fill the floor in at least in these rooms. Sorry to be so critical of your beautiful map, but I just wan't really digging the way it flowed and I think your map knowledge probably makes it a lot more fun for you to play on. This was a great lobby guys and I hope most of you can keep this as a weekly tradition. I will be moving the lobby to late Saturday afternoon for future sessions so keep an eye out for the next signup thread and keep up the good work and leave any feedback you may have as well in the comments below. P.S. I'm not the best at giving feedback so please take everything I say with a grain of salt.
No, you're good!! I appreciate all criticism!! But unfortunately it's a little too vague for me to really grasp what exactly I can do to address your concerns, also I'm not sure we really had a long enough match for all of the different route options to truly be realized on my map, we'll definitely have to get a match of Slayer on here next as to guarantee a more complete playtest experience. Also I didn't realize that the only way to get any filmclips/screenshots of gameplay is to go to theatre mode immediately after the match has finished, so I'll have to experiment to see if i can create a dummy account on my xbox, use that profile to play the match on my map then switch to my profile for the rest of the playtests and see if the film on my map will be retained on the dummy account. Edit: Oh and almost forgot, the "Disco Lights" was due to a botched attempt at creating a proximity script which would change that laser point light to a broader flashing light whenever anyone would enter that hall. . . It was what I was just finishing up when you invited me to the party, I figured since it was merely an aesthetic effect I would just test it during our play test. lol
I could understand that it feels open but I think that is lack of understanding that cover comes dropping or moving up higher. To much cover and the map will play slower than it does already and @Xandrith is banned for being to good at the map. I actually have some ideas for what you are talking about with the railing.
Just cuz I hosted doesn't mean I'm the only one who is supposed to give feedback. Most of you guys know more than I do about map design and your feedback is greatly appreciated.
I don't remember the maps that well. But here we go. Map with author in the intro for the map: The map seemed a little large and was very straightforward. This is not an issue but it will keep more people from liking your map. The aesthetic and all the lifts made me think of some quake ctf maps. Covenant map outside: Invisible barrier in the middle around shotgun was bad. Very difficult for players to push if the other team has at least a decent sniper. The map needs support aggressive play a little more and Chron and Mr. Wayne need to get more than two kills. Map with promethean weapon set: I liked how it looked and the layout but there are to major issues with this map and they kind of go hand and hand. Nades are way to good on the map and there are to many spots where a player is forced to jump and/or clamber. Some of these points could easily be ramps. I am one who loves forcing people to jump but this map was on a whole other level.
Okay here's feedback on Chron's map Chestnut, I felt like the layout of the map worked really well and ultimately would like to play it a lot more before I could find any criticism from a gameplay/flow perspective. One thing I could say is that there were a couple of pieces that needed to be blended in a little bit better, specifically a large Overhang at the top of an open doorway on the top level of the map as well as an the overhead above the middle tunnel of the map. Also I recommend reworking the lights, it seems that in the basement you have far too many spot lights and could probably use some point lights to brighten things up down there, the spot light aesthetic might work if you had all of them perfectly spaced and found the right distance/ratio but as it stands now there are too many in one spot and not enough in others. And obviously you have to figure out how to get rid of the invisible shield door glitch around your teleport receiver at the top of the map.
Feedback for Purely Fat's map Hot Trash: I really enjoyed the environment for this map, i felt like your aesthetics really worked for it. There was a lot of noticeable Z-Fighting along your floors/walkways. I remember somebody was saying that the high bridge was too high and that the vertical scale was too much, but I think it made your map different and I think the verdict is still out on whether it will have a negative impact on the gameplay of your map.
Feedback for Fraser MW's map Hexane: I don't have a lot of criticism for this map, the only thing i could say is I'm not a fan of the long empty halls on the bottom of the map. But overall I love the look of this map, I love the layout of this map, I think this was my favorite map we played on. and then Fraser MW's map Methane: This map definitely needs to be played on 2v2s or 1v1s, it seemed to me that the map favored the high ground position too much, if 1 team gets beam rifle and then secures the high ground it can be a nightmare trying to comeback.
Feedback for Xandrith's map Bastille: This was another one of my favorite maps, I absolutely love the layout, and especially the way that the lines of sight are setup on this map. I don't really have any criticism for this map, I'ld love to get some more playtime on it.
Feedback on Juanez Sanchez's map Garden of Sanghelios: This another map that I am going to have a hard time coming up with any criticism for. I like the layout of this map, and think it might play really well for BTB, I'ld really like to try that. I recommend lowering the spare clip count on the snipers on this map, other than a very good map.
