Got to play this in Evergreen lobby the other day; very nice! I did find a few things that I think could use some adjustment/improvement...
Thanks. This is its first version (uploaded directly after completion late on Sunday), and I didn't get to gameplay test it yet, so I really appreciate your feedback. I'll see if I can perfect it this weekend.
The turrets will probably be more useful in Slayer, as the enemy will be moving past the hill and toward the ship. I added trait zones that give them 125% damage so they can put up more of a fight against the vehicles. Otherwise, I see your point.
As for the driving off the edge, I'll see what I can do. I won't be able to get enough budget for an underwater railing (nice idea though) and there aren't nearly enough platforms to extend the battlefield in any direction. The best I can do is add a few more marker rocks, widen the warning kill boundaries a bit, and hope that the players can recognize the boundaries a bit better. The battlefield is wide enough to provide a decent amount of maneuverability and to keep the gameplay from being too linear, and I'm actually quite proud of what I've done with the limited resources without using a modified map. I don't think it should take too long for players to better understand the edges in the water, and to be able to fight more freely without having to constantly check their sides and their distance from the bounds.
As for your third proposal, I probably should have recognized that before I released the map. The spawn time for each weapon is 100 seconds, which I now realize is way too long. I don't think I need to add vehicle pads, though. I can decrease the vehicle spawn time as necessary, and extending the room to add more vehicles shouldn't be hard either. As for the weapons, the rocket launcher and the railgun should provide players with the ability to deal some quality damage from the ship, while the fuel rod gun can be useful if you aim well and luck is on your side. I'll keep those, with a decreased spawn time, and I'll add some others, maybe even an occasional sniper rifle, to keep players always armed and in the game.
I've one question. Did you find any problems with the scorpion in the front of the ship- the one that served as a turret?
Anyway, thanks for helping me fix up this map. You can expect an improved version addressing the aforementioned issues by the end of the weekend. I'll also get it on 343's site then to see what the epidemic thinks of it.