de_embra

    Hello

    I'm really excited to enter this competition, can't wait to get working more on my map! This is de_embra (name ofc open to change), set in Edinburgh, Scotland, where I'm from. Currently just a simple layout, I haven't accounted for overpowed, unintentional long angles yet - just trying to get the temperature for the general flow first.

    Please let me know what you think. Are there any glaring issues with this layout thus far? Bottom of the image is T spawn, top is CT spawn. I'm implementing some verticality in this level; I'm hoping to make it a fun element and not annoying or overkill.

    Some notes: There is a left, lower mid and a right, upper mid. Upper mid can overlook lower mid [so it's essentially one mid, two lanes]. There is a heaven on B site (left of image) that goes over one of the mid-to-CT routes.

    Thanks!

    Regards,

    Christy

    The only glaring issue I see is your layout — It doesn't look like Edinburgh. Here's Edinburgh:

    [Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/EQxFHdE.jpeg]

    Notice all the right angles and straight lines. This plan was bestowed to you by the Lord — signed in the bottom center. It is a blasphemy for you to violate it. But fear not, for you are still young and you may be forgiven.

    Quote from NikiOo

    5 minutes ago, NikiOo said: The only glaring issue I see is your layout — It doesn't look like Edinburgh. Here's Edinburgh:

    [Blocked Image: https://i.imgur.com/EQxFHdE.jpeg]

    Notice all the right angles and straight lines. This plan was bestowed to you by the Lord — signed in the bottom center. It is a blasphemy for you to violate it. But fear not, for you are still young and you may be forgiven.

    lol darn you're right! This is actually an awesome graphic, guessing it's public domain too? Might sneak it in.

    Hi again, thanks for the replies so far. I've worked on the layout a bit, but still a lot to go!

    Here are some theming notes I'm going to work towards:

    1) Steps and platts type entrance to bombsite, like this kinda

    [Blocked Image: https://i.redd.it/kh3verzm7cfb1.png]

    2) Inspiration from The Vennel

    3) St Andrews Square, or something similar. The city has loads of these dotted-about parks/green-spaces instead of city blocks

    4) Off the main High Street in Edinburgh there are many closes (alleys), I thought these can inspire this area. Equally with the little courtyards they sometimes lead to.

    5) Some sort of church (kirk) in town!

    6) Edinburgh City Chambers


    Yes this will absolutely be a fictionalised version of Edinburgh!

    I agree with Helios that it seems a bit too much. Your map seems too corridory to me — too many narrow, empty paths, too many paths that lead to same place. Think about what other maps have that isn't corridors. Mirage A site is a big open area with interesting cover, different elevations, you stand behind a box and you can peek left side or right side, you stand at the stairs you can peek from the top or from the side, etc. Train A site is a large courtyard with a bunch of trains in it and lots of interesting angles, just standing behind a train provides so many options. Dust 2 A site has a small amount of cover but many different ways to play around it because of the height variance, you can hide close to the walls, you can use a ramp to create a headshot angle for yourself, etc. Overpass A site has multiple paths that lead to it, but they are not just trivial choices for the terrorists, they are places that the counter-terrorists can push forward to and comfortably defend from. Maps in the game have areas that have a lot going on in them, apart from where the connectors are placed to other areas and apart from the angles of the walls. I suggest that you zoom in — pick one of the important areas in your map and design it after one of these cool references. But most importantly, when you're making a house, don't make what you think a house looks like, find a reference of a real house and do that instead, you will learn more and houses have interesting elements which don't notice until you start trying to build one, and cities have other things in them not just buildings and roads and stairs, and when you add those things your map will become too complicated and you'll have to reduce the number of corridors.

    Quote from NikiOo

    12 hours ago, NikiOo said: I agree with Helios that it seems a bit too much. Your map seems too corridory to me — too many narrow, empty paths, too many paths that lead to same place. Think about what other maps have that isn't corridors. Mirage A site is a big open area with interesting cover, different elevations, you stand behind a box and you can peek left side or right side, you stand at the stairs you can peek from the top or from the side, etc. Train A site is a large courtyard with a bunch of trains in it and lots of interesting angles, just standing behind a train provides so many options. Dust 2 A site has a small amount of cover but many different ways to play around it because of the height variance, you can hide close to the walls, you can use a ramp to create a headshot angle for yourself, etc. Overpass A site has multiple paths that lead to it, but they are not just trivial choices for the terrorists, they are places that the counter-terrorists can push forward to and comfortably defend from. Maps in the game have areas that have a lot going on in them, apart from where the connectors are placed to other areas and apart from the angles of the walls. I suggest that you zoom in — pick one of the important areas in your map and design it after one of these cool references. But most importantly, when you're making a house, don't make what you think a house looks like, find a reference of a real house and do that instead, you will learn more and houses have interesting elements which don't notice until you start trying to build one, and cities have other things in them not just buildings and roads and stairs, and when you add those things your map will become too complicated and you'll have to reduce the number of corridors.

    Thanks, NikiOo. I appreciate your feedback. Definitely agree that it is too corridory atm and I already have some parts I was considering chopping. Your comment about CTs pushing T positions for advantages is very helpful!

    Hi again friends, thanks for the comments. These are some changes I've made today, if you have any comments I would love to hear them :)

    * Blue lines are intentional sightlines if it is not obvious from the incomplete top-down layout.

    * Red arrows are old sightlines I've shortened because they were far too long.

    * Red arrows with squiggles through them are completely removed.

    * [1] I think it might be fun to have a 'sniper window' from a basement position, one that you can shoot through but not walk through - needs a big detour to get there. Very powerful for Ts if they can take it, but easily smoked and molo'd off. And it won't have any sightlines to safe plants. A bit like this:


    Thanks,

    Christy

    Hi friends

    I've been working on the areas outside the bombsites on the T side. I think it's doing a better job at being less corridor-y. Removed the heaven position on B (left side). Added a shorter route and drop on B from T side. A has some cover, similar to wood on A on Mirage.


    I think next is to probably shift the entire of the left side closer to mid. I am also going to rework the CT routes to both sites since right now they're very simple. I'm definitely happier with the areas outside of the bombsites on T side, but I think they can still benefit from some extra care. My goal is to get a working greybox into one of the playtests (hopefully the first round!), but I am currently very busy with work, university and writing a novel on the side.

    Please let me know what you think! Thanks,

    Christy

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