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  1. #1
    Farcryisdead's Avatar
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    Multiplayer map tips

    Some tips for multiplayer map making (tdm only)

    - forget weapon placements they kill flow. give the player full loadouts. if weapon placement was good for map flow you would see it in call of duty, but you dont.

    - dont put all spawns in one building, spread them out to give players an escape route when the other team are trying to trap you.

    - all routes should have a different look to prevent confusion.

    - no clutter that stops players fast flow, using crates up against walls for cover is fine.

    - no dead ends.

    - put landmarks around the map so players can get their bearings fast, like a tall mountain outside one part of the map and a tower at the other end.

    - dont kill the framerate with over done custom work, kill the framerate, you kill the fun.

    - consistant theme through out the map, example of what not to do - old style wooden doors on a cabin of a modern jumbo jet.

    - dont make the map too big.

    - give it an easy name to remember.

    - good screenshot.
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  2. #2
    All good tips. I do full load outs but some weapon pick ups on certain maps too. For example i'll have a sniper load out but i will also place a sniper rifle pick up in a good sniping spot. So if a player didn't have the sniper load out they can pick one up. I don't always do that. But that's the extent of my weapon pickups with maybe an occasional rocket launcher and extra throwables. But i never design the map to be based on pick ups. Always offer full loadouts
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  3. #3
    All good points except for this one:

    forget weapon placements they kill flow. give the player full loadouts. if weapon placement was good for map flow you would see it in call of duty, but you dont.

    Firstly; it's very subjective. If you're making a load-out-oriented map, that's perfectly fine, but "arena" style maps work perfectly well also.

    The design process for both is nuanced. If you're placing weapons on a map, you need to ask yourself why you're placing that weapon there and how that weapon will effect the flow of the map.

    Obviously we're allowed to place weapons in PVP for a reason; to give us creative freedom to develop any style of map you want.

    I also don't know why you're using CoD as the gold standard for good MP level design. Halo, Quake, Doom, even Battlefield ect are well established successful franchises that all utilize arena style weapon placement. Is the level design for those games inherently bad because you're not giving the player everything they need off the bat?

    And on that point; You really aren't giving them everything they may need. Sure, you can toss them armor, medkits and grenades, but you're never going to design a loadout that satisfies everyone.

    I could also argue that by giving the player everything they need, you're making combat less challenging and more stale. Properly placed power weapons or unique weapons can offer a really fun experience since they give players a clear goal to control on the map that could help them win.

    Just my two cents on that subject. Feel free to design loadout oriented maps or arena styled ones. Just put thought into what you're placing and where you're placing it.

    I would also recommend actually sketching your idea on paper. It will provide you with a better perspective about how you're planning player routes, and how your battle areas work. The final product doesn't have to be a carbon copy of your original idea. Chances are, you will change and tweak things along the way, but keeping a solid vision in mind can help stop you from getting lost if you're doing everything on the fly.

    That said; different methods for different people, pen and paper before I touch the editor works well enough for me.
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  4. #4
    It’s all subjective but I disagree with point 1. It can be done right. With my Siege map, load outs are pretty good. I’ve just updated them, since Ubi allowed us to use more guns. That said, weapon placement can be good if done right. For instance, Launchers. I don’t feel it’s a good idea to start with launchers. But place a launcher or two with limited ammo, and suddenly it becomes a hot point for the map. But it’s gotta be smart. Perhaps starting with a pump action shorty, but placing a spas 12 for more semi auto action for somebody who loves CQB.

    So it can work
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  5. #5
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    Yea I'm the same with adding maybe a launcher and a SPAS, but usually place them in a difficult or risky place to get to and of course away from the flow of the main gameplay routes.

    Having them all over the place does break flow so I agree on that point, but adding a couple of extra guns if people are looking for them is a win when the player finds them.

    I agree with all those points but would add that fast flow is great for run-and-gunners but also have areas for snipers to sit and camp. Not all players want to run around like headless chickens.
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  6. #6
    Farcryisdead's Avatar
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    I used call of duty as an example because it's known that the cod studios, infinity ward, treyarch, sledgehammer games employ the worlds top talent when it comes to multiplayer level design, and it's the most popular well known multiplayer shooter of all time. you cant over look call of duty when it comes to mp level design, it's the gold standand of mp level design imo, i dont rate CSGO maps, way over rated.
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  7. #7
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    One more tip from me.

