Who's up for some 4play?

[Imbrifer]

4play is my latest map, and I am very proud of the architecture so far - I think it shows my development as a mapper very well.

Anyhow, into the nitty-gritty. The layout is this:

• 4 seperate bases equidistant from a center hill.
• Each base is relatively small, but all provide sniper spots.
• Specific classes can activate hazards near each base*

What is the gametype, you ask? Well, I sure as shoot don't know yet. I'll discuss the ones I have under consideration, but I'm just itchin' for you all to see and critique these screens:

Here's some screenies of the Blue base:


And here are some screenies of the Red base:


And third, we have the Yellow base:


Ahh. Now that that's over with, here are the gametype options:

King of the Hill

About what you'd expect: each team fights to control the central hill. The longer each team controls the hill, the more points they get!

Toss the Flag

A CTF variant, Toss the Flag requires players to run into the enemy base, grab their flag, and toss it into a giant hole in the center of the map to score.

Demolition

Another fairly well-known gametype: Get into the enemy's base and destroy their generator/other important object.

Your Idea Here!

While I think all of these ideas are possible, I'd rather do something new, engaging and interesting! So post your idea below, and I will give it serious consideration. Things to remember:
1. Each team's base is small, so defenses cannot be extravagant. Think midmap activity.
2. Be creative! Is it a race to kill/capture as many Hunted as possible? Is there something midmap which you have to drag back to your base? I don't care how absurd your idea may be, I want to read it!
Help the FF community redefine FPS gaming with new gametypes! VOTE FOR ONE OF THESE! Wheee

Upcoming editing:

• Obviously I have done no midmap creation. Right now I am designing it, and I am planning for it to be spunky. Think Oregon coast mashed with green mountains with a bit of a field in between.
• Designing the Green base. I have a basic VIS layout, and I'm trying to develop a 4th unique theme. Its like 4 times the work of building a regular FF base
• Dropping some detail into the Red Base's interior. I like the lighting/texturing, but it looks plain.

* Hazards include the spy deactivating the bridge to blue's base (very cold water will hurt players), a Demoman causing a rockslide in front of Red's base, a Pyro igniting underbrush in front of Yellow's base and... well.. what else?
Each, of course, can be fixed by a specific class - the engie can fix the bridge, destruction of rocks can eliminate the rockslide, and conc grenades eliminating the underbrush fire.

[Hawk Eye]

Screenies look badass, and the idea of class-specific hazards sounds very interesting. Plus, the themed bases sound really cool.

As for gameplay, I still can't think of a good suggestion.

[-=bingo-bango=-]

how the **** do u have time to make all these maps?

[fishBurger]

wow. This map looks like it is going to be awesome!

For the fourth fort, I see something with perhaps an industrial theme? Doesnt have to be the generic warehouse or the somewhat-overused grungy abandoned industrial area, although either would work if you wanted to use them.
I'm seeing perhaps a well maintained manufacturing facility or maybe a sawmill type deal.

As far as gameplay, heres an idea. 4 flags (or objects map/team specific). If you toss your flag or object into the cap area of another team's base, you get 10 points, they lose 5, AND I like the idea of having that trigger a blocked access (main exits slam closed for 20 seconds) or something fun for the attackers (base sniper deck explodes into flames) or something.
now heres the fun part: any team can grab any flag, so you're trying to push your flag into an enemy base while denying the enemy access to their flag. If you toss an enemy flag into their own cap zone, then you dont get points, but they lose 20 or 30 and ALL their base exits slam closed for 15 seconds... now when they open again that entire team is massed at the door, ready to break out in force and cause some damage.

the whole scenario provides so many opportunities for teams to team up and work together, and just as many to backstab the other guy once you've wrecked another team's base.

[nodnarb]

Originally Posted by -=bingo-bango=-

how the **** do u have time to make all these maps?

He doesn't waste time on mods like S:S

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by nodnarb

He doesn't waste time on mods like S:S

ouch.

anyway. nice job as usual, Imbrifer. Can we play a beta of it to get some ideas about the list you made about gameplay?

[nodnarb]

Originally Posted by Beetle

anyway. nice job as usual, Imbrifer. Can we play a beta of it to get some ideas about the list you made about gameplay?

