de_Taisha

Available on the Steam Workshop!

A collaboration with @ethurs and @Axesh, we sought to create a viable 5v5 competitive bomb-defusal map set in the Kansai region of Japan.   Radar:   Initial Post: Hey everyone, glad to be back after 5 years. I was working on remaking two of my old maps (including Luau from the Exotic Places Contest back in 2019) before I saw this announcement. I figure I start a thread here because it helps keep me actively engaged on the project, which was one of my big motivators back during the previous contest.

Since I want to avoid the trouble of the "remakes", I decided to start on something new. After brainstorming some ideas, I decided to settle on "de_taisha". It's a bomb-defusal map set in Japan, taking place near a taisha and an onsen. I settled on this thought after I recently took a trip to Japan in December. I thought not only would it be an interesting setting since it's based around my own "adventure" there, but it's also a step away from some of the more modern and slick architectural Japanese-based maps.

Some of my references will mostly be based on the Biwako Ryokusuitei onsen in Ogoto and the Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto.

[Blocked Image: https://cf.bstatic.com/xdata/images/hotel/max1024x768/80228596.jpg?k=a75d5c95857716b1dd0ce4af03ebc6436271eee39a3353e0feaa9829163d9157&o=&hp=1][Blocked Image: https://dskyoto.s3.amazonaws.com/gallery/full/8514/5559/7797/08-20131216_FushimiInari_Mainspot-307.jpg]

Worked quite a bit on the map since I got back home from school. Refined a lot more of A site, and worked on developing upper A and B site. The plan will primarily to get a basic layout by next Friday.

Hey everyone! Been a couple days, but I just finished up a basic graybox of the map. I have some timings and positioning things I have to fix up, and hopefully by Friday I can have a more complete-ish look and feel to the map and gameplay.

T Spawn:

A Main:

A site:

CT Main (A site):

CT Spawn:

CT stairs to B site:

B Site:

B Main:

Middle:

Since my last post, I've reworked a couple of areas to provide more spacious engagements and to balance the timings for Ts coming into either site. Workshop link should be coming with a3, which I intend to tidy up on skybox issues, clipping, and some more detailing. I have a playtest on April 23rd on the Mapcore Discord, so if you're interested in playtesting the map and providing feedback, please come! Here's what this new version has to offer:

Redesigned lower B main, and added new entrance directly through T spawn.

Added small hut building to T spawn to provide cover for saving.

CT Middle redesigned for simplistic yet open peeks.

(Visual redesign) New look at B main. Reoriented position of mini stands.

Raised positioning of slopes next to B main for accuracy to detail and more simplistic angles.

B short stairs repositioned to connect to CT Middle entrance. This is to provide easier rotating and map control of CT middle without completely losing CT.

(Visual redesign) New appearance of CT Spawn.

CT entrance to A site has been reduced and slightly moved for "realistic building" and simpler angles.

(Visual redesign) Slightly improved appearance of A site.

Some nice progress has been done so far on A3, but I just thought I'd share this little screenshot of a Kitsune Fox Statue model I made in Hammer. God bless Source 2.

Hey everyone, it's been a hot minute. I've been a bit busy catching up on some school stuff, so it took me a little longer to put together the version I was planning for public release. But here it is! Now available on the workshop! It would be wonderful if people could help give feedback on the gameplay and layout!

Not too much has changed, outside of visual/out-of-map areas changes. So I'll mostly leave it to new screenshots I've taken of the map to showcase what it looks like. I'll try to get some comparison shots in the future, but changes will likely be made after a playtest on the Mapcore server.

A Site:

A Main:

Middle:

B Site:

B Main:

T Spawn/CT Spawn:

Map Overview (Currently trying to get RadGen working):

Quote from MrTrane18

7 hours ago, MrTrane18 said: It was fun to try out this map and see what you can do with it! The current state alone brings such a cool vibe to the map! Made a showcase ( *or on Instagram post ) video! Hope it brings some motivation for you to go on! Best of luck!

Thank you! I love what you're doing for this competition and giving everyone a chance to showcase their work!

Just figured I'd keep people up to date about the latest developments. I pushed a small update covering these things:

• Various clipping improvements
• Slightly changed color of skybox
• Radar slightly updated
• A main lobby more fleshed out
• Surrounding wall around B site
• Included new lineup marker for Ts
• New overlay indicators to direct players towards each bombsite

I had a playtest today on Mapcore's discord which helped me figure out things that were working with the map and things that work. Major reworks that will likely change will include Mid to A rotations, Middle itself, B rotations, and B site too. I don't have any screenshots at the moment but I'll try to keep progress displayed here once I fully implement it. I'll be a bit busier with some school events this week, but the changes are coming. If you do have any feedback though, still feel free to leave it please!

Edit: I also finally got RadGen working, so expect a more professional radar to come alongside the next version of the map.

