Ns_nothing layout...

realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
<div class="IPBDescription">Looking for feedback</div>I guess it's my turn now. Here is the layout (thus far) for my NS level "Space Station Nothing". I'm looking for some serious feedback about it, seeing as layout has -always- been my weakspot.

Some important notes:

- This is a first draft, and therefor does not detail the setting or describe the rooms. I'm more interested in comments about the actual layout of everything at the time being.

- The rooms are numbered for reference in discussion. Nothing else.


A screenshot or two may follow shortly, but any constructive criticism on the layout would be really cool. Thanks. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

Comments

  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Here's the layout: (didn't work last time)
  • shovenshoven Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 29Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    What's an alien only area?
    Someone might say something different, but I like the sealable corner in the bottom-left. I can see a good urination of pants happening thar har har.
  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    lol, I just realized that too. Scratch one of the sealable doors then. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
    The alien only areas would be something like an airduct where only level 1 aliens and the such can access.

    Another note: Once the two button doors are opened, they would stay open. The hazardous area would have the likes of steam or something else harmful to the player in it.
  • ChromeAngelChromeAngel Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 14Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    It is recommended that each hive room has at least two marine accessable entrances (note to self, add that to the guide.)

    I look forward to being out-flanked in room 9 <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

    Good stuff.
  • neagneag Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 12Members
    The Hive in room 5 is farther avay from the marine start than the rest.
  • HowlingHowling Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 97Members
    What are all the numbers? And it does seem kind of unfair. One hive has an extra access and all hives are at different distances away.
  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Thank you for the feedback. I am currently making some major revisions to the layout, and will post the new plan at a later time.

    Howling,
    The numbers, as mentioned in the first post, are simply for reference in discussion. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
  • pielemuispielemuis Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 72Members, NS1 Playtester
    Hey i like that layout, first time i can imagine something from the map seeing it.
  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Alright, here is the newest version of the layout... quite a few major changes, yet it still has the same concept.

    Look any better?
  • Blinking_FlipBlinking_Flip Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 55Members
    I don't know much about mapping and have only started learning the basics, but here are my opinions (even if i don't know much) the level looks a lot more equal and the distance between the hives and the command post seems fairer but one thing - there seem to be an couple of pointless rooms, for example room five, eleven-twelve? i don't mean to sound nasty. Maybe you could make a couple of the rooms which are small and adjacent to each other (i.e. eleven-twelve) part of the same room? Or maybe replace these rooms with corridors round the hives to give these areas a more closed in feeling?

    I love your screenshot in your other post your detail on the architecture is superb, keep up the good work!

    from a very very very amature "look I made a hollow box thingy" mapper person <!--emo&;)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'><!--endemo-->
  • UnknownUnknown Join Date: 1970-01-01 Member:
    holy hell that's <b><u>A-L-O-T</u></b> better! it looks like you put alot of thought into the second layout. it's easy for the marines to fortify, but hard for them to advance. easy for aliens to get around places they are in control of, decently easy and hard for them to hold certain areas, and great accessibility all throughout the map. Excellent layout! tbh it's one of the best layouts i've ever seen, and I'm not kidding when I say that! go with it!
  • PimpyPimpy Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 89Members
    A NOTE CONCERNING WELDABLE DOORS:

    Don't be afraid to include quite a few weldable doors on your map. Flayra has already stted that welding a door is not the same as sealing it. Given enough damage a welded door will break and can never be welded again. So please make sure that you design such options stratigically.

    A good example of what I mean by strategical is having a series of weldable doors in sequence. Like having a long hallway with both doors at either end being able to be welded shut. In order to combat this the aliens should be able to have pathways that cross this hallway, allowing them indirect access to the areas that were shut.

    In this manner the marines can attempt to create choke points forcing the aliens to move in patterns where they can take them on with greater numbers. The trick to map layout isn't so much in appearance, but in movement patterns. So figure out what the most common routes will be and then decide if you want those to be the ones that can be blocked or the secondaries. Best case scenario is the primary routes get blocked forcing the use of less secure secondary routes. All in all strategy at its best.
  • realityisdeadrealityisdead Employed by Raven Software after making ns_nothing Join Date: 2002-01-26 Member: 94Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Blinking_Flip,
    I added the pointless rooms (5, 11, 12) with the intent of creating a more interesting experience than just running down a long hallway. (BTW, rooms 11 and 12 may just as well end up looking like one large room with a sort of division in it.) You do have a good point about making it more closed in and tense near the hives though. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

    Tzarcon,
    Thanks. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo--> I am much more satisfied with the new layout too.

    Pimpy,
    Thank you very much for bringing that up. That was something I (and I'm sure many others) was not aware of. I was thinking it was more permanent. This opens up quite a few new possibilities, and I'll be sure to explore them.
  • neagneag Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 12Members
    Wow much better. two thumbs up.

    tip: Ad small short dead ends with a unopenable door in the end. this gives the felling that the map is part of a larger building. And gives small corners for the aliens to hide in.
    But you already know this right.
  • MoleculorMoleculor Namer-of-Bob Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 9Members
    Or make the door both unopenable and have a tiiiiiny little corner removed or twisted away or something (maybe use the HL SP technique and tilt the door to one side) and have a room beyond it.
  • pielemuispielemuis Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 72Members, NS1 Playtester
    Indeed i like it a lot! How come NS has such great mappers, and how come i can map ####?
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