Freeside the early days

ChromeAngel · June 2002

<div class="IPBDescription">Slag off my layout</div>Okay here's the layout for my new map NS_FreeSide.

The theme is that the whole place is on it's side. The map is down to the bare bones ATM, therw is no readyroom and only 1 marine and 1 alien spawn. The red blocks are place holders. There is no lighting (fullbright), no textures have been aligned and their is not detail whatsoever.

I need help placeing doors, vents and weldables particularly.

ChromeAngel · June 2002

And a picture for those of you too busy to download

LPC · June 2002

symmetrical? wrong! <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

Black_Wolf · June 2002

not necessarily bad to have it symetrical (dont just say because its symetrical its wrong) as long as the areas have very different atmosphere and looks. People dont usually notice symetry unless its textures the same.

nrby · June 2002

Nothing wrong with symmetry, it helps you learn the map faster and makes the map more fun to play because you concentrate on the gameplay rather than working out where everything is.

Remeber to change a lot of the architecture in both sides to set them apart.

Freestyler · June 2002

To be honest, that layout dosent look much like how I would design a spaceship (on the verticle axis) if I were building it. If the ship has crashed and is onnits side, shouldn't it be made with the design of what its like vertically, or is it just me being to nit picky?

LPC · June 2002

aha, it's a space ship. that figures

ChromeAngel · June 2002

It's actually a space station (more on that later). I will give each branch it's own distinct theme this time (I promise).

Keep the comments coming. It's rather diappointing to see only 2 downloads <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

Right_Behind_You · June 2002

here ya go make it 3!

coil · June 2002

My map was gonna be on its side. ):

Cremator · June 2002

seems a tad small?

ChromeAngel · June 2002

Cremator : Small? How so? Are the rooms too small, the halls too short, not enough routes, all of the above?

Coil : I never said it was original <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Cremator · June 2002

based on the size of the commander view there, it seems like it would take 15-20 seconds to run from one end of the map to the other. i think that is too short. otherwise, the design looks good.

Badger · June 2002

It looks very streamlined and easy.
You heard it from me first: It might become an ns favorite.

ChromeAngel · June 2002

Looking around it with a fresh perspective this morning, i'm inclined to agree with Cremator. It's only a twenty second run for a marine from their start to any hive. The minimap builder has squashed the ratio, the map is actually squarish. To combat this I propose to add a large room at each of the red circled areas and put in some manualy operated doors. I'm also going to try moving the midway resource nodes closer to the marine end of the map.

[edit] Sorry I hadn't realised the JPEG compression had messed up the image so badly, i'll use GIF next time [/edit]

realityisdead · June 2002

Sorry for the brief and uninvolving post... but I do know that smaller maps are being highly encouraged lately. Something to consider.

ChromeAngel · June 2002

Uh, the guidlines say and I quote
"Due to the progressive nature of NS and the emphasis on researching, scouting out a map, and long round times, there should be a minimum of 30 seconds running time between hives, and from the marine start to the nearest hive."

Can Relic25 or Merkaba please comment? Is 20 seconds OK?

XTS_Highlander · June 2002

What says smaller maps aren't good maps? tiny maps such as de_dust have been immensely popular. A smaller map could be a welcome relief in a slew of quite large, involved maps. Now don't get me wrong, I prefer the large, complex maps. They're bigger, more diverse, they take longer to scout, and they probably prolong matches (which can be a good or bad thing). They also lend a sense of immersion, for running around in an expansive environment is usually preferable to a cramped arena.

That said, some small maps could lend some generous change to the way NS is played. A 20 second run time between hive and CC would BARELY give the marines a long enough time to set up base defences, let alone build some much-needed buildings. This would increase the intensity and make games more frantic for both sides.

The bottom line is that a small map can be great if it's done right. From what I've seen, your layout might not posess that critical quality that renders a map playable and fun. I can't say for sure, since I've never played it, but it's not looking like a map I currently would want to play.

That doesn't mean I won't though. I just don't agree with the layout. Anyway that's just my $0.02.

realityisdead · June 2002

Oh...

I'm not just making a guess here: Flayra has told me several times that he's hoping to get a few smaller maps into the game as well. Like about half the size of Hera or Bast. Just sharing.

Not to say that big maps are bad or anything... But these guys do want some smaller ones apparently. Big is good... but smaller than the norm isn't necessarily bad either.

That said, it does appear as though your layout here could use a little more complexity and rooms. I'm not sure if something _this_ small would work. (Now <i>this</i> is a guess, though.)

Hand_Me_The_Gun_And_Ask_Me_Again · June 2002

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I'm not just making a guess here: Flayra has told me several times that he's hoping to get a few smaller maps into the game as well. Like about half the size of Hera or Bast. Just sharing.
</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

Ah, great. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> I'm currently planning ns_sugarlump out on paper, and I was really doubting whether I could build a map quite as huge as, say, Bast. I'm planning for around 16-20 players maximum - the idea of building a 32-player map is plain scary.

I had been going to ask about smaller maps, but I kept forgetting...

ChromeAngel · June 2002

Layout update. Resource nodes are marked in orange, doors are in grey. The doors are big and slow as it's now fits the guidelines. The new 'vents' at the top-center are accessable to crouhed marines.

realityisdead · June 2002

Ah, yes. This is better. It's small without being TOO small... and with your inclusion of slow doors, etc... should be perfect. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

XTS_Highlander · June 2002

MUCH better chrome. The additions of those big rooms and more connections between routes should pretty much solve any problems that I have forseen for this map. Good work <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

Also the inclusion of the slow doors should solve some flow problems that could have arisen. One suggestion: add some bob-only routes (unless there already are some). That's about it.

ChromeAngel · June 2002

The charcoal coloured areas are 'bob vents', marines will be able to get in there when they have jet packs, but that is very late in the game.

Greedo · June 2002

The marine base looks like it could be very easily defended with only a small number of turrets. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

coil · June 2002

Are the 3 large rooms connected? Maybe they should be... marines have to go practically back to the CC to get to a new hive.

I agree that the CC may be very easy to defend... perhaps the vent directly north of the CC can extend down and open up into it?

ChromeAngel · June 2002

The three large rooms were built as one large room then partitioned later. Adding vents into the CC room just leads to the marines taking longer to set up base and slows down the game (I learnt this from playing Bast).

Marines can take the upper vent routes to go from hive to hive. Marines arn't actually too bad at vent fighting. It might play better if the big rooms and the Y shaped corridors were swapped. I think i'll give that a try.

ChromeAngel · June 2002

I tried swapping the big rooms and the Y shaped halls, it sucked.

I have taken out the partition walls to make one gigantic room. I have also expanded on the vents near the marine start and added a weldable to block the doorway at position W.

Sono · June 2002

Also me and mapping are two pair of shoes that map looks good. I like that symetric design.

Just one point: Can you keep r_speeds under 700 in that gigantic room?

Kassinger · June 2002

That big room might turn out to be a <i>very</i> high-traffic room. You have to go through it to come too and from the marine base, and a person standing at the end of that room might be looking at lots of turrets and players at the same time.

Greedo · June 2002

Yeah, having one really freaking large room like that seems very ambitious, and totally impractical. <img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

Freeside the early days

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