WIP : Perdido Valley

[Krapougnak]

Hi,
I see what you mean. Yes the terrain is rough looking as I used a 3d software for the heigh map and like the way it looks, almost natural. This could have been my downfall but I've been saved by the sheer size of the map, it is a 20x20 so the narrow-looking passes are deceitful they are larger than they look. They are also clearly visible as the rock is dark brown but the passes are light beige with special decals.

Concerning the top-left passages here is a screenshot :



as you can see the passage easily accomodates a Fatboy and a Megalith, also there are 11 Bricks on the picture. The other one is more confidential, for sneaky attacks but T3 units can easily use it.

I'll see what I can do for the sun (I'm not very good at lights) and I'll check other passages to make sur at least T3 unit can use them if not Exps.

Thank you for the feedback it is proving really helpful.

[Zock]

You can improve the raiding possibilities if you want to do the extra work, and where it doesn't conflict with the aesthetic of the map. Orange arrows represent new entrances/ways that should be useful. Green ones are the "important" existing ones.



Then you can make it harder for the defenders to counter raids by removing entrances/ways close to their base (yellow). Entrances further away can be used for defending/attacking both, but if an entrance ends in a base, it can only be used by the defender (unless you want to attack the base itself, but this is very rare), making his ways to intercept raiding units shorter. Little picture to illustrate (green is attacker, attempting to raid area behind red's base):



With all the raiding ways, and especially if you add the new ones, you can place some mex in the backside in the green area in the last picture, maybe something between 4 and 8 per team, in groups of 1 or maximum 2. The optimal number of how many is hard to say and you'll eventually find it by playtesting. You also have the possibility to move 1 or 2 of the "base mex" further away from the spawns, if you want more mex in the backside, but can't add so many before the total mass numbers for the map become too high. I wouldn't do that yet, but it's an easy option to finetune the map later.



Then I pointed out some slight possible balance problems, the top team has shorter and easier ways to reach some equal/contested area. I don't know if its bad enough that it needs to be changed though, and at least for the two expansion mex for the middle guys, the fact that they are placed together might even the longer time to get them out. If not it is easy to even out by placing some of the new (or the 2 "outer base mex") mex for the top middle guy a bit further away than their bottom counterparts.

Then it might be a good idea to move the 3 mex on the left from the mountain into the vale, but testing the map will show if it really is. Just some things to look at when playing/testing it.

And a unrelated side note about mapping, I've seen several times mappers complaining about not being able to use custom decals, but what about the maps who use them, like Aperture or the City Wars maps?

[Krapougnak]

Hi,
I succeeded in implementing 90% of your suggestions without conflicting too much with the aethetic of the map.
Thanks again for your very detailed advice. Here is the result :

[Krapougnak]

Things are getting done !

[Krapougnak]

RELEASE !

Perdido Valley
20x20 map, 8 players, AI Markers included.

Available on the Map Vault
Many thanks to Zock for its sound gameplay advice.
Bugs, feedback, comments welcome.

[Omnipotent]

I had to see this highly anticipated map for myself of course.

Boy, you don't disappoint. This is a visually stunning map. Just the goddamn flickering decals! It's heartbreaking, can't do anything about it though.
Nothing is ever perfect, so I have a couple points.

1) I realise this is an asymmetric map, but there seems to be a lack of heightmap bottom mid/right portion of the map.
2) With that space I would've stuck a spawn point there. Preferably the spawn point next to the mid left.
That way it looks more like a 4 v 4 and less like an FFA. or a 5 v 3 for that matter. You're gonna see a lot of comms go "pop" in the first 10 minutes haha.
3) The right side has more protection and smaller chokepoints compared to the left. I know it was hard trying to follow Zocks advice but it just seems a bit imba now.

Other than that, this has clearly taken a lot of work. It is a beautiful map, and definitely not for the faint hearted!

I've given this map a 5*s, if I didn't have port problems, I'd be playing many games on it with other people instead of AI's.

Kind regards.

[Lionhardt]

I really like the transitions from cliffs to rocky ground and from rocky ground to sand.

Also the reclaim fields look like a lot of attention has gone into those, they look very authentic. I spotted quite a few flying props though :/ But there is no way around other than moving all tree groups a little bit down, as they are placed on a slope.

There are a few very strong depressions in the heightmap though that will no doubt cause annoyance by unis shooting into the ground.

Luckily, the decals don't flicker when you just zoom in and out without moving the camera back and forth or to the sides.


There are some decals (like slope normals) that look a bit out of place, because they don't go along with the heightmap or surrounding decals quite right. But it's such a big map and you descaled it up completely that I can understand placing every decal to perfection would take ages.


All in all 5/5 for visuals still


Haven't played it yet, so can't say anything about gameplay.

[Krapougnak]

Hi

Thank you very much for all your kind comments after all this effort they are really welcome.

There was a spawn point bottom right originally but Zock convinced me of the necesity to put all the spawning points closer to each one. I suppose more feedback is needed concerning gameplay before considering any change.

I spent so much time on this map that I'm ready to spend a little bit more so I will try to track these flying props and nail them if you could give rough positioning Lionhardt I'll be glad.

I'm also curious about these decals you say aren't quite good looking Lionhardt, could you be more specific as to their location ?

My main problem now: I tested this map with my own installation of FA and when I watch replays with FAF I notice the map looks more dull in it and I wonder why ?

Here two screenies first one is with my installation of FA and botoom one is in FAF.

[Omnipotent]

Try cranking up your visuals, increase the resolution etc.

[Krapougnak]

Meaning looks more dull in FAF, there is less contrast and the color are less crisp.