Outer Rim Ark Edge

UncleCrunch · June 2018

Hi,

Outer Rim Ark Edge is a rework of the Original Outer Rim Ark map.

It is of course based on the original map. The main difference is there is no longer a TP in the center. The goal is to make this map kind of a sibling of MineShaft, Refinery with an exception there is no "double in the center".

List of Changes compared to the Original ORA map

Nano workshop
Is no longer a TechPoint (Hive / base)
Re-decorate the room with props and textures.
Modified the vents linked to this location.
Connecting other vents from south to the location.

Purification
moved the hive to create the necessary room for co2-o2 and put it away from cargo which becomes a TechPoint in itself.

Pipe exchange
Added RT
Reworked the room so it can have enough space for the new RT.

Dispatch
Added a vent connecting to nanoWorkshop
Reworked to fit the changes

Ramps
Reworked the connection to Dispatch
Created a room to connect Cargo

Co2-o2
Complete rework (again)

Cargo
Becomes a techpoint
re-decoration and scale up of the room to make it a hive.

Transfer
Added RT in

Minor improvements
-smoothing some edges here and there.
-Some lightning

Added new configuration to fit the new possibilities
Starts are:

Alien / Marine
Botanic - Analysis
Cargo - Mapping
Cargo - Analysis
Recycling - Mapping

Plus 2 tests to see if it does work:
Analysis - Cargo
Mapping - Cargo

It's on purpose. The North is supposedly marine friendly. the South is supposedly alien friendly. Both team should feel more uncomfortable in this inverted starting Techpoint.

Sooo for what it's worth... Enjoy

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1412757828

UncleCrunch · November 2018

Today's update:

Fixes:
One of Botanic entrance was too small for a Exo/Onos to pass through easily.

Other:
Some details added here and there.

Kasharic · November 2018

Wait, this is being worked on? why didn't SCC know about this? c'mon duuuude! :P

BeigeAlert · November 2018

Also pro tip: multiply the overview RGB by the alpha channel to make it appear like normal.

UncleCrunch · November 2018

Kasharic wrote: »

Wait, this is being worked on? why didn't SCC know about this? c'mon duuuude! :P

Well, yes I never hid it. Actually this post is the proof.
But if you want there's a badge to console those who missed it.

Kasharic · November 2018

Some of the ideas you have in this map I really like, the globes in the south part of the circle are fantastic imo. I think visually the map has a lot of potential... the problem I have is that the map is way too big.

Marine naturals took about 15 seconds to get to, and thats the marines trying to get to them as fast as they can. The map is HUGE! we were playing 12 vs 12 and I was able to med like it was 6 vs 6 because of how often engagements happened.

Another thing I noticed is that the map feels very much like veil 5, but with a loop in the middle... the entire western side of the map has the same feel to it as veil 5... You even have the height variation of overlook in the same way and a similar room to system waypointing. (this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it creates familiarity and an understanding of how a room can be played when you've never really been in it before)

Overall, I think I would probably enjoy the map if it were scaled down a lot. but for me, with its current size, its not playable.

UncleCrunch · November 2018

Kasharic wrote: »

Some of the ideas you have in this map I really like, the globes in the south part of the circle are fantastic imo. I think visually the map has a lot of potential... the problem I have is that the map is way too big.

The original ORA is size-wise the same as Tram. This one is like 5~7% bigger. It's rather small. But the feeling makes it bigger. Detail in the minimap, ceiling height etc. If you know your way around it's not that big.

The blue square is ORA(B) playable square.

Kasharic wrote: »

Marine naturals took about 15 seconds to get to, and that's the marines trying to get to them as fast as they can. The map is HUGE! we were playing 12 vs 12 and I was able to med like it was 6 vs 6 because of how often engagements happened.

The travel times are more or less the same as the official map (as an average). The travel times are comparable in the different configuration (starting TP). It feels far away but it not that far and there's a reason behind it.

"Never snooze". If you have foothold somewhere, never expect to keep it for long (depending on the opponent). It's supposed to be like that. If you want to keep something you have to look back constantly. Every room is designed with this in mind. so... don't snooze.

