Casual Jetpack Attack

[ShockBolt21]

Jetpack Attack (version 1.0) - Defenders must hold their fortress against a wave of jetpack-equipped attackers

This map drew some inspiration from this Red vs Blue episode, when the most badass soldiers in the series drop in with their jet packs and fight the freelancers.

Anyway, in this map, the attackers spawn in a dropship, where there are several jetpacks to grab and weapons to choose from. Each player will grab a jetpack, arm themselves, and prepere for deployment. They must wait...

Read more about this map...

 

[Rabid MidgetMan]

Looks pretty badass, nice aesthetics and I like the idea of one team always using jetpacks. I was pretty surprised that this is a slayer gametype (not that that's a bad thing), but I suppose the 200% movement speed would mean they reach the castle too quickly for it to be used an objective game.

For the record, I've watched that episode at least 10 times (I agree, it's just epic) and I still never see the punch a few secs after 3:14 coming, cracks me up everytime

 

[ShockBolt21]

Looks pretty badass, nice aesthetics and I like the idea of one team always using jetpacks. I was pretty surprised that this is a slayer gametype (not that that's a bad thing), but I suppose the 200% movement speed would mean they reach the castle too quickly for it to be used an objective game.

For the record, I've watched that episode at least 10 times (I agree, it's just epic) and I still never see the punch a few secs after 3:14 coming, cracks me up everytime

Thanks! I was thinking how I could make this a different gametype, and one possibility that came to mind was using ricochet to make a bomb gametype (take the ball from the dropship to a point in the castle) or an invasion-like "recover the package" gametype, where attackers must get the ball from the castle and bring it back to the ship.

Yeah I did think that they might be able to reach the fortress quickly and considered moving the dropship a bit further away, which I may end up doing in a later version. Also, I previously had airborne movement speed set to 300, but I realized that was a bit too high- attackers could literally chase or outrun a warthog while flying that fast, and it took only about six or seven seconds to reach the fort. So I dropped it to 200 because flying faster is part of what makes the jetpack a more powerful and versatile tool (something that can be used for more than just to reach higher areas), as well as more fun to use, in this gametype. But the map is still in its early stages and hasn't actually seen any real testing yet, so we'll see how it currently works out- maybe 300 is the better speed to use.

That episode is my favorite in the series- I think I've seen it around 15 times. The jetpack soldiers are actually my favorite characters in the series, even though they only appear twice. And that chick with the pistols... just pure badass. I don't know how else to say it. And yeah, that punch cracks me up.

I actually took this screenshot and considered making it my profile picture.

 

[Rabid MidgetMan]

Thanks! I was thinking how I could make this a different gametype, and one possibility that came to mind was using ricochet to make a bomb gametype (take the ball from the dropship to a point in the castle) or an invasion-like "recover the package" gametype, where attackers must get the ball from the castle and bring it back to the ship.

Yeah I did think that they might be able to reach the fortress quickly and considered moving the dropship a bit further away, which I may end up doing in a later version. Also, I previously had airborne movement speed set to 300, but I realized that was a bit too high- attackers could literally chase or outrun a warthog while flying that fast, and it took only about six or seven seconds to reach the fort. So I dropped it to 200 because flying faster is part of what makes the jetpack a more powerful and versatile tool (something that can be used for more than just to reach higher areas), as well as more fun to use, in this gametype. But the map is still in its early stages and hasn't actually seen any real testing yet, so we'll see how it currently works out- maybe 300 is the better speed to use.

That episode is my favorite in the series- I think I've seen it around 15 times. The jetpack soldiers are actually my favorite characters in the series, even though they only appear twice. And that chick with the pistols... just pure badass. I don't know how else to say it. And yeah, that punch cracks me up.

I actually took this screenshot and considered making it my profile picture.
View attachment 5907

Ah yes, the first time i saw Maine getting shot in the throat my heart skipped a beat hahaha, he's my favorite character and I was genuinely concerned for him lol. That's a rly nice pic, would probably make a good wallpaper if nothin else.

