Schism

i believe you guys will enjoy the weapon ideas

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...g?t=1226036250

Here's a quick mock-up of something of your similar idea, but with a few instances that I think you should implement. Keep in mind that my sketch is NOT a direct suggestion, as it is a quick draft just containing a few key points.

1. Have multiple layers in the main combat area, using not only raised infantry paths (as you already have aptly planned) but also vehicle paths crossing, or at least sharing the space with the central region.

2. Try and have many of the paths connect to each other at pivotal points to allow more options for forces moving through the map. The ability to shift your whole attacking force from one path to another makes some very interesting gameplay.

3. To counter this, give the defensive team quickly-accessible and strategically viable defensive points in the main combat area around these points, and make sure it has enough access and vantage to the main area to be useful during most situations, but still not enough to be beneficial in all (notice how the defensive hill in my sketch has no view at all on the cliff-edge path bordering the lake, but can see or quickly access almost everything else).

4. Do the same at the defensive line, but be sure not to make it too hard to crack by employing highly covert footpaths and well-thought weapon placement. When making a good defensive base, take a look at those that have been proven to work. Both Last Resort and High Ground are good examples - they work best with a floating, rather than a static defense, due to the fact that they are visually cut off from the rest of the combat areas, but have way too many access points to have one person posted at each.

These are just some quick tips to help with your layout. Take what you will from it. I hope at least one suggestion is of use to you.

Basically taking the current overhead and making some adjustments so the movement is 'layered' is what I have in mind. Not all paths will be connected directly, but some of the main ones will; others will only connect to specific paths and not the main ones. My idea is to have the ground layer, which is what I have now, and is accessible to vehicles (in most places) and infantry entirely. There is also a middle layer, which spans between the cliffs every here and there, bridging some routes and allowing an overview of others. This will be useful for shifting main attacks or losing pursuers when you have the flag. Then there's also a top layer, made up primarily of the narrow footbridge-like structures seen in Halo, Danger Canyon, Infinity, etc., intended for infantry moving from one overwatch position to the next. All along the length of the main canyon and at some of the wider points in the secondary one (where the temple is), paths will run along the rockface to allow access to various stationary guns and firing positions. The aircraft will, of course, have access to the entire area.

There will be certain points at ground level where caves and so on open from one path to another, but the majority of switching will be done via the bridging tunnels. There will also be a rather large network of small tunnels and natural caverns leading to good sniper and observation positions all around the plain, but they will be accessible only by infantry. The Loyalists hold the advantage of the high ground and a clear line of sight across more or less their entire area, but they have very little cover aside from the base complex itself and a few small defiles or groves of small trees. I want to keep a fairly large number of comparatively narrow paths with towering cliffs criss-crossed by bridges high above so it really exudes that sense of vertigo that only Halo can; however there will be some fairly open areas. While the layout you've got there would be perfect for a standard-sized map about the same dimensions as BG, it strikes me as beeing a little off in terms of proportions and complexity for something closer to the size of several 'normal' maps put together. I do get what you're saying though, and I'll certainly add more ways of crossing from one path to another as that helps the atmosphere I'm aiming for anyway.

I would love to see some kind of underground root where the heavy tanks like wraiths can get to the eny base to bring their weapons to bear without worrying about all the jets in the sky, It would also protect land based infantry (though make it less appealing for them by making it much longer or something or by putting the exit in a totally exposed area)

It'd also be a nice chance for some graphical secks (underground lakes/rivers/waterfalls and some sexy lighting).

I had one in mind, but I wasn't too keen on it because then it would basically suck all the combat away from the surface. If you give someone a stealthy, safe way, then they aren't going to take the risky and open one. The other issue was that even if it did get you along the canyons to safety, you're still put out in a very open place. In all honesty you're probably better off taking the open canyons than you are an underground tunnel or cave, because at least you'll have vehicles capable of picking off aircraft around you.

That said, there will be some underground areas for the infantry, in particular under the structures.

Your first suggestion for a layout ross looked like an awesome SP map where you hold out at the Loyalist base while facing a flood onslaught from every side :p

Looks like you're really thinking this through which is awesome, instead of just running in guns blazing like I would. Hopefully it'll end up as a played map instead of a 1 hour gamenight wonder then tossed on the pile D:

TBH I couldn't see a map that requires teams to work as a whole ever becoming popular in pubs. :/

I don't think ross has pubs in mind for this though.

I dont see any maps other than cmt snowgrove, coldsnap, hugeass, and extinction becoming popular in pubs. :|

ross you need to get on aim tonight so i can discuss weapons with you a bit more.

hi

http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/6...mpleextwg5.jpg

has interior