Created by: TEETMARE, NlBBLES, and ThrowinSomeBows Presenting: Created by: NlBBLES and ThrowinSomeBows TURNPIKE Redux (Updated (Part 2 of 3 of the map pack) Part 1 of 3 Warhorse Part 3 of 3 Harbinger As the second part of the TDNT Map Pack, we wanted a map that utilized vehicles but also had that perfect balance between spartans on foot and spartans on wheels. Wrapped around the pillar, we wanted a circular track all around the map, (some say rats nest, i say its a F'n track of course its going to look somewhat like rats nest) as it is somewhat inspired by rats nest. The similarities stop at the track as there is more action around the track than in the middle. No position is considered dominant, as you will need to be quick and decisive when determining where you want to move. If you dont you'll be wearing tire tread across your face, and no one wants that. There is a sniper and rocket launcher in the neutral "gates", and a gravity hammer in each base. These weapons work nicely in countering the mayhem the vehicles cause on this map. You may have already seen Warhorse, if you did there's no reason to pick your jaw up of the computer desk because its about to drop again. Theres no sparkle and glitter neccesary for this one, so here it is folks, Turnpike. Weapon Count 4x DMR 6x Needle Rifle 2x Needler 2x Plasma Pistol 2x Spiker 2x Plasma Repeater 2x Gravity Hammer 1x Sniper Rifle 1x Rocket Launcher 2x Warthog 2x Ghost 2x Mongoose Video Spoiler [bungievid]11905200[/bungievid] Pics Spoiler Red Base Blue Base Blueside, East Gate (Rocket Spawns in between the Large Walkway Covers) East Gate, Red Base view Eastside redbase Redbase Red Base West Gate Red Base West gate 2 (Sniper spawns between the two large walkway covers) Blue Base West Gate Action Shots Spoiler Thank you for taking the time to check out this part of the map pack, be sure to check out the other maps featured in this map pack. Comments and downloads are greatly appreciated. Links if you missed them Download Turnpike Part 1 Warhorse Part 3 Harbinger [these links will be updated shortly, once the other maps in the pack are finished being posted] TITMAR (portfolio) NIBBLES (profile) ThrowinSomeBows (profile)
This is just getting up!? I remember play testing this map a long time ago. Either way, this is a pretty decent map. It reminded me a lot of Rat's Nest. But like you said, the comparison stops at the track. However, I think it would benefit from a "middle ground." At least when I played it, there wasn't really a perfect balance between foot and vehicle. It's also pretty open - something you sacrifice when you focus the action on a track. I remember the turns being a practical no man's land. Don't get me wrong, it's a decent map though. 6.5/10
hmm, i disagree on some points there. of course, im a bit biased since i am involved in this map pack. i do agree that most people do not hang out around the corners, they are more for vehicle passage only. but there IS a middle ground to pass through on sniper side, safe from vehicles. there is also a building on rocket side to escape from the vehicles. i felt that footsoldiers were able to counter vehicles just as equally as they can in Warhorse in this map, by the use of armor lock, PP, and nades. The warthog is a force to be reckoned with for sure, but anyone who has played the map more than once knows that and takes it out with the quickness. sorry to be replying in your stead, Bows, but i just wanted to reply to what dude said.
This looks interesting, but some of the areas look like no-mans-lands for people on foot. I'll Dl and check it out. Why is this name so popular though, I was going to name a map this but I'm going to have to get a new one now! It's ok though, luck of the draw. The pillars made of the large walkway covers look really nice as well, they work good here because of the size of your buildings.
I'm a big fan of Titmar's and Throwin's previous work, but I have to agree that (judging by the game play vid) the hog looks extremely dominant. Maybe the clip you provided was not representative of the overall game flow however.
Yes and no. There are a few variables that come into play as far as long the warthogs reign of death last. 1. Skill of the driver and gunner. 2. Overall knowledge of the map (i.e. weapon spawns and side routes) I've been in games where the warthogs have never died and in games where they leave their base and are instantly destroyed.
