Map ideas limitations and discussion
invader Zim
Join Date: 2007-09-20 Member: 62376Members
Join Date: 2007-09-20 Member: 62376Members
<div class="IPBDescription">how many different science facilities can you think of</div>I was wondering what ideas people have for ns2 maps. Its obviously to early to flesh them out in detail since the textures and game play elements arent ready but intial thoughts?
What limitations are likely to exist to maps? In ns1 maps are relatively flat since the comm works from a birds eye view
I guess there will be alot of space stations and scientific facilities which i do like. but many of those ideas have been done quite a few times in ns1 and other games. Does anyone have any concepts that diverge from the traditional scifi shooter setting whilst remaining nsish.
Does any one have any ideas for individual rooms or layouts that will create a unique tactical or game play experience?
Im not a mapper but i hope those in th know will comment.
Personnally id like to see a drifter colony map kind of like the drifter colony in titan AE. It would made from lots offf different bits of spaceship welded together to create corridors that changed in texture and leveling. And the hole place would feel kind of bodged together.
Id also like to see some larger rooms (like airhanger size) used to create a slightly different combat environment on some maps.
P.S. use diagrams to explain ideas if u need too
What limitations are likely to exist to maps? In ns1 maps are relatively flat since the comm works from a birds eye view
I guess there will be alot of space stations and scientific facilities which i do like. but many of those ideas have been done quite a few times in ns1 and other games. Does anyone have any concepts that diverge from the traditional scifi shooter setting whilst remaining nsish.
Does any one have any ideas for individual rooms or layouts that will create a unique tactical or game play experience?
Im not a mapper but i hope those in th know will comment.
Personnally id like to see a drifter colony map kind of like the drifter colony in titan AE. It would made from lots offf different bits of spaceship welded together to create corridors that changed in texture and leveling. And the hole place would feel kind of bodged together.
Id also like to see some larger rooms (like airhanger size) used to create a slightly different combat environment on some maps.
P.S. use diagrams to explain ideas if u need too
Comments
You bring up the flatness of maps but I'd say most of this is due to the onos. Ladders and steep gradients tended to disappear along main routes for ease of travel. On some versions of (I think nothing?) the map with a bottom sewer hive onos still can't climb up the small ladder between double(now single) and the top hive(generator I think).
The tram lines might provide alternate routes key areas in which case we could see more vertical maps.
It would be cool to have a map in a destroyed marine colony. Aliens came in, took out the colony and are in the process of infesting it. The marines come to fight and get it back.
The map would take place in enclosed living quarters and the like. There might be a mess hall, video rooms, bedrooms, air vents, and so on. I think that would be a big visual change from the usual sci-fi corridors and something that players could relate to.
Tactical gameplay: The rooms will have a simple layout, with many small rooms. There will be an extensive ventilation system, however, that will connect many rooms.
2. Alien World
Another idea is that marines fight back the aliens and get to their world. Marines try to set up a base of operations in enemy territory.
I'd imagine that it would be heavily infested enclosed rocky space. There could even be windows with a look at the vast, infested planet. The marines might start off from a "static" ship and venture into the enemy territory. The aliens will start on their terrain and they might end up fighting in the small ship area. I think there was a custom NS map made with that idea.
Tactical gameplay: this map would have large caverns and long corridors. There won't be doors (except maybe in the marine ship). There will be only few vents, if any. However, the large areas would have many cover spots. Something like this:
<img src="http://creationwiki.org/images/thumb/f/f5/Carlsbad_caverns.jpg/400px-Carlsbad_caverns.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
3. A marine science lab, where they study living alien specimen is invaded by aliens. The area is locked down and working areas are blocked by bullet-proof glass.
This idea, as you might have guessed, is inspired by this art:
<img src="http://www.unknownworlds.com/images/ns2/screenshots/envconcept11.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Tactical gameplay: The level will involve a lot of corridors and some large science rooms. An interesting part would be the ability to see through glass at what happens in another corridor. You are attacking a hive through one corridor, and you can see through glass how aliens are coming in for support through a different entrance - they can't harm each other though.
This idea, as you might have guessed, is inspired by this art:
<img>
Tactical gameplay: The level will involve a lot of corridors and some large science rooms. An interesting part would be the ability to see through glass at what happens in another corridor. You are attacking a hive through one corridor, and you can see through glass how aliens are coming in for support through a different entrance - they can't harm each other though.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The hive locations could be in "different test chambers", there's a lot of "non-breakable" glass walls, which have been broken through in various places. Alien blood splattered on it in places to make it opaque(for instance around a high "vent-like" opening).
