[WIP] cp_triplet (FKA escapist)

[Boylee.ps]

BIFF!

CP_Triplet
Current version: B4
Formerly known as cp_escapist



A simple 3 control point map that aims to promote tight, aggressive, team focused play. The layout, although simple, should offer a number of routes & room to manoeuvre, and hence should encourage flanking and a variety of other tactics. So without further ado, here is cp_triplet_b4 in all it's shiny, propped out, OPTIMISED stylee. Enjoi.

Spoiler: Reveal

Very rough stage here so I'm looking for feedback n game changers, i.e. routes, spawn times, cap times, spaces, etc. Never mapped for such small player counts before so I'm mostly making it up as I go along. I hope you like it. Okay, here's B1. She may be a little sketchy in a couple of places, I've been working like a dog over the last week to get it ready, but there shouldn't be any major bugs. Because of this the kind of feedback that I need now is in the form of screenshots of bits where there are mistakes or comments on areas that need better optimisation or lighting. Also the sooner the better as this is going into the escapist 3v3 tournament today!

Download: bz2 archive - 7z archive

Screenshots:

Spoiler: Reveal

Lights in the prop room aren't as borked as they are in this screeny, I took it whilst B3 was still a WIP.

Changelog:

Spoiler: Reveal

A2 released
+ Added upper route from spawn out of team base (with route up from ground level)
+ Added upper level in central cap building
+ Added routes around sides of central building
+ Playerclipped the tops of the buildings
+ Added spectator cams
+ Moved a few doorways and tweaked some displacements

A3 released
+ Added cover to one exit from spawn and added an alternate covered spawn door
+ Flipped geometry in left-hand route from spawn to mid
+ Increased cap area size on middle point
+ Changed timer reset on middle capture from 10 minutes to 7 minutes
+ Added basic detailing throughout (roof shapes, gantries & stair-sets)
+ Completed first texture pass

A3a released
+ Further increased size of middle cap area
+ Removed wire fence from section under gantries at mid

B1 released
+ Increased size of base cap areas
+ Added out of bounds areas
+ Added skybox
+ Added soundscape
+ First full detailing pass complete
+ First full lighting pass complete
+ First full optimisation pass complete

B2 released
+ Added clipping that was missing in a few places
+ Second detailing pass complete
+ Second lighting pass complete
+ Added signage in and around the centre point
+ Fixed some lighting, prop and texture issuses from b1
+ Resized all health and ammo pack patches and made them consistent throughout

B3 released
+ Removed escapist logos
+ Changed name back to triplet
+ Added windows to central CP
+ Added some more props and lights
+ Fixed internal lighting issues on RED side and in centre building
+ More clipping added / fixed
+ Made several props made non-solid
+ Removed the bloody purple fix

B4 released
+ Fixed broken areaportals
+ Added func_occluder brushes
+ Retextured rooms on either side of point
+ Added team coloured signs and lights in the central point to aid navigation
+ Optimised the map better so it should run smoothly now.

[thewordsmith]

BAM!

CP_triplet_a1 (working title)



A simple 3 cp layout, with very simple routes but still a little room to maneuver. Very rough stage here so I'm looking for feedback n game changers, i.e. routes, spawn times, cap times, spaces, etc. Never mapped for such small player counts before so I'm mostly making it up as I go along. I hope you like it.


Download: link

Screenshots:

Spoiler: Reveal

I'll crank it up now, waiting for responces from the server owner and the other two admin, see what happens. Thanks man

[Post Script.ps]

Possibly have the mid point lower ground and end points higher ground which makes them slightly harder to cap? Having said that it's harder to land a rocket splash damage when shooting down a slope so it could turn out to be 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

Also I said something about mid too, think it was a perch for solis and demos or something.

[Boylee.ps]

I'll crank it up now, waiting for responces from the server owner and the other two admin, see what happens. Thanks man

No worries.

Like I said it's very rough and ready so I'll need feedback to make it into something useful.

Possibly have the mid point lower ground and end points higher ground which makes them slightly harder to cap? Having said that it's harder to land a rocket splash damage when shooting down a slope so it could turn out to be 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

Also I said something about mid too, think it was a perch for solis and demos or something.

Cheers Post, we'll stick it on the list of possible tweaks.

[thewordsmith]

No worries.

Like I said it's very rough and ready so I'll need feedback to make it into something useful.


Cheers Post, we'll stick it on the list of possible tweaks.

Just had a quick look around it as a local server, it all looks decent. Obviously without actually playing it against people there's not much I can do (I'm sure we'll get a 2v2 going on it later), but I did notice that a soldier with Gunboats is going to be at a significant advantage, there's a lot of rooftop that's within easy jumping range, so it might be an idea to have a smallish walkway around the rooftops with a steep roof further up... Just a suggestion.