Most likely not, because there are alot of FF textures in it.

P.S. BB I was just messing with you.

[Mangetsu]

Other: A map where you have to get a CD, and use it on a computer, when you use the CD, a gas chamber´ll open & start to kill anyone trapped outside the teams base
Yeah, i like gory things

[Nezumi]

I like the sound of toss the flag.

[Filter]

I voted for toss the flag. Sounds pretty cool and would prolly be fun with your three team concept.

[nodnarb]

Originally Posted by Filter

I voted for toss the flag. Sounds pretty cool and would prolly be fun with your three team concept.

There will be 4 teams, hence the name "4play".

[FUEL Doc]

NOICE!! Love your map man. The green base could have the medic put gas/flesh eating virus into the greenies ventilation which will fill a room full of the stuff so they cant get out. Just an idea.

EDIT: I accidentally voted for other when i wanted demolition. Sorry.

[Imbrifer]

Yeah.. so I finished the 4th base and the outside area.. everything except for final tweaks and the skybox.

Except just the vvis took 10 hours. So something tells me I'll be optimizing the map a bit more. Maybe instead of all 4 bases in a big field, I'll make the map in a swastika overhead pattern. So a midfieldy place, but you have to walk a bit to get to each base. But that could slow down the game a bunch since its 4 teams..

Another option is having each base be in a different setting, with portals between each.

Preferences? Thoughts?

[Rutabeggar]

Great looking map bud, I voted for KoTH, as for more gameplay suggestions, I would seriously consider limiting sniper use on these sort of maps. If you go into a pub that is playing something like murderball with the 4 bases facing the center, generally it turns into "Why bother going outside if you're going to get sniped?" Perhaps make it so snipers can't shoot the people in the field and only each other? I dunno, I'm not so much in to mapping, but I do know that snipers really ruin murderball. I say that because instead of playing the objective, most snipers just pick off anyone running in the field even if it isn't the team controlling the ball.

(For those of you who don't know, murderball is a 'control the ball' map where 4 teams fight for a ball that spawns in the center and take it to their base and try to control it for the longest, the longer you hold, the longer you get points.)

In any case, which ever direction you go, I'm sure it'd be worth a play simply for the fact that it looks great, keep up the good work!

[own3r]

Originally Posted by Imbrifer

Yeah.. so I finished the 4th base and the outside area.. everything except for final tweaks and the skybox.

Except just the vvis took 10 hours. So something tells me I'll be optimizing the map a bit more. Maybe instead of all 4 bases in a big field, I'll make the map in a swastika overhead pattern. So a midfieldy place, but you have to walk a bit to get to each base. But that could slow down the game a bunch since its 4 teams..

Another option is having each base be in a different setting, with portals between each.

Preferences? Thoughts?

10 hours for vvis thats crazy! Make all of the non structural stuff to func_details else you will cry waiting for it, the process may take a while but I am willing to bet its less than 10 hours.

I say keep the 4 teams on the yard and make the entrance of each base block vvis, that will make all well and wont require a hike.

[Hawk Eye]

I don't like the idea of the portals, really. At least with a normal midfield kind of design you could conc over to different bases, but if you have to teleport then people might just resort to setting up demo traps right where the teleport lets out... if ya know what I mean?

edit: And upload screenies of the green base please

[Imbrifer]

Heh, I'll upload screenies of the green base when I can see it ingame :P

Thanks for the suggestions, own3r - unfortunately, I've already done them. I've turned everything but the essential vis blocking stuff into func_details and blocked off all the entrances.

Just before I added the green base, 4play took the same amount of time to compile as 2morforever, but now its like 1000 times longer. Musta farked up somewhere with the green base. Guess I'll just fly through again and nitpick - see if there are any gaping design holes sucking up that extra 9.5 hrs of compile time

Anyone know any little thing that is easily missed that can drive vvis time through the roof?
Does lighting have a big impact on vvis, or is it just layout and areas?

EDIT: Did some tweaking - changed prop_dynamic_override entities to prop_physics entities that can't move.. removed some lights, fixed some detail shiat, and now the Vis is only taking an hr or two.

[Nezumi]

Lighting doesn't affect vvis...