FH SketchUp Feedback Thread

TKS x MoNsTeR x · 07-14-2009

[Banner by Icecikle]

The purpose of this thread is to allow you forgers to post your SketchUp Designs for everyone here at ForgeHub to give feedback on. The only posts made in this thread should be designs or feedback to those designs. Everyone needs to stay on topic and follow the forum rules.

Things to Include in your Post:
Design Posters:
- Include a name and author.
- Embedded pictures of the design.
- Download link to the SketchUp file.
- Additional info.

Design Critiques:
- Constructive criticism about the design.
- Likes and dislikes. (Dislikes include a solution.)
- Real value. (How good do you think the design will be in forge.)

Links:
Google SketchUp 7
Tutorial
SketchUp Compression Guide

Designs:
-Expanse
by TheEpicCiabatta

-Plex & Anomaly
by Solo

-MLG Daedelus
by CerberusBeast

TheEpicCiabatta · 07-14-2009

I might as well start this thread off.

A while back, I posted my asymmetrical disasterpiece known as Expanse (if you are unaware of Expanse's existence, you can view the map thread here). Despite completion of the map on Foundry, the limited number of items and budget, as well as a bit of a size issue (too big vertically as compared to horizontally), caused the map to have some major flaws, and it never achieved the success I had hoped it to. After the release of Sandbox, the occasional person would come along and ask me if I was remaking Expanse on sandbox. I replied "no" every time, but in the back of my head, an idea took root. What if I were to make Expanse on sandbox? What if I were to remove the flaws and make the map like I had wanted it to be?

And so I began to sketch. I sketched and sketched and sketched and sketched and sketched and sketched and sketched some more, and now, finally, after struggling to run Sketchup on the worst computer ever, and after putting my numerous notes, drawings, and ideas together on Sketchup on the worst computer ever, my design was finished. It incorporates everything I wanted Expanse to have, but just couldn't; looming and intimidating structures, connected by catwalks and ramps and the like, strung together and balanced beyond perfectly.

And now, without further ado, I bring you the one none of you have been waiting for. It's Expanse... but better.

Overview:

When beginning my design, I wanted to transfer the better parts of the original design from foundry to sandbox, while injecting elements that I had been unable to before. When designing, I made sure to blend all these elements together at the right consistency, designing a map that should play very similar to chess with guns.

How does this work? By balancing points A, B, C, and D perfectly so that players X, Y, and Z will have the advantage over one another based on the situation. For example, let's say that a player is at top mid, another at S3, and another at graveyard. because of arrangement of the pillars at mid and S3, the player at top mid will have a natural advantage against the player at S3, while the player in graveyard will be more protected against top mid than S3 due to the angle of the graveyard pieces. Every part, and I mean literally every part, has been constructed with its strengths and weaknesses against any other given part though through more than any other map I've ever designed.

Custom:

Not many changes here. The biggest change was the widening of the staircase behind custom, making the area feel much less cramped. The tough arch geo will be to replicate the jump from the foundry garage to C3, serving to depower the C3 juggernaut. The only other change is the weird pillar, but there's only one "normal" pillar on the map, as well as the redesigned cross and addition of the island thingy, but more on that later.

Sniper:

As much as I would have liked to have kept the slanting penis wall, the new camo would've made making this section of wall an absolute pain, so the back part of leaningness has been eradicated, and the block large things have been added to break the line of sight along that wall and provide somewhat meager cover. S1 has been redesigned to support the new graveyard, and S2 now sports a snazzy curved ramp. As before, sniper and the elbows are vulnerable to top mid, but have a heavy advantage over the ground floor.

Rocket:

Rocket base has experienced a complete overhaul, with the addition of an actual R3 and geometry that will provide safer spawning options, as well as making rocket valuable to hold and control over the course of the game, instead of just once every 3 minutes.

Camo:

Camo is fresh and hot, and no longer a place you go when you feel like dying. Gay corner is much less gay, and since there is no metal to be found, metal and curved ramp has been converted to a mound of wedge large sexiness. Under the camo/rocket catwalk, a small "goldyard" has been added for spawning and LOS breaking purposes.

Mid:

Mid has become a section of the map even more valuable to control than ever, as the addition of a pillar on the garage side of top mid gives it cover from custom. Teams holding mid as part of a well thought out push or retreat will be able to counter any of the bases during these crucial moments.

Graveyard:

Like camo, graveyard is no longer a place to go when you want to die. with the addition of the base in the sniper corner, graveyard is no longer just a graveyard, it's a way of life.

Weird little island thingy between rocket and custom:

A new addition to the Expanse design, the island will open up a much needed route from C2 to R3 and back, as well as providing some safe spawning options and geo'ed sex with the map's second amazing wedge contraption.

Well, I would write more, but I burned myself out on the beginning of the post (even though I now only have to write up about half of the thread when the map gets made) and am kinda tired right now. You can download the sketchup file to get a better look at the design, if you want.

TKS x MoNsTeR x · 07-15-2009

Thanks for getting this going.

I must say that this looks pretty darn good.

The crooked columns seem to be very balanced and they add much "natural" cover.
The cover on sniper is nice. I love the block off on the snipe corners as they are not just straight, they have some shape that adds some "natural" cover that I like.

One thing that is bothering me is the amount of walls that you walk on. You're going to have to play with them a lot to make them as smooth as possible.

There is a column at an angle beside a block double at an angle bottom mid. There is a "slit" between them. Can you go through there or is it just a window type thing?

Overall, I think this map is very original, has great "natural" cover, and will turn out great in Forge. Keep it up Ciabatta.

TheEpicCiabatta · 07-15-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by TKS x MoNsTeR x

Thanks for getting this going.

I must say that this looks pretty darn good.

The crooked columns seem to be very balanced and they add much "natural" cover.
The cover on sniper is nice. I love the block off on the snipe corners as they are not just straight, they have some shape that adds some "natural" cover that I like.

One thing that is bothering me is the amount of walls that you walk on. You're going to have to play with them a lot to make them as smooth as possible.

There is a column at an angle beside a block double at an angle bottom mid. There is a "slit" between them. Can you go through there or is it just a window type thing?

Overall, I think this map is very original, has great "natural" cover, and will turn out great in Forge. Keep it up Ciabatta.

Thanks for the feedback. To answer a couple of your questions, the slit is a window. I also seem to have an inhuman amount of luck when it comes to making the Sandbox walls work the way I want them to.

TKS x MoNsTeR x · 07-15-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheEpicCiabatta

I also seem to have an inhuman amount of luck when it comes to making the Sandbox walls work the way I want them to.

That seems like it would come in handy.
I want to see this map. Have you started forging it?

TheEpicCiabatta · 07-15-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by TKS x MoNsTeR x

That seems like it would come in handy.
I want to see this map. Have you started forging it?

Not yet. I don't have Xbl or Sandbox access until late August.

TKS x MoNsTeR x · 07-15-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheEpicCiabatta

Not yet. I don't have Xbl or Sandbox access until late August.

Yuck. That sucks.
Well, count me in when you get it.

*More SketchUps please!

Solo · 07-15-2009

Plex (Designed by ZoroSeerus)

Anomaly

I'm not in the right mindset to type a summary