Core Cliffhanger

[Pat Sounds]

Cliffhanger (version 2016-01-30) - A fore runner landing platform with two parked starships and multiple levels.

A landing platform with two parked starships that serve as red and blue bases and a multi-leveled main hall. There are many vertical layers as well as lots of opportunities to fall to your death. Good for Slayer, Snipers and a bit of Strongholds. Given the size and number of floors, it's probably best suited for 6 or more, but if you want to play cat and mouse in 1v1 or Free For All, it can be good fun.

In this version (1.0) there's a Sniper...

Read more about this map...

 

[Psychoduck]

I have to say, this looks fantastic. The juxtaposition of UNSC and Forerunner elements is cool to see. Creating believable versions of each within one map while pulling from the same pool of objects is definitely a challenge but it looks like you've managed nicely.

I do have a few gameplay concerns judging by the images, however. First of all, you have a lot of very narrow and very exposed bridges. I'm worried that these will be death traps to cross, but also that they won't facilitate interesting engagements. Halo is all about moving while shooting, and narrow lanes obviously restrict that movement quite a bit. Of course there's a time and a place for them, but it appears that this design may be a bit too reliant on them currently. On another note, and this is an easy fix, power ups should never be placed on weapon pads unless absolutely necessary (if players are intended to be able to launch them with plasma grenades). The hologram that appears on a pad thirty seconds before the pickup spawns is visually indistinguishable from the power up itself and this is obviously quite misleading. If you're determined to have the damage boost respawn on a static timer as weapon pads do, you can "drop spawn" the item by spawning it atop a small invisible block which despawns as soon as the match starts. This way, the power up will be disturbed the second it spawns and its respawn timer will immediately begin counting down.

Anyway, it's looking cool so far. Keep it up!

 

[Pat Sounds]

Cool, thanks for the tips! As I've mentioned before, I'm super new here so this stuff is very helpful. I've honestly been feeling like I painted myself into a corner a bit with this one - it looks cool for sure, and I think it has some potential, but I've been struggling with pathing and weapon placement / choice. I honestly was on the fence about even making it public, but I put it up hoping I'd get some tips on how to improve the gameplay. So thanks for that.

I really had no idea about the way power ups spawn on weapon pads. As you said, that's an easy fix. I'll do that for sure. In terms of the problems posed by heavy reliance on small bridges, that might require a bit more of a drastic change to the layout. I'm working on an alternate / updated version of this map, where I'm trying to re-think what I can do to improve the basic geometry, so I'll keep hacking away at that and keep your advice in mind. I originally had lot of gravity launchers sending people between the different platforms, but felt that might end up being insane. Maybe it's an issue with the basic design too. I'll keep working at it.

Keep letting me know what I'm doing right and wrong and thanks for taking the time to check it out. It is very much appreciated! There are a lot of things I don't know about yet so feel free to drop some knowledge on me.

 

[Pat Sounds]

I've been working on some major overhauls. Still a work in progress, but I've posted a video here with some clips of the new layout in case anyone is interested:

I've placed the ships lower and closer to the main platform, and connected everything into one piece rather than separate floating platforms, etc. Made a lot fewer bridges, fewer levels overall, and added some forerunner-y sculptures to the main floor to add some cover. Basically it's almost an entirely different map, but with the same hangar / atrium section in the middle.

I'm gonna keep refining it, lemme know if you guys have any suggestions. I'll post up the new version once it's a little further along.

 

[Pat Sounds]

Pat Sounds updated Cliffhanger with a new update entry:

Cliffhanger Version 2.0

After some lengthy play testing, as well as some feedback from other players, I decided to essentially re-do the layout of this level. The changes in this new version are pretty significant, as it is basically an entirely different level while retaining a couple of the key aesthetic elements from my first build. I'll try to explain the major overhauls here, but there are too many to list entirely.

The basic layout has shifted from 3 disconnected platforms (one for the main hall, and one for...

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[Pat Sounds]

Pat Sounds updated Cliffhanger with a new update entry:

Cliffhanger Version 2.1

A few changes here on the heels of version 2. Mostly working on the main hall area, I've added several elements of cover, and created two rooms on either side of the platform. I also added some cover on the bridge between the ships and the main platform, as well as a few pillars for more interesting sight lines when engaging enemies down this long hallway. I removed the damage boosts from the level, and added some lighting / aesthetic improvements here and there.

The weapon tables near the...

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[Sgt x Slaphead]

Amazing architecture! I'll try and give it a game as soon as I can.

 

[Pat Sounds]

Thanks man! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it when you get a chance