de_wharf

[Upperdawg]

De_Wharf:  

This is my first map. It’s a pretty standard, three-laned map. Mid is really intense since you get a lot of mapcontrol if you manage to conquer it. From mid you can get to the bomsites through one connector to each site. A-site is located by the docks and is a bit bigger than B. It offers two entrances from the T-side (not counting the connector).  It’s fairly open with a few longer sightlines where you can make use of an awp. B has one entrance for CT and T each and the connector from mid. It’s not as open as A which makes it a bit harder for T’s to look for frags and it’s important that the team uses smokes and flashes to be able to take the site effectively.

My goals with the map was to make it work well in competitive 5v5, to offer a varied playstyle through out the map (longer/shorter lines), and that it wouldn’t look like crap. I think – or at least I hope - I managed with all of them to some level. Sure I would have loved to have more time to work on tweaking the gameplay to perfection and I would have loved giving it a work through aesthetically, but hey – deadline. However, I will continue working on this map after the competition.

Thanks and good luck everyone!

Workshop: 

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=510117848

Screenshots: 

 

Edited August 31, 2015 by Upperdawg
Deadline

[UnknownPredator]

Well keep working on it, hope to see pictures soon

[jackophant]

The sooner you post for feedback, the better!

[Upperdawg]

Just added some pics (not much to see yet though). Map will be updated and up on the workshop this weekend.

[Panda]

Just added some pics (not much to see yet though). Map will be updated and up on the workshop this weekend.

On the whole the map layout looks pretty good. But, it looks like T get to mid too late compared to CT.  Also I think that a CT in mid could look right into B site. 

[Upperdawg]

On the whole the map layout looks pretty good. But, it looks like T get to mid too late compared to CT.  Also I think that a CT in mid could look right into B site. 

Yeah, the timings are off since I'm still re-working the sites and mid. Seems like a waste of time to start working on the spawns before the basic layout is pretty much done. But you are right, in the current state Ts are late. I want the fastest T and CT to meet at an aprox. 45 degree angle by the brown-roofed house (down and right from the red container). Then CT have the time to really set up in their part of mid before rushing T's see the whole of mid.

Regarding the connector to B it's Z-shaped and there's an elevation difference along with some cover which makes it impossible to see B from mid. However if you stand in the room you can peek parts of B, but you don't see a lot of it. I'll make sure to clarify this with screenshots in the upcoming update.

Thanks for the feedback. I think it'll be much clearer when I get it up on the workshop.  

Edited July 10, 2015 by Upperdawg
Clarification

[Panda]

I'll check out the workshop map as soon as you put it on.

[Upperdawg]

Just updated with a workshop-link and some screenshots. ANY feedback is greatly appriciated.

Workshop: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=460986758

WARNING: Don't check optimization on my map yet.. your eyes will bleed. 

Edited July 13, 2015 by Upperdawg

[jackophant]

You want to try and optimise as you go, as it's very easy to miss something when coming back to it all. You can always compile/optimise/compile/optimise and theoretically, each pass should compile faster (if you're doing it right), but it's not ideal.

[Upperdawg]

You want to try and optimise as you go, as it's very easy to miss something when coming back to it all. You can always compile/optimise/compile/optimise and theoretically, each pass should compile faster (if you're doing it right), but it's not ideal.

To clarify I've done basic optimization. However, the skybox is a mess and I haven't started working with hint/skip yet. I feel that it's a waste of time doing too much optimization before the layout is set. 

[Vaya]

I've a strong advocator of optimising as you go. waiting until the end can hide bad brushwork and makes compiling for playtests and local checks a lot slower.

[jackophant]

What do you class as basic optimisation?

[laminutederire]

To clarify I've done basic optimization. However, the skybox is a mess and I haven't started working with hint/skip yet. I feel that it's a waste of time doing too much optimization before the layout is set. 

You can modify your hint brushes easily enough, unless you're always changing everything,  which probably isn't the case. Also thinking about how to optimize with hints for example makes you think about the core layout, and may help you seeing some sightlines you misjudged and so on.

Finally it is recommended to do so early because if you do that with a detailed map, you'll end up having a lot of brushes to hide so that you see clearly what the level looks like to the compiler (without ffunc_details etc.).

[Panda]

Just updated with a workshop-link and some screenshots. ANY feedback is greatly appriciated.

Workshop: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=460986758

WARNING: Don't check optimization on my map yet.. your eyes will bleed. 

Just looked ingame. It is looking pretty good already. The layout of B site is really nice (but I think that as soon as T taked mid, which is quite easy, and go onto B site it will fall very quickly because CT have too many places to cover) and I like the feel of the map.However there are some things to improve on:

• There is a problem with the radar in the mid connector to A
• A site feels quite claustrophobic with all of the cover (lots of angles to check when entering the site)
• When I checked the timings for the sites they were slightly off because by the time CTs had got onto the site the Ts had just left the entrance into the site so I would move T spawn slightly back (the choke points are on the site) xD

[Upperdawg]

I've a strong advocator of optimising as you go. waiting until the end can hide bad brushwork and makes compiling for playtests and local checks a lot slower.

What do you class as basic optimisation?

Apologies for continuing being vague with my answers. I try to optimize brushes, sightlines, func_detail and nodraw as I go. That's "basic" for me because of the reason you guys state; it makes rendering easier and it's just a pain in the butt to have to go back and do it later and opens up for missing things. The things I haven't done yet are things I think get's in the way of creativity. I tend to change and re-render a lot since I'm still new to mapping and like to see the results in-engine and I feel that having to remake the skybox/adjusting hints get in the way of my thought process. I guess that's just my preference.

You can modify your hint brushes easily enough, unless you're always changing everything,  which probably isn't the case.

The thing is that has actually been the case up until now. I'll defenitly make sure to do it before fully going into detailing.

Thanks a lot for the tips on optimising guys. What do you think of the map otherwise?

Edited July 13, 2015 by Upperdawg