[WIP] de_katana

[Vionex]

This map will be my entry to the CS:GO Mapping contest, still alot of work, but I´m looking for feedback, before I will start detailing.

Workshop-Link: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=951505373

Map-Overview:

Layout:

de_katana is an approach to make some small changes to the classic clover layout, to make for some interesting gameplay elements. A narrow mid should get balanced out by a second CT‑entrence to the A and B connectors.  It should create options but also difficult decision‑making in mid. Open bomb sites should in theory make for interesting pushes and retakes (fine-tuning via playtesting needed).
The setup areas in front of the two bombsites do have some angles to punish CT´s pushing to often. This map is a tactical back and forth between rewarding risky plays and good coordinated setups.

Story:

Meanwhile the terrorists stop at nothing and spread the chaos across asia. The action takes place in a small japanese village. Their bomb targets are the ancient temple and the historical garden in the back oft he grand masters dojo. The local police receives support from the international counter‑terrorist team to prevent the attack.

Requesting Feedback on:

•         Layout
•         Gameplay

•         B-Site Cover

Known Issues:

•      Nearly all models will be replaced with custom once, so please don´t focus on props or detailing.
•       Some spots may not be properly clipped, so you may be able to boost outside the map, although I have temporary clipping in most places.

 

[Vionex]

Updated based on peoples feedback, I think it improved already but everyones opinion would help alot to make the gameplay even better.
Check out the changes and enjoy

[JimWood]

Seems like a hell of a lot of connecting routes, I'd look at simplifying the layout 

[Vionex]

Actually it´s not, please jump into game to judge it, you can´t tell from looking at the topdown layout because most of the  smaller streets in the back are blocked off and they are only out of play area.

 

I hope the new layout is showing that of in a better way.

[text_fish]

You should try to remove non-playable areas from the overview, either by erasing them from the image completely or or reducing brightness/saturation. It only takes five minutes, but it makes the overview so much more useful both in game and here.

[Vionex]

Like you see fish thats what I tried to do with the Overview update, the blocked alley is nearly black. I'm not good at making overviews/radar yet, need to practice that. Thanks for the advice, but what about the rest of the Map and layout, would love to get some feedback/critic on that aswell.

[JimWood]

I'm not currently able to access my pc, so I was going off what you've shown. Maybe look at providing some screenshots in-game. You can never tell from the radar, that's just what I got from the radar, just my opinion 

[text_fish]

Ah I see, I thought that was just a dark alley!
I just had a run through with bots and I agree with JimWood that the routes need simplifying. A team of 5 CTs have to split their forces to hedge their bets as to where T's are going to attack, and once T's do attack they need to be able to hold their site for long enough that reinforcements can rotate. At the moment both bombsites need probably 3 CT's to defend well because there are multiple entrances and a whooooole lot of quite complex cover, which leaves the other two to take a random roll of the dice on defending mid and/or the other site. Speaking of mid, I don't really see how it offers any tactical opportunities. T's can easily smoke it off, but that doesn't really give them any more options than they already had from T spawn, especially as the CT can just fall back a bit to still cover the main mid-route. Once T's have used one of the connectors off mid, it doesn't really seem to offer them much more of an advantage over the bombsite than their standard route. It's great to give players options, but the more you give them, the less control you as the level designer have over encounters and the more your players will depend on luck rather than strategy. Games that require luck are generally frustrating or just not fun. Simplify simplify simplify.

[blackdog]

Seems very small, like timings to get to bombsites are super-short. Is it just the picture, you timed them?

[Vionex]

@JimWood, you can find screenshots inside the workshop but I will link an imgur-album with even more shots here. I hope you check out the map ingame when you have a few minutes and give me a mroe detailed opinion, but thanks for your first impresion so far.

@text_fish, Then T´s smoke of mid Ct´s can push the little market and have still an option to contest B connector, and they can still watch A connector, I think thats still lots of controle. there are two main entrences for T's to enter A, just the same like Mirage and they aren´t even that wide, I think it´s easy enough for two CT's to hold it, and the Mid guy can really fast help them when he rotates over the upper A connector. Since the A site is relativly long and Ct´s have the hight advantage in my playtests it worked out fine for CT´s to just hide after T´s entered the main area and wait for them to push the actual bombsite itself, which isn´t that easy. Mirage has a similar setup for the A-Bombsite and it works out really well on that map. Sure my bombsite will need some adjustments, and I will keep movig cover around. You think the connectors doesn´t give a advantage to T´s? If you go A connector you can take a risk and jump up to make up for the hightadvantage of defending Ct's and B connector gives you the advantage of being exposed to less angles at once because the main dojo is up, it´s easily watcheble for defeners, atleast thats what I thought, I would like to discuss that. Still playing around with closing the side exit of the dojo.
Not sure where to simplify the layout, because it´s only A and B mainroot and two connectors, the only path that can be reduced would be the connector from dojo to T mid, which are both T controlled areas and it´s only for the T rotate timings, not sure if it might be unhealthy for the gameplay.

@blackdog you are the first that is telling me it would be to small, everyone else said it might be a little bit to large. In reality the timings are between 10 and 16 seconds which is totaly in the same range like most of the active duty competetive maps. I was thinkign about cutting the timings for CT's to reach the bombsite even more to give them 1-2 seconds more to set up. The dimentions are around 4000x4500 units across the playeble area.

[blackdog]

Cool, I just based my comment on the top-down view, not much reference to go by to really understand the scale. Looking forward to updates, dev shots already looking good.

[Vionex]

First playtesting scheduled for 12th July at 14:00 central time (which is equal to 21:00 middel european timezone)

It will be a casual 8v8 test with mayor focus on the general layout, over and underused spots and bombsite takes and retakes. The test get hosted by TopHATTwaffle and takes place on his server (ca.tophattwaffle.com). For additional info about waffles playtesting, check out his page here.

I´m happy about any feedback and hope you will join the playtest or check the map out in advance.

[Vionex]

Just blackedout the nonplayeble area to give a better visualization of the basic layout.

An adjustment to the CT timing, by pushing the Spawn forward a little and rebuilding the CT entrence to the temple will be updated shortly.