In regards to the move speed, yeah definitely a good idea to increase it from 100%, the jetpack got severely nerfed in halo 4 and it sux without trait buffs, I usually give 75% gravity when i use it in maps (unless its unlimited use like in this map). Yeah an objective gametype would be pretty nice to see, I find bigass castles tend to be underused if the attackers don't have enough of a motive for assaulting them, but in a game where everyone use jetpacks I can't say until i play

 

[ShockBolt21]

Ah yes, the first time i saw Maine getting shot in the throat my heart skipped a beat hahaha, he's my favorite character and I was genuinely concerned for him lol. That's a rly nice pic, would probably make a good wallpaper if nothin else.

In regards to the move speed, yeah definitely a good idea to increase it from 100%, the jetpack got severely nerfed in halo 4 and it sux without trait buffs, I usually give 75% gravity when i use it in maps (unless its unlimited use like in this map). Yeah an objective gametype would be pretty nice to see, I find bigass castles tend to be underused if the attackers don't have enough of a motive for assaulting them, but in a game where everyone use jetpacks I can't say until i play

I kinda wanted to see Maine die, just because I liked those guys so much. I think that they beat him fair and square- they shot him with a sniper, sent 9 pistol rounds through his throat, and then he was hit by a tanker truck and thrown off the bridge. Ah well.

But yes, you do make a good point about the map. However, the attackers should be motivated to attack it though because really they have nowhere else to go. They can get ordinance from the ground, but that's really it. A trait zone on the ground decreases their movement speed to 50% and takes away their ability to jump, and it will be hard to get a clear shot on the enemy from down there, as they're elevated so high, so the attackers won't want to stick around down there for too long. Also, all of the enemies are in the castle. They could use their jetpacks to hover in the air and use ranged precision weapons to lay down some fire on them, and that's actually something I'd like to see- a creative use of the jetpack (I explain a bit about how this option balances out well in the description).

But anyway, I'll definitely see how I can incorporate an objective gametype into it!

 

[Rabid MidgetMan]

I kinda wanted to see Maine die, just because I liked those guys so much. I think that they beat him fair and square- they shot him with a sniper, sent 9 pistol rounds through his throat, and then he was hit by a tanker truck and thrown off the bridge. Ah well.

But anyway, I'll definitely see how I can incorporate an objective gametype into it!

Oh... you're one of THOSE guys, are you... *glares*. Hahaha, this episode has certainly caused a rift in the show's fans, my view on the matter is:

Maine has always been shown to be the big, hulking, hard fucker in the series (that's why i think he's awesome) and for that reason I liked the idea of him getting impaired by a sniper round but continuing to fight (and he does show signs of weakness after as a result of this which I think is only fair), while any other free-lancer would probably just collapse.
But yes, the 9 point-blank shots to the throat were unreasonable, and by putting blood into the scene the writers eliminated the possibility of explaining it away with some near-logical argument like 'his armor protected him'. But the way I see it is, in such a high octane show, the bottom line is that the scene where Maine was injured HAD to be blown out of proportion for it to stand out enough for people to notice it. If he was just shot once before Carolina saved him then it would happen so fast no one would think anything of it. My point is, I see the scene almost as an exaggerated story, and, as stupid as this sounds, I like to ignore this exaggerated version and infer my own version of the story (like he got shot once). If i had to give some senseless explanation tho, I would say 'the armor was only just thick enough that every bullet grazed the surface of his throat without severely penetrating it'.

 

[Rabid MidgetMan]

In regards to the game, i understand what you mean about them naturally wanting to go towards the castle, sounds good. And is it difficult to use the precision weapons whilst jetpacking then? I was worried that might be OP but I'm probably wrong aha

 

[ShockBolt21]

In regards to the game, i understand what you mean about them naturally wanting to go towards the castle, sounds good. And is it difficult to use the precision weapons whilst jetpacking then? I was worried that might be OP but I'm probably wrong aha

This is how it balances out.

