Carpal Tunnel Clan

UPDATE: This map is pretty much done. New screen shots below as well as a new download. Please give more input. I'll put it on the servers later tonight.

You can download the map here: http://www.ctclan.us/maps/VCTF-CTC-Esca ... ork-b1.zip

Thanks for your continued support!

I <3 U!

Needs a giant tidal wave you can surf?

Looks awesome

Wow you guys are doing great with New Maps coming out.

The word awesome would be an understatement. IIVIIRRIIvII and I were on vent today talking about how maps should be balance for all types of players. You should be able to cap on foot, manta, and wheeled vehicles.The map definitely delivers balance. I liked badasp's comment on adding easier acces to the 2nd level street. Maybe more jump pads or something. It looks great though. Lots of statics and textures I'd never seen before. I don't think it really needs much. Looks good and plays good. When I was playing, I thought it would be cool if those pipes connected to the subway tunnel. Anyways, just a thought. Can't wait to play it on the pub. I really liked the creativity on this one. Thumbs up.

We played it tonight. Great map! I like the idea of having the mantas be able to go down in the sewers. Also jump pads to the top road would be cool (as suggested by badasp). The cars look a little busy in the middle, but I think strategically they are dead on.

I got a manta caught on the entrance wall to the subway station. Don't know if you want to fix that or not.

Again great map. I really like how it played.

Thanks for all the supportive comments folks.

Now you know why Jim and I haven't been around much, lol. The one thing that I found was that it was a bit laggy. I will speak with Jim about optimizing it a bit.

I totally agree about jump pads for the second level or at least a way to get up there easier. I thought it played like I hoped it would with a lot of foot caps and vehicle support.

Bean, I think the idea of connecting the tubes to the subway somehow would be a good idea as well.

You guys are all awesome for your help, thanks again!

Oh, btw, our next map is truly visionary. It's based on two flags, one blue, one red, that sit apart from each other and require that each team "grab" or "capture" the flag and return it to their home base. Vehicles will be included to help facilitate the "capture". Balls to the wall!

CTC-Salchicha wrote:Oh, btw, our next map is truly visionary. It's based on two flags, one blue, one red, that sit apart from each other and require that each team "grab" or "capture" the flag and return it to their home base. Vehicles will be included to help facilitate the "capture". Balls to the wall!

This is brilliant. You may want to contact Epic and see if they will take your visionary map idea and create a whole gametype out of it.

Some thoughts:

There may be too many Scorpions. I have not gotten to play the map yet, but I anticipate tons of bola spam. I think there were three or four Scorpions on the bottom and two and a neutral up top. I would think two low and one neutral and one normal up high would work better.

Definitely jump pads to the top road, but I am torn whether or not to put the near the flag or closer to the middle. On one hand, if they are close to the flag, a player can quickly access the top road after grabbing the flag to reach the neutral Scorpion. On the other hand, this would then kind of negate the jump pad to the top road that already exists on the second floor of the building at each side of the base. If I were adding the jump pads, I would add them at both the base and the middle; always better to have too many options than not enough.

As the map is currently laid out, the Manta will have a difficult time swooping in and out of the base for many reasons.

One, the quantity of Scorpions will bola the hell out of the Manta coming in. Combine that with the things blocking the flag that already slow the Manta's progress (though I am not suggesting the barrel and wooden access blocker impediments be removed), and you have a difficult time just grabbing the flag without being wrapped in bolas.

Two, being that the map is streamlined, the Manta does not have a lot room to turn once the flag is grabbed; however, the Manta does have options. Unfortunately these options are rather difficult to take. Both options I could think of for the Manta to escape without slowing its speed significantly in the time I took to look at the map involved flying into the side room after grabbing the flag.

Once in the side room, the Manta can descend into the sewer and put its rider through the teleport, or if the sewers are to open into the lower level in the the next beta, the Manta can fly the rider all the way home from the sewer path. The problem with this is that the sewer pipes currently have no collision for vehicles. Mantas fly right through and Scorpions drive right through leaving the player stranded under the map.

The next option from the room is to simply leave outside the door at the other end of the room. This would allow a circular loop route for the Manta to take. The only problem is that the Manta barely fits through the second door. Widen the door a bit and you open up a very nice escape route.

Another note on the Mantas: The one that spawns on the bottom street can be easily seen from base to base. I would suggest moving it behind the column, between the flag and Scorpions, to lessen the nuisance of having people shock it around before it can be entered and randomly causing suicides.

If I remember correctly, the jump pads and teleports have the same emitter. I would change one or the other, if that is the case.

No Raptor and no Goliath was a good choice. I think a Hellbender would be nice because it could be effective sniping in a map with this layout, but it would make the flag even harder to grab if someone decides to spam skymines. No Hellbender, therefore, is a good choice if you want this map to be Manta run heavy.

Having played the map, I didn't find manta runs to be too easy/hard. They felt about right in that there were numerous ways to stop mantas, but the defense is also exposed from several angles.

Having a raptor at the top might be nice as I kindof see the top as being more exposed for a runner, but with less potential defense. It would be fun to either shoot down a raptor when running up top or conversly smashing a carrier.

I've actually liked the scorpions effectiveness on Sal's past couple of maps. Usually I use them as either a drive and ditch type of vehicle or as a lame defensive one. Putting a ramp up to the top (forget if there is one) for scorps would be cool too. Not sure if you could fit that in though as it's a pretty tight map.

Bump! See first post for updated link and screen shots.

Nice improvements. You don't see a map with this enviroment too often... very refreshing. That phone booth is TOO cool!

Thanks Bean. As long as you like it, it's a success!

Great map!! Played it yesterday and really enjoyed it!