Death Warrant Forums

Currently on the server we have roughly 80 something maps. Some are heart pumping maps designed to give you are rush, others are slow and relaxing. The problem with mapping in every game type is very simple, Mappers are responsible for everything that goes on in a map. The issue is slightly more broad then it seems and this thread will help to address it some faults and follies associated with that statement.

OK let's take about the 800 pound gorilla.
Adrenaline

This by far is the most controversial subject we can talk about. Adrenaline in general needs to be on every map. It also needs to be on the map in some sort of quantity. Quantity can be stretched many different ways, However for at least the medics on a map they require at least 10 adrenaline to get their medic weapon. Also there are possibly 20 players (or more) on a map, slow adrenaline pills understandably won't cut it.

Conversely there is the flip side to this problem. There is a point where adrenaline is too much. Adrenaline chiefly is used to make weapons, summon monsters, run artifacts, and the occasional boost combo. By overloading a map with adrenaline, you have just made it ridiculously easy by any standard of measure. You could claim that maps with a plethora of adrenaline pickups is adrenaline master friendly, However when there is adrenaline every person on the server benefits. Vorpals are churned out by the dozen, specific weapon type requests can be accommodated for. Lightning rods that are supposed to deplete your adrenaline for some amount of time, are quickly replenished. Medics spawn a sea of Giant razor flies, titans, and raptors. Also even the WM has the prospects of running their globe or triple.

The main goal is to balance these two extremes. I consider most of the maps on the server to be over adrenaline friendly, but thats out of the scope of this thread.

One other issue is placing adrenaline in the playing area of the map. It really needs to be avoided at all costs. If you do decide to add it there you need to make sure a player cannot keep his globe or triple running while on it.

Super Weapons

This is going to be relatively short.

Please limit the amount of redeemers available on the map. Anything more then three is probably bordering excessive. That means no weapon locker with redeemers placed inside. There are ways were you could squeeze them into an acceptable range. However to me it's just not worth having to deal with 20+ players with possible redeemers.

This is also an issue with ion painters, and air strikes.


Weapons

Standard weapons should be on any new maps. I will not accept any map with a non-standard weapon.

In general maps should have every weapon available. You should have access to everything from the MP5 (use Assault rifle, server replaces this) to lightning gun. There are specific cases where some should be excluded.

Almost anytime I question the addition of a weapon it's the mine layer. There is nothing more annoying then to have 100 mines all over the floor that kills everything before it can do anything. This doesn't promote fun to me, chiefly because you sit around for 40 minutes shooting nothing (living at least). Although every class benefits from the mine layer it honestly makes the game too easy. Especially when you can easily carpet the map with it.


Hiding rooms/Secret Areas

First off on the secret places.

This is a Team game, It's stupid to not tell players low level or otherwise where things are and how to get to them. Even low level players are extremely important to the easiness that the highest person is able to kill. Don't believe me? Well if you either believe the monster hardness is based on average level or lowest, the level 25 player becomes an asset regardless. If its an average it becomes x+25/2 (Example: 170+25/2= 97.5) level the monster is adjusted for, it's even better the other way as monsters would be only level 25. In both situations the level 25 person being alive greatly reduced the difficulty. Secrets need to be either obvious or relatively easy to get too.

I personally believe no place should be a perfect hiding spot from monsters. Especially not one that you can shoot out of. The concept of a game is balancing risk and reward.


Health and ammo

Health

This is largely your call, medics main function is too heal. If you supplied the medics with their needs this should not be an issue. A few vials is nice, however 5 health does nothing. You can up the health the vial gives you in the properties menu.

Ammo.

You can't shoot if you have no ammo, Some pickups go a long way. We also go through alot of ammo with the 105 weapon speed bonus we've been furnished with. These two reasons mean you should either have a bunch of ammo on the map or better yet weapon lockers.


Ok Thats the end of this, for now. The main issue is using some type judgment, and understanding the game.

If you want to make a map go for it. However I and others have picked up maps to take a look at. We have many maps that need to be looked at if making a map isn't your cup of tea.

http://clandw.com/modules.php?name=Foru ... opic&t=792

I just want to add to Hornets message about pick-ups. Its better for the server to use a weapon locker and to enter an amount of additional ammo for each weapon, rather than to place several types of ammo all over the map. Every adrenaline pill, weapon, health vial, etc all uses up one channel each and so if you put in 20 adren pills, your using 20 channels just for that alone. Better to have 5 pills out and make them spawn 4 times faster thereby saving 15 channels. With our increase in possible player counts, we will need to make sure to not burden the server if there is an alternative method of doing something.

