ns2_mineshaft_shafted

Kasharic

After some feedback from many people and doing some bug fixes, I decided to go a little further and start work on balancing mineshaft a little more than the current, live version.

I doubt I will be making any big layout changes, just minor changes to alter how rooms work.

Feedback is always welcome!

Steamlink - https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1475039530

Modid - 57eb512a

Map Name - ns2_mineshaft_shafted

Changelog:

Added cover options to Cavern, Cart Tunnel, North Tunnel and Deposit.
Added some extra girders in crusher for some partial cover for lerks/fades.

Images of the changes so far -

pSyk0mAn

Cart Tunnel changes are awesome.
Not a fan of the visuals in Deposit. I think it could help to only use one layer of scafffolding-net props to reduce the noise and busyness of that part.
I liked Zavaro's change to move Crusher node to North Tunnels. Maybe you should consider this too.

Edit:
Central is still a problem too.
I suggested before to create space between the rock walls and the catwalks of the upper level in Central, so skulks can use the walls to get up there more easily to attack Marines.
Also Cave...well
-Change the broken bridge and debris stuff somehow to create a ramp for Onos and Gorge to get up there
-or add another, thicker rock pillar next to the broken bridge (similar to the one in Origin's Ore Extraction), where Skulks can get up easily without being shot.

The_Welsh_Wizard

I echo the suggestion to move Crusher RT to North Tunnels, I would also like to suggest removing 1 RT from Central.

Kasharic

pSyk0mAn wrote: »

Not a fan of the visuals in Deposit. I think it could help to only use one layer of scafffolding-net props to reduce the noise and busyness of that part.

The cover is temporary just to see if the idea works and helps, if it does i'll make it look cleaner, but for now I will go in and remove a layer just so it looks less horrid for alien visions.

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On the note of Crusher RT.

Is it that the position and room itself are bad for an RT, or is it that the room is just too easy to assault?
I'm happy to move it to north tunnels if its needed, but if there is a way to keep it where it is and it be balanced, that would be nice imo.

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Ideas i'm tossing around at the moment -

- Making the Crusher > Cavern connection (with the death pit) a vent connection to deny marine rotation from the Cavern RT node.

- Closing the Cart tunnel > Crusher Connection

The two above would not both happen, it would be one or the other.

- Removing 1 RT from Central and relocating the 2nd elsewhere in the room.

- Connecting the death pit area in cavern to crusher via the vent opening on the conveyor.

pSyk0mAn

The biggest problem of Crusher is the connection to Cart Tunnel imho. Since it favors Marines starting in Repair.
I would just make it a vent.

Also imho the bigger problem of Deposit is the ARC spot in Gap and not the open room. It's still pretty hard to melt the hive from both entrances, because they are rather tight and have obstacles nearby,

Kasharic

Changelog -

- Opened the conveyor shutters to make a vent between crusher and cavern
- Moved cavern RT closer to cave
- Removed 1 of the central drilling RTs
- Added a new RT in cart tunnel
- Disconnected Cart tunnel and Crusher
- Collapsed part of the upper floor in Central Drilling

New minimap -

The_Welsh_Wizard

Kasharic wrote: »

- Collapsed part of the upper floor in Central Drilling

What does that mean?

Cart Tunnel to Central has two connections, what do you think about removing one of them?

Archie

I'll get this thrown onto the Australian server + [TA] and get some critique.

Kasharic

The_Welsh_Wizard wrote: »

Kasharic wrote: »

- Collapsed part of the upper floor in Central Drilling

What does that mean?

It means that I've "collapsed" part of the "upper floor" in "central drilling" :P

Check it out in game for it to become more clear than that

The_Welsh_Wizard wrote: »

Cart Tunnel to Central has two connections, what do you think about removing one of them?

Not really tbh, both connections have good reason to be there. They provide rotation to and from central in different directions.
In a previous attempt to balance mineshaft from about 3 years ago, I did block the northern connection between cart tunnel and central drilling... it didn't work.

Archie

(woops didn't realise it was recording my mic)


here's a first person pov of me playing on the map, please don't mind my horrific gameplay i felt bad even posting it because i was shit.

pSyk0mAn

I would think about doing something like this to spice up the gameplay in Central.
Basicly the crashed stairs and catwalks act as ramp up to the tower. The players just have to jump from the stairs on the catwalk in this screenshot:
(Of course these props might need slight adjusting to make it smooth and usable by all classes, I haven't tested it ingame)

I saw 2 games with Cave vs Operations today and I'm not a fan of the new Cart tunnel res node and layout.
The problem is Marines can pretty much lockdown a lot of lanes and res nodes by getting PGs in Cart tunnel and around Brew room area.
Aliens can't attack Cart tunnel from Cavern because there is a long LOS.
They can't backstab from Crusher because that way was removed (I would add a high vent there).
They can't go from Crusher through Central->Cart tunnel, because there is the other PG and very long LOS all the way from Crusher and through Central.

Cart tunnel res node is also problematic when Marines start in Repair, imho. It's close and easy to hold and Marines will just have too much res then.
If your current layout and Repair start turns out too Marine friendly, I'd rather see the Cart Tunnel node in North Tunnels.

Edit: If you like the ramp idea in central, i can copy paste you the catwalk props in a seperate .level

Kasharic

@pSyk0mAn I was trying to figure out a way to do exactly that in central, I just couldn't think up a way that felt natural, I was going to put a ladder entity on the hanging bridge but it felt too awkward and weird (plus, ladder entities aren't great)

I was considering using the conveyor at the top of crusher as a route into cart tunnel, but lack of time and work on unearthed prevented me from actually doing it, I also thought about lifting the door between cart tunnel and cavern a little so that it acts as a pseudo vent... let me know which you think is the better option.

If I do end up moving the cart tunnel RT to north tunnels, I would move the cavern RT back to its original place, otherwise you're pretty much depriving marines of a natural due to rotation times.

Handschuh

Issue is in my opinion that near Cavern (right side of the map) it is impossible to set up a tunnel successfully due to the huge line of sight it has. It can be taken down so easily...
Maybe the Cavern RT needs a vent to CRusher so resbiting is also possible...
(generally I think it would help that you'll always post up to date Minimaps in these threads :-) )

Kasharic

Handschuh wrote: »

(generally I think it would help that you'll always post up to date Minimaps in these threads :-) )

Kasharic wrote: »

New minimap -