They can grab a precision weapon from the ship and hover at a distance from the fortress while shooting at the defenders inside. The defenders have some precision weapons in their base, but not quite as many as the attackers, so it will be a bit harder to reach them from further away. While the attackers may have a bit of trouble aiming while trying to balance their spartan in midair, they can still use it as a tactic to stay relatively safe from the enemy and get a shot on them.

So basically the enemy have a few precision weapons with which to hit you, and it is a bit difficult to aim while hovering. You also have to get just the right distance- too close and they'll hit you, too far and you can't hit them. Also, if they do pull out their light rifle or a DMR, there really isn't anywhere you can go, unless you can get behind a tree quick enough or find a way out of their line of sight.

...as stupid as this sounds, I like to ignore this exaggerated version and infer my own version of the story (like he got shot once). If i had to give some senseless explanation tho, I would say 'the armor was only just thick enough that every bullet grazed the surface of his throat without severely penetrating it'.

That's a respectable explanation. Also, it was kinda demoralizing to watch Maine murder all of those guys when they reappear in 10-9, when he wasn't even fully healed yet.

 

[Rabid MidgetMan]

That's a respectable explanation. Also, it was kinda demoralizing to watch Maine murder all of those guys when they reappear in 10-9, when he wasn't even fully healed yet.

Hmmm yeah I found that episode to be a massive anticlimax. The one before it was soooo good, the sniper bit was epic as well as funny, the bad guys were kicking York + Wash' arses and the ending with agent Maine getting dropped in and then enraged was so awesome. I expected the next episode to show Maine just beating the living shit out of that sleeveless soldier, but instead he just grabs his fist on the first punch and then hits him once, dead. That was rubbish. And as you said he should have put up more of a fight. Then after that California takes down the other two pretty quickly. I just found it odd that all of them got killed off in one episode, the robot arm guy and the duel pistol one should have got away

 

[ShockBolt21]

I expected the next episode to show Maine just beating the living shit out of that sleeveless soldier, but instead he just grabs his fist on the first punch and then hits him once, dead. That was rubbish.

Agreed. I at least wanted to see my boys go down fighting. Also, that sniper died a lame death. He was in the process of being a badass with his fellow snipers, and he only died because his nitwit teammate shot the bubble. They didn't even get any hits (except for the ones on their own guys).

...Then after that California takes down the other two pretty quickly. I just found it odd that all of them got killed off in one episode, the robot arm guy and the duel pistol one should have got away

*carolina, lol
Actually, the robot arm guy does fight with Caro a bit, but in the end he actually gets killed by Maine. Only the dual pistol chick (knives in that episode) was defeated by Carolina.

 

[Rabid MidgetMan]

*carolina, lol

hahaha yeah I wrote that and thought "California...why doesn't that sound right... ah well", not the even first time I've made that mistake either

They didn't even get any hits (except for the ones on their own guys).

hmm yeah, realistically they need (I can't believe I'm saying this) MORE freelancers so that they can kill some off in big fights like these. Back to Maine, although loads of people say 'he should have died' and 'he got beaten fair and square', what they need to remember is the whole freelancer stuff was set in the past, meaning that certain characters (Maine, South, Wash, York, Carolina, Florida, Wyoming) simply CAN'T die, previous seasons wouldn't make sense if they did. The only ones who can actually die are CT, North (but it has to be by his sister's hand) and Tex (because she's like an immortal AI or some shit i don't even understand anymore).

PS. you gave me a really good review for one of my maps aaaages ago and I never got a chance to say thanks. So this is me saying, Thanks!

 

[ShockBolt21]

hmm yeah, realistically they need (I can't believe I'm saying this) MORE freelancers so that they can kill some off in big fights like these.

Yeah, that would be nice. I kinda got sick of watching them tear through line after line of enemies who were dumb, incapable, and couldn't fight for shit (which is why I enjoyed 9-17 so much, as it's the first time where they actually put up a fight).

