cp_mombasa

[SPHinx]

Alpha 3 release of cp_mombasa. Many thanks again to all of you who have given me feedback. I hope you are pleased with the changes.

Download link

Comments, criticisms, suggestions are welcome as always. Added some new spoiler screenshots, showing the re-sized area between mid and cp 2/4:

Spoiler: Reveal

[Boylee.ps]

What's this? An new map from SPHinx? Huzzah!

So if this is a remake of Boundary Bay what will happen to the original, is it being scrapped? Either way this is looking really good, lots of height variation and much less prop spam of containers too.

Seriously though I can see how the layout still relates, I look forward to playtesting.

P.s. This is how you add spoilers:
[ spoiler ]spoiler content[ /spoiler ] but without the spaces
I would add them to your post, but you've done such a nice job rescaling your screenies that it's not really necessary.

[Post Script.ps]

Oooh that mid point looks exciting

[Boylee.ps]

I'm really liking the environmental lighting too, is that a custom env_lighting setup?

[SPHinx]

I'm really liking the environmental lighting too, is that a custom env_lighting setup?

It's the setup from harvest. Nice though, isn't it? Gives it a warm/cool contrast between inside/outside environments.

[Boylee.ps]

Yeah definitely, I'd never have thought of using that.

[Amnesiac]

This looks like a real fun map.

Will need to play this soon

[Post Script.ps]

Mid and last played well, second seemed to be rather uneventful/forgettable. Maybe requires more space between mid -> second? Seemed too easy to take. Love the dusty look and the way you use the containers.

[Boylee.ps]

I agree, although I like the layout of the second / fourth point it did play through that area very quickly. I think maybe it's a little too easy to take at the moment.

When you come out of first spawn and walk across the plank to the stacked containers it would be realy nice if there was something to drop down onto so you don't receive any fall damage. It's not a lot of damage but it is a tiny but annoying.

The crane above centre point needs to be clipped off too, it's a bit too easy for a soldier or demo to sit up there and spam the point as it is.

Oh and clip them stairs boyo.

All in all though I thoroughly enjoyed playing this. I think the teams were a touch unbalanced on our playthrough as we managed to hammer the opponents pretty good, but that's no fault of the map. I think this is a solid reworking of this layout and I like it. Please continue.

[Two monkeys from a Tzu..ps]

I like the redesign, action on all height levels and the map theme comes through nicely allready without much detailing.
I agree about the dropdown problem, fall damage would be ok if it would be a risky shortcut but it looks like the main route most players took.
There was one other thing I wanted to mention but I forgot what it was, brb will check ingame.

[Two monkeys from a Tzu..ps]

OK I just checked. It feels like there is a bottleneck from cp2 to cp3 on the first rollout even though there are 3 ways to the middlepoint. It looked like most people took the ground route following the big arrows no matter which gate from cp1 to cp2 they initially took. The upper left exit should probably be a bit more prominent to spread out the initial assault of cp3 and the the upper right tunnel with the boxes could use a 'Battlements' sign as a hint for snipers. I'd probably get rid of the boxes anyway so you can enter the vents without jumping. Because now players instinctivly think: 'what crouch jumping? that looks to complicated on the first rush to the point, I'll just take the ground floor route to instant fun action.'
Maybe build some obstacles next to it so line of sight from the left exit is blocked and Engineers can build a sentry there to cover the cp.
I can't say much about the last cp since teams where a bit unbalanced but another playthrough will clear that up I guess.

I think 5 point maps are the hardest thing to get right in TF2 mapping and this one looks right.

[midget31394]

We got rolled, I dunno if it was the teams or what, but when we got destroyed at mid the enemy team usually came in and took second. Final point is nice, I like it. It came very close a couple of times but there was usually some degree of defence, however when trying to push back into second from last it's real hard since there was usually a mini SG/SG watching the main entrances, with enemy reinforcements on teleporters up on the higher ground. I really enjoyed it though just the second needs a tad re-working to help defence pull back and take it.

[Boylee.ps]

Thinking on it, removing the roller door on the upper route to the second CP would probably make it a bit easier to push back out from the first point, sentries would certainly be less of a surprise.

[AngryPotato]

Generally, layout is very good, I liked it. As it was mentioned - we got steamrolled Usually we lost central CP when enemy team killed almost all of us - and they easily managed to cap 2nd point before we respawn and reach it. So in fact we can speak mainly about fighting over last point I don't like how it looks, to be honest. It's a square in a middle of some "cave". In most maps CPs (especially the last ones) are naturally limited - some wall behind them (dustbowl, freight), transparent wall (well, badlands) or a building (granary) or other obstacles. You don't have it here and defenders, who are trying desperately to stand on the point while dodging, need something to stick to. Previously the whole 'cave' was a point and it was a bit too big. I'd advise you to extend its area a bit, but surround it by something. You might even do something like in badlands - transparent wall behind and on sides of point (point might be hexagonal, then you would border its 3 back sides), medkit behind it. Players need to feel whether they are still blocking or not without looking at their feet.
Other things - ok, although it's hard to say being forced to defend last point

[Boylee.ps]

Demos: http://playstuff.net/showthread.php/...ll=1#post40113

[SPHinx]

Thanks again to everyone for the feedback and play test. I just watched the demo, which gave me a few more ideas for how to improve. In addition to what you've all suggested, I think some adjustment to spawn times and cap times would help the flow between points.

Unfortunately for me, it will be a few weeks before I will be able to work on it.

[Boylee.ps]

Bummer. Glad the test helped though.

[SPHinx]

Another perverse idea: Initial spawns are those nearer the central point. When 1 team captures, it pushes the other team's spawn back.

In my head this works against a steamroll. Anyone know if this has been tried or failed?

[Boylee.ps]

Not seen it tried. Could work I guess but generally that sort of heavy deviation to the normal spawn template indicates an underlying map issue. I'd say just make the second / fourth point easier to defend. Can always give it a try though, wouldn't hurt to test the premise.

[SPHinx]

Not seen it tried. Could work I guess but generally that sort of heavy deviation to the normal spawn template indicates an underlying map issue. I'd say just make the second / fourth point easier to defend. Can always give it a try though, wouldn't hurt to test the premise.

That seems right--wiser to balance a map for usual play.

I am still curious about the concept though. Might be better suited to only 2 spawns per team with a different sort of spacing between the points. Maybe something to try out in the future for a different map.