Custom maps for Competition (server)

(DG) #1

short/cliffnotes version:

New server up running custom maps suited to competition.

195.149.21.152:27960

The server will run the best few custom maps that are suited to competition use, with the objective of providing awareness of excellent maps - and providing feedback so authors can perfect the maps for competition. All maps will be hand picked, only realistic contenders for competition will be considered.

Since we’re looking for competitive maps, the server is running the same settings as the Euro-clanwar standard - the Clanbase & rtcw.no .config (just modified for voting etc).

(DG) #2

Long version:

(paraphrase/modified quote from post by kendle elsewhere)

Following on from the recent Custom Map Week, we have decided to keep the server running Custom Maps, but with a more focused approach to encourage more Custom Maps to be used in competition on an on-going basis.

The map rotation will be smaller, consisting of only 4 maps at any one time. Maps will initially be vetted (quite harshly) by Kendle and myself to weed out those not suitable for competition. We will also make adjustments to timelimits / spawn times, etc., to make them more competition friendly, if required.

New maps will be added as they become available, but only when existing maps have been played enough and either accepted or rejected for Clan play.

The server runs Clanbase / RTCW.no competiton settings, and all maps are played in Stopwatch AB format, to provide as close to a competition environment as possible (for a public).

Server IP

195.149.21.152:27960 (server in UK, a Jolt international Uber)

Map Pack

Jolt Mirror
mappack.zip

Note:- The current map pack will always be available on this URL and will be changed as the maps change. Maps will only be changed once a week to save you continually downloading whatever’s on “today”. For the Jolt Mirror, pick the most recent date* from those listed. http redirect download is enabled but it’s always better to get them beforehand if convenient.

  • most recent date that’s passed, packs liable to be made available a day or two prior to any rotation change.

Current Rotation

sp_delivery_rc2 (Mirrors: Jolt, etcenter & twl)
Dubrovnik_B1 (Mirrors: Jolt, more/info)
Goldrush 2 fk b1 (mirrors: Jolt, WWG)
Rommel_b4 (mirrors: Jolt, Wolfmap.de)
Vengeance_TE_B1 (mirrors: Jolt, PCGameMods)

(Note the rotation will change occasionally, the rtcw.co.uk forum thread will be kept updated)

We believe this provides a unique, focused, environment for new Custom Maps and a “one-stop-shop” for Clan players to check out new maps made specifically for them. We would encourage all mappers to work with us to make these maps as competition friendly as possible and ask all Clan players to dedicate some time here and there to check these maps out and provide valuable feedback.

http://www.rtcw.jolt.co.uk/customs/ (static page)
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=343376 (sticky/updated thread)

(blushing_bride) #3

and ask all Clan players to dedicate some time here and there to check these maps out and provide valuable feedback.

that’s the hard part. i really get the impression that most clans are hostile to trying out anything new and would rather play RTCW conversions. i would like to be proven wrong. Anyway hope to see some people there at some point and thanks DG and Kendle for their efforts

(¤SoS¤fre2d) #4

Good intiative! I´ll spread the word!

(Kendle) #5

True, but you’d be surprised how many people like Cathedral. I know a few Clans who have got in on their private servers and have been having a run round on it. It’s certainly proving to be an uphill struggle, but I think we’re making some progress.

(Tabasco(+)) #6

People actually like cathedral ? no offence to the mappers but it has pretty big space for no use and is pretty squeezed sometimes when ur inside the hallways :moo:

(blushing_bride) #7

People actually like cathedral ? no offence to the mappers but it has pretty big space for no use and is pretty squeezed sometimes when ur inside the hallways

the idea was to have a variety of different spaces in which to do combat. if you could be more precise in your critercism and inform me of your playing experience (eg how many people were playing, was it a shrub or etpro server etc) then it might help me to make improvements to the map. im activily seeking any advice and feedback to decide what changes need making to improve the map so any constructive critercism you can offer will be appreciated and no offence will be taken. thanks in advance

(PH@TIE) #8

I like Cathedral.

