A request to mappers: keeps walls easily walkable for Skulks

hozz

Hello everyone, this is something that came to my mind after the latest custom map playtests on the great SCC server.

Something I like a lot about playing in greyboxes is that walls are straight and as easily and quickly walkable for Skulks as the floors.
Also I noticed that in the process of adding level details, often walls are disrupted by columns and general pretty geometry. This makes them less convenient to use for Skulks or even inefficient, compared to the floor (which is mostly staying flat and simple, and thus is the shortest route for getting from A to .

So what I'm asking: keep walls "flat" enough so they are a real alternative movement surface for Skulks. Both in and out of combat.

The floors shouldn't always be the shortest or quickest route from A to B for Skulks (just running, not considering walljumps or special movement or vents). It would benefit gameplay for both sides if walls are a movement surface competitive to the floor for Skulks, and Marines have to expect Skulks approaching from all heights (not just ambushing, also visibly approaching).

Here's a few ideas how to consider this:
1. instead of putting columns along the walls, move them to the ceiling. This still allows Skulks to ambush, but now they can use the 3 adjacent surfaces (wall - floor - wall) for movement
2. have columns only on one side of a hallway, preferably the "longer" side that wouldn't be used for quick Skulk movement, but for cover
3. maybe have some walls tilted outwards (hallways are wider on top than on floor), so for cutting corners, using walls would even be the shorter route compared to staying on the floor
4. don't have a perfectly flat floor, break it up a little, so floor and walls are more even in terms of "flatness". A nice example would be ditches to the sides of a floor like in parts of ns2_lost or Crew Quarters on ns2_descent (effectively, this means point 3 is realized there as well)
5. always keep at least 2 adjacent surfaces of a room (floor - wall, wall - ceiling) uninterrupted. 3 is even better.
6. make wall geometry parallel to the movement direction (one of those ditches along a wall, a horizontal pipe running along the wall, ..) instead of perpendicular (vertical columns) to not disrupt possible movement paths and keep the flow.

Skulks can walk on walls and ceilings, give them more reasons to and more options! Make them change surfaces regularly. This variety will benefit everyone.

Thanks, hope this thought can help make your maps better

QwiXXeR

One could also put collision geometry over the surface, so it still looks good, but movement is flat.

Pandademic

I've often wondered how intentionally jagged most surfaces are in official maps. But I think forcing skulls to find and break cover often is important to keeping maps fun.

Getting caught on invisible or unexpected edges are another matter.

deathshroud

collision geometry makes it difficult to hide in corners of the geometry when theres an invisible slope or whatever

QwiXXeR

deathshroud wrote: »

collision geometry makes it difficult to hide in corners of the geometry when theres an invisible slope or whatever

Agreed, and it can be pretty annoying to the player . would have to be used pretty sparingly

hozz

Imho, invisible geometry is a no go. It will just confuse players if what he thinks he can do and what he can do differs. One might as well use visible geometry.

I already don't like the part in Refinery near Transit where you can't go into the dead end where the buckets come from. Very unintuitive.

No invisible walls