Floating Maps, Ideas on concepts for sandboxes sky bubble

[BlackDeath10]

This forum is for discussion n floating map on sand box

Forum Objectives
- discovering possible methods to forge successful floatings maps
- what ascetics will help make a floating map better
- possible concepts for floating maps


My thoughts:

The best way to find out what works is to look at other successful floating maps within the halo universe.

Lockout and Guardian, both these asymmetrical maps function like a circle. They are divided into 4 asymmetrical parts with a middle structure to connect all of them. The 4 parts are either connected directly or indirectly.

If you control one of the 2 parts of the maps it will allow you to control one of the 2 smaller parts of the map. For example, on guardian if you control the Sniper tower it is easier to control green/forest.
On Lockout by controlling the BR tower you can control library easier.

By doing this it allows each team to have a place to set up at, on Guardian its Sniper Tower and green versus Blue and Gold. On lockout its Br Tower and Library versus Snipe Tower and Lift. Though Sniper tower and Green Forest on Guardian is more powerful than blue and gold, a team can still take control of the Snipe Tower and Green Forest Though.

These maps are divided in 3 sections, the middle of the map, one 2 part section, and a second 2 part section. These three section are not completely divided, but are somewhat divided to give more structure to the map.

Using this circle method, a forge can build a well working Floating map.

[BlackDeath10]

Reserved for Good Forge methods, concepts and ideas

Any good post will be put here for everyone to see

Ledge and Walkway Concepts

-Ender-
Adding a platform without ledge guards would make it a bit more dangerous, so you could put a powerup there or something.

BlackDeath10
Small wooden Planks could possable be used as ledge guards, if they are no-movable in game items.
Picture of Planks Around Base (http://www.bungie.net/projects/halo3/asset_popup_viewer.aspx?at=59&cc=21&item=24)

[-Ender-]

People will have to find an easy and efficient way of guarding the ledges so you can't walk off the map at every point. Although I guess adding a platform without ledge guards would make it a bit more dangerous, so you could put a powerup there or something.

[BlackDeath10]

People will have to find an easy and efficient way of guarding the ledges so you can't walk off the map at every point. Although I guess adding a platform without ledge guards would make it a bit more dangerous, so you could put a powerup there or something.

I was looking at the forge material in the bungie picks and i noticed small thin wooden planks, short of like the ones on ghost town. I think those planks could be used to create ledge gaurds if they are stationary items, and not like barrels.

here is a link with the wooden planks placed all around a forged base
http://www.bungie.net/projects/halo3/asset_popup_viewer.aspx?at=59&cc=21&item=24

[HITtheLIGHTZ]

I think we all will have a lot to learn about designing floated maps as very few people here have any experience in doing that.

It is important to note though that not all floating maps have to feel as easily fall off-able as lockout and guardian. Damnation has a large fall to death area but its not really a floating map, and construct is technically a floating map as well. The increased budget along with the skybox will allow people to get really creative with their designs so I'm pretty excited to see what gets built up there.

[BlackDeath10]

I think we all will have a lot to learn about designing floated maps as very few people here have any experience in doing that.

i agreed, we need to learn more about forgeing floating maps, and the best way to do that is get a head start and toss around some ideas within the forge community.

[Jackass_Jon]

From our main inspiration on these types of maps (Lockout/Guardian) bottom mid is always used as a sneaky path, and a type of covered connector hub.

[dylman36]

i think power weapons should be placed in spots that are easy to fall off of so you need to be careful to avoid grenades and make them harder to reaach also not every part you should be able to easily fall off like the big center platforms on ascension guardian and lockout

[BlackDeath10]

i think power weapons should be placed in spots that are easy to fall off of so you need to be careful to avoid grenades and make them harder to reaach also not every part you should be able to easily fall off like the big center platforms on ascension guardian and lockout


i think power weapons should be placed very carefully, but if a map is easy to fall off it can become a very unstable envierment for a player and destroy a map. ontop of that the less jumps the better, it will helps the map ascetics.

[Mango221]

Double walls could easily be used as the ramps, and single walls used as the landings.

As for railings, probably the 'wedge' pieces as seen on the left center of this picture.

http://www.bungie.net/images/News/InlineImages/SandboxCutouts/random.png

Either placed vertically at the very edge of the ramp, or merged in slightly to make a more narrow ramp.