It's been a bit of radio silence for me for the past several days due to school related things, but I have been completing the rework of areas as I posted about on Tuesday. Here's an overhead shot of some of the differences. I'll try to get this next version out sometime this week in anticipation for Faceit Hub testing, but hopefully this addresses many of the issues that came up with the playtest. Thanks for waiting everyone.

[Blocked Image: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1214410274791227393/1234475830185558016/image.png?ex=6630deb5&is=662f8d35&hm=492a313fc9b76c37ba07d86d03272d955fb49f9deb40e5b1654f4e75a66a0ef5&]

It's been a long week, but I can now feel satisfied with version A4 which is out today.

Following a playtest on the Mapcore Discord last week, it was quick to point out obvious flaws with the map's design, such as the positioning and angles of Mid, rotates through A main, and the size of B site and B main. I ended up taking most of the suggestions regarding both A and B, and opted for a complete overhaul of middle.

Middle:

A lot of the "mid holding" in the old version occurred in CT middle, especially with the power of the pool spot above. However this gave too much control of mid to the Ts, which doubled with the angles and positioning of the FNAF-like gameplay. So I decided to scrap the old version and to push the fight forward on a better common ground.

The middle engagement is a lot more typical of a mid layout. It's much easier to hold with utility and there's vital cover to hold from. The pool has been moved a room back so that the position still remains vital, but Ts can get there much faster compared to the previous version.

CT middle has been divided up into two lane-like areas. The main CT middle is an open street that connects to the new B connector, which is located within the side house near B site. Mid House, an enclosed long room with a slight angling, has the entrance of A connector. Should CTs get pushed back, they'll have enough cover to retreat, though sacrificing their positioning at a cost.

B Main/B Site:

Old B site's compact size and large bombsite obstacle were some of the major issues regarding the location, as well as positioning within B main and CT routing into B site. I decided to redo the bombsite, opening up more space and providing less cover for Ts to clear, whilst still making it easy enough to control for CTs.

The CT route to B site has been simplified to a single wide road that peeks into B long. There is also a back-site entrance that's more open and faster to get into site from compared to the previous version. B site has been redone to feature a gazebo-like design, providing walls to take cover from a CT push and the memorial stones from last version now serving as a site monument and obstacle. Routing to B site has also been slightly changed. The entrances into site have been pushed back towards the CTs, so it's easier for them to get in position and potentially rush. The route from B long has been pushed forward to not make such OP angles, and prevents util dumping from overpowering a T push on both ends. B short also has a more open area to the side that serves as cover from util and can work well in a retake situation.

With the Ts now taking longer to take B site, I have expanded B main to be a more open space with a few corners to lurk behind in the event of a rush or to setup smokes. The connector to middle has also been repositioned as to not give a direct visual from B main into middle anymore.

And just to reiterate, the old house next to B site is now a playable position that acts as a connector to middle.

A Main/A Site:

A site was the most well received part of the map during the playtest, so many of the core aspects of the bombsite remain, outside of some tedious angles and whatnot. Some of the changes featured or related are to provide a better gameplay flow.

The amount of windows has been simplified down to 2, and the water on the bombsite has now been drained. The initial window room entrance next to CT has been moved into CT main, as to make retaking site easier and for less angles to clear. A box has also been added next to the softwall by the grass.

The upper route to A main has been removed to simplify routing. The A main stairway room has also been widened, with lower A main entrance being much shorter to provide faster rotating oppurtunities. The hallway to pool now has less rooms so it should feel less like a maze now. I have also added a route into T middle from upper A main, to make rotates faster through the area.

I have also redesigned A connector so that CTs have more space to hold if they're pushed back or gives Ts a space to setup an A site take. There are two wood walls separating A connector and A site, and A connector and middle. Wallbanging is heavily encouraged for suppressive control.

Minor Fixes.

Along with the main features listed, I've made some slight modifications within other areas of the map. CT Spawn has been redesigned and is now moved up closer, whereas T spawn has been readjusted to be at the center of the Torii gate (like the initial unreleased version of the map) to slow down timings and engagements. I have also modified the positioning of the boxes in the little hut by T spawn. The outside of B main and B site has been redesigned as well, now featuring more Torii gates and a pond instead of a river.

Please leave any feedback or suggestions with the latest version of the map, and I'd like to thank the people at the Mapcore playtest as well as a few of my friends for helping to give advice as to make the map better. I'm going to get this version of the map playtested again, but A5 should hopefully hone more in on more aesthetic design choices and minor gameplay fixes without anything too major. Thank you!

A5 Update! Taisha's expected to appear on Week 2 on the Mapcore hub, so I figured I'd work on version A5, especially after my previous playtest on the MapINK discord server. The playtest went well, but there were some things that needed to be ironed out, as well as going over the map with a few of my friends. A5 is my attempt to remedy some of the issues whilst providing new opportunities but not entirely revamping the map as much as A4 did. It also provides a general color palate for what the map should look like later down the line.

