Elindor's Maps Feedback & Updates Thread

[Gricks]

backdoor on the map is pretty much useless. You have half the team spawning on your way to the flag from the backdoor.

[Branches]

Your very talented at making interesting terrain. Every time I try to make a kewl
landscape I go overboard or something and make it look a bit ridiculous. Yours
always appear natural yet unique(I was also a big fan of the outlying terrain on
Rochester Castle).


OKAY! So here are some of my initial thoughts, but I am by no means a master
at this. ^^
======================================================
-You may have done this already but I would make certain that the narrow
 corner to the left of the gate(the one attackers would walk around to get to
 the left side door) is scale-able or something. I just see people fighting there
 and accidentally falling down with possibly no way back up, as it looks sorta
 steep. I'd hate to mess with your nice mountain though ^^

-I was initially concerned about the number of choke-points, but upon further
 inspection it seems that there are alternate routes in place to circumvent
 all of these. So no immediate worries there!

-The only other thing that comes to mind is the large number of accessible
 rooftops for archers(primarily in the main courtyard area). This coupled with
 the relative lack of cover in this area could make it difficult for attackers to
 deal with an archer-heavy defending team. The problem is compounded by
 the fact that defending archers have access to rooftops all around the
 perimeter of the courtyard. So attackers could be taking a lot of
 multi-directional fire with no solid cover and no readily available escape.
 Dunno, could be an issue ^^
======================================================

Hope that helped at least a little bit, and nice work! Your doing a great
service for the community!
 

[Jacko]

How long is the run time for attackers, main route? Siege is all about balancing the time it takes for attackers to reach the flag versus choke points. All successful siege map follow the same pattern, because that's the only one the game mode allows.

Looks good otherwise. Hard to give constructive feedback without seeing it in action.

Minor cosmetic issues: I'd advice you to soften up the snow on the mountains (brush  size 4, low hardness/weight, for example). "Fade the edges" with snow. You could also make the mountains less smooth, at least the parts that sticking out from the snow. Use a small brush, size 2-3 and raise the terrain gently, it will make the landscape much more alive.

[Elindor]

Jacko, yeah that is something I try to keep in mind for both balance and gameplay enjoyment reasons. 

I don't like people to have to run too far without action in siege because I know people don't like that (or a lot of uphill) but at the same time some run is necessary sometimes as to not have offense overwhelm the defense timers too easily.

That being said -  the main assault path unhindered (doors open no enemies etc) is 48 seconds, 22 seconds to the main gate.
Are you concerned that might be too short or too long?

The run around the back on the left side through the tunnel and up to the top of the sanctuary and down to the flag is quite a run...think ~ 1:45.  But that is meant to be that way - something an attacker may only do once or twice in a round if necessary.

[Jacko]

The numbers sounds right. Should work fine.

[Elindor]

Thanks for feedback.  Caita, if I lower the keep, the back door will already be more effective once breached, and I will probably add a second door there.

Keep coming with the feedback/voting. 

Gonna let it go for a couple days more and then probably work on lowering keep, adjusting defense spawns slightly, etc. 

[Elindor]

Assuming you are talking about the stairs that go into the back of the keep?  That is mostly a novelty for offense, if you get in there you can take out a couple archers that are poised on top of the battlements overlooking the flag area.  Also if you go through the keep you can come out into flag area through the keep door - which would bring you out a shieldwall if defense was holding the chokepoint too securely. 

Its a secondary route if needed...not supposed to be ideal.

[MazrimX]

Great job Elindor... the only thing that irritates me are the extra spikes out front and on the way in. (spikes just irritate me in general, but maybe because i always end up as a rag doll on them :p)

[genric]

Strangely this map doesn't seem to come up for me very often. Being new many of the people were just kind of exploring and looking around at what was in it and all that the last time I played. But it was very straight forward and was not complicated at all but had turns and twists so you could have many engagements all over the map. The flag is always a massive war zone with swords and arrows going everywhere so it makes things pretty intense.
I feel overall the defense might have a slight advantage because of the number of archer spots and high ground advantage the defense has but that is by no means a problem for the map because counter archery and the spawn times even it out making this possibly one of the best maps yet.
Good job

[genric]

This map is upsetting to me. For the defense you are on the huge tower and being anywhere else but at the top has no advantage and there seems to be very limited cover for archer and what really helps the defense is good archers weakening the enemy. But defense archers seem to get picked off pretty easily due to lack of cover at the top and once a couple defenders die they are on the farthest wall imaginable from the flag and have to fight the offense all the way up and if the defenders lose too many at the top they lose it seems to be nearly impossible to regain the flag once lost.

To fix? Honestly I'm not too sure maybe have a couple more walls at the top with murder holes that the friendly archers can shoot through with more security and not face total annihilation? Maybe have a few more spawns up at the top to possibly increase the chance to get reinforcements because that 33 second wait time is MURDER when you are spawning as far away as the offense.

So it seems many people have very different opinions on this map and I feel it's just not my type of map. Your other new map is really cool and thats generally the types of maps I like. The siege map with the ships on the beach is a really cool map very fast paced.

[Elindor]

ok, lets see if this helps...
new version has been submitted and should see these changes in game in next couple days

==============
REVISIONS TO ROCHESTER CASTLE
==============

V1.4 - ON 7/12/2012   

MANY SMALL CHANGES for GAMEPLAY and BALANCE
- lowered entire keep structure  for overall gameplay enchancement/balance
- altered buildings and added stairs in courtyard to allow more access from walls down to courtyard without dmg
- added moveable siege ladders from walls to sides of keep structure, allowing bypassing of certain parts of the ascent
- added additional postern door (2 now)
- revised some defensive spawnpoints for better access to stairways and courtyard access
- MOVED DEFENSE SPAWN CENTER (Entry Point 0) to top of keep, center of castle
- Moved attacker spawns across bridge closer to castle

[Elindor]

POLL HAS BEEN WIPED SINCE NEW VERSION IS NOW (OR SOON) UP.
NEW POLL IS UP.
If you respond now please have played the old version and the new version 

Hopefully the changes increase gameplay value by giving better access to the keep/flag all around.

[Elindor]

Anyone seen the monastery map in game yet and had any feedback?

I saw it once on EU2 (not sure its on NA2 yet)...defense actually won 3x that time, but that could be situational.

[Elindor]

Ok mappers (or anyone else who may happen to come into scene editing on accident)

Looking for feedback on 2 things:

1 - ROCHESTER CHANGES
- keep is now lower
- defense spawn center is at keep now (Defense was complaining about distant spawns)
- there are now more ways down into courtyard from walls
- there are not 2 ladders on walls that lead to the keep structure, bypassing some of the defenses (and can also get defense that spawn on walls to flag area faster)
- postern now has 2 doors

2 - HIMMELSBERG MONASTERY
- i think defense MAY have some advantage here, but hard to tell right now.
- people may not know about switchback stairs to top of sanctuary (where flag is)
- if i need to balance it i will probably give better access from top of sanctuary down to flag, widen the door opening a bit, and maybe move some defender spawns

[Elindor]

here are screens of the new ladders on Rochester...

(click to show/hide)

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