Turnpike with loooots of input from pacmonster1 lol. My only highlight in that 2 min video was a splatter of sleazy...which was then countered by an armor lock win by sleazy. Anyway, I disagree with it being a vehicle dominated map, don't let that video confuse you (and I bet that's what it is and people not actually playing the map) drivers usually did not fare that well for very long. There are 2 hammers, a rocket launcher, and plenty of middle areas to avoid vehicles. If you payed attention to that video you would notice that there was rarely people out in the open and when they were it was near the pillars where power weapons spawn...which is the idea. You could conceivably play an entire game without getting a vehicle kill (and there were games in my many play tests where vehicles were rarely used) Edit: By the way...is the graphic for this map pack a Griffon?
thank you for that comment <3 i am a fan of your work as well, as you know. we'd probably forge together if we had similar time zones... damn you, time! but yes, the Hog CAN be dominant, on any map, with a skilled driver-gunner combination. the enemy team can help the Hog be more dominant, by being noobs and not taking it out quick enough. some games were like this, others were mostly on foot. it all depends on the teams, really. so to everyone, dont let that deter you, this map is not full-on hog rape, it is in fact well balanced.
I love this map pack all of the maps a have a crisp and clean feel to them, yet they still seem detailed. I love this map in perticular, it have has a sort of halo 3 "rat's nest" kind of feel to it. Very well done, I'm trying to downloaded it but my map queue space is full.
Turnpike Turnpike is a vehicle centric map built around the Pillar in Forge World. Somewhat inspired by the Halo 3 map Rat’s Nest, Turnpike’s main feature is a circular track designed for vehicular combat that encompasses the map. Turnpike also features multiple high grounds and hallways, which, aside from the most ambitious drivers, are used solely by those whom prefer foot travel. To balance the vehicle heavy nature of the map, the author provided a weapon set that features many ways for players to defend themselves. Gravity hammers, plasma pistols, and a rocket launcher all are present and help players counter attacks made by their mounted foes. As for the vehicles themselves, the author wisely strayed from those with heavier firepower, and instead opted for a more agile combat style by supplying players with lighter vehicles such as Ghosts and Warthogs. Due to the speed of these vehicles, battles tend to evolve into exhilarating high-speed vehicular pursuits, then end in a pile of rubble thanks to the interruption of a rocket launcher wielding foot combatant. Vehicle combat on Turnpike is always a blast, and the end result of a battle is never predictable. While some fights will end due to the vehicles just blasting away at each other, the constant interruptions from unmounted combatants make these endings few in numbers. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this map is that almost every battle involves a nice balance between vehicular and foot combat. Foot combat, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired. Players unable to find a vehicle or uninterested in using one almost always flock to the single passage connecting the two bases, due to it being the only place safe from the harassment of mounted foes. It is common for battles in this area to result in camping stalemates. This happens for two reasons, first because there is not a single safe flanking route, and secondly because there is no cover to use in a head on advance. Had the author provided another path from base to base, possibly a path similar to the existing one that traveled along the opposite side of the Pillar, or some sort of cover in the existing pathway this problem could have been avoided in its entirety. While vehicular-based combat is quite enjoyable, foot combat is remarkably less. Turnpike is an asymmetrical map, and because of that fact it is expected to have some balance issues. While there are a few problems, the map for the most part is well balanced. The optimal rush times for both power weapons, the sniper and the rocket launcher, are fairly close. Red team can reach the sniper roughly a second before blue team, while blue team can reach the rocket launcher roughly a second before red team. The vehicles, along with the rest of the weapons, are spread about evenly in each team’s base so there are no balance issues present amongst them. As for the bases themselves, there are some balance issues. While Red team’s base is elevated a full story above the entire vehicle track, Blue team’s base is level with one section of the track. This allows vehicles a direct line of fire on players positioned on the top of the blue