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Improvements And Map Rework Suggestion Of Mor_spaceship

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Hi guys, I am aware of the difficulties behind mapping, and I respect everything that mappers do, especially when its a quality product.

I wanna talk about some changes to space ship, if it were to be done, would make the map better and reflect better on the gamemode known as Morbus. I have included some ROFLMAO pictures for use of inspiration/visualization of the suggested changes.

 

The problems with Spaceship is its circular nature. There are only 2 ways to get to any specific need, but in reality the 2nd choice is often going to be an illusion of choice, with it being a very long way around. (example, if I want to go to showers, and the shortest path to showers is blocked by swarms, I'm going to have to take a very long way around.) Movement of swarms is also limited, there being only 2 ways to get out of the spawn, and the distances to many areas being long.

 

There is also the mind infuriating 'secret path ways' (pathway from shower to eating, and the pathway from eating to the halls that go to showers) where humans can get into these pathways and just camp for the whole duration of the game. The armory has this massive amount of weapons AND medkits in the same room. Showers is also an area with only one entrance, and late game scenarios often end up with humans camping showers, while swarms try to spit them down. The traps that this map has also gives a head ache to server staff, them having to find out who pressed the button and weather or not they were human or alien. Some of these traps just feel 'BS' to play vs.

 

This is the map that has many problems but has been relatively untouched for years, while other maps with minimal problems have been changed and given a new coat of paint.

 

SUGGESTIONS:

 

Remove the secret passages that humans can camp.

 

Re-texture the whole map. Very ugly map and textures.

 

Change/remove the traps. For example, The ramp leading up to bedrooms shouldn't Fling people out of it. Should either be removed or changed so that it just blocks people.

 

Keep the swarm spawn the same! If you want to prevent spawn camping, add a 2nd level above the spawn, and make a circular opening in the ceiling from which swarms can drop down. (add a pool of water at the center of the spawn) I personally think that it should be a hallmark/restraint of the map, where swarms come from the central area, rather than adding vents leading to other areas around the map.

 

Heres the meat of the suggestions:

 

 

ai.imgur.com_tM1roG6.jpg.147f85a0bc5e2dacb6bd97df71e44e26.jpg

 

 

Move the ladder to the room that directs people to eating and bathrooms, and move the showers so that is overhead to it. In the now empty room, add a ramp going up to a new room connecting to showers. (kind of like this http://i.imgur.com/Fg6wNP4.jpg) This gives way to 2 entrances to showers instead of having to go up and down a ladder, and introduces a new direction from which humans have to defend the shower location. Adding a area to get weapons from would also be recommended, or another suggestion would be to put the weapons cache on the bottom of the ramp room.

 

 

ai.imgur.com_x8AWDFZ.jpg.0f4cbd50745d80532276ccf3751f1d84.jpg

 

 

Move bedrooms to a different hallway, extend it a little bit and add 2 entrances to it. Keeping in spirit of the old bedrooms, these entrances would be able to be force locked. Diagonal pathway should be added so that player have a 2nd option to move across a section of a map.

 

 

ai.imgur.com_PNvG0g6.jpg.8a59d17f955c9cafdd50e9220ba084ca.jpg

 

 

Remove the armory. Can be added in with something else latter. Move and extend the bathrooms, so that its longer, and has 2 entrances. Example:

 

 

ai.imgur.com_L9evV6E.thumb.jpg.ae8169bf6ff421a05f04d27b85d38368.jpg

 

 

Horrible mockup, but I hope it gets the point across.

 

 

ai.imgur.com_5SM6YUA.thumb.jpg.233be6cdb6aa525ef8822f879d6468a7.jpg

 

 

This suggestion isnt all important, but move the eating Need, and remove the room. Considerations that might not rlly be important, but adding a supply closet/cache would be cool, and making it so that that the hallway connects to the need more directly instead of having a winding hallway would be nice.

 

If the changes suggested above were to be made, this would go a long way towards making the map great.

REWORK SECTION

This section includes the ideas that may include work that adds more to an already high workload for map changes, or are just ideas that are just 'out there' that may have you asking "wtf goes on in ur mind AP".

 

 

ai.imgur.com_WJEJgYj.jpg.b46e2c5e2049aa2afae19416ea328d03.jpg

 

 

Remove the small pathway that goes from Swarm Spawn to bathrooms, and add a larger pathway, one where 3 humans/swarms/broods can stand side by side and walk through. Having a set of 3 ladders in this pathway would also be recommended.

 

 

ai.imgur.com_eVzCKzd.thumb.jpg.1be83fa8e6c9ba1313f5dc647afed166.jpg

 

 

Connection of the pathway to bathrooms. If you wanted to readd the armory, consider doing it with an 'over watch' station, which would be watching over the area. You could add breakable windows to the overwatch station, and have the left side of it boarded up, so that you could not see who or what is entering through the pathway or left side of the bathrooms, unless you move out of it. This would add some interesting game play to this section of the area.

