<div class="IPBDescription">How many?</div> How many Res nodes are there normally in a map, is there a list of all the maps and number of nodes, (I'm too lazy to count each one in every map)
It's not just number, it's placement as well. Don't make 8 nodes and group them in 4 groups of 2. Spread them out... maybe have a single double node, but don't make the double node a place where people would want to fortify anyway... imagine if hera processing was a double node AND a double seige, for instance.
Each hive has to have a res node near it. Marine start needs to have 1 at start as well. So you've already got 4 res nodes that you absolutely need at the start.
The rest need to be spread over the map and can be easily taken over by both sides. This is essential to ensure that both team have the same opportunity for ressources. Remember, the more ressources your team has = the easier it is for your team to win.
To counter balance the fact that the aliens have 2 res nodes more cuz of their hive position, you need to put 2 res nodes at about 30-45 seconds walk from the marine start, like the res node at HERA and maintenance, or eclipse's Station acess alpha and horseshoe.
Some people are also insistent about emphasizing one area over another by making it a double node. This works if the room is fun to fight over and isn't too hard to defend or assault. If it's too easy to grab and hold, one side will will rush for it and the other will not bother to attack. If it's too easy to assault, people will eventually stop bothering to obtain it.
The simplest scenario is 1 node per startpoint (So that's 4), with another 1 within reach of each startpoint (Another 4), and then a small handfull near areas which will see action (1 - 3), such as intersections, hubs, and generic central spots.
The starting node should only fall if the hive/marinestart is under heavy attack. It should not be easy to kill the starting node if a base is there.
The expansion node shouldn't be too hard to attack and kill, but the hive/marinestart should be close enough that they can respond and possibly defend it.
The other nodes should be further out and much harder to defend without turret farming extensively, unless you're trying to make a double node. People love turning double nodes into secondary bases.
yeah well, look at the holoroom in HERA and Atmospheric Processing in BAST. I would never relocate there. WAY too many places to get attacked from.
Hidden res nodes like the one near the refinery in BAST and the one behind the welded the grate in ns_cage are good examples of res nodes that aren't attacked a lot yet are important.
It's all about balance and where the action is. If all your res nodes are in main stream areas, chances are you're going to be duking it out there instead of killing the enemy base.
if you do make a double node, try to keep the room large enough so that the nodes are ~512 apart. otherwise players may have trouble planting a second node in the same area (HOLOROOM).
if there are 2 nodes in the same room, it is also interesting if the room is split level, and weldables like vents.
personally, i feel double node rooms should also be noisy & darkish, to make raids hard to hear/see....
other ways you can set up one node rooms to make them "extra" interesting & centers of confict/control is to add secondary controls - like: area light switches & node, set of door controls & node, master "power switch" & node, conveyor/train controls & node.
the best idea is to draw it on paper first <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
it can be a good idea to have res nodes not actually in hives, like in sewer and generator on caged, so that if the marines reloacte there for a final fade vs marine showdown, they don't have too much res.
MouseThe Lighter Side of PessimismJoin Date: 2002-03-02Member: 263Members, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
In ns_hydrosity I made the double node almost like a 4th hive, it isn't on the way to any hive and is at the very least 20 - 30 seconds away from everything. Thanks to it's positioning, the marines can't grab it on the way to a hive and likewise, the aliens can't really grab it without going for a decent jog.
Also, keep in mind that while all of the above posts are really good guidelines, that is exactly what they are, just guidelines. The BEST thing you can do is be creative.
I made Maru with the specific intention of NOT following those guidelines and placed the Res points where they are more "Team Specific." Five res are close to the marine start and the marine start has a double res. That goes directly against what most mappers around here woud tell you to do (i did it as positive re-enforcement against relocation). It works out however, because the aliens have six res nodes that are placed very near their hives. The idea was simply to give both teams the res they need to wage "Full-Tech Warfare" and the ability to "Build-at-Will" so long as they defend their areas from raids, and it worked out pretty well (but still requires some tweaking, especially after 1.1 is released).
Think of it this way, I made it so that it is possible to have tons of res coming in for both teams. You could also go to the other extreme, making it so that there are fewer res (than what is advised) and both teams are always strapped for cash, which would emphisize much more careful use of res, and definately increase strategy, but would also slow the round due to a lower developement speed. The way most mapper would tell you to develope your map is to make it so that only one team can really have good res flow, so as the facilitate the waring over res points (like they're talking about above). To me, all three options are viable and simply create different (not better/worse) types of gameplay.
The point is that you can do what you want, as long as you make it viable and fun. There are no concrete standards which you "must" follow for your map to be successful. Look at the big picture, decide how you want you map to play, and build accordingly.
im no mapper but id say 7-9 in good interesting envronments would rock, i was going to say 7 but thought 9 would be nice if they were hard to defend or something.
Can someone make a cr4p map with 3 nodes as close as they can get(closer than the holoroom nodes), arranged in a triangle, so I(or anyone else) can test the dropping bugs that popped up in 1.04? Shouldnt be too hard, just a MS and a hive with a triple res in between... please? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo--> I tried to learn mapping once. I made some sort of square with the weird hammer tools, and didn't even know how to make it playable, heh. And I'm too lazy also. Oh blah, nevermind then...
Comments
Placement is essential.
Think of this:
Each hive has to have a res node near it.
Marine start needs to have 1 at start as well.
So you've already got 4 res nodes that you absolutely need at the start.
The rest need to be spread over the map and can be easily taken over by both sides.
This is essential to ensure that both team have the same opportunity for ressources.
Remember, the more ressources your team has = the easier it is for your team to win.
To counter balance the fact that the aliens have 2 res nodes more cuz of their hive position, you need to put 2 res nodes at about 30-45 seconds walk from the marine start, like the res node at HERA and maintenance, or eclipse's Station acess alpha and horseshoe.
The simplest scenario is 1 node per startpoint (So that's 4), with another 1 within reach of each startpoint (Another 4), and then a small handfull near areas which will see action (1 - 3), such as intersections, hubs, and generic central spots.
The starting node should only fall if the hive/marinestart is under heavy attack. It should not be easy to kill the starting node if a base is there.
The expansion node shouldn't be too hard to attack and kill, but the hive/marinestart should be close enough that they can respond and possibly defend it.
The other nodes should be further out and much harder to defend without turret farming extensively, unless you're trying to make a double node. People love turning double nodes into secondary bases.
WAY too many places to get attacked from.
Hidden res nodes like the one near the refinery in BAST and the one behind the welded the grate in ns_cage are good examples of res nodes that aren't attacked a lot yet are important.
It's all about balance and where the action is. If all your res nodes are in main stream areas, chances are you're going to be duking it out there instead of killing the enemy base.
if there are 2 nodes in the same room, it is also interesting if the room is split level, and weldables like vents.
personally, i feel double node rooms should also be noisy & darkish, to make raids hard to hear/see....
other ways you can set up one node rooms to make them "extra" interesting & centers of confict/control is to add secondary controls - like: area light switches & node, set of door controls & node, master "power switch" & node, conveyor/train controls & node.
Space them up.
Oh and try and make the architecture mix with the res nodes. Don't make them just "stand out of nowhere".
Eclipse, Nancy, Caged and Hera have 9.
Bast and Tanith have 10.
Nothing has 12.
I made Maru with the specific intention of NOT following those guidelines and placed the Res points where they are more "Team Specific." Five res are close to the marine start and the marine start has a double res. That goes directly against what most mappers around here woud tell you to do (i did it as positive re-enforcement against relocation). It works out however, because the aliens have six res nodes that are placed very near their hives. The idea was simply to give both teams the res they need to wage "Full-Tech Warfare" and the ability to "Build-at-Will" so long as they defend their areas from raids, and it worked out pretty well (but still requires some tweaking, especially after 1.1 is released).
Think of it this way, I made it so that it is possible to have tons of res coming in for both teams. You could also go to the other extreme, making it so that there are fewer res (than what is advised) and both teams are always strapped for cash, which would emphisize much more careful use of res, and definately increase strategy, but would also slow the round due to a lower developement speed. The way most mapper would tell you to develope your map is to make it so that only one team can really have good res flow, so as the facilitate the waring over res points (like they're talking about above). To me, all three options are viable and simply create different (not better/worse) types of gameplay.
The point is that you can do what you want, as long as you make it viable and fun. There are no concrete standards which you "must" follow for your map to be successful. Look at the big picture, decide how you want you map to play, and build accordingly.
Just my $0.02 worth,
GSH