Introducing my latest map set in Cusco, Peru.
While my first map de_neighbors was born out of a desire to turn a real location into a playable map, I knew I wanted to take a different approach for my next project, specifically one that was born out of good gameplay--the one thing that truly matters. Now that I've experienced a full development cycle (with the exception of making custom assets) and have honed my process, I decided I wanted to do this right and start with an idea.
I had a few ideas:
- A curved mid
- A connector that converges with a main entrance to a bombsite site
- A bombsite that Ts have a vice grip on, but if CTs were to gain control of it, they would put serious flanking pressure on the Ts.
- A bombsite that CTs could choose to hold proper or push out towards the main routes early to gain more map control before the first encounter.
So I began with some simple pathway flows for the map.
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I finally landed on a flow that incorporated a number of these ideas. Throughout this process I wasn't concerned with figuring out the exact shape of the routes or specific angles. It was more about establishing the general relationship between the routes. Once that got ironed out, I built a general layout in hammer. I then took the simple routes I had and bent and twist them in thoughtful ways to create interesting angles and to adjust timings. I tested the map very frequently, so frequently that I would say I designed the map through playing. I ran around thinking through scenarios, where I wanted to move, where I wanted cover, etc.. I imagined attacks on bombsites, the approaches and how I would want to move throughout the bombsite if I were defending and trying to stay alive as long as possible. I crafted the map angle by angle with the guiding principle of creating as much complexity as I could with the fewest elements possible. CSGO players are really good at breaking new maps, which is why I try to break my map as I'm designing it. The best way I've found is to test it as much as possible. The slightest change could have a cascading effect across the entire map. A silly double boost could break your whole map if you don't catch it early. And you don't want to have to comprise your art later on.
After dozens of iterations, my notebook doodle eventually turned into this:
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The map was built on gameplay, but I kept my theme in mind throughout. To convey Cusco properly, I knew the map had to have a lot of outdoor areas, some streets, and iconic architecture like the city's stunning cathedrals. This was all very loose in my mind as I was building the layout, but it help keep design decisions in check. Since i wanted to have streets, I knew certain routes had to be a certain size at minimum to be believable. I made sure any indoor areas could believably be shaped into a house or commercial building. Again, all very loose and vague. I didn't want the layout to be too compromised by theme so early. I was more willing to retrofit the architecture to the idea. I must admit it was scary at first, but as I continued and I started pulling some art references, I found things started to just fall in place. The deeper I searched, the more architecture I found that suited the geometry I had built. Over time the map began to separate into distinct areas.
Mood Board
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It behooves you as a map designer to get as immersed in your theme as you can. I spent hours just traveling around google maps looking for inspiration. And each time I did, I would return to my greybox with new ideas, new angles and new architecture for what areas could be. It's still evolving.
I particularly loved the variety of doors around Cusco.
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The greybox will be ready for playtesting very soon (with screenshots to come).
Let me know your thoughts so far!
