So I'm looking to get this map into a really solid state. Ethereal - NEWEST VERSION: "Ethereal (Beta)" Currently known issues from feedback after a playtest from Max Extra and Co. Frame rate issue in mid looking past trees(longhall to catwalk) - This should now be fixed, on the version you played I'd added an extra tree to break up a sightline a bit, removing it seemed to improve the framerate. Large for 4s more of a squad sized map - possibly - It feels like it should be okay for 4's, but I'm keen to know where I can shrink it down, as per the suggestion to remove/shrink areas. Need more feedback on this. Hiding spot under camo needs to be looked at - fixed, soft kill zone added. Allow sneak around the side of the map in the soft kill to be more apparent - Not sure how to do this...part of me thinks remove the ability to do so entirely, the other part likes the risk reward of the shortcut. Border around the screen (filter) is a bit distracting - "Weathered" now removed (no more vignetting) Initial spawns faulty - have deleted the original initial spawns and replaced them one at a time. Should be fine now. (I hope!) Anywho - if anyone that HAS playtested the map has more feedback from their playtest, I'd appreciate it. Current Weapon set: 1 x Binary Rifle - 180 seconds 1 x Railgun - 120 seconds. 1 x Active Camo - 120 seconds (should I remove this from a weapon pad? (I hate that the pad always seems to show it as "up" even when it's not") 1 x Storm Rifle 2 x Halo 5 BR 2 x Light Rifle 1 x Plasma Pistol 1 x Shotgun 2 x Plasma Grenades 2 x Splinter Grenades Any and all brutal feedback totally appreciated. It's worth noting this wasn't a planned design of anything like that - entirely organic making it up as I went along type design, so I'm not overly attached to the layout and I am willing to go the distance and make significant changes to improve it. I do love the aesthetic though, so that is unlikely to get revised. Thanks for reading/testing/playing and I'd appreciate any and all input. Sik (Worth mentioning there is an Infection variant for this called Phantasm, because why can't Infection maps be pretty?)
Ooh so shiny! Looks very futuristic, kind of like something you would see in a rich district or outside a public place. I also get some Utopian vibes due to how clean it all is.
I got Bannerfall (a map from Destiny) vibes from the first 3 pictures. Looks great. Shiny and clean. I love the patterns on the floors :3
Just trying to look at it with a critical eye - the tunnel under the map that emerges in each "corner" so to speak...possibly not needed? I like it, but its a lot of running out of sight for little gain in terms of map movement.
I cannot really tell from the screenshots; however I can probably watch Max's Twitch stream to see how it was used when I get home from work. Does the path provide a flank, a safer route, or anything? Will that path be more useful in other game modes such as strongholds or assault?
Definitely a safer route, but also a route with no real purpose. I'm currently making a version that removes the tunnel - I feel it's the biggest offender in making the map feel overly large for 4's. Will have a two way teleporter in it's place.
That sounds reasonable, offers a path option while also reducing the play space of the map / travel time.
The teleporters would make the map play a lot faster; once I found the bottom passage I tried to avoid it because of the long sight lines, and when I did use it to flank the enemy was already gone when I got there :/ I was the one that had some troubles with your R/R side path too. I DID like that it was an option, it was just a little confusing because of the other natural area in the map. Maybe some 'broken' glass near the base to show that it's a dangerous route? I'd just like to see it look less safe to contrast with your safe outside area. Other than that, the map played beautifully, I really enjoyed the way the map is segmented in the kinda oblong diamonds. Can't wait to see your latest iteration!
Change made to remove tunnel - saved as "Ethereal ALT" Catwalk Teleporter (Entrance/Exit) Connects to Blue Backroom, seen targeted - added a window. Blue Backroom Teleporter Exit/Entrance - Also contains shotgun spawn - this may need to be moved as shotgun camping sucks balls. Can you be more specific with what route you're describing? I'm not sure I understand the location to which you're referring.
