Keeping Maps Fresh

HanzGruber

<div class="IPBDescription">Things we can do as mappers</div> Replayability (spelling?) is a big issue for a mod that has such stringent submission and acceptance... It's a good thing that "any old map" can't become official but it also means that, with a limited map rotation, the maps have to be so damn good that people don't get bored of them...

A few ideas that come to mind on how to keep the maps fresh...The main one, which has been spoken of (a long time ago) on this forum, is using trigger_random to change the layout of the map... Using just a trigger_random, multimanager and some togglable func_wall's - you can easily make the map completely different and new each time the player joins the server and a new match begins... This idea has limitless applications - sealing off resource nodes so that resources are tighter or allowing more to be utilized - so the game is more intense...you can change the layout of corridors and hallways so that they go in different directions or have more or less crates/objects...

In the picture below there are 4 possible scenarios for one area...

<b>Scenario A</b> - No Blockages, all areas are open
<b>Scenario B</b> - Access is blocked off to the room on the right and makes that room only have one entrance (from the north)...this room could have a resource node...so it makes it easier or harder to defend...
<b>Scenario C</b> - The room is blocked off all together...again, if it was a resource node room - it would dramatically change the way the game is played..
<b>Scenario D</b> - The adjacent room is blocked off...

These are really simple ideas and I'm sure people could come up with better ones...things like a silo that has a bridge which is sometimes there and sometimes not - so marines/aliens have to go around the area to pass through....etc etc

What do you think?

Ollj

Interestring.
But maps are already complex enought without random paths.

Space_Ape

I think its a great idea, especialy with the ammount of work put in each map ns map. It would create different "flowz" around the map, player do often stick to the same spot. Nice work on that wad btw , your textures look crisp! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Mouse

what I'm doing in Hydrosity to add to the replayability is by laying out the hives to force the players to change their tactics.

for example,

The pipe hive is very open and hard to defend but it has a double node nearby

The fortress hive is huge and it has four large water tanks in it, making it easy to defend, but it doesn't have many nodes nearby

The third hive (which is the only one I haven't made yet) will be a comprimise between the two

quazilin

Well few thoughts come to my mind.
The maps are so big and official maps already eat most of the mapping limits that does not allow much
blocked rooms or corridors. And if you make lots of corridors with full of func_wal/trigger_random so that it looks different, might lag the map / server really badly as seen when you use too much entities. And probably the hardest is the commander mode, if you make rooms that blocks only the entrances to them , commander might get confused where him should send the marines.
Anyway this is really good idea but propably it wont work in ns.

Zazi

Widow has something very similar to this. Actually, it does have this. Has had it for probably a good seven months or so, and was included during conception. If placed correctly, it drastically affects gameplay in a good way. If placed slopily... well... you get the idea.

BiTMAP

I have always liked the idea of having multiple versions of each map and after each update a slightly diffrent set is released... but that is ALOT of work. Also I'm trying to give my map alot of personality so that when you play it, it comes alive to you, in a feeling of omgosh its so dead and empty, but yet still alive within itself.

Angel

personally for ns "option/secnario b" wuld be best. as if that is a hive entrance it would be very dodgy to get into otherwise and people wuld complain.

HanzGruber

Angel, read the post before you reply....

ChromeAngel

Commander : Head to water hive pronto.

Marine 1: OK! i'll take the bridge route! *runs off*

Commander : What bridge?

Marine 1: This bridgeeeeeeeeee....... *splat*

NS : Marine 1 was killed by Worldspawn

Angel

hanz i was hoping u might trigger one with me thinking its a bad idea. a one way could be way too harder than the other.

HanzGruber

Chrome - exactly <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> except - maybe not that comical <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->

Angel - You picked a scenario and said that's the best... in the context of the thread - you made (and still make) absolutely no sense...

ChromeAngel

I think Angel means that you'd be randomly determining the difficulty of the map. Would make it a swine to balance all the possible combos.

watch_me_die

I tried this once with a cs map, had a large warehouse full of crates which would pseudo-randomly change in between rounds... was quite interesting, but the rest of the map was shite <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->