Terra

[F687/s]

This is the final version of my map that I've been working on (TX1), and I finally got around to posting it on the forums.

This is a 2-team CTF map (red-vs-blue). The map is inspired mainly by HiX, Wideworld, and the beta testers that said I need more objects. There are walkways along the sides of the map, while the main action in the map is along the middle. This map has very interesting rico, which makes shot placement critical.

I have it hosted (for now) at bzfmaps.net:5031, if you want to check it out. For those of you more dedicated, I give you the source. For those of you less, I give you screenies.

May the Flags be with you.

EDIT: Minor updates, which makes me wonder whether this will ever be a finished product. Screenshots are (for the most part) the same.

[dexter]

Looks very neat.
Well thought out and should have good playability... I'll look into playing it on the weekend

[macsforme]

Nice map. Let me know if you need a server with a larger network pipe.

[ducktape]

Looks Good reminds me a "Wide World Even Wider". Keep it up.

[blast]

I'll have this running on BZExcess.com port 5160 in just a bit. The main thing I noticed was that you're using meshboxes and meshpyramids. I'm converting them to regular boxes and pyramids on my server, since they texture better. (meshpyramids look particularly horrible) Any descent host will be running at least 2.0.9, which supports using textures on regular box objects. (It converts them to a mesh if textures or other advanced options are used). Most of the objects weren't using materials anyway.

I also noticed some issues with the sphere at the end of the file. The divisions and shift are messed up, because you have Windows line endings in there. So when I fixed the line endings, there sphere was more of a cube, and it was too low. If you fix that, I'll update the map.

Edit: It is up and running now. I bumped the player limit to 15 per team.

[Grace F]

Looks particuarly playable. I'm short on time so I'll look into it later.

[F687/s]

The main thing I noticed was that you're using meshboxes and meshpyramids. I'm converting them to regular boxes and pyramids on my server, since they texture better. (meshpyramids look particularly horrible) Any descent host will be running at least 2.0.9, which supports using textures on regular box objects. (It converts them to a mesh if textures or other advanced options are used). Most of the objects weren't using materials anyway.

I also noticed some issues with the sphere at the end of the file. The divisions and shift are messed up, because you have Windows line endings in there. So when I fixed the line endings, there sphere was more of a cube, and it was too low. If you fix that, I'll update the map.

Yeah, I've gotten into the habit of writing 2.0 objects (I think somebody somewhere condoned that, anyway). I'm not sure why they should texture differently, though, but I noticed the difference. I updated the map accordingly. There are still a few meshboxes in there, but they are necessary, and shouldn't be removed (and I'm too lazy to convert them).

About the sphere....that's just decoration. Luckily, it was working just fine before you commented on that, and it decided to malfunction afterwards. I changed the divisions to 16, so that should fix the problem. I also shifted it up 10 (maybe not all World Units are created equal).

Other notable differences are that I rotated the center objects 45 degrees (because THEY wanted it), bumped the speed a whole 2.5, and modified that comment at the end of the source.

Now I just need to find a niche for the map...

[soccermiles]

it says there's an unknown identity by the name of "meshbox"

[Peter]

I like it, lots of rico opportunity, lots of places to hide. One thing that would be cool is if you added a texture matrix to the sphere in the middle, so it looks like it's turning around.

[ducatiwannabe]

The map itself is very playable... nice jumping distances, pretty good ricochets, and overall heights and spacing. You did a good job with putting thought in to how it would play.

It doesn't look as if it would hold attention of most players these days. If there were enough people, however, maybe the action and majority of tankers would keep a player nearby. The reason I say that is because your map is so simplistic in looks. Most people expect everything shiny and can't stand just good ol' bzflag. They want hyperosity and eye candy. The structure of the map, however, is not bad at all. Rather monotonous along the edges with nothing on the second (or third) level? Pretty empty walkway there, though it's still playable.

I played by myself... hope to play with a group soon.

dw

[F687/s]

> The reason I say that is because your map is so simplistic in looks. Most people expect everything shiny
> and can't stand just good ol' bzflag. They want hyperosity and eye candy.

Yes, but BZFlag in itself doesn't have the greatest graphics. If they wanted graphics, everybody would be playing Crysis.

I see what you're saying, though. Part of what makes Missile War so densely overpopulated is because it has decent gameplay and a fair bit of eye candy. And there are people (like LouMan) who are great at making really detailed, really nice-looking maps. I decided to move the opposite direction and focus more on gameplay.


After playing on it for it for some time, I have to say that this map is hard. Many of the ricos do not DWIM, it is very deadlock-prone, and mistakes can really cost. Therefore, this really isn't a n00b map, but rather a map for people who like a real challenge. The only concern I have faced is that that capping is too easy, since you can jump from one place to the other and barely touch the ground (and I might be able to fix that). Also, the side walls are really just there for people who want to get away from the action.

As far as I know, Marzipan might be making some map improvement, but I can't be sure at this time.

[ducatiwannabe]

I decided to move the opposite direction and focus more on gameplay.