Of course there's also the option of the classic stair pieces for an even narrower ramp, with an under structure that could be used if needed.

-Mango

[Jackass_Jon]

i think power weapons should be placed very carefully, but if a map is easy to fall off it can become a very unstable envierment for a player and destroy a map. ontop of that the less jumps the better, it will helps the map ascetics.

Not nessacarily. Jumps are not a bad thing, they only are not good if they are the only way to get to an area.

[dylman36]

i think power weapons should be placed very carefully, but if a map is easy to fall off it can become a very unstable envierment for a player and destroy a map. ontop of that the less jumps the better, it will helps the map ascetics.
i know they need to be placed carefully but im saying their should be high risk/reward for power weapons and the rest or at least most of the map needs to be forged well enough that people can walk around without worrying about falling off but should be careful if going after a power weapon

[BlackDeath10]

Not nessacarily. Jumps are not a bad thing, they only are not good if they are the only way to get to an area.

I agree with you, thats what i was saying, maby i should have made myself clearer.

In a matter of fact, i think jumps are going to be one of the most important things on a good floating map. We can see this on guardian and loockout.

[dylman36]

it would also be intresting to see maps like epitaph mostly inside but some parts are outside

[xidijin]

What about a design that had two asymmetrical bases connected by a sires of paths from one base to the other. kind of like the pit except it could be more open and involve more team shooting.

[Mango221]

more open and involve more team shooting.

Isn't that what people HATED about isolation in v3?

-Mango

[BlackDeath10]

What about a design that had two asymmetrical bases connected by a sires of paths from one base to the other. kind of like the pit except it could be more open and involve more team shooting.


well if its just ramps and bridges connecting the bases, it would not work out to well.

maby if they where connected by strutures it could work, but i would not call it an asymmetrical map.

it sounds like your thinking of a semi-symmetrical map

[Debo37]

When I built Interrobang, the biggest problems I encountered layout-wise (aside from the darkness above Blackout) were the tendency of people to fall off and the difficulty of blocking key lines of sight. Interrobang was originally going to be a fairly large and wide map, but due to lack of supplies I had to build it around itself in a vertical fashion.

Something key when building a floating map: keeping spaces organic and non-square. Corners don't get used AT ALL unless they're built into the layout like elbow on Lockout/Guardian. Try to keep your large Forged floor spaces rounded in nature (or as rounded as possible), for it seems to promote better awareness of the map and flow around its outside edges. Construct does a great job of keeping its spaces curved.

[WheezyMoney]

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/junction2.png
here is the one way man cannon


http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/junction.png
this is the opposite side of the map


http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/junctionlower1.png
this is the map without the top on it. so you can see underneath


http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/junctionlower2.png
man cannon side without the top on it.


http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/junctioncannon.png
man cannon lift off area. and you can see into the basement


http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/junctionsizecomparison.png
this is a size comparison to seth's canvas. its much higher 3 boxes higher than it.



Junction (http://files.filefront.com/paradiseskp/;13332258;/fileinfo.html)

more pictures to come of the most recent version. the map is hard to understand from the pictures.

[dylman36]

i like it so where does the mancannon go

[WheezyMoney]

i am posting new pictures of the sketchup above. hopefully you will get a better grip of the map.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/orion.png
here is most of it

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/orion1.png
here is where the man cannon is

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/orion2.png
here is the basement of the map. most areas of the map have a route to here.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/orion3.png
here man-cannon side.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/orion4.png
this is the top portion of the map



please note that the edges of the map will be blocked off. but not by the items in the sketch

[jujumonster]

i am posting new pictures of the sketchup above. hopefully you will get a better grip of the map.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/orion.png
here is most of it

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn287/wheezyy/orion3.png
here man-cannon side.

Does the mancannon take them the higher area or the lower and that wrap around walkway in the lower left hand of the first pic looks very sexy

[WheezyMoney]

Does the mancannon take them the higher area or the lower and that wrap around walkway in the lower left hand of the first pic looks very sexy

the lower part. the higher part blocks so you cant fly past it. i think. i wont know until i make it

[bunniesz23]

I have drawn out plans for a symmetrical version of lockout. I will not reveal entire design, and anyo one who steals my idea will be D34p Thr0473d by Bubba.

Ps. I already have it sketched out, and Bubba is real.