 

 

ai.imgur.com_a7XVrGa.thumb.jpg.c883a1ebbac0e25c724315b067b18362.jpg

 

 

(this is a pic of the original map.) The final suggestion is 'way out there' compared to the previous suggestions, and is the main part of the 'rework'. Make the swarm spawn the center of the map. Move the hallway that goes from bed to eating away from the spawn, but add two entrances that connect together then connect to the spawn, and make the hallway that goes from piss to showers, connect to the swarm spawn.

 

 

ai.imgur.com_kjITHrj.thumb.jpg.e826dd1c58f49b3178c4dd18b6fac0f9.jpg

 

 

Both a visualization of the last suggested change, and summarizes all the rest of the changes. Swarm spawn has 3 ways to exit out of the room. The section with the multiple rafters would be moved so that it's across from the 2nd entrance to the bathrooms, and the hallway goes underneath the bathrooms and connects to the swarm spawn at its mid point now. The ramp that leads into bedrooms would be connected on the left side of the hallway, rather than right.

 

Filler rooms could be added behind the light switch area if there's a need to make the map use more space.

 

OFC, I expect the last suggestion made to be unfeasible, its likely that moving around large chucks of maps is very time consuming and open to alot of problems, but may as well be worth listing, as I believe that if it were to be done, the map would benefit so very much from it.

 

As always, I am willing to help with the arming files for this map.

 

Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms?

Edited by Vertex (see edit history)

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  • Retexturing the map and making the swarm spawn in (or less) accessible to humans would definitely be an improvement.
    • That being said, it would take a moderately skilled mapper to do better than Remscar on texturing.

  • A lot of maps like spaceship still need arming file improvements. @Makr6e6 was doing this, but has been inactive for awhile.
    • Spaceship was never completed and could definitely use some minor improvements to weapon placements.

Other than that, I have a very conservative stance on certain maps like spaceship. The saying "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" definitely applies here for trying to improve the most popular and played map of all time. Something was clearly done right, as people love the map.

 

Edit: The map was actually being played too much. A minor change a month ago reduced it to 14%.

[xG] XenoGamers.com | Morbus [NA] [garrysmod] Garry's Mod

Edited by Guest (see edit history)

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  • Retexturing the map and making the swarm spawn in (or less) accessible to humans would definitely be an improvement.
    • That being said, it would take a moderately skilled mapper to do better than Remscar on texturing.

  • A lot of maps like spaceship still need arming file improvements. @Makr6e6 was doing this, but has been inactive for awhile.
    • Spaceship was never completed and could definitely use some minor improvements to weapon placements.

Other than that, I have a very conservative stance on certain maps like spaceship. The saying "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" definitely applies here for trying to improve the most popular and played map of all time. Something was clearly done right, as people love the map.

 

Edit: The map was actually being played too much. A minor change a month ago reduced it to 14%.

[xG] XenoGamers.com | Morbus [NA] [garrysmod] Garry's Mod

A decent majority of the player base also doesn't know how to play Brood or thinks that broods are weak :p

 

Heres Brother Frank's thoughts on the changes/map.

>
AP Art History: Improvements And Map Rework Suggestion Of Mor_spaceship tell me what you think
Brother Frank: So far I'm agreeing on most of what you said, especially on moving the beds and removing the death trap replacing it with a weapons cache.
Brother Frank: However it shouldn't have too good of stuff as its meant to be the shower room.
Brother Frank: The armory on the spaceship map makes sense where it is and I feel that should be the only main place for equipment.
AP Art History: Makes sense
AP Art History: noted
Brother Frank: As for removing the long tunnels humans like to camp in, I disagree with that.
Brother Frank: Its honestly just a delaying tactic that only works when players on the server are new.
Brother Frank: If the ship has lost that many people to the point where someone is actually hiding in those spots, he's dead anyway.
Brother Frank: But I do get that its a delaying tactic, so I'm torn on whether those spots should be removed or not.
AP Art History: Eh, I disagree, I've seen many a game where 2-3 humans get into the passages and just camp with a heavy machine gun
AP Art History: + medkits
Brother Frank: I can see where you're going with that, but they will eventually run out of ammo/die to bouncy spit.
Brother Frank: Or a brood can leap up and get behind them.
Brother Frank: with a grenade or something like that.
AP Art History: they can turn around and take care of that tho
Brother Frank: Of course, this is assuming your brood is smart.
AP Art History: like iniorder to get leap
Brother Frank: Which, as we both know, isn't always a thing.
AP Art History: i need at least 3 lvls in order to get accsess to the upgrade path for leap
Brother Frank: I'll concede and agree that the removal of those spots is for the best when it comes to that map.
Brother Frank: It'll help the map overall.
AP Art History: but thats like 4 lvls total, its like if  i go defence brood, i have to make sure that no one gets to that spot, which may not be always possible
Brother Frank: Yeah I understand what you're saying.
Brother Frank: Its for the best to remove it.
Brother Frank: Back to the armory, I think the 1 main pathway should stay the same.
Brother Frank: However
Brother Frank: add a few vents leading to it from the swarm spawn room.
Brother Frank: This will make it harder for humans to camp and also give aliens more of a chance should they have a lot of guys there.
AP Art History: noted
Brother Frank: Of course, the same grenade strat fixes all those issues.
Brother Frank: But again, not every brood knows to do that.
Brother Frank: As for the rest of the changes, I agree with them all but the changes to where the food area is located.
Brother Frank: I do hope the mapmakers take a look at that, as I think the map is definitely in need of a rework.
Brother Frank: A big change to the ladders leading up to the bathrooms & beds is also in order.
Brother Frank: Correct me if I'm wrong, but do you not have any suggestions for the showers?
Brother Frank: I could just not be seeing it.
AP Art History: I think i added it to the start of the screen shots
Brother Frank: Ah yeah I'm blind
Brother Frank: I read over it, looked farther down, and called myself stupid.
AP Art History: ahahah
Brother Frank: Yeah fuck those ladders man.
AP Art History: indeed
Brother Frank: 100% in favor of a ramp.

