Thruway

THRUWAY
created by SecretSchnitzel and Xx Overkill VR
Download Thruway here.

Description: Thruway is a map built specifically for 5v5 objective gameplay but can comfortably fit 4v4 or 6v6. The map is a symmetrical two base with a figure 8 layout which is mainly used for vehicles; walkways, being the safe route for infantry, connect the bases to the edges of the map. A Rocket Launcher spawns in the center of the map as well as a Focus Rifle on the higher side with an Active Camo opposite on the lower side. The map houses 2 Mongeese at each base along with a Warthog.



The map was built for the Team Objective Community Cartographer contest but was something that was a long time coming. Ever since the Flagstravaganza playlist back it July of 2011, Team Objective has never been the same. We got a great taste of what the playlist could be like with 5v5 gameplay making its first appearance which has since been decided to be a permanent change to Team Objective in Halo 4. Capture the Flag was the focus but community maps was the appeal. Maps like Affinity and Wayont were experienced in a new light; the former being previously exclusive to slayer and also too big for 4v4 and the latter being too small for BTB.

The one thing that Team Objective currently lacks is any community maps however what is even more problematic is that ever since the playlist was changed to 5v5 the settings, maps and gametypes do not complement the team sizes. Players are subject to unbalanced gameplay in light of the change so instead of focusing on the objective they result in slaying otherwise know as "stat whoring". You can't blame the player when the maps and settings actively discourage the players from playing the objective.

There are also very few maps outside of BTB that feature any vehicles. Unlike Halo 2 and Halo 3, there are hardly any smaller sized maps that feature the staple vehicle of Halo, the Warthog. In Halo 2 we had Zanzibar, Burial Mounds, Relic, and Turf and in Halo 3 we had Last Resort, Sandbox, Standoff, Valhalla and Rat's Nest. In Reach the only smaller sized map that has a Warthog is Tempest. Thruway was an attempt at remedying this glaring problem and bringing the excitement of vehicle gameplay to smaller scale battles.

First lets start with the name. Since the map was meant to feature vehicle gameplay in smaller scale battles the idea was to have the name represent that. The decision on a figure 8 design was made very early on but the addition of the walkways came in late and with that so did the name. The walkways were the safe path for the infantry to take in order to avoid the vehicles on the ground and it clearly resembled a pedestrian overpass. "Overpass" would have been suffice but that focuses more on the infantry than it does the vehicles so we went with "Thruway".

The map was heavily inspired by Halo 3's Rat's Nest however that is not to say it shares any similarities. The geometry is entirely unique but those familiar with the "source" map can see how it captures the essence albeit in an entirely new environment. The biggest inspiration from Rat's Nest was how the vehicles moved around the outskirts of the map disposing of people out in the open with ease but at the same time have infantry in positions where they can intercept and take out the vehicle.

GARAGE OVERVIEW



Rat's Nest was a relatively large map especially with all the corridors and rooms in between the bases which detracted players from the main areas. In order to downsize the map these areas had to be done away with so that the action and flow could be streamlined. The hallways with the maulers were the biggest culprit of segregating action so those went first. Without these side hallways the doors that would lead into this area would instead lead directly into the base.

These hallways detracted from the action and allowed for players to camp in them.


On Rat's Nest there were two rooms to each base; there was the main room where the flag was located and then there was the room where the regenerator was which connected to the side hallways as well as the middle area, both the top of the bridge and the center where the gravity lift spawned. These rooms were segregated from each other and the only connections were a set of doors on top of each other and the hallway that wrapped around to the back of the base. Merging the two separate rooms together into one large room allows for better interaction between the different parts of the map. With no hallways to deal with, ramps were placed that wrapped around the back of the bases on the ground floor from the outside leading to the second floor of the base overlooking the flag.

BACK ROOM



FRONT ROOM


By keeping the elevation of the ground floor unchanged the center became an area where vehicles could cross and naturally played into the figure 8 design. The bridge that connected the two bases together previously was moved to the side and is where the Focus Rifle is found. This area is reminiscent of where the sniper rifle was located on Rat's Nest. Opposite this side is where the Active Camo is found in a hallway meant to provide a safe flanking route for infantry; it cuts through the figure 8 on the side and looks like this "8|". The area here is similar to where the Rocket Launcher was on Rat's Nest or at least it is when it comes to player orientation.

SNIPER




CENTER ATRIUM COMPARISON + ROCKETS



CAMO COMPARISON/ORIENTATION



As you can probably already tell, by having the ground level at the same elevation the walkways can connect directly to the bases replacing the need for the side hallways entirely. In Rat's Nest's sniper area, since it it elevated from the rest of the map, a passage could have connected that section to the front of the bases and that is what is done on Thruway. Next to this sniper area there was a very popular jump up, the one that allowed you to climb on top of the pipes. This was recreated in a more intended, normal route for players to take which leads directly into the base.

PIPE JUMP UP



Something that was always a problem on Rat's Nest was that if you spawned out in the corners of the map it was difficult to defend yourself from the enemy Warthog. On Thruway the corners were turned into areas to access the walkways as well as being safe spawn zones. The side where the sniper spawns has a turret which can be used to suppress enemy vehicles or brought into the base to defend the objective.

WINDOW CORNER



TURRET CORNER


The weapons on map are:
4x DMRs
4x Frag Grenades
4x Health Packs
2x Needle Rifles
2x Needlers
2x Assault Rifles
2x Machine Gun Turrets
2x Magnums
2x Plasma Repeaters
1x Active Camo
1x Rocket Launcher
1x Focus Rifle

4x Mongeese
2x Warthogs

The best gametypes on this map are Neutral Bomb and Multi Flag. That said the map supports all major gametypes. For those of you that enjoy your race tracks, this map supports both Race and Rally and plays pretty well with the figure 8 layout.

Some of you may not be a fan of the original Rat's Nest, this map, or the gameplay that these maps provide but that does not mean the work done into redesigning the map should be discredited. I hope you guys enjoy this map and that it scratches an itch that the current Reach maps and Team Objective offering simply can't.