Monastero

This post marks the beginning of Monastero.

Monastero is a working title and is subject to change. This map will be set in a fictitious location in the beautiful mountain range of Lago di Como, Italy. This location was the filming location for numerous movies, such as Star Wars and James Bond and will serve as the theme for Monastero. For the season and time of day, I settled on spring on a warm and sunny day with a clear blue sky to enhance visibility and make the player models stand out from the background.

I've had the idea for a while and originally wanted to create a wingman map with this theme. As I haven't started to plan out on the wingman layout yet the announcement came at the right time. Therefore it's decided: Monastero is going to be a full-fledged 5v5 map. The game mode is still to be decided. At the same time Monastero is going to be my first ever map in Source 2. Part of the journey will be the process of familarizing myself with the new tools.

My process of working on a map doesn't start in the editor. I usually take a look at a lot of reference material first. This gives me an idea of which elements I want to incorporate in the layout. In my next update I will share a mood board to convey my idea.

If you would like to receive updates on Monastero feel free to follow the topic.

Cheers!

In this post I will share reference material that will set the tone for Monastero. The map will draw inspiration from various locations around Lago di Como including but not limited to Nesso, Villa del Balbianello and Villa Monastero. The map will mostly play outside. It's still to be decided whether there will also be indoor areas.

[Blocked Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/3105/3131323533_66fa18b5ba_b.jpg] 

"Lago di Como: Nesso" by David Nicholls LRPS is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED

[Blocked Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/3922/14320951480_0f4534dfda_b.jpg] 

"Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como, Italy" by Danny Molyneux is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED

[Blocked Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/3946/15520412122_722e936e20_b.jpg] 

"Lake Como Veranna Villa Monastero 1" by Stew Dean is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED

[Blocked Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/7790/18045856455_c88e3e1aba_b.jpg] 

"Villa Balbianello" by Paula Funnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED

[Blocked Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/7767/18046900191_88c0b8c222_b.jpg] 

"Villa Balbianello" by Paula Funnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED

[Blocked Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/5349/18042768482_6f9d571891_b.jpg] 

"Villa Balbianello" by Paula Funnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED

[Blocked Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/5464/17859867579_f89d7dfd77_b.jpg] 

"Villa Balbianello" by Paula Funnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED

Quote from Lukyvald

16 minutes ago, Lukyvald said: hey, I've got just the map for you:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/fi…/?id=3165559377

Hey @Lukyvald, thanks for sharing!

While Memento has a similar theme I still expect to come up with a completely new and original design. Monastero will be less urban, feature more natural elements and contain mansion buildings.

Quote from ynel

31 minutes ago, ynel said: While I respect it and you are free to do what you will, but the references you chose are literally present and have been kind of recreated in Memento

Hey @ynel, very nice work on Memento. The map definitely deserves to be in the game. Good luck with it!

I'll make sure that Monastero will be different from Memento. Both maps might have a similar theme, however every execution will be a unique Interpretation. Now that I'm aware of it I will incorporate different elements to keep the overlap with the ideas of Memento minimal.

Quote from RobiBobi

9 hours ago, RobiBobi said: I believe the responses are more of a hint to make you pick a different theme rather than saying "boo you copy me" potentially? Because if you think about it, points for originality might be deducted

Hey @RobiBobi,

I get your point. As I'm still in early in the preproduction phase I have all the options to come up with something truly unique. I will continue to pursue this topic. Stay tuned for the next updates.

Over the last few weeks I have been sketching the layout for Monastero. This unfinished draft shows an early version that contains points of interest that can still be found in the current version. Although I really liked the overall shape, I knew the map would either be too small or too linear. The design would perhaps be suitable for a wingman map, but not for competitive play. Therefore, I abandoned this draft and went back to the drawing board.

Later today I will share the current state of the layout. Stay tuned!

After scrapping the original design, I decided to bend the coast line in V2 in order to increase the overall size of the map. I experimented with an unconventional layout where Ts have a lot of map control early on and can attack from various directions. This however makes the middle of the map sort of obsolete. From CT perspective there is no real incentive in gaining mid control as the entrances are too exposed and do not provide positional advantage as both sites can be reached within seconds from spawn. The layout is certainly not finalized at this point and especially the long sight lines need to adjusted.

To gain some experience with S2, I will start by modeling the areas I am already happy with. This includes T spawn and A site. The remaining layout is still subject to change.

Even though it is difficult to judge a map on paper without seeing the actual topography and without knowing exactly what I have in mind, feedback at this stage is very much appreciated. Also if you have ideas how to counter the layout issues, please let me know!

Blockout in progress:

Today's progress:

Spent some time getting the scale right in order to save time later:

This area will change considerably, as it is currently still far too open.

Today I worked on the roof of the monastery. It still has a few iterations to go through, but it's a start. The monastery will be an important landmark, making it easier for players to find their way around the map.

Quote from MrTrane18

14 hours ago, MrTrane18 said: Well looking through your progress gave me future ideas, thanks! Wish you best of luck with the project!

Thank you, all the best for your map!