PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

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Pat Howard
Posts: 494
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:14 am

PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by Pat Howard »

So I've been studying competitive tourney gameplay a lot over the last week (even finally downloaded CPMA). I'm still trying to get a grip on all these new concepts, so I decided to try testing them out on an old map: phdm1. The layout isn't anything spectacular, but I thought it would make a decent two atrium tourney map so I placed items with that in mind.

Download Latest Update (0.93MB) Link Change Dates: 10/6

So why am I posting this? Basically I want you to rip this map to shreds >:D.

That is, constructively, of course :). Don't just tell me I'm a horrible person or something. The sole purpose of all this is to better my tourney knowledge for future maps, so please don't hesitate to point out anything you don't like about the floorplan/item placement- just be sure to give some solid reasons as to why it's not working.

Thanks,
-pat
Last edited by Pat Howard on Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Pat Howard
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release

Post by Pat Howard »

If you want to know exactly why I decided to place any particular item the way I did, or if you just want to see where all the spawn points are or something, check out the stuff below. There is an overhead image colored to show each section's purpose, and an outline I wrote for myself while trying to better understand how the map should play.

Image

Teleports are LIGHT BLUE
Weapons/Health are WHITE
Armor is ORANGE
Ammo is YELLOW
Player Spawns are PINK

General Purpose/Armor:

The YELLOW SECTION is where 75% of the action takes places. It is a large, flat surface that makes up the entire middle level of the map. There are three subsections: Two large square atria, one east and one west, connected to each other by a double hallway, and a southern roundabout hallway that connects the two after a slight detour. I'm going to want two standard weapons opposing each other in either atrium. The south hallway will succeed the west atrium more naturally than the east. A YA should be enough to get the western player's attention.

The GREEN SECTION actually covers two totally distinct areas (the bridge and the lower dead end) but serves the same purpose in both; they will contain the strongest items. The lower dead end is by far the weakest position in the map. People will only go there for something big. The bridge is the only real vantage point in the map. Players will probably go up here to camp. It can be reached by either the east or the west atrium and is a major pipeline between the two. There should be something here to battle over right in the middle of the bridge to emphasize the competition between opposing atria. An RA, being the strongest armor, feels like the answer.

The RED SECTION is the rest of the lower floor of the map. It can be reached from above by the west atrium's teleport destination, and from jumping down off the east atrium's ledges. It's very weak from a positional standpoint. Any time you have the lowest point of an open map around the perimeter, it's going to be the weakest area. Then again, it does have some advantages. It has some solid cover and players won't be paying as much attention to it as the other easily visible areas. This is what makes me think it will be a good recovery area. I want an MH right in the northeast corner, which is the second weakest point in the map.

Weapons:

The YELLOW SECTION is a good place for the basic weapons (RL and SG). I think the RL should be in the west atrium because it's a stronger weapon and can make up for the west atrium's slight isolation. The wraparound doesn't need a weapon since it already has a YA. At the foot of the west atrium's teleporter should lie a GL, which will be effective from the destination platform and to use against players chasing up the stairs from behind.

The RED SECTION should have a PG close to the west atrium to counter the RG which is closer to the east atrium. Western players should be able to flood the tight choke points with plasma cells and do a decent job of confusing a player with the RG.

The GREEN SECTION will have the RG in the dead end. This means the most powerful item in the map will also be in the weakest position. Players will grab the RG and then move to the nearby teleport to quickly get back to the YELLOW SECTION.

Health:

The YELLOW SECTION should have a solid amount of health in each atrium. Not enough to fully recover though. About 75 health for each atrium seems right. The south hallway doesn't really need health as it doesn't see much action and it has the YA there.

The RED SECTION, being the recovery area, will have easily accessible and low-risk health. Since there is already an MH there, it doesn't need as much as other recovery areas. Still, two or three 25s should sell it.

The GREEN SECTION shouldn't really have health because it's made for players looking to expand, not recover.

Ammo:

The RED SECTION will be visited by players will all kinds of weapons. I'm definitely going to want some rockets down there, since the RL is on the other side of the map. Maybe some plasma would be good too, to increase spamming against the RG. SG doesn't need ammo as much because of the slow rate of fire and its close proximity to the area. MG ammo is a good choice for any recovery area. So definitely rockets and bullets, and maybe cells depending on what I do with the other areas.

The YELLOW SECTION should have ammo for every weapon, even one pack of slugs for the RG I think. RG ammo should be as far away from the RG as possible while still making sense, e.g. near or on the stairway to the west atrium teleporter. The west atrium should also have some cells to counter the RG, shells because of the distance to the SG, and MG ammo. The west atrium's destination platform should have a pack of 'nades to encourage spamming after picking up the GL. The east atrium should have some rockets, and MG ammo. The south hallway should have some rockets, as players will progress here often after picking up the RL.

The GREEN SECTION doesn't seem like it needs any ammo. Perhaps some shells would be a good idea in the dead end area.

Spawn Points:

The RED SECTION should definitely have a couple of spawns since it's a recovery area.

The YELLOW SECTION should also have a few spawns in each atrium that are somewhat protected. Maybe each atrium can have one spawn just outside in the south hallway.

