Anyone Else Besides Me Dislikes The New Maps?
Syringed
Join Date: 2003-04-17 Member: 15579Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">Or is it just me?</div> When I first started playing NS, even though the maps were almost maze like compaired to other mod's maps they had a real "immersive" feeling to them. They just sucked you right into their atmosphere perfectly. I loved them. I've been playing NS2.0 heavily & most of these new maps I just....don't like them at all. Mineshaft being one of them I dislike the most. Can't exactly say why but they just don't have that feeling. Veil on the other hand, is the only new map I enjoy so far. Usually if a server starts playing Origin or Mineshaft I end up going spect or to another server out of boredom.
Anyone else dislike or even hate some of the new maps in NS 2.0? Any other really good 3rd party map you would substitute in place? Personally, I really liked 11th_hour & I think it would of been better than Origin or Mineshaft.
Anyone else dislike or even hate some of the new maps in NS 2.0? Any other really good 3rd party map you would substitute in place? Personally, I really liked 11th_hour & I think it would of been better than Origin or Mineshaft.
Comments
I don't think I'll be able to conclude the real value of these maps until a few weeks of learning go by, and ns_lost is no longer an ironic name.
<b>No mapbashing.</b>
If you feel like presenting your opinion in a respectful manner, that's OK, whatever this opinion may be, but the mappers read these boards. Don't even think about "OMG tihs map sux!!!1" posts.
The maps seem brighter and less moody, there are exceptions to this and the details and layout of the maps is amazing.
People are having fun so they must be ok but I do notice some disturbing traits in the stats. In this early stage it seems that some maps contain a heavy bias towards marines/aliens. Lets hope thats just inexperience.
The first time I played the new maps I really didn't enjoy the experience because once again I was lost and confused and did not know how to get to "insert name" room where my teammates are. (Thank god for the minimap though, helps a great deal and not just on location either) But even with the minimap, it was still confusing. But after playing a while and getting used to them, I'm really starting to enjoy them.
Contrary to your post, I really like mineshaft's mood and environment. Perhaps you should use the gamma adjust to lower your screen brightness. I did and it made all the difference for me in upping the atmosphere of the game. Mineshaft and lost provide for some of the best atmosphere in any maps I've played in although they are a bit rough on beginners. I think you like Veil more because its a relatively easy map to learn compared to the other three.
Just keep at it, I really think they're great maps. You just have to take the time to learn them like you did with the older NS maps. long live ns_nancy btw
I haven't mastered mineshaft yet but it looks like a very atmospheric map and has a lot of small spaces that make it hard to go around as onos but I think I'll get used to it.
Origin is ok it has some very nice areas with good detail it just lacks... atmosphere. I think it might be the lighting or the textures. I'm not sure but something makes it a bit less appealing than most other maps, which I find really too bad because there are lots of really neat areas like Biodome or Xenoform Research.
And veil finally is probably my favorite new map maybe because eclipse was on of my favorite maps. The only thing I find that lacks in veil is detailing. Some areas seem a bit boring a few extra screens and gadgets would be really nice. Lighting-wise its really an amazing map though.
On the other hand I strongly dislike the changes to Hera. You said no mapbashing and I didn't plan to, I'd just like to contribute a bit of constructive critisicm about ns_hera. There is really only one problem with it, and its quite simple. Marine start. Marine start has only one res node (that is not the one that comes with marine start) nearby in Cargo Storage, and even that is quite difficult to defend due to the narrow entrance and vents/doors from Ventilation, Processing, and more.
But the lack of res within 2 minutes travel of the marine start is the smaller problem, the bigger problem is the new helipad res that was added. The problem with this res lies in lerks. If a lerk with regeneration successfully flies through the marine start and to the helipad res he can continually bombard all marines in marine start with spores and spikes. If a marine runs after the lerk, he simply flies away and into the air, and then lands down <i>behind</i> the transparent tunnel leading outside of marine start, and he is untouchable until jetpacks are researched.
I have only two problems with the new maps however. The first of these is that it's confusing playing one of the old maps and finding areas completely changed. I feel the biggest offender for this is ns_caged. While it is still roughly the same, i still get confused. This will change with time when i've played on it a bit more. The second problem, i feel personally, is ns_veil. I won't start mapbasing at all, i'm just not keen on it. That may change with time however, i'll get a few more games on it in and see how i feel then.
