Shooting or map-editing

[Binnatics]

I've not even completed my first playthrough and I'm allready bussy creating maps and testing them online, mostly with Art.
He was so kind to show me the editor, after the Portal 2 editor was a desillusion. I really liked the way this editor works; it's easy and userfriendly. Still there are loads of options.

I've created 3 maps so far, which I will give you the link to below. Also a screenpic to show you an in-game idea of the map.

OWG Seek 'n Dstroy:
This is my very first map. It's full of funny tryouts and with the help of a lot ingame testing I made it playable. It's only compatible for simple deathmatch games, but that's what this map's created for:

[smg id=3403 width=500]

Here you can download the map.

My precious...:
This is the second map of my hand. Here I took lessons from the first one and my major goal here was to create a playable map, not just a beautiful creation. I made the map specially for the Capture the Diamond gametype. So there are 2 main bases in a landscape with in between one major road. Heavy firepower is supported on and nearby the road. There are also some sniper-paths and sneek-in sideways to get in the enemy base undetected.
Just today, when firing the map to take a screenshot, some guys popped up and we played a CtD game with 6 players. Everyone enjoyed the game according to their will to prolongue the gamesession  ;D

[smg id=3404 width=500]

Here you can download the map.

Celtic Blast:
This is my last creation. The first I made compatible for all gametypes. I wanted to create a very beautiful map this time, but still playable for the main gametypes. So no bugs, unclimbable walls (at least not where I didn't want them to be unclimbable) or other bother.
It's not tested yet online, but I will do that very soon.

[smg id=3402 width=500]

Here you can download the map.

[Art Blade]

 ;D :-X

We'll give that Celtic Blast a good testing, just downloaded it  :)

[Binnatics]

Cool! Did you delete my wrong topic?

[Art Blade]

yes.  :)

[PZ]

Nice maps  :-X

I especially like the last one with the flammables  :-()

[Binnatics]

Thanx PZ. We tested the map yesterday with a round of Capture the Diamond, but it's not quite a map for that purpose. We found out that players will run aside all the main island and take a boat to quickly acces the other's base. The spawning points aren't chosen quite good either.
But I think for uprising it will do fine, with more players that is...
Funny note about the explosives is that they are self-ignitive. I mean they set themselves off, if you have just blown them up yourself once. We found out it's a glitch and it has to do with the gas-pumps. Maybe because of them being half-hidden underground, or maybe just because of the pumps themselves, they start bursting fire a few moments after respawning. And they do respawn fast in MP.

Knowing that, I decided to make a benefit of it. I'm working on a vulcano island now  :-()
Art gave me some good advice about map-editing and making a map player-friendly. Things like 'make sertain points attractive to players' and 'make sure there are always at least 2 escaping points from an important location like a diamond-case'. He also spoke about the time being taken to reach from point A to point B and that players will always choose the simplest, fastest way to get there. You got to have that in mind when editing a map with multiple possibilities to reach a certain destination.
I will keep that in mind when making my vulcano island, I want to make it especially for Capture the Diamond games.  ;)

[Art Blade]

Thanks for the kind words :)

It simply isn't simple to create a map that actually attracts players because of its playability and fun factor (good map design). If you're new to map editing, you're most likely to stuff it with whatever gimmick the editor has to offer, resulting in a totally overloaded and unplayable map. Or the other way round, keeping it too simple and sterile rendering it just boring. Then you'll try different things and still no success until one day.. yay. :)

Simple rules for a good map design are:

• Easy-to-understand structure
• One point all players want to go to (something unique and valuable there)
• At least two, better three paths leading there
• "Back doors" (allowing players to sneak in or out)
• Paths should be about equally long (symmetrical design)
• Spawn points not too far away from locations of interest
• Spawn points should be safe (no spawn kills if possible)

Of course you can vary these rules and bend them, as long as the players accept the design, anything goes. And that's the most difficult thing: You cannot know whether or not your map will be a success. I've seen brilliant maps that totally failed while some really bad maps, for reasons unknown, have been popular.

I created and published various maps for various games, I know what I'm talking about  ;D

[PZ]

Sounds like solid logic  :-X

[Binnatics]

Indeed, good advice Art. I'm working on it  :-D

Here's some screenshots of my map under construction called 'Vulcano Island'. The idea with self-igniting explosives works great:
[smg id=3406 width=500]

[smg id=3405 width=500]

[smg id=3407 width=500]

>:D >:D >:D

[Art Blade]

PZ, thank you -- I love solid logic  ;D

Binnatics, having seen that self-igniting stuff in action on one of your maps we tested together, I can picture what that volcano looks like when activated. Nice  :-D :-X

[Binnatics]

Just finished another map, called "Rumble in the Jungle".
I took the whole idea of making a vulcano in a MP map to a higher level.
All I can tell is; "Big blast at 6 pm"  :-D

Here's a screenpic of Art Blade risking his life to see the rising moon  ^-^
[smg id=3422 width=500]

You can download it here

[Art Blade]

I'm the source of the green smoke trail between the exploding volcano and the moon  :-()

[PZ]

 ^+-+ :-X