Pyramids
Pyramids! I've been over-hyping this one as per my standard.
The main idea behind this map was to make flags a little harder to get: they're on top of pyramids (you have no idea how hard it is to find names for maps in these cases...) that the would-be flag-capper must climb. The idea went from there to give me a desert-themed map. I also thought up a ground-level sniper nest (like the ones near CP3 in dustbowl) where the snipers had no choice but to shoot at players: the ground from the sniper nest rises, eliminating the traditional (and sad) sniperwar phenomenon. Basically, since the snipers can't see each other, the only thing they have to shoot at are good targets. Also, following with my gimmick trend (Pyramids has plenty), I implemented a secondary entrance because of these forcibly-useful sniper nests: the Triple-pass Shooting-gallery Vent-shaft Access (name in development)! What this means to you is that to get into the secondary entrance, you have to run through that kind of waiting queue thing in amusement parks to get to the crates in front of the vent. Snipers get plenty of chances to pick you off, and you can't jump over the railings (you can crouch under, but that makes you an easy target). Aren't I EVIL? It's worth it though, because that vent leads you directly on top of the flag. Litterally. You fall right on top of the pyramid, onto the flag.
The whole angle I'm trying to work on this map is creating a well-balanced map on the first try. The defence has is pretty easy with this map: there's no water entrance per s�, and all secondary entrances begin smack in the middle of the map, in plain view of any snipers you may have. But this was all taken into consideration and I intend to more-than-make it up for the O side: All in all, there's going to be four ways to end up in the enemy flag room. The normal, "run-until-you-get-there" way, the "bust-a-vent-grate-and-crawl" entrance that'll lead you to the FR doorway (read: slightly more subtle way in), the "detpack-the-friggen-wall-to-kingdom-come" method (A "broken" door in the flag room you can detpack, sending the door litterally flying onto the pyramid, may be fixable by engineer), and lastly the "Never know what hit'em" entrance (the triple-pass vent access thingy that lands you on the flag).
Four entrance ranging from the subtle (Hmm, a vent grate near the front door.. I wonder what this does) to the downright Schwarzeneggeresque (See door. See door fly.)... Along with a respawn room that leaves you in complete darkness and falling from a good 40 feet in the air, completely clueless about your orientation (to slow down the D), this map looks like the most promising I've done yet. Then again, PanzyDM2 isn't that hard to beat.
The Screenshots
I just KNOW you've been wanting more of these, showing the progress done on Pyramids since the last batch I put up, but there's a few problems with the map right now causing problems to anyone who tries to play it (other than me, I run it just fine), so keep in mind everything you see may not be final. Also, for the moment being, I don't have any new screenies. You can put the pitchforks and torches away, though, because the map still looks mostly the same, albeit better lighted.
First off, a few outside shots. You may want to think about increasing the gamma on your monitors for these... Compilation problems made the map a tad darker than I wanted.
1.The Fence
2.The Fence, sniper nest view, and a bit of the entrance.
3.Best looking one yet: The Flag Room. Textures have changed since this shot was taken.
4.Too-dark shot of the main hall with the flag room entrance. I was planning a little more detailing in here, it looks too plain.
5.Detail shot of the flag room entrance doorway. I especially like what I did with the logo; it's on two sections of walls, in a very slight V shape. Looks good.
6.The Ramp. I'm standing at the very end of it at the top, looking in. The future vent-grate will be on the left side, probably halfway in.
7.Caption says it all, really. Not-so-subtle entrance's future location.
8.The single one thing that makes me most proud in this map: the staircase. Look closely and you can make out team logos on the FRONT of the steps. Get too close to the staircase and you miss the bigger picture.
9.Ensemble view, old triple-pass. Everything is changed except the crates.
10.The crates in question. The vent is implemented for the blue base, still working out the red bases' thing.
11.A little treat for you curious types. That black funnel thing is the respawn seen from outside. To the left of that is the flag room. There's mere seconds apart, so the funnel was a way of delaying respawning players just for a few seconds.
12.The vent's exit. Right over the flag. Oh, and I was holding the enemy flag to, uh, test... the, erm, cap points. Yeah that's it.
13.View from above. I LOVE those shadows... Don't you?