emp_thetrenches - You'd better believe it!

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The Trenches
Version: Beta 3
Originally By: SgtCiof
Continued By: John Shandy`

The Trenches is a classic map from the pre-2.2 era of Empires. It was a map often despised by most of the players who are currently veterans. For the sake of nostalgia, I've taken the liberty of bringing it back. I know some will be disappointed to see it again, but I did make some improvements that had largely been responsible for people's distaste (such as exploits, vehicles getting stuck, etc.).

Enjoy!

Edit: I'm aware of some lingering issues. I actually forgot to build cubemaps in this version, and there are some issues with the barbed_wire models (you may see some errors in the console, but they are finite). These issues will be addressed in the next release.

//TODO
-Flatten the terrain in the bases for easier building placement.
-Fix the issue with the barbed wire models (or replace the models).
-Build the freakin' cubemaps.
-Fix refs where they can be rebuilt after destroyed. (ScardyBob)

If you wish, you may click here to view the original release thread for The Trenches by SgtCiof.

I can't take credit for SgtCiof's work.

I am only responsible for the modifications from Beta 3 onward.
I have sought SgtCiof's permission, and informed him that I would
go ahead and continue updating and releasing emp_thetrenches after
a certain amount of time and that he could come back at any time to
continue development of the map himself, and I will gladly return the
updated VMFs to him, as I've done with emp_provinggrounds for flasche.

DOWNLOAD emp_thetrenches_b3
-Mirror 1: Sendspace
-Mirror 2: John Shandy's Blog

CHANGELOG
Beta 3
------
-Optimization (It had none.)
-Player clipped previously exploitable areas.
-Fixed 2D skybox enclosure (to prevent players from exploiting out of the map).
-Vehicle clipped all of the vertical trenches (not the short horizontal appendiges)
in order to decrease the likelihood of getting vehicles stuck so easily.
-Remade the minimap texture and resource file properly for a more accurate
representation of the map.

Beta 2
------
Last version released by SgtCiof.
-Pre-Orange Box/Pre-Empires 2.2x

Beta 1
------
Initial Public Release

 

Oh. God. Yes.

 

Oh. God. No.


I will be playing this, yes I will.

 

Need to add to todo list
1. Fix refs where they can be rebuilt after destroyed
2. Also tone down the fog (so the comm can actually see the map)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaLxFIVX1s

 

OH YEAH I loved this map

john shandy

brb drink

 

Ok...so I don't remember much of B2, I played it like once or twice.

Anyways.

1) Just wondering, why is this a commander map? Doesn't seem right for it is all. Maybe this would be the perfect map to use that "automated research" line in emp_info_params or whatever. I dno.

2) How come vehicles don't fall into the trenches? This seems kinda silly. I mean I know you said there were problems but: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1034763/Empires screenshots/emp_thetrenches_b30001.jpg looks a bit silly.

3) Tank accessability. Tanks drive straight through the barbed wire, the barbied wire holders (the wooden crosses). Straight over the trenches. You can just go from one end of the map to the other without any problems. That really sucks.

4) Not sure if you already pointed out you were going to fix this but:

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1034763/Empires screenshots/emp_thetrenches_b30000.jpg

Overall, seems a nice concept, but I'm not a fan of the ways vehicle are. I'd prefer either no comm/research and blocked off bases and the fact tanks cant really go through stuff. Especially the wooden parts of the tank traps.

EDIT:

5) Building the tunnels seems buggy. You can look out of the map but cant even build in all the places.
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1034763/Empires screenshots/emp_thetrenches_b30002.jpg

6) After building said tunnel, we proceeded to just walk straight out of the map.
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1034763/Empires screenshots/emp_thetrenches_b30003.jpg

 

Trickster, what sucked in the version I played, was getting tanks stuck
NF heavy worked fine most of the time. BE heavy failed a lot.

Also.. Please make it more focused on infantry than tanks.

 

Then the center needs more bridges then to prevent this. Rather than just allowing you to drive straight over. And widen them a bit to stop NFheavys jumping over.

 

as trickster said you can walk under the map and if you go to the enemy main you can kill people/buildings from under the map.

 

@trickster

Automated research doesn't work, it's just mapper-side emp_research_all

 

Yeh, I realised that before when I pulled up my old jeeprace halfpipe and realised I used that. Meh, well tbh, it would work fine without research.

 

I can't answer most of your "why" questions Trickster, because I don't know what SgtCiof had in mind when he made most of the map the way it is.

In the past, people would mostly drop repair stations as makeshift bridges. I don't think it'd make sense for a trench to have bridges, and I also agree that the Jeep looks silly.

At first I had been trying all sorts of V-shaped vehicle clips so it looked like you would actually go into the trench but when your wheels caught the other side you would still be able to drive out with a bit of effort, without looking retarded. I couldn't get them to work properly though - medium tanks would get stuck no matter what, without a flat vehicle clip.

It can be changed later, so don't fret. Something has to be done though because the map was played less and less until finally not at all for quite some time before the release of 2.2. If something like vehicles getting stuck by n00bs detracts from the fun of the map so much so that people stop playing it, then it's time for something different.

We'll see how things go with this version, and improve for the next.

As for the tunnel exploits, I actually didn't even really bother to go down in them or look in them. The reason you can see a sliver is so that you can build the next section. As to why you can walk outside of the map, I'm not sure why that's the case, but it will be looked into for the next version.

 

Agreed.

 

Fixed.

 

What happens is that you can build one of the middle tunnel sections without building the tunnel section that supposedly precedes it. When you do that, it exposes the unbuilt tunnel, allowing you to run around freely in the bottom of the map.

Some of the ladders don't work, either.

 

Woooo! And I thought I had missed this map completely. As for the NF heavy issue, Isn't it based on WWI tanks which were designed to cross trenches? Maybe add some tank traps and stuff?

 

We need mustard gas. And people that run into machine gun fire.

 

....except the tank traps have been de-tanktrapified.....so the map is kind of pointless.