Also, if you want to know how to configure a mover to come into play or out of play on a specific wave, I have made a simple .pdf file that shows you how to do this. I will also send you you a short .pdf file on how to attach a sound to it, and I would like to see "hear" a standard sound being used on all maps that make use of the movers by wave. You currently hear it now on any of the designated "ME" maps (Mover Event).

Send me a private message with your e-mail address and I will send you the .pdf files.

Thank you all!

DW>Wraith

Excellent points, Hornet.

In addition, try to have multiple rooms. Having a single room where everything spawn with 20 people with mine layers is no fun.

Also, having rooms where the monsters can't get you, but you can get them should be discouraged. I have no problem with people wanting to hide. I do it with my low level characters myself. But, if you want to kill something, there should be some risk to it.

It is always a game of balance. If you include the mine layer, you need to balance out the layout. With all of the hitscan weapons available, try to put up barriers so that people like me just can blaze across the room.

Make people work for it.

Terrain Monster/Lucifer issues

There are a few issues with lucy, and monsters in general. Basically due to the way the models for the creatures were created they have a knack of falling through the map in certain situations. This isn't limited to players either. Players can get under the map very easily if they have some knowledge on how to do so.

Kill Z

Basically this is a plane that goes through the map, if anything is below the kill Z height it is instantly killed. However with Lucifer the mutator is instructed to respawn him in a different location. Thus you have solved the problem with Lucifer in general, players getting under the terrain, or monsters just relaxing there.

Volumes

There are other ways to address this too. Depressurize and Lucifer volumes will cause Lucifer to respawn also. However this isn't ideal, setting a kill z height is much easier, and depending on the implementation this may not address the issue of players or other monsters falling. Killz is definitly the best way of doing this.

Giant Teleporters

This is a good balance between the two aforementioned methods. Players will at least be able to respawn on the map, monsters will also be affected in the same way. The only issue I see that may potentially happen is monsters may recursively fall through the map. So if this venue is taken please make sure the spawn on some BSP.

Lucifer game play issues

As Zeus alluded to, wide open maps are bad news for a variety of issues. One of them is an issue of being able to pin Lucifer. Having objects on the map; Walls, clutter or otherwise allows players to take down Lucifer easier. If not easier it definitley allows for more intreseting attacks. There are an ample amount of maps were killing Lucifer if a relative joke.

To avoid monsters faling throught terain keep your path nodes at least a players hight off the terain. The higher the path node is off the terain the less likey thay are to fall through the map. Also avoid "Noisy" terain or in other words very jaggid or sharp ediges in your terain. :idea: :cat:

how do u add a killZ?

...and please, no more adding the eons grenade launcher to maps! Its too powerful, and just too noisy to have to listen through for 16 waves...

I am going to be going thru the maps and remove them when I come across them....

DW_Hornet wrote:Kill Z

Basically this is a plane that goes through the map, if anything is below the kill Z height it is instantly killed. However with Lucifer the mutator is instructed to respawn him in a different location. Thus you have solved the problem with Lucifer in general, players getting under the terrain, or monsters just relaxing there.

Volumes

There are other ways to address this too. Depressurize and Lucifer volumes will cause Lucifer to respawn also. However this isn't ideal, setting a kill z height is much easier, and depending on the implementation this may not address the issue of players or other monsters falling. Killz is definitly the best way of doing this.

I believe the Zkill causes the luci to glitch. The moment he touches the plane, the luci will either teleport continuously like a numb nut, or stand in one place invulnerable while casting fire balls from his rear.

Another issue with the Zkill is that it literally demolishes all objects that touches it. Players won't ghost & players also wont be able to recall their weapons. Unless ya wanna be evil & really punish the silly glitchers ... be my guest, but I think a simple pressure volume & a luci teleporter will do the trick if you want to be fair ;)

I'm working on a map, but I've added to much adren there, cuz I don't know how to add the big 75-150 adren pills..
Anyone can help me with how to add those jumbo adren pills