Which is a good direction to head. It's all about the gameplay. Much better that than maps that are "shiny" but stink in the actual combat. It's all about what makes it fun for the player. A good player cares about the gameplay and not so much about the graphics.

It seems to me that somebody can follow another person carrying a team flag (even if they are only a level away) fairly easily with all the jumping possibilities. I personally think it's fine the way it is, but if you feel it is too easy, go ahead and shoot for a change.

[F687/s]

Bumpity bump.

I've been thinking about the design of this map, taking people's criticism into mind, in order to make it better. Here's what I have.

1. The boundboxes (what I call them) make it easy to pass through without touching the ground. Should they be removed? And if they are, do we need to fill the void with something?

2. The wall height has been considered a little too ridiculous. Should I lower it, or would that affect rico?

3. The side walls have been considered unnecessary too. Should we remove the guards at the top, narrow it, or wall it in completely?

4. Is the center pyramid really necessary? As well as eliminating flag drops moving to the center, it seems to not do anything good in particular. And the sphere distracts some forum posters. ;-)

I have attached a picture showing what some of the problems are. Unfortunately, I cannot ssh into bzfmaps.net, and my maps seem to have un-hosted themselves in the process (must be the server, there are no hosted maps below port 7000). So I can't host this map right now.

[ducatiwannabe]

1. The boundboxes (what I call them) make it easy to pass through without touching the ground. Should they be removed? And if they are, do we need to fill the void with something?

2. The wall height has been considered a little too ridiculous. Should I lower it, or would that affect rico?

3. The side walls have been considered unnecessary too. Should we remove the guards at the top, narrow it, or wall it in completely?

4. Is the center pyramid really necessary? As well as eliminating flag drops moving to the center, it seems to not do anything good in particular. And the sphere distracts some forum posters.

1. Keep the boundboxes. They help playability tremendously and there would be no benefit to doing so that I can think of. Removing them would make it void indeed. But if you choose to take them out, yes, do fill the emptiness with something else.

2. The wall height is fine. It has little effect on anything (except a higher ricochet level), but just because it's different I guess people have a problem with it. I don't, however.

3. Don't wall it in or narrow it. I think it helps game play. Maybe lower the height or add supports or something, but personally, removing it would do nothing for the map.

4. A pyramid in the center not only sends the flag back to base when it is passed, but makes a good half-way pass point. This is great for the gameplay, so I say keep it. Besides that, removing it would make a very empty center... and it adds another something to the map anyway.

My two cents, for what it's worth... which is two cents.

[io]

Not every map needs to be an "eye candy".
I played on it, and i liked it, the rico at the bases are perfect. i would reduce the high of the walls in the map, what i noticed is, if you got the flag then you can easyli jump over the walls and if the enemy is behind you and trys to shot you it is hard to hit, because of the high of walls. (Hopefully some1 understands what i want to say ^^)

currently i do not have much time for bzflag and for improve / make maps, i m sorry about that, but i also got a life besides bzflag.

[Easy Target]

lol yes I agree, not everyone wants eyecandy

I believe that the thing that draws most players is an addicting map. It has nothing to do with the way it looks (aesthetics) but everything to do with the way that it plays. For example: take Badgerking, it has no eyecandy yet it is always in the top 5 maps, the reason is that it combines all of the fun parts of bzflag into one map.

-Areas where ppl have to dodge
-Areas where people can hide and shoot
-great ricochet opportunities
-a few places to camp
-and it has a wide array of layout.

F687, your map has many of these, except the camping thing, (not all servers should have camping), you have great rico.

The only thing that i think that you should add in order to get more people to show up at your map is a place where people actually have to dodge. I tested your map, and there is a lot of cover. You could try to make the map size bigger and arrange it so that there is an area that people have to dodge, maybe in the middle so that capturing the flag would be a wee harder.

Other than that, I believe that you have a great map!

I hope that you keep making great tactical maps as you are right now
(maybe even better)

[io]

make the map bigger --> harder ctf --> this map isn't that much for score, it is a team gaming map, if you compare bager king and this map is pointless ...

You need to be "skilled" to kill people, yeah there are hide outs, but there is awlays a way to kill with rico ...

have a nice day

[F687/s]

> currently i do not have much time for bzflag and for improve / make maps, i m sorry about that,
but i also got a life besides bzflag.

I never said you had to improve it. You said you might, and then left.

> The only thing that i think that you should add in order to get more people to show up at your map is a place
> where people actually have to dodge. I tested your map, and there is a lot of cover.
> You could try to make the map size bigger and arrange it so that there is an area that people have to dodge,
> maybe in the middle so that capturing the flag would be a wee harder.

If you want dodging, go to Overlord ;-) . Even though there is a lot of cover, you can still hit almost every part of the map with ricochet (except for some spaces near the bases, which are supposed to be covered). That being said, you still need to dodge bullets; they are just coming at different angles. Which also means you need to have more than a facing-S assault in order to win here.

I have it hosted back up (for now).