Failing that you could try turrets or my old favourite the GL. With it's new sight I've been getting a lot more accurate and you should be able to bounce it round to the hiding lerk <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Here's a question, can the lerk change to a gorge while out of site and then hit the platform with bile bombs?
the new maps are lovely though, look forward to getting to know them.
One thing, eclipse, noooo! I can't believe it's been changed! maint is crazy now and that base seems to make it easier for marines to turtle in for 15 hours while onos get gunned down by 2 sentry turrets.
Lerks - you just need to learn that the lerk isnt much of an assualt class, but rather a support class w/umbra and spores also primal scream. always have a good lerk while assualting a base thats how i see it....
I do like the maps, but it's not easy. There also seem to be some stuck issues. On (IIRC) ns_lost there's a round platform with a res close to a wall with a small gap between it, looks lke this:
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Well, fall in there as a gorge and you're stuck (skulk lerk and fade can get out with their special movement abilities, but the gorge can't jump out and can't fall through).
Some vents are also hard to blink into as a fade.
The main problem, though, would be the half-map lockdown. With some vent welding and the new superturrets at a few locations ( something like 3 on the new eclipse) it becomes possible to get a barrier that aliens can barely cross. Behind that barrier, the marines have little to worry about and they can quickly kill aliens that get through because they're weakened and probably have no backup. The more complex maps are nice because they reduce the probability of getting everything blocked like that. When we get to know the maps better, that complexity can become a good thing, expecially now that the fade is the ruler of the vent systems with the new blink. I do think the weldables should be breakable by an alien if he's committed to it, maybe a progress bar like with welding, but the opposite.
I killed any of them that came after me, and most that spawned.
It may not be so anymore.
Mineshaft is amazing, the sleeping quarters, cafeteria, I love it!
Perhaps you just need to give it some more time.
I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think that this specifically is what the new fade was designed to combat. Think about it, he can get past encampments without taking a hit with blink, he can get pretty much anywhere on any map in seconds. He also at 2 hives can heal himself without any friendly support. He's fairly self sufficient as a harasssment unit. Next time this happens, try getting a few fades behind enemy lines to distract them while lerks gorges and onos take out their forward bases.
Of the new maps I think mineshaft is the most confusing, but also the most visually stunning. Every single location on that map is screenshot worthy. My most memorable moment in 2.0 so far was on mineshaft. Me and a small squadron of marines were approaching one of the hives. THe room was empty when I got there and one of my squadmates remarked, "I guess they haven't built it yet." Then on a whim I started firing, and chambers and a hive started materializing all over. The whole sequence was absolutely perfect and movie worthy thanks in part to the visuals on mineshaft.
Veil has great gameplay, and while it doesn't feel like a real place in the way a lot of the others do, its got that rich silky smooth blood lighting that looks oh so polished and KFS's impeccable brushwork and texturing. Whenever I'm running around in that I feel like I'm going through a giant rectilinear circulatory system.
Lost has some incredible ambience. The texturing and lighting is much improved from the earlier releases. This might sound a little funny, but Lost goes with the new music perfectly. Every location in it is memorable. ( Those hallways with the little blue lights are oh so sexeh!) Great use of space windows.
I do think that a number of places in Origin could use more detail, although I've heard that he intended more but clipnodes prevented it. It has really good gameplay and a great variety of locations. I wonder if making some of the curves a little more discrete would free up resources to be used in detailing other places. I think origin is going to be one of the easiest to learn because the locations are all so distinctive. My best games so far have been on origin.
To me it seems confrontation is always more imminent and that there is less "room" in these maps, overall it seems the corridors are more cramped and even the big areas are smaller.
It could be that I am just imagining things but that is how they FEEL.
This is not a bad thing, merely different.
As a cloaked skulk I seem to have much less "play" when it comes to running and hiding than in the 1.x series. Once more, may just be me.
On the other hand I will say that some of the maps that got a makeover now look AMAZING. Some of the fx/lighting is just plain amazing.
Couldn't say if I like the new maps or not right now because it will take time to get used to them.
Just my 2c.
ME!
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annoying to use considering the bottom part is a small ledge..
i don't really like the new maps...