 

I kinda disagree with his points on adding vents to the armory, as I think that the map shouldn't be so reliant on swarms to win the map game, as compared with Broods, but I think its a somewhat valid idea. TY brother Frank.

Edited by Guest (see edit history)

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I agree with removing the secret rooms, changing the traps so that they don't kill, and adding additional paths to several of the rooms. imo the Swarm spawn as a whole needs to be inaccessible to humans.

Really the biggest problems with Spaceship as I see it are the Secret rooms and Showers. Just removing the secrets and adding an additional way into showers will solve the balance issues with the map itself. I don't see the armory to be that good of a camping spot, as the group can rush and overwhelm you from around the corner, or just simply Brood Nade you, but adding another path to it still wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

I have a very conservative stance on certain maps like spaceship. The saying "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" definitely applies here for trying to improve the most popular and played map of all time. Something was clearly done right, as people love the map.

It has some serious balance issues. It has 3 camping spots (4 if you count armory) that are very hard for the aliens to enter and then kill whoever inside, has a campable swarm spawn which I used to get complaints about regularly, and has a laser trap that forces you to take the long way around to the top half of the map when the server is populated. I think people just liked playing it because the map was easy to learn, easy to camp, and you could win without having to group up, move around the map, and work as a team.

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Spaceship has a lot of unique aspects. The map shouldn't butchered into anther chemical labs or ptmc in the name of gamemode balance.

  • Taking the long way around isn't something I have a problem doing. It splits humans up, which is very good for aliens.

 

However, there's definitely some things that could be done to improve the map.

  • The shower secret tunnel above the map could be more accessible to aliens.
  • The lasers at food could be setup like the trap is with cooldowns and delays.
    • But with no damage caused as normal.

Edited by Vertex (see edit history)

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I can understand with the camping spots. It does delay the round a lot and that's where humans would go as a last resort. I do like the idea of having swarm being able to access those parts to get the remaining humans who stay in those spots. Either way, humans will meet their end somehow, if they play it right.

 

Ladders, they can burn for all that matter. Having different ways with ramps or other access points, as you presented here, would be better. It would end the "Dying due to ladder" part easily.

 

Apart from that, I do agree with Stickz. It is one of the maps that is played a lot and if there are changes to it, people might be disinterested and leave. It is a risk that could be taken but maybe like another version of the map that can be voted like breach is?

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Spaceship has a lot of unique aspects. The map shouldn't butchered into anther chemical labs or ptmc in the name of gamemode balance.

  • Taking the long way around isn't something I have a problem doing. It splits humans up, which is very good for aliens.

 

However, there's definitely some things that could be done to improve the map.

  • The shower secret tunnel above the map could be more accessible to aliens.
  • The lasers at food could be setup like the trap is with cooldowns and delays.
    • But with no damage caused as normal.

I agree, which is why I dont think the swarms should be able to access every single area with vents, like the recent trend thats been happening in morbus maps. I think that swarm movement around the map should be limited, they arent the faction that are supposed to be winning the game, that should go to the brood.

 

I also think that some traps, like for example the bedroom doors, should stay intact. Making the lasers at food just block for a certain amount of time would be great for the map. However, the 'secret areas' should just go. They just ruin fairly played rounds of morbus, Much like the secret room in facility.

 

I do not think that would be butchering the map into another one, I think that the map would still have many of its characteristic's left intact, its long hallways, the room with its many rafters, the showers would still be there, the 1 light switch, The layout is just about the same, but with more options. I think were the overwatch area to be added, it would be a valid replacement to the armory , be a memorable set peice, and be more cohesive with gameplay.

 

Newer players are often the ones that enjoy this map the most, and they are the one group that cares the least about changes (I'd say that the newer players would benefit the most from these changes, as they do not know about the 'secret' areas, and often times they will die to traps alot. The pathway to Need locations are also very well marked, keep them well marked and they will still horde to this map!). People will vote for isolation just b/c theres an Alien's game with Isolation in the name. I believe that the people that vote for spaceship choose it b/c it says in the name its set in a spaceship.

Edited by Guest (see edit history)

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