base, which is an advantage that is not present in their counterparts’ base. This imbalance is somewhat evened out by the fact that from their base, the blue team has a very advantageous sight line in relation to the yellow passage. If a player from the blue team can acquire the sniper, this sight line advantage can be exploited to completely control movement through the yellow passage. While the weapon/vehicle set has very few balancing issues, the geometry of the map provides some major balance flaws. Being a map that is not completely enclosed, Turnpike seems like it should have some opportunities to escape the normal playing area. This is not so. While it looks like the map should be escapable in certain areas, well placed kill zones prevent players from reaching them. Turnpike utilizes one hundred respawn points in conjunction with twelve spawn zones to provide players with a very well designed spawning system. Players are never spawned immediately into jeopardy, and they rarely are spawned in an odd position. The vast majority of respawn points are properly positioned; nearly every one of them points the player in the direction of a weapon, vehicle, or towards the middle of the map. The only possible flaws with the spawning system are that there are a few respawn points that point players in odd directions, and that a few of the spawn zones extend too far into the middle of the map. Turnpike is completely inescapable, and there are only very minor flaws in the spawning system. For being almost completely custom built, Turnpike is quite a large map. Because of its size, the use of the dreaded coliseum wall was an obvious necessity. However, unlike most maps that make extensive use of this object, Turnpike does not in the least emit the feeling of being stuck in a grey box. The author cleverly used the natural shape of the Pillar in conjunction with custom placed rocks to inject a natural flavor into an otherwise mostly metallic map. Many well-designed unique structures also exist on the map, which help break the monotony of the boxy design of most objects. One feature of Turnpike that was done very well were the aesthetic differences between the two teams' bases. Red base is enclosed, and made use of a multitude of custom-built structures to make the area eye appealing, while blue base is mostly unenclosed, and let forge worlds natural geometry break the monotony of the mostly grey palette. The forging on Turnpike is done reasonably well. There is zero frame rate lag, and very little z-fighting. However, some of the forging on the map leans towards the sloppy side, most notably in the side base near the rocket launcher, the flooring in the yellow pathway, and the top level of the two bases. Another detriment to the aesthetics of the map comes in the form of multiple objects sticking through the outside walls of the map. While most players will miss seeing these aesthetic discrepancies, the fact remains that they can be seen from the playable area of the map. While the aesthetics on the majority of the map are done very well, there are some issues that are quite noticeable. As the rating criteria states: “Competitive maps do not necessarily need to break the mould when it comes to original design.” Turnpike is not an especially original design, being inspired by a Halo 3 map, but it does bring to the table some unique elements. From the crenellation covers being used as railings, to tunnel braces being used as weapon holders, many structural pieces are used in original ways. The fact that Turnpike was also built using the natural geometry of the Pillar in Forge World also contributes to the originality of the map. While Turnpike does not break the mould of competitive map design, it does bring some unique elements to the table. Overall, Turnpike is a very solid map that seems to be just a few adjustments away from being a great map. The potential is there, the map just needs a few tweaks and modifications to reach it. Most notably the flow of foot combat could be improved, and the balancing issues regarding the blue base could be resolved. Some minor things that could use some improvement are the cleaning up of some of the aesthetics along with the tweaking of some of the spawn zones. Rating Multipliers Enjoyment: 7 x 3.0 = 21 out of 30 Balance: 7 x 3.0 = 21 out of 30 Durability: 9 x 1.5 = 13.5 out of 15 Aesthetic : 7 x 1.5 = 10.5 out of 15 Originality: 6 x 1.0 = 6 out of 10 Final Score:
Thanks for the review DSM, it's a welcome sign to see people still playing Turnpike. We wanted the map to have two paths along the pillar, but because of the positioning, it just wasn't possible. We wanted to make it easier for players on foot, natural geometry just didn't want to cooperate. Thanks again for the review and I'm sure you'll see another BTB map from Bows and/or myself sometime in the future.