Middle:

I pushed back the middle house and removed the wall between A connector and the house. This should provide a more open space and to break away from the less corridory type vibe of the map. The wall dividing A con to A site has been changed to a solid and moved so that it provides new peeking opportunities for players to take the site from. T middle also sees the removal of the staircase to A main, since many people found the boost convenient enough as well as the changed timings into A main now.

A Main:

The use of space in Lobby felt too divided between each part, so Lobby has been redesigned to have a more expansive and open space, and provides Ts a little bit of a faster timing out into A main. A main has also been revamped, providing more window space to throw grenades from (similar to a Sunroom-like area on Cache) and generally more space to play and peek from to enter into A site. Upper A main has also been reduced to a single room that connects directly into Pool.

A Site:

A site has undergone some improvements to make holding better and to give space to break away from the claustrophobic nature of the map. Back of A has been pushed back, and the bomb plant zone has been changed slightly. The short tree planter has been raised and extended to provide more cover onto site, and the fountain has been redone as to provide both cover and more sensible peeking angles to hold. There is also now a wooden wall in front of the small grass plot, providing cover from A con so that defenders don't feel so open. The boxes have also been slightly moved to reduce smaller angles. Back of A has also been extended further to provide somewhat of better angles for retaking through that area, though it allows players to peek further into that area from both CT and B site.

B Main:

B main has been expanded further to provide more space and to prevent CTs from taking definitive control of the area. The left side of the B main building has now been opened up, providing Ts a long angle into site and limited cover to hold from, but forcing CTs to play smarter peeks. The area has been widened as to prevent smokes from definitively preventing further T aggression.

B Site:

There were still many spatial concerns for B site, as well as some unfair angles holding crucial positions of the map. I decided to push the walls outwards into Banana, giving more space to play into the site. The back wall of B site has been opened up to encourage playing around the site's cover, and some walls have been turned into stone as to give more cover too. The corner of B site has been rounded out better to force defenders into closer angles, and there is now a box to boost from at the back of site. The Broken Wall (originally CT stairs) is now the main route into site, refocusing control of that area instead of top of Banana. The CT ramp has been changed to directly parallel with CT main of A site, so be careful when peeking.

That should be all for the patchnotes, and hopefully I can get this version up in preparation for the Mapcore FACEIT hub. Please get a chance to check it out! It should be available from May 17-May 23 in all of the hubs. I'll leave this post with some extra screenshots of further visual developments!

Semi major update to Taisha! With essentially a day left before the Mapcore hub reveal, I figured I could push one more update to this version, which includes more cover, visual redesign of A lobby (which I had left empty in the last update), and MANY fixes regarding unfair boost spots across the map.

• Raised walls by T mid stairs
• Redesigned crate cover in B main

Spoiler

• Planter added to B long

Spoiler

• Back walls of B site raised

Spoiler

• Crate corner right next to B short entrance has been remade into non-campy corner

Spoiler

• A lobby redesigned, providing new cover to hide behind

Spoiler

• Short wall added to A main and some cover

Spoiler

• Planter added in between A main and back of A site
• Both planters on A site lowered

Spoiler

• CT main of A widened and divider walls added to prevent unfair angle peeking into CT

Spoiler

• Windows added to side of Mid house for grenades

Spoiler

• Added wooden wall on top of outer B walls
• Escalator glass in A lobby made smaller
• You can now drown in B main

New Radar:

A6 Update! I've enjoyed playing the map with everyone on the FACEIT Mapcore Hub, and it's great to hear the feedback from everyone. I just had a playtest today as well so I figured I could address some of those issues along with some of the grievances I noticed from the sessions on the hub. This update puts a little more emphasis on the mid engagement, and is subject to change. There are also some adjustments to cover on both A and B, and B short and A connector being rerouted are probably the most substantial edits along with the mid changes.

• Map brightness increased
• CT Jacuzzi remodeled and redone (better flow and not blocked when leaving spawn)

• CT Mid box moved to the other side of top mid

• B site platform increased
• Added half wall for more comfortable bomb plants
• Cover cleaned up on B site

• B short rerouted; CT entrance removed, stairs pushed back towards back of B site along with planter

• B connector new wall added and stairs slightly redone (better peeking angle)

• Fortune building (T mid building) wall slightly decreased (testing)
• Mid entrance into bath expanded, more direct fight with house engagement (testing)
• Cart moved up and new crate added for more cover

• Pool height decreased, along with upper A

• Mid Bath wall raised to prevent peeking (testing)
• Quick entrance into A site changed into boosted window position

• Slight cover redadjustments on A site

• Windows on back A simplified to a single wall of windows

• Back of A angle into CT blocked off by maze of dividers

At the moment I don't want to change too much to what people expect of the map just yet, but I do want to see what people's thoughts would be in making Middle "more traditional". But I'll make sure to keep the map updated and to address feedback!

Here's a radar comparison of the current changes.