Posts by Gruffalo

After a break I’m back working on Dockyard. The last playtested version went much better and I feel like the overall structure of the map is now solid. For this next pass I’ve focused on:

• Creating more space on the bomb sites.
• Adding staging areas to B.
• Making the block out fit with the future art.

On the A site I’ve reduced the size of the engine and removed the crane to open up the site more. To compensate there is not more small cover objects to block some lines of site and gives CTs a chance to defend. There’s also now a small foreman’s office at the top of A ramp which a CT can hold from and then fall back.

The B site is now wider and longer to add some space. The crane area has been replaced with a small room to better fit with the theme. The area outside B long has been made larger to act as more of a staging area Ts can control. The short B area has also been reshaped to fit into what will be the front of the under construction ship.

Back with Version 6 which will be playtested on Mapcore soon. Version 5 went down poorly so I went back to version 4 and took another go at improving it. The key areas I wanted to improve were:

• Reducing the amount of empty space (especially in mid).
• Improving the timings to mid to make it more contestable.

Mid now has much more cover for Ts to use. There is only a single entrance from T spawn now, but the time it takes them to get there has been reduced and it provides two different peeking opportunities. The CT side window has been moved to the side and is now much smaller, giving CTs less of an advantage when holding from there.

The T to B route has been updated to be a simpler run, with no ladder, to improve the flow for players leaving T spawn and fit better with the areas theme. I've also added additional buildings and cover to both spawns to begin breaking up some of the long site lines they previously had.

Version 4 is complete and ready for my first competitive playtest on Mapcore tonight! The main focuses for this version were:

• Making the theme of areas more obvious (especially A and mid).
• Making A site and the rafters area feel less tight and cramped.
• Making mid aim duels more interesting.
• Making the two connector/short areas more contested.

To try and improve the theming and scale I planned out what the major areas were by drawing over my minimap. This really helped me to decide what most of the core spaces were and make them a more believable shape and size. I've also applied placeholder textures to many of the building exteriors to help convey what they are.

The gap between the engine on A site and rafters wall has been increased, giving players more space to move. The A rafters/connector area has been completely reworked, inside the building the path is wider and the angles are longer. It also now comes out onto A site earlier. The entry area from mid has also been completely changed, swapping the ladder for a stair case CTs can hold from to give another piece of height variation.

An underground path between B long and B short has also been added, giving Ts a second route of attack for B short. I'm hoping this will make the area more contestable for Ts.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the updates have impacted the map and how it plays in a competitive setting! If you're a mapcore comp tester and would like to give it a go the playtest is at 9pm CEST.

I've finished working on version 3 of the map, ready for it's playtest on Thursday! Again I've been trying to work on three main goals based on feedback from my last playtest:

• Make mid easier to contest for Ts.
• Have at least one short range route of attack for Ts.
• Reduce the amount of long sight lines, especially around CT spawn.

To try and achieve these I've opened the T side of mid up, so it's now a large open area instead of a doorway. This has given a lot more room for players to use utility and means that a CT can't watch both sides of the mid entrance. I've also added some containers to mid to act as cover for both teams. I'm hoping this will not only give Ts cover when pushing out, but also give them space to take control of in mid. Which should help them work towards B short and A connector.

I've chosen B long as the short range route. I've offset the CT stairs to separate the angle more from drop and added another container as cover for Ts pushing out. This should let Ts close the distance before having to engage with a stairs player, and potentially encourage CTs to fall back into the site earlier.

There are lots of small tweaks elsewhere and I've also spent some time trying to make sure the size and shape of areas reflects the theme and has space for artwork in the future.

Here's the updated radar!

I've also included some more images here: https://imgur.com/a/HOkkBtJ

After doing my first playtest last week I've spent some time trying to work on the feedback received.

The main things I have been working towards are:

• Making mid more important.
• Making the map a bit more open and less like connected corridors. (There is definitely still a way to go on this one).
• Making aim duels more interesting.

Here is a link to an imgur album showing some of the changes - https://imgur.com/a/qdwce97

Below is the updated radar.

Dockyard is a bomb defusal map for CS:GO. The map is set in a dockyard, with the two sites built around an under construction ship.

Here is the Workshop link: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/fi…/?id=1658475749

Below is the current radar and a screenshot of the B site.

This is my first map, but I'm excited to start getting feedback and continue improving it!