    -To completely avoid spawn killing and have a specific spot for spawns for each team (because spreading out players may risk players reaching the other team faster and giving an unfair advantage), use Team-specific areas, where only one team can access. For example, where Team A spawns, make it a room that Team B cannot access or toss throwables. Also, give that room multiple exits that connect to the map so the team has ways to flank anyone trying to get a kill off players coming from the main entrance to the level. This is a bit more challenging to design, but it balances the map greatly for both teams.
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  8. #8
    @ aw_lost_soldier
    WOW that's some serious bias there my friend. You really think CoD is more well known than Halo, Counter Strike, Doom, Quake, Battlefield, overwatch? Or the most popular "of all time"?

    Sorry, but that's just flat out wrong. Tell me, if CoD is that popular and the gold standard of mp level design, why are COD competitive tournaments barely a footnote in the esports scene? Why does CSGO ROUTINELY make the top most watched streams on twitch and have 430k people playing the game as we speak?

    Also to say that those developers "employ the world's top talent" is utterly meaningless. Every AAA developer is employing "the world's top talent". In fact, I don't think any developer is looking for bargain level designers when they're making a game.

    I also never said CoD's level design should be overlooked. It has it's own niche and style of gameplay. I'm telling you to not dismiss other styles of MP design simply because you like CoD's. That's a great way to limit your potential and stagnate if you're creating the same types of maps all the time.
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  9. #9
    Farcryisdead's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by framperton Go to original post
    @ aw_lost_soldier
    WOW that's some serious bias there my friend. You really think CoD is more well known than Halo, Counter Strike, Doom, Quake, Battlefield, overwatch? Or the most popular "of all time"?

    Sorry, but that's just flat out wrong. Tell me, if CoD is that popular and the gold standard of mp level design, why are COD competitive tournaments barely a footnote in the esports scene? Why does CSGO ROUTINELY make the top most watched streams on twitch and have 430k people playing the game as we speak?

    Also to say that those developers "employ the world's top talent" is utterly meaningless. Every AAA developer is employing "the world's top talent". In fact, I don't think any developer is looking for bargain level designers when they're making a game.

    I also never said CoD's level design should be overlooked. It has it's own niche and style of gameplay. I'm telling you to not dismiss other styles of MP design simply because you like CoD's. That's a great way to limit your potential and stagnate if you're creating the same types of maps all the time.
    I hardly play cod any more. these are the mp games ive played over the years, 1000's of hours in each franchise. mw1,mw2,mw3,waw,bo1,bo2,bo3,ghosts,AW,IW,WW2, BFBC2,BF3,BF4,BFHL,BF1. MOH 2010, MOH WF, FC2,FC3,FC5. played some CSGO but hated it. crysis 2, crysis 3. some of halo didn't like it. SW battlefront. some of GOW didn't like. most of my play time is on battlefield games, but i still say cod has the best mp tdm maps. dice are great at large scale conquest maps, but im only talking about fc5 tdm with my tips. ive changed the OP to include the words tdm only, stop people getting confused with objective based maps.
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  10. #10
    While cod has it's fair share of great maps, I would never consider it the gold standard of level design. There's so many poorly designed maps throughout the series that the title just isn't reasonable.
    Countdown from Modern Warfare had an incredible disadvantage placed on close quarters players, forcing a certain playstyle.
    Stonehaven from Ghosts was aesthetically pleasing but not at all fun to play on.
    Fuel from MW2 was garbage.
    Carrier in Black Ops 2
    Crisis from Black Ops 1
    Free Fall from ghosts
    Downturn from MW3
    I could go on, but the fact is that Cod maps not only stick to a three lane layout that is rarely strayed from- leading to incredibly samey gameplay; there's also an abundance of awful maps and it shouldn't be heralded as some of the best level design.

    Originally Posted by AW LOST SOLDIER Go to original post
    Some tips for multiplayer map making (tdm only)
    - forget weapon placements they kill flow. give the player full loadouts. if weapon placement was good for map flow you would see it in call of duty, but you dont.
    .
    Designing maps around and with weapon placements is a tried and true method for quality maps. Halo 1 to Reach stand out as a verification of this.
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