de_morro

For a long time I’m thinking about doing a Favela map, as a Brazilian who lives in Rio de Janeiro, naturally that would be a theme that goes in mind when starting a new project.

The challenge lies in conveying a favela within a Counter-Strike layout, as it is known for its tight alleys and significant height differences. I'm attempting to balance these aspects with gameplay considerations, prioritizing functionality over aesthetics for now.

So, focusing on the layout first, I tried emphasizing on mid for both teams fighting for it to gain advantage in the mid to late round phase.

Workshop

I left the radar on to provide easier comprehension of where this screenshots were taken.

All texturing so far was done to set the colour scheme of the map and prevent visibility issues in the future.

While waiting for the first playtest I started detailing a copy of the map to set the style and what I need in terms of textures and props. For now I made a brick texture with blended concrete texture for what chat GPT translated as roughcast and plaster. I also did a concrete trim sheet for the eaves (again chat GPT called it so). Next to do is create custom doors and windows to distribute among the upcoming houses.

Today, the first playtest of de_morro took place. Two very cool games were played, with the first ending 13-11 and the second 16-12.

Both games were back and forth, with neither the Ts nor the CTs gaining too much advantage. However, I don't feel that the map was fully understood, especially the middle, which was very difficult to play for both teams. At the start of the game, players seemed to think that the chokepoint was farther back than it actually is. It was only when the CTs figured out how to play it and hold their positions that the game gained traction. Mid is a very strategic area for both teams, and I believe it should be a deliberate choice on how to approach it each round.

With that said, I think I should change the ramp that connects mid to B. I initially intended it to be an area for both Ts and CTs to use to take B site. In the feedback section, Olaf suggested moving that exit more towards the middle of the site, and I agree with that.

Another big problem was the dynamics on A. Players felt it was hard to hold and very confusing when the Ts entered with smokes and other utilities. For the A site, I'll rework some parts of it, focusing mainly on the connector, ladder room, and the goddamn sewer foot angle.

All in all, it was a very good playtest, and I believe the layout shows promise. I'm genuinely happy with it.

Soon, I'll publish the video of the playtesting.

It's been a long time since my last post.

As promised, here is Olaf's video of the playtest:

V4 is the version on the playtest video and V5 is the newer version.

Here we go:

In the playtest, I noticed that the T's weren't attempting to take the B site enough. So, I adjusted the T spawn by moving it back slightly and creating a path that encourages them to consider B more often.

Because of it the CT Spawn was also changed

A site was the main focus of this new version. The central covers were modified, the connector to mid was given some new angles, and the entrance to the ladder room was relocated. Additionally, there's a new path from CT to A to help with timings, A main is now a bit closer to the CTs, and sewer has a new exit to avoid weird angles.

In the first playtest, B site was challenging to enter. Changes were made to separate the fights with heaven and make it easier to use utilities against the CTs. After the V5 playtest, I feel this is the area that needs the most work to achieve a good balance.

To wrap up this overview, Mid is a tricky area with diverse feedback and no clear consensus. I believe it's in a good place, and changes there should be minimal, as they were from V4 to V5.

The changes included creating a safe angle to challenge heaven in mid while being covered from B ramp, and reworking the ladder room and its connector to make it easier to hold for whoever controls it.

In conclusion, I feel that I'm close to finalizing the layout. For the next version, there will be two major changes focusing on the B site, and I will also make minor adjustments throughout the map.

Hello, it’s been a long time since the last post. I have continued working on the map and had some playtests in the meantime. My idea is to write in this post about the different areas of the map and the changes they have undergone.

The versions are: v6, v7, v7F (faceit hub) and v8

V5 - Major changes on the cover structure and move the opening of ladder room to better work with mid-a con, a change that was reverted on v8 after another major cover rework.

V6 - Closed of sewer

V7F - Pit not too deep.

V8 – Adjusted cover for holding T area for CTs that push and for Ts that hold the area

In all of it, there were adjustments for the cover, but more emphatically on the central building, which references a UPP (Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora). This is a small police station created in Rio de Janeiro communities to pacify the area. Although it could be a good idea for whatever is being exploded, I don’t want to involve this kind of thing, so the brush truck remains the target.

Overall, the intention for A continues to be a bombsite where you can play with two people. Its dynamics change depending on how aggressive the CTs want to be. They can rush ladder or rush main, or if not doing either, they can play at the CT entrance similar to Mirage ticket, or in a new space that connects to mid stairs, which also helps the mid player.

V5 – Opened the second part of upper ladder room.

V6 – Added a staircase to fast entrance on T mid (gym)

V7 – Reworked CT mid to avoid long angles and delay their rotations. Changed bar. Changed gym exit location to closer of the action.

V7(F)- Reworked CT mid again to be more intuitive and fairer for the Ts that conquer mid. Changed bar again.

Mid is a challenging area for the CTs, Ts, and also for me as the designer. The CTs can have a good hold on it, but if any of them dies, it opens a lot of space for the Ts. The timings make it possible for the CTs to take the upper ladder but they can be held back with a molly. Smokes are easy to throw, and the mid CT player can smoke off the chokepoint to give time for the mid-B ramp player to come and help, as this one has better positioning. Throughout these versions, spawns were adjusted to make the timings fair, but it’s very hard to judge. There might be a strat that massively favors one side, but while this is concerning, it is also exciting.

Obs: don’t bother with the bomb plant location, it is wrong angled on the radar.

V5- Changed the second connector to CT

V7- Closed of the second connector. Brought the lower CT entrance closer to the center of the site. Made heaven smaller. Changed the central cover to a water tower and major changes on cover.

V8- Made hight difference in the entrance of the site.

For me, this site is now very cool. It’s hard to hold but not difficult to retake. There is a need for a smart player in this position, either soloing or with the help of the mid-B ramp player. Heaven seems fair, as it’s easy to smoke or molly. There is a possibility to fall back or even go down to play on the site, dancing around the central cover. The important part is to manage the Ts while teammates work on the retake.

In summary I think the map works, it has a nice layout, is a little bit for the smaller side of CS map size spectrum, it has fast rotations, audio is very important in it also. Although I’m not big fan of Vertigo, my map somehow reminds me of it. That’s funny because my big references are Overpass, Train, Nuke, Ancient and Mirage. Anyway, thanks for reading.

The latest screenshots of de_morro before the deadline are here.