It’s a stunning map, and the game play is very balanced. It’s tight where it needs to be, and caters for all game styles. Close Quarter Battle and Long range. It bottlenecks in places that will require good strats and skills to attack / defend. It also has some nice spots for the jumpers too.

Many varied routes into and from the objective make this an ideal tournament map, and bloody good fun to on pubs.

Also the FPS is very nice on this complex map, meaning that even guys with the lower end gfx cards can play, (something not always considered by mappers).

(DG) #9

thats kinda true in the same way some clanned pople would criticise that mappers dont care about competition, maps ridiculously unsuitable etc etc… Both used to be true, but a fair number of both mappers and players have turned around and seen the value and fun in it. starting to see more of a partnership between mappers and clanned players with both realising the benefits for everyone - and this is actually a feasable way forward that seems to be working! :eek3:

It helps yourself and infurita in particular have shown a visible interest :slight_smile: and players on the server have been very surprised and encouraged at just how promising some of these maps are - enthusiasm which has already started to spread significantly. Between the day i first played rtcw mp and a week ago, I havent seen any moment when players were as positive about customs as they are right now - plenty further forward needed to go, but thats the direction it’s going :slight_smile:

good things come to those who… make an effort :smiley:

(KingJackaL) #10

True, but you’d be surprised how many people like Cathedral. I know a few Clans who have got in on their private servers and have been having a run round on it. It’s certainly proving to be an uphill struggle, but I think we’re making some progress.[/quote]

That’s hardly a surprise. I mean, it’s the same as radar strat-wise. Think about it:

You spawn and run in to a forward bunker to grab a flag ( which becomes yours when you blow a main door just to the other side of it ). Alternatively you can change direction and go for the side door, on the other side of which is the command post which gives you a spawn ( both teams can build, but only allies spawn ). Once the two doors are blown you run in and grab the West and East radar parts, and take them back to the truck just inside the main door. There’s an axis team door to the far side of the main door, and one above the side door that allows axis access onto a small ledge above the side door from which they can drop down. The radar parts nearest the command post are the easiest for allies to steal if they’ve got the cpost up, there are 2 axis spawns, one main one between the 2 radar parts and the 2nd spawn hut off by the East radar parts…

bla bla bla

What am I describing? Radar or Cathedral? Oh yeah, that’s right… that fits 100% to BOTH…

( note: I’m not flaming the mappers - sticking with gameplay from a map like radar that you know works is a better move than making your own and making something unbalanced. Just saying, of course clans will like it more - no new strats needed )

It’s basically a radar skin :).

(MuffinMan) #11

well after all there are not so many possibilities for objectives anyway - changing too much makes the map more complicated and the players complain because they are unfamiliar with it, apart from that there is only objective mode and capture the flag (well and lms but et is not very lms friendly, at least with the official maps) - stealing documents is just a hidden capture the flag as well, so the difference compared to quake is you have to do some repairing aso until you get there… so giving the whole thing a new “skin” is actually about all you can do, anyway, if anybody got ideas… keep them coming! ;o)

(Ifurita) #12

Some comp players also need to realize that mappers need to get something out of this too. Run and blow up one objective maps tend to be pretty boring to make. Also, if clanned players are going to dismiss every map that a mapper tries to make for comp play, then the return on time is pretty low and it’s no wonder that more people don’t try it.

It seems like a lot of comp players are of the mindset, “I’ll play it when it’s polished and finished, and when a league adopts it for play” - sorry, but maps aren’t getting there without your input, some serious testing, and a couple of bumps along the way.

A couple of observations, FWIW

  • It’s much easier for good maps to see extended play on pubs
  • Pub servers tend to appreciate/handle ‘complex’ objectives better than comp players - I’ve been seeing a lot of commentary that maps are too complex. BS IMO. Run downhill and blow up the objective maps are pretty damn boring to make.
  • Too many routes, not enough routes, chokepoints are too narrow, not enough chokepoints, too hard to defend, too defensively biased - all comments on the same map. Make up your fricken minds

Not being bitter or anything

PS, I have played on the Custom maps server, big props to Kendle and DG for putting this together, and have had some very good games - most of the time it’s empty though. Maps are complex only if people aren’t willing to take the time to learn them, which shouldn’t take too long. Don’t make maps that are too simple.

