We'll discuss the ice thing with the rest of the team, I don't think there are any maps that really rely on it (there used to be an icy map where it made sense, but that's been gone for ages I think)
or you make a new vmt with the surfaceproperty removed. material files are about a kilobyte in size, so theres nothing wasted and if theres really a map that used the material on purpose its still working like intended. swapping materials in hammer is a matter of 5 clicks.
So you spawn closer to the middle to begin with and only people that get a vehicle/want to cap resource flags will spawn by the VF? No map should really restrict level 2's. I think the reason they get restricted at all is to make the upgraded turret skill either not taken at all, or more worthwhile when it's taken. Level 3 MG still needs a workaround, tho. It's far too powerful. Don't even think this. A key tenet of the map is you can't just rambo or defend it solo. That's what makes it good.
Ikalx is right, don't make it solo captureable. I can't quite remember where BE exactly spawns at the first flag, but I think it would be good to have a passage behind their first flag building. Though you may need to make it so you enter through the roof or something, so nf can't just push in from the first flag into their main. Don't do regen, not unless it can get a big hp buff at some point. It would make nf lts pointless because the regen effect will never kick in, and most apcs would only have 2 plates on 2 sides, which gain makes regen suck. Absorbant would work well, it's as cheap as plain so it wouldn't effect the res rates really and it could take 3 rpg hits before it explodes. You could also put in reactive if you want, if you wanted things to take 4 rpg hits. They'd have to forgo weapons, but it would be able to take a few hits. I don't know about lvl 2 though. I mean in center there is quite a bit of cover, but certain stretches there isn't and a couple of level 2's would hurt. Then again that is what vehicles are for I suppose, and with the extra armor they would survive long enough to do something.
someone mentioned the side flags. If those side flags opened up secondary routes through the map when capture, or prevent those routes from being opened when captured, that might make the map somewhat more interesting. For instance, capturing a side flag might give access to a building with second or third story windows facing the center, or opponents side of the map. Depending on how you do it, it could make the map more fluid. Like, making the points easier to use to access middle or attack middle, but force capturing the side inside enemy territory to gain an advantage to getting into areas or attacking areas on the enemy side of the map.
yeah pretty much. im gonna experiment with changing the be vf locaton eastborough needs lvl2s restricted because its such a small map (the smallest in empires). this ones a little bigger so it can handle lvl2s i believe you cant rambo and win. this is only for recapping the flags you own at start. i think people who defend flags solo should be rewarded. god knows its annoying to spam chat for someone to come over. do you still think that it should take 2 to recap their start flags (even their first flag)?
Yes, I do. 2 people isn't very much and it's to preserve that part that you actually can't do it alone. It's cheeky for you to think it's better for one person. If we had a face off between two pubbers who worked hard to pull off a tactic and cap, then hold off the one vet who notices for a time, in order to get reinforcements or just narrow the victory, why do they deserve any less effort for a recap? I'll say it again, just because you need to spam or scream to get people to help you doesn't mean the player count for something should be lowered. You've got to accept that you're playing in a team and that empires is a highly team based game, and that some of them are spastics. If you can't get ONE person to help you then you should be doomed. Naturally. Edit: It being "annoying" to get someone to help you isn't a good reason for almost anything in Empires.
how about just the last flag being able to be recapped by one person? that last flag is tied to the start spawn points, i believe. it would sure be annoying if you killed 5 people in your last flag only to find out you were the last person alive and you needed 2. the way i see this stuff is, i want to give the losing team a winning chance when they are losing, rather than give the winning team an easier chance of winning by capping. i much rather prefer the long matches to the short ones (which is what glycen is now). thats not saying that im pro-stalemate, just pro-long games.
Yeah, I'm down with defending the last flag with just one dude. That does happen fairly often, and sometimes the map ends way too prematurely because they can recap it. I think that would be okay.
Would it be acceptable to suggest to raise those snow banks up a little and give some pseudo trench warfare. Like a enough so people can crouch to hide instead of prone.
progress report! here are some images of my progress of glycencity, straight from hammer. i should note i am very busy new entrances for this flag. also the addition of a lvl2 defense and a ladder to get on top of the building see the lvl2 on nf side proposed changes for the be vf position (ignore the spawns): or the alternate (the yellow will be filled in, of course): thoughts on either
I love glycen in its current form, for me you could leave it literally as-is and I'd be as happy :p I hold a general dislike of all forms of MG turrets too.
My 2 cents is fighting grens on a rooftop is the most annoying thing. So I'm not sure I like the ladder to the roof on the second flag. What would be nice is if you raised the walls or lowered the snow a tad on the part that faces the alleyway leading to mid. At the moment you can't crouch behind them you have to prone if you want to avoid eating bullets, so it feels a bit harder to defend that flag. Turrets could go either way really. It will deter rifleman from storming up which are really common on glycen, but it ain't gonna do much of anything to grens. Still, I think it might be nice, I mean it is only one so it would prevent early random caps. I can't comment on vf placement, I don't think I ever used it. I suppose moving it behind the building a bit like on the first pic would help prevent arty striking it to death.
glycen in its current form ends in minutes. i totally understand. but, do you know you pathway to nf's second flag from middle? theres a higher level that grenadiers and riflemen can shoot from and it has the exact same problems as you said for the be flag. this is just my way of equalizing that, giving each team the same thing. i cant visualize what place you are talking about. the be vf was always behind the building. the nf vf has never been. the problem is not that though, its that NF get to their start flag super fast, and BE has to jump around, take shortcuts, and they still get there 5 seconds slowerer.
Actually looking at the map I realize I simply haven't had a chance to play it enough. You are right about the nf second flag having the height advantage, but the hill across form it is almost level. But on that token the little roof that you can get on in alleyway between be's second flag and mid is also able to shoot across to the roof you want to put a ladder on. So it isn't as bad as I thought. You can ignore my comment about the walls. I meant the walls surrounding the second flag bunker but you can actually crouch behind them for cover, for some reason I thought you couldn't. I noticed while looking around that nf spawn is in full view of their second flag, it would be really easy for them to get spawned camped there. I think if you could move the spawn point where that red circle is it would help with that, it would also increase the time it takes for them to get to their first flag. I don't know if you want to make it so people could move in the building or simply get rid of it, but I do think nf's spawn point could be a bit of an issue. Be's vf I haven't a good idea of where to put then. I mean I would have to wonder where you would put be's spawn. I kinda like where it is now because it a safeish spawn point away from immediate danger.
Consider this: How often do you see BE holding at their last flag? Not very often, but it does happen. How often do you see NF holding at their last flag? I don't think I've ever seen that during the entire time I've played Empires. I'd consider moving the NF final flag a little closer to the NF spawn, or at least reworking the area to make it a bit more similar to BE's spawn/first flag.