I'm flying through each map before I write my critique, so it might take be a bit to get too all the maps as I have a busy week. I'll continue to edit this post. Most of my critique will be about things I would change. Sorry. That's just how I do it. Deity by @Hardcore Hero : This map is pretty straight forward. The look works. I think duel snipers could become a problem on this map if one team is able to control both snipes and the long lines of sight along the exterior paths of the map. I agree that a hard route could be added out of the bottom middle section, which leads to one of the side paths, rather than relying solely on lifts, but it isn't a deal breaker. However i would consider changing one of your side paths so they aren't exactly the same. Adding ramps to flank one side while closing it off slightly could be a way to do that. It could have more paths in, with less open sight lines, making each side play slightly differently. Depending on how you do this, it migh nerf duel snipe control, which would be a good thing. The area of the map where scatter spawns could use some work. There are already tight corners down there, so the carny holes seem excessive. Also the lifts there make it too easy to reach the higher levels without being interacted with. If you take the lift and imeadiately clamber, you're at the highest point of the bases, likely without being seen or shot. I was on the winning team in ctf and this route was far too effective for me as primary flag carrier, for both dropping down and going up. I would consider maybe only having one of these lifts per base and replacing the other with a more open and contestable route (perhaps less lift and clamber based as well). the only thing that actually bugged me about the map, and the only thing I urge you change is the lights hanging down near flag. The trench and flag platform already make this area interesting, but the lights hanging down make it awkward and frustrating, as you force the player to jump while giving him/her four opertunities per base to hit their head. Overall, I had fun on this map, and flag seems like a good gametype for it. I think it could have increased replay value, and I'd really like to see some different routes and sigh lines to add variety, Chestnut by @Chronmeister I enjoyed this map. It had a good variety in its interactions, and I enjoyed the way the map was layered. I don't really have any criticism of the layout after my first time playing, although I think you could do a little more to help player orientation. The pipe details on the closed side of the map are great, as well as the different ways you let in the natural light. The lower areas of the map are a little less detailed which make orientation more difficult. I would suggest adding more color variation to the map as the simplest solution (perhaps making interior structures a slightly different color from the walls which are the exterior borders of the map). I had one or two frustrating spawns, which may have been hindered by poor orientation to a new map, but I think we're mostly due to spawns in general (number of spawns and placement). However no map has perfect spawns and I may have just been unlucky, Obvious bugs are obvious. Sucks. overall this map played well, and I'd like to play it again. I could see the map playing strongholds well. Feel free to invite me if I'm on and you're testing. Bastille by @Xandrith Easily my favorite map of the night. Simple but layered layout. Imeadiately able to orient myself after a short time of playing. Good looking. The only thing I was questioning while playing was the scaling. When going back to download the map and fly through it I noticed you have a different scale going. In the version we played I felt the need to sprint to close the gap between locations more than I would have liked, especially in the closed off ramps. Although travel distances did feel long at times, I liked the predictability of location and the way the scale prevented using thruster and sprint regularly as a cheap escape. I'm worried smaller scaling will make location prediction harder, and it'll be too easy to jump across the map. Definitely want to play on the map again however it ends up. Hot Trash by @purely fat I'm not going to lie, I found this map frustrating. It is likely I just need to play the map more, so this feedback should be taken with a grain of salt. Although this map has a lot of great details, as someone who is partially color blind I had more problems orienting myself on this map than chestnut. Apart from a few accents this map is very purple. Following a theme is one thing, but I think this map goes overboard thematically in a couple of ways. This map needs more visual contrast. Just as an example I quickly went into the map options and changed some reference colors. I made the primary color Pale Purple, instead of Light Purple and changed the walls from Purple to Deep Purple, and just that small change made a world of difference. Your map has a lot of levels and it is frustratingly difficult to know what level of the map you are looking at as a first time player with no map knowledge. The other thematic problems aren't as serious, but personally I think your cylinder use is a bit over the top. There are so many circles on your map the straight ramps feel out of place. I would consider replacing and removing some cylinders were possible. When you exit the orange teleported there is a curved "Y" bridge that has an awkward cutout that could easily be filled with a straight piece while still maintaining the curves in the other direction. A good rule of thumb for designing is to contrast and compliment curves with straight lines, that way when you have no other choice but to use straight pieces they don't feel out of place. layout. The tall central bridge is likely too high, as it simply too hard to move around the map and fight off aggressive players while simultaneously checking the top bridge (at least on my look sensitivity). The width of the bridge allows a player to maintain that position while having cover from an entire half of the map simply by crouching, and in the event the are forced to drop down it can be hard to punish them. The fact that it is a wall rather than a floating bridge like in Hang 'Em, let's players imeadiately drop to cover, and with the multiple levels, players can even choose a couple of diffent paths to drop to. HOWEVER, player orientation and