The GREEN SECTION doesn't really need spawns on the bridge since there are no weapons - just armor.

Indicators:

Don't really need indicators by the RG since it's such a risk anyway. Maybe some 5 healths by the RA on the bridge. Also some 5 healths in the south YA hallway.
Pat Howard
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Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:14 am

Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by Pat Howard »

Link above updated. Fixed a bot problem and tidied up the pk3.
v1l3
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by v1l3 »

The only thing that really stuck out in the quick run that I did, was that the tele that goes from the GL to the GL ammo platform requires a jump to get through it. Now because of the jump, when in battle and moving at a high pace you have to do a jump from a distance to the tele and keep moving smoothly, and that causes a tele-jump which makes you to fly off of the GL platform. Even if it wasn't a jump though, you will still move right off of it when moving in a quick pace, because it is such a small platform.
foralarx2k3
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by foralarx2k3 »

I second Viles comments.

The only other comment I'd make is that 90% of the offline Botplay action (OK I know ... I don't get out much these days :p) takes place camping the RG in order to win the match as the default bot is Xaero, meaning the rest of the map only gets visited on your way there when you invertably die under Xaero's 100% accurate aim. Maybe ditch Xaero or replace the RG with the LG? Don't get me wrong I love a good RG exchange as much as the next player but with such an open map I might just as well load up the corkscrew mod.

That's my personal opinion up there, just ignore it if you feel inclined to.

Ian.
My Maps: [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1911]Steep Learning Curve[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1905]Reckless Abandonment[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1955]The Rage[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:2409]The Immortal Coil[/url]
v1l3
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by v1l3 »

-edit-

making space
Last edited by v1l3 on Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
foralarx2k3
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by foralarx2k3 »

Actually what I meant is that I camp the RG and not the bot :p. Not that I'm a rail whore it's just the only way to prevent him from owning the map.

That said it's a darn fine area of the map to be sitting about in :p. I'm gonna have a look round and see if I can't think of something more appropriate to waffle on about.
My Maps: [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1911]Steep Learning Curve[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1905]Reckless Abandonment[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1955]The Rage[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:2409]The Immortal Coil[/url]
v1l3
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by v1l3 »

foralarx2k3 wrote:Not that I'm a rail whore.
hehe..you have to have some rail skills to be a whore..now it's the BFG whores that are irritating
foralarx2k3
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by foralarx2k3 »

ok enough waffling.

@PH:-

Had a few games now (obviously not with Xearo) and the only other part of the map in terms of structure that I had problems with was the hollow where the PG is. I found everytime I went there to pick up the ammo or the PG that I almost came to a stop there. Not sure how to describe it really other than it just felt off. I think maybe the hollow is a little deep (I know it's not that much as it is, but if it could be smoothed out a bit I think it would really help there.

Oh .. and I love the strafe jump on the top of the arch from the RA and bounce onto the GL ammo ledge btw :)
My Maps: [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1911]Steep Learning Curve[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1905]Reckless Abandonment[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:1955]The Rage[/url], [url=https://lvlworld.com/review/id:2409]The Immortal Coil[/url]
AEon
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by AEon »

Pardon my saying this, but your map is disturbing. There is the very high level of detail and creatively everywhere, but it does tend to detract from the gameplay, IMO.

A few examples:
  • I know this will sound like dumbing down, but the bobbing up / down due to various height levels on your floors is very distracting. Especially your roundish patch edges on the floor (around item pads), make the player bob.
  • Another example is the RL platform... looks nice, but again you bob, IMO, flattening it would help.
  • Your dark brown "earth" texture in the lowest areas of the map looks cool, but again the player with bob when navigating those lower corridors. This area is dangerous enough to not need additional stress. Again I'd suggest flattening the earth more, but keep a bit of height.
  • In all paces mentioned flatten the floor area and then playerclip it = minimum amount of bobbing.
Other notes:
  • Please fix those TP triggers. Having to jump into a JP is not that much fun IMO.
  • The lower level TP room (near the RG) is *very* cramped, more space would help.
  • This is just a thought but I had the feeling some paths were too long or not really needed. E.g. the YA niche, I always expect a JP here, to the very long RA ledge above.
    It might be possible to move the RL area with TP and JP to the RA, more towards the center of the map, shortening the paths. Just a thought.
  • Now I know what is disturbing me so much in the central arena. The brick texture for the arch above the JP is reddish, as if blood was seeping out of the stones. :(... I'd change that texture. Everything else looks fine, IMO.
  • Another thing I noted are all your ledges, these are *quite* high, intended as a visual clue to keep the player from falling as I understand this, e.g. around the RA, platform and the central area around the JP. I have the feeling the map is trying to be overprotective. You may want to try to lower those ledges by at least a factor of 2 (or better drop it to the level of the floor).
I may be off my rocker, but the beautiful style (except the red bricks :p) contrasts very strongly with these gameplay / visual issues. IMO, once those things have "quietened" down, the layout can much better be analyzed.
Pat Howard
Posts: 494
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Re: PHDM1 - RE-Release *v2*

Post by Pat Howard »

Thanks for the feedback guys. Duly noted :).

-pat
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