Kasharic wrote: »

Another thing I noticed is that the map feels very much like veil 5, but with a loop in the middle... the entire western side of the map has the same feel to it as veil 5... You even have the height variation of overlook in the same way and a similar room to system waypointing. (this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it creates familiarity and an understanding of how a room can be played when you've never really been in it before)

Yes it's meant for that. It was designed to make people recognize the "usual" so they can learn faster. Non the less there are many differences from vanilla content.

Also There are rules:
If you are in a TP you have the upper ground (except one for ORA Edge: Cargo).
External RT are lower ground (except one 'nano').

Kasharic wrote: »

Overall, I think I would probably enjoy the map if it were scaled down a lot. but for me, with its current size, its not playable.

I just can't... It's small enough... it's just a feeling.
it's made as an attempt to play on large server too. From 8 to 20 per team...

Mephilles · November 2018

My main feeling was just that the routes were very unefficient to travel through. For example from ramps (room south of center) to cargo(?)... south middle techpoint... I needed to do 2 180 turns. To exit the vent on the far left of the map I needed to do a 540° turn. To get from the far right room to the bottom right TP you need to do a 180 turn right after the doorway into a hallway which is pretty much invisible.

What I mean is when you enter a room I don't get an initial idea how the room is shaped. A good rule of thumb is whenever you enter a room the things the map should put your attention to are the points of interest in the room (RT, power, TP and maybe vents) and the exits. If you can't see them from the entrance of the room then add routing so you can see in which directions they are. (Routing is added with things like trims, lights, pipes, cables etc.)

I think the map will feel a lot better for everyone ones that is nailed down.

UncleCrunch · November 2018

Mephilles wrote: »

My main feeling was just that the routes were very unefficient to travel through. For example from ramps (room south of center) to cargo(?)... south middle techpoint... I needed to do 2 180 turns. To exit the vent on the far left of the map I needed to do a 540° turn. To get from the far right room to the bottom right TP you need to do a 180 turn right after the doorway into a hallway which is pretty much invisible.

There are several reasons for that:
1: The mother of all ; Occlusion. Straight lines aren't helping with FPS. Occlusion needs obstacles (wall, big pillars) to help NOT rendering what's behind. So in other words mappers need turns and obstacles to help your FPS to get better. Every time i read someone has FPS drops I know it's not the game or something emerging from the Ether. It's simply he got in a location and he looked in a specific angle that made the engine render a lot more stuff than usual. Occlusion isn't perfect either. Use "wireframe 1" (something like that) if you never did it. Sometime things that shouldn't be rendered are still taken care of in some angles...

Testing it i'm always above 100~120FPS with a 1060GTx. Kind of ok to me.

2: The rule on ORA and ORAB is if you want to go North, go North. It means you will find a North doorway if there's a room to go to. I have to make things not that obvious either.

Mephilles wrote: »

What I mean is when you enter a room I don't get an initial idea how the room is shaped. A good rule of thumb is whenever you enter a room the things the map should put your attention to are the points of interest in the room (RT, power, TP and maybe vents) and the exits. If you can't see them from the entrance of the room then add routing so you can see in which directions they are. (Routing is added with things like trims, lights, pipes, cables etc.)

I think the map will feel a lot better for everyone ones that is nailed down.

I'm open to suggestions. Thanks.

I'm afraid i got lost at "trims, lights, pipes, cables etc.". Show me with a screenshot or several what you mean.

What i understand from my previous experiences:
Using light to "mark" the door means 1/ burning light (photo), which can be ugly (even catastrophic). or 2/ Less light in the room itself which can bring other issues like "i can see a dam thing". Also in this engine, light is kind of special concerning rendering.

Pipes, cable and trims are decorations to me. What do you suggest ? You can use screenshots from an official map location to document it.

With some humor, are you suggesting that i draw a line on the floor like... in hospitals ??? Blue line - Death, red - Crippled...

Outer Rim Ark Edge

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