Cap times all look cool, I was predicting an insta-cap with a scout as most CP's tend to be, but I think between the spawn timers and the cap timers you've nailed it.

As I say, testing later, so fingers crossed. Looks cool

[Boylee.ps]

Ahhh yeah I forgot to playerclip the roofs. That'll go on the list.

[Logan.ps]

Looks like a top effort. I'm watching with interest - since the idea of a 3v3 was suggested, I've liked it - in my head though, a medic would be forced into one of those 3 places. I think it would add more to the whole thing...and force really careful choice of the other 2 positions. Just my personal of course.

[thewordsmith]

Ok, I've just been testing (albeit with bots, but they play it OK-ish), one thing jumped out as a bug. There is a place where you can build sentries and spies can't get to them to sap. It's that bit outside the base, over on the right side of the last picture. Repeatedly, the bots played a normal lineup (1 medic, 1 soldier, 1 other class), but then reverted to 1 heavy, 2 engineers when the last point was pushed.

Interestingly, the rooftop "bug" actually counters this, because demos can jump onto the roof next to it from just outside centerpoint and sticky that platform without worry.

Basically can you make it non-buildable on there please, or if you have to make that bit buildable, can you put a ramp or something going up onto the platform?

Oh, there was one other bit. Would it be possible to have a small pathway around the outside of the central point? At the moment, to get to the other side of the point you have to go through the central building, so there's no room for flanking. Just an idea though.

[Boylee.ps]

Ok I'll try and get another version out tonight to address those problems. I'll make some access up to that area, I was thinking of making the building directly in front of that ledge hollow and usable and it would allow for access onto that (otherwise) very guarded sentry spot. As for the flanking route, there's still two routes through the middle, I was restricting routes simply because I didn't want players to be able to avoid each other but I'll consider another route around, or possibly under or over the central route.

Any thoughts on the heights? Do you think the elevation should be reversed like Post Script suggested? (i.e. Higher at the bases than in the middle.)
It'd certainly be easier to do at this stage than later on...

[thewordsmith]

I think the way it is at the moment works pretty well, with mid being higher. Ideally I'd like a map that can be end-to-end, and I think the current heights do that nicely. Someone capping Base will have to fight through respawning enemies, the point is right outside spawn, so there's already enough of a challenge IMHO

[Boylee.ps]

Cool, I'll get to work on a2 then.

[thewordsmith]

hey man, hows the map going?

[Boylee.ps]

should have another release for you tonight.

[Boylee.ps]

A2 is up.

Apologies for the slow progress, been hard at work on my contest entry. And by hard work I mean this:

Spoiler: Reveal

[awesome-o]

Shouldn't you be dead by now then? >

[thewordsmith]

Don't worry about it dude, it was meant as a progress report not as a crack of the whip Downloading it now, see how it plays in the next few hours

[Boylee.ps]

Groovy. No I know, I just meant to get this to you days ago. When's the tournament again?

[thewordsmith]

April 3rd is the first match, but I want to get a final final final version locked into the server a week before. Give us some time to iron any wrinkles out before we need it.

Now, out of the 3 admin, 2 of us have played it (myself and Root Of All Evil), both of us think it's practically perfect. I say practically, obviously we've only been able to play it 3v3 with 5 bots (I'll work at getting the next iteration onto a proper server), so we don't know how it'll work with 6 people.

He thinks it's perfect apart from visually, which is the aim of a beta (as far as I know, am I wrong?).

I think it's perfect apart from those side routes. I know I asked for them specifically, and I know how bloody annoying it is when someone whom you're doing a favour for asks you to do one thing and then turns around and says "nope, don't like it", but I think the ledges in Central let scouts get behind heavy/medic pairs, which was the reason I wanted flanks. I think the flanks as they are now just make the map too wide (exactly as you said they would, my apologies again).

Having said that, the other admin (Root) thought the flanks were brilliant, so the casting vote will go to Danny, the last admin.

I was going to say something about lowering the ledge behind the truck, but I think only allowing demomen, soldiers and scouts to get into the enemy base that way is probably for the best.

Out of interest, will the textures stay as they are (orange stylee) or what? Again, not a demand, just wondering.

Proper request of changes for a3 to come either tonight or tomorrow.

[MacNetron.ps]

With a little bit of coordination I presume we should have no problems getting 6 persons on the maplab server
Tonight I'm off, but tomorrow (=sunday) should be no problem. BTW, I live in CET timezone.

[Boylee.ps]

Don't worry about changing your mind about things, the only way to see if they work sometimes is to put them in ant try them.

Feel free to tell me honestly what works and what doesn't. I get very little opportunity to play TF2 as I'm in South Korea at the moment, so feedback is invaluable.

I don't plan on leaving it as dev textures, I'd like to at least get basic texture, prop and lighting passes done before the mini tourney.