PS. you gave me a really good review for one of my maps aaaages ago and I never got a chance to say thanks. So this is me saying, Thanks!

JOUSTING!!! Still love that map- if I still hosted customs, I'd still be playing that. It deserved the good rating

 

[ShockBolt21]

ShockBolt21 updated Jetpack Attack with a new update entry:

Jetpack Attack (V 2.0)

Changes in Version 2.0


-New gametype. This map now plays a custom variant of the Ricochet gametype (downloadable here) instead of standard Slayer.

-Fixed the issue where the block wouldn't spawn to release players from the pelican. Players no longer need to wait- they can grab their jetpacks and jump.

-Changes to weapons: defenders now...

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[ShockBolt21]

ShockBolt21 updated Jetpack Attack with a new update entry:

Jetpack Attack (V 2.1)

Changes in Version 2.1


-Numerous (yet mostly minor) changes to the map for better gameplay and aesthetics

-Fixed kill boundaries

-Added a few hardlight shields for the defenders


Thanks to all who have downloaded or otherwise supported the map so far!

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[Zandril]

This map has a lot of potential but needs a lot of changes.

For one thing, players defending shouldn't be able to shoot the attackers while they're inside the Pelican. I suggest placing a one-way shield there. One-way because you wouldn't want those in the Pelican abusing a Shield Door.

Secondly, the teleporters inside the castle just aren't good for the map. They look good as weapon holders and are very unique but they just end up creating a rapid stutter if a player walks on it to grab a weapon. This happened almost all the time I've used those teleporters and, with Halo 4's connection, it's a nightmare.

Then for the map's aesthetics. For the most part, it's fine. But your piece usage is very inconsistent and you used the dirty sides of some blocks. When I say dirty sides, I mean those that create more visual noise. An example would be the darker side of the 4x4 flats. You could've used the clean side of a 4x4 short. Using the clean side of the pieces and keeping your object usage more consistent isn't much at the start but it improves the map's aesthetics exponentially by the end.

These are the issues I remember of. If I was to give more feedback, I'll have to play on the map again.

 

[ShockBolt21]

This map has a lot of potential but needs a lot of changes....

I think that this map played relatively well at the FCCGN on Friday. It definitely isn't perfect and could use some more improvements, but so far, it isn't that bad. The main thing I'm worried about is getting the weapon selection just right and perfecting the balance. I've made some steps towards this in the latest update, such as adding some fortifications to the turrets to make them a more valuable asset for the defenders.

The shield door in the dropship is something that I have considered, but I left it out for a few reasons. When defenders can shoot into the pelican and kill one or two attackers, it helps to soften the huge, unstoppable mass of attackers that would otherwise come out before the defenders are even prepared. The Spartan Laser can take out one or two, while the precision weapons can lower the others' health a bit to give the defenders the slight advantage that they'll need. For the rest of the game, the defenders will be too busy fighting off the more immediate threats that are closer to or already inside the castle, so those back in the pelican won't really need to worry. Also, I couldn't use a one-way shield, as the attackers will need to get back inside the dropship to score.

I set the teleporters' shape to "none," and the receiving node is inside a rock somewhere far away, so they shouldn't have any effect. If it turns out that they actually do, I'll try to fix it or consider removing them.

Do know that visual noise isn't always a bad thing. If you line up the patterns right, it can look nicer than just blank, empty walls and objects. Take the inside of the pelican in the first screenshot for example. I think that the textures on the wall make it look so much better than it would if everything were just plain white. I tried to use the textures to my advantage in many parts of the map, and I feel like overall they actually enhance the aesthetics, but there may be some places that could be toned down a bit.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, and I'll see what I can do to fix some of the issues with the next update.