(Mean Mr. Mustard) #13

( note: I’m not flaming the mappers - sticking with gameplay from a map like radar that you know works is a better move than making your own and making something unbalanced. Just saying, of course clans will like it more - no new strats needed )

Not being in a clan, I don’t see the ‘no new starts needed’ as a plus for a map. Sounds like all you want then is a regurgitation of the standard maps…please, please mappers just make a version of radar in the snow, one in the desert… I thought the thrill of competition was to devise new strats to conquer the old strats. Once a great defensive strat is devised on a map (say radar), do all the clans just say “oh well, can’t break it” - then what would be the point of playing it.

I’ve read quite a bit of feedback on rommel - one of the biggest complaints is “it’s too confusing” - isn’t any new map?? Or did all competition player immediately know the standard maps as soon as it was released.

This is my first foray into making a comp map (on the rommel team). Sure, we still have lots to do to finish it off and polish it. We also asked for lots of feedback early - which we received and implemented. So far so good…but I guess we’ll find out next week after it’s used for CAL on Sunday…

(Kendle) #14

That’ll be interesting. Getting it into CAL will help getting it adopted over here.

And whilst I share your conerns I’d have to echo what DG said a few posts above. I’ve seen more movement towards customs in the last few weeks than all the time I’ve been playing RTCW / ET. It’s a hard slog, and Clans are a tough and un-cooperative audience, but we’re getting there fellas. :wink:

(Ifurita) #15

For the most part, the experience has been more positive than negative. All in all, I have (and I think the others have) been impressed by the general willingness to run thru raw concept maps and give some very specific, targetted, constructive feedback - that was greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that mappers are already fighting an uphill battle when they design a map for the clan community and the chances of getting a map adopted is fairly small - so, at least keep them motivated to keep trying.

(blushing_bride) #16

glad to hear rommel is going in CAL. its a great map, im just downloading the latest version now and am about to play it on the custom server as soon as it and bergen are done. look forward to seeing some of you there

({}Yojimbo) #17

First and foremost I wanted to bump this topic. Great initiative. I have now played all the maps and I must say they all are very promising. What struck was that all of them were fairly easy to learn, the easiest being Cathedral followed by Secret Weapon. The only map that I had some problems with wrt gameplay was Bergen. The start of the map and the end of the map simply seems to be to much in favor of Axis. I should say that this judgement is based on only a few rounds on the map. One simple way of making it easier for Allies would be to remove the MG:s for Axis at the start of the map.

(ToeD) #18

in rommel that mg in the last obj area is to buggy, you have to stand on top of it almost to grab it, and maybe you should block off some of the roofs in the middle, because you can just sit on all of them.

also checkout this: http://www.xfire.be/?x=news&mode=item&id=75

(Detoeni) #19

and b_moverscale 1.5 to get the half-truck to the depot gates a bit quicker.

It might be an idea to remove this from Bergen. The half-track is made up of six(i think) script movers, I dont know what effect this comand will have on the other 52 scriptmovers in the map.

(DG) #20

New Rotation!
:bump:

The Customs for Competition ET server has had a couple of maps swapped to reflect the custom maps currently listed for the clanbase open cup. Plus Rommel_b1, because its ace, and to make it up to 4 maps.

Server IP: 195.149.21.152:27960

pack of maps (jolt mirror)
o Supplydepot 2 (mirrors: jolt, TWL)
o Svarvadel (mirrors: Jolt, CB, more)
o Cathedral_b3 (mirrors:Jolt, CB, more)
o Rommel_b1 (mirrors: Jolt, several)

more info maybe in this rtcw.co.uk forum thread. A couple of quick map walkthroughs too.