map knowledge might be the only solution you need. If anything I would at least consider making the central wall less wide to nerf crouching. Lastly, because of the forging it is impossible to clamber on some ledges where players will expect to be able to clamber. I didn't notice this in game but just because I didn't notice it doesn't mean it wasn't one of the things that ultimately lead to my frustrations with the map. Overall, this could easily be one of the best maps of the test in terms of layout, but as a first time player it was too frustrating to make me want to play it again in its current state. You need more visual contrast in color and shape. This is not just aesthetic feedback. This will help gameplay on your map and is really an easy fix. Garden of Sanghelios by @Juanez Sanchez I had fun on this map, despite the scaling and abundance of long range power weapons. I actually enjoyed the focus on long range interactions. The map naturally nerfed the AR and I couldn't be happier. Scaling could be improved for 4v4 slayer, although I think it might play objective just fine. I think 2 snipers and a rail are a bit overboard, especially on a map with such open lines of sight, though I think this would be a fun map for 4v4 snipers. The central area seemed under used by players and the gameplay had a very dounut quality to it. Other than scaling and power weapons I'd consider adjusting some of your cover to be more structural, though I don't think it significantly affected the way the map played. Overall a fun map. It doesn't feel the most original (very sanc-esque), but that's isn't necessarily a negative. Let me know if you are ever running objectives on the map, as I think they would play better. Hexane by @Fraser M.W. Probably my favorite looking map of the lobby. Managed a nice visual contrast despite the mostly monochromatic colors. Nice use of vertical space. The map almost felt like an inverse sim because the layout had you looking across mid, but seeing something different different than the space you were in. That was really nice and made it feel different despite being a sorta 2b2t design. Jumping and clambering in this map also gave this map a unique feel, but I agree that it felt forced in a few situations. I especially didn't like the forced clamber at the end of the hallways at the most bottom level. That area is already a nadefest and doesn't need the added punishment of having to clamber out no matter which way you go. The second place I would change is the ramps in the bases which start with a jump up. I understand the want to make each room of the base play differently, but I'm not a fan of that solution. Lastly, damage boost isn't my favorite in combination with other powerful weapons. I feel like you picked it because of the color, which although it matches the other prometean weapons well, doesn't justify it's use. Overall a fun map, which I wouldn't mind playing again. Definitely unique, which can be hard to pull of with purely symmetrical maps. Methane by @Fraser M.W. This map has ambiance. I enjoyed it, but can see why others had trouble with orientation. as much as I enjoy the lighting and fog at an aesthetic level, it also impeded having a sense of place at a gameplay level. Even after walking around the map solo for a while I have trouble seeing how areas connect until I physically enter the next space. I think if we weren't playing strongholds I would have had trouble knowing which path to take. That being said, the movement around the map felt pretty intuative to me in game and it might not be as big a problem as I expect it to be. Other than that the fog and pathing lead to pretty similar interactions between players as far as range and height variation. That isn't as much a critique as it is an observation. Overall, I really enjoyed this map while playing it, and I think I said so. I understand the map is intended for doubles so, I'd like to see how it plays 2v2 sometime.
Sup' bredren. Deity Very very very impressive forging of your name into the opening cinematic. Awesome to hear everyone gasp with delight when they saw it, no? I would like to play this again so that i can use the scripted pieces you mentioned in the lobby, some great sounding ideas that i missed. I thought the overall aesthetics were great, but perhaps you could work to tie them up into a more unified theme or feeling. Lots of great looking touches but a little too eclectic for me. It wouldnt hurt for the map to be a little more compact imo, and maybe like chron said, some more simple routes from top to bottom mid. However the game promotes verticality, so perhaps you might want to raise bottom mid a little to accommodate clambering/ ramp routes that wont be too lengthy or complicated. Please lets play this again I played through this with a friend and activated the scripted elements you spoke of, they work amazingly well, I am very jealous that you got it to work so smoothly so soon after release, the closing doors look 10/10 bangable, very nice
Hexane This was a very immaculately formed pure arena map, I just couldn't get to grips with the layout though and I need to play it again so I can form a proper opinion. I am out of practice but this seemed way beyond me and I was just dying over and over and over from every angle and distance. I think I just found it a little confusing. The map went down beautifully with the other players in he lobby though so I would definitely like another game on it,
Hot trash This maps aesthetics frankly bowled me over, blew me away and made me instantly think of damnation and midship. Although we have the colouring options to thank, this was the smoothest and most covenant looking map I have seen. You used the cylinder objects and curved surfaces to maximum effect. Down to the gameplay. I must echo other comments and say that the top bridge was a bit off, I liked it but rather than say it shouldn't be on your map I think its position needs adjustment. The lift up to it was great and I would like to see that the bottom of that lift be the lowest elevation of the map, another basement level lower than the bottom of that lift seems verticality overkill. If you can tie that top plat into the map without making it overpowered then it'll be great.
Bumping thread, as I have completed my feedback. please accept my feedback as the opinion of a single individual who has only played your map once. I hope my words were constructive for you.