 

[Zandril]

The shield door in the dropship is something that I have considered, but I left it out for a few reasons. When defenders can shoot into the pelican and kill one or two attackers, it helps to soften the huge, unstoppable mass of attackers that would otherwise come out before the defenders are even prepared. The Spartan Laser can take out one or two, while the precision weapons can lower the others' health a bit to give the defenders the slight advantage that they'll need. For the rest of the game, the defenders will be too busy fighting off the more immediate threats that are closer to or already inside the castle, so those back in the pelican won't really need to worry. Also, I couldn't use a one-way shield, as the attackers will need to get back inside the dropship to score.

Yes, but that is a spawn room. A spawn room should be safe. If you're worried about balance, you'll have to figure that out through the gametype settings or with the weapon set. The attackers shouldn't be punished for the map's lack of balance.

Do know that visual noise isn't always a bad thing. If you line up the patterns right, it can look nicer than just blank, empty walls and objects. Take the inside of the pelican in the first screenshot for example. I think that the textures on the wall make it look so much better than it would if everything were just plain white. I tried to use the textures to my advantage in many parts of the map, and I feel like overall they actually enhance the aesthetics, but there may be some places that could be toned down a bit.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, and I'll see what I can do to fix some of the issues with the next update.

That's true and I agree with you. But, as it stands, this map has not yet achieved that.

 

[ShockBolt21]

Yes, but that is a spawn room. A spawn room should be safe. If you're worried about balance, you'll have to figure that out through the gametype settings or with the weapon set. The attackers shouldn't be punished for the map's lack of balance.

Hmm, that's a good point. But I don't think it wouldn't punish the attackers too much, as it will only set them back a few steps, and, as I had mentioned before, it ceases to be a problem later in the game. But anyway, you're right about the fact that players should feel safe off the spawn, and I'll see what I can do to change it.

 

[El1T3x10 RAP1Dz]

I just saw Zandril's replies, and I do agree with home on some things. I forgot to mention it, but I concur that the weapon holders should be fixed, they were a bit of a hassle. However, I disagree with him on the aesthetics. His maps are great, but they do tend to lack texture and contrast. I like the aesthetics, and think you should keep them. Maybe add some more artifact bases instead of just that one in front. All of the points we both listed do need to be rethought. Maybe you could put a cockpit in the Pelican as a spawning room. Other than that, keep going man!

 

[ShockBolt21]

...All of the points we both listed do need to be rethought. Maybe you could put a cockpit in the Pelican as a spawning room. Other than that, keep going man!

I know that the dropship isn't the prettiest thing to look at (I won't even call it a pelican ), but it gets the job done. Even if I knew that I could add a cockpit, I don't really see much of a point in spending all the time and budget to create the elaborate cockpit when it really won't even affect the gameplay, and players won't ever stand in it for more than a second or two.


The only reason I lowered the attacker speed was so they couldn't rush the defenders in a big mass before they were even ready. I'm trying to think of a better way to give the defenders a head start, and I'll be sure to implement a new system as soon as I can. Maybe I'll just increase the attackers' health a bit in the ship to keep them safer off the spawn. Also, once they leave the ship they have 200% movement speed while flying (300 turned out to be too much). The speed has been decreased if they land outside the castle just to discourage landing a little and keep the game jetpack-oriented for the attackers (you'll move faster flying just above the ground than you would by sprinting on it)

As for the route to the turret, I was hoping that would be kind of obvious. As you pass the towers on the upstairs route toward the front of the fortress, you should pass by gravity lifts that would shoot you up there. You can see them circled red in this screenshot (click the image to maximize it). But I'll see if I can make them more prominent somehow.



Yes, I see what you mean by it being hard to extract the ball. I wanted to make it difficult so that the attackers wouldn't get it every time, but it is obnoxious when you get shot down immediately every time. One successful strategy I've seen is to hover above the castle, around the trees, and have your buddy grab it and throw it to you. Remember that you can pass in midair- while it's risky and difficult, it's extremely badass! But still, the ball extraction is one of the balance imperfections I'm currently working on.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback and support, and you'll definitely see an updated version of this map released in the near future!