If it's the path you replaced with teleporters then disregard, but if it's that side path I can load it up and take a ss EDIT: http://xboxclips.com/QrrbrbirbeI/screenshots/a0c58ef2-2265-4ea4-b155-416091f9c873 And it's very rough, but: http://xboxclips.com/QrrbrbirbeI/screenshots/068b2650-1e74-4788-bec6-767c5a6e3be0
Ah. I see what you're getting at. Tempted to glass it off completely, but I like the jump/chamber route to Camo. Hmm.
Maybe the Forge team could bless us with some broken glass pieces I'd reserve glassing it off completely til you get it tested with the new ports. Could be a decent way to make the map a tad smaller if it's still needed. Whatever route you go though I feel like I'm just telling you to add a pinch more salt because I prefer things a bit saltier. Yo dish already delish AF
Keeping in theme with the rest of the map, and looks nice but retains the functionality of the shortcut jump/clamber route.
Ever have any issues with players hitting there heads on the angled walls? Maybe messing up a strafe or akward grenade meta-game? Map looks amazing
Hey Sik, love the look of this map and the whole timed-killzone-sneaky-ledges-around-the-outside idea! I was doing a forge through and just had a few thoughts. A.) I thought the railing next to the binary spawn should be lowered so you could have fights through that window without standing on the raised platform for the binary. B.) I thought putting something here to make a route between the two platforms on either side made sense. It's a fluid connection and gives some benefit to being in the outside area on the left of the picture. C.) The SMG spawn, and slightly less so the Shotgun spawn, seem like big corners. For example, you walk into the SMG room from red spawn you have a long haul to get up to the top catwalk and no other options other than backtracking. This makes it seem like an easy place to get trapped, especially with the top catwalk overlooking the area. I thought connecting the Shotgun spawn and the SMG spawn somehow would make these areas less dangerous to traverse by giving them alternate routes. You might have noticed from the last picture that I changed the pillar in the top catwalk also. I did that to make it a drop down to the Shotgun room. I had no real reason for doing this, and looking back I don't think it's a very good idea lol Anywho, these are just sloppily thrown together concepts, but I saved my edit in my files if you want to see what I did exactly. Also feel free to trash/ignore anything I just said, I'm just throwing ideas around!
Not yet - does make grenade throwing a little different, but I don't think it's inherently bad. Playtesting more is always a good thing to track down those kind of issues. Love all the ideas - and really appreciate you taking the time out to demonstrate them visually, great stuff. With regards to the last idea about connecting SMG/Shotgun spawn - it would mean moving/changing Red team starting spawns and possibly all weapon placement. For any asym, currently the position of weapons/power-ups is pretty close in terms of distance from both red and blue spawn...moving them may cause a rethink in terms of how everything is placed. (Not that it's a bad thing!) Will give it some thought.
So further to your post, and the feedback I got from Playtesting with Duke of Mearl & Co, I've made some pretty drastic changes. Lowered Window Ledges. Added stairs instead of clamber route. Removed Railgun - added SPNKR. Opened up Blue Backroom, added SMG spawn. Created stairs to Blue Backroom. Floor height adjusted, Light Rifle removed, added 2 x Splinter Grenades. Binary Rifle moved lower. Outside areas dramatically reduced in size, cliffs and death pits added allowing for some cool jumps. NEWEST VERSION: "Ethereal (Beta)"
After playtesting myself yesterday and watching Max Extra's Forge Friday stream, the following changes have been implemented: Decreased jump distance between red spawn to outside (jump over one of the death pits was a little hard to make reliably) Moved Rockets to outside, created new area for Rocket spawn, upped spare clips from 0 to 1. Moved Scattershot to old Rocket Spawn location. Added clamber jump for Longhall to relevant Stronghold Removed softkill from shortcut from Bluespawn to outside. Created new geometry to show pathing. Floor height adjustment in Top Mid/reduced "openness". Improved item usage/budget. Added 13% more prettiness. Map is now in Beta - newest version called "Ethereal (Beta)"