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=102563" target="_blank">Map Ideas! Lets hear them!</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=101617" target="_blank">Level Enviroment Ideas</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=98614" target="_blank">Raids (Kharaa Focused Maps)</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=97650" target="_blank">Outdoor Maps</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=97911" target="_blank">Helping Mappers With Variety</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=98788" target="_blank">Hive Locations</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=98867" target="_blank">Retrieval Missions</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=98860" target="_blank">Maps and Gameplay (Objectives)</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=99025" target="_blank">More Hive Locations</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=99268" target="_blank">Dynamic Levels</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=100182" target="_blank">Real 3D Maps</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=99774" target="_blank">Ammount of Light In Maps</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=100664" target="_blank">Map Interactivity</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=100833" target="_blank">Interactive Maps (Another Thread)</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=100573" target="_blank">Accessable Computer Monitors</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=100862" target="_blank">Use of the Enviroment</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=101256" target="_blank">Map (Different Each Time)</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=101288" target="_blank">Marines Having Different Entry Locations</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=101408" target="_blank">Maps having their own LUA code</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=101838" target="_blank"><u>Your potential Map ideas for NS2 on Source?, the fun begins</u></a>
I start off the thread by detailing a space station map, of a design that i basically 'shotgunned'. Its a space station with 3 separate structures that are linked by huge glass walkways as well as enclosed hallways. From the glass walkways, you can see miles and miles of space around you, filled with asteroids, other stations, ships, etc, all thanks to the beautiful 3D Skybox ability of Source. I've got the layout basically detailed in my head, but I explain a lot about the hive placement and such in that thread.
examples:
<u>furnace/refinery</u> - have conveyor belts moving large chunks of rubbish/boxes/random junk into the furnace, and make it so that if the power is turned off, they stop until it is restored. i think it would also be cool if the furnace gave off radiant heat, so if you got too close, you'd hear the marine/alien hurt and maybe hurt em a little bit. sure this would need to be playtested, but it doesnt make sense to stand near a furnace generatinng 900 degrees of heat, with no health side effects....
have steam pipes that rumble and hiss, generating that cool ambient noise were sort of used to, but wasnt done all that well in NS1. they could also be broken, making steam rush out (at least for a little bit, might get annoying after a while).
maybe even a little controllable fork-lift that the marines could use, eg. to gather large heavy objects to block a corridor. design the map so that you couldnt drive the forklift out of that specific part of the map, and i think it would be kinda fair. give the aliens some sort of area specific tech (a structure/ability that works by leeching heat from the furnace) and it could be balanced pretty well.
<u>biodome</u> - strange exotic plants and random lifeforms. not kharaa looking, but other more weaker alien species from another planet/solar system. little wierd looking things the size of a rabbit running around, and big venus fly traps or mushrooms, or just big plants in general, that all sway/move in a wierd alien way. it would be AWESOME to see them randomly interact with each other. it would be amazing to see a seperate computer controlled ecosystem working autonomously in-game.
example - a little critter gets too close to a plant trap and gets eaten, you hear it squeal and get chomped, its cries drown out from the sound of the plant going NOM NOM NOM =) it wouldnt happen too often in the game, but would be funny as hell when it happens... imagine sneaking into bio as a marine and hiding in a corner - "comm i need a phase ga- holy F&@# did you see what that mushroom did to that squirrel thingy!!!"
also all lifeforms can be burned/killed in some way.
<u>mess hall </u>- destructable tables and chairs, that can be moved pr piled up to block corridors. also some plates and cutlery that will make noise and smash when someone crashes into a table. also a kitchen with sinks, pots and pans, etc.
<u>Computer Core</u> - heaps of computer terminals, server racks etc, all destructable, and all can be turned off if the power goes out. if they are broken when the power is on, make sparks fly off of em (maybe give the player a slight electric shock if they get to close - open to playtesting).
<u>mine shafts</u> - obviously make them dark, damp and gloomy. maybe throw in some stalactites (as if they mined into a subterrianian cave), but try to make it like the rock walls look like they have been bored out by heavy machinery. leave some of the machinery lying around to add to the effect, and maybe even (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE) make the machinery drivable, like in red faction.
also..
<u>science lab </u>- same idea as the mess hall, but instead of plates and cutlery, there's beakers of acid and chemicals that disolve humans/kharaa or whatever is stupid enough to knock the stuff over. and disolves the table and surrounding props too.
<u>fusion reactor/power generator</u> - kinda like that glowing energy core res node thingy in ns_machina, but make it 10 times bigger. and not just make it a room, make it a central part of the map that controls power to other parts of the map - like a power generator should. for inspiration on how you should make it look, check out the large hadron collider, damn i want something like that in NS2.
<a href="http://cdsweb.cern.ch/collection/Photos" target="_blank">http://cdsweb.cern.ch/collection/Photos</a>
thats all i can think of at the moment, but you get the idea. sure most of my suggestions have more to do with props than the actual design/layout of the rooms themselves, but props are still important to their specific rooms and add a great deal of atmosphere.
Only that they are all dead. The school/ship became infested with Khaara. The Marines find skeletons of the victims everywhere. Children's skeletons. In the classrooms, the library, the cafeteria, stuffed into lockers, etc.
The poor souls never had a chance.
How's THAT for creepy?
Only that they are all dead. The school/ship became infested with Khaara. The Marines find skeletons of the victims everywhere. Children's skeletons. In the classrooms, the library, the cafeteria, stuffed into lockers, etc.
The poor souls never had a chance.
How's THAT for creepy?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is "Rating 'M'" for creepy - i think the game will try to go for a T rating.
...
I wasn't aware there was so much discussion on maps already! Seems from the recently released art picture that old maps might come back:
<img src="http://www.unknownworlds.com/images/ns2/screenshots/hiveconcept.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
This looks a lot like the archiving hive from ns_hera. The water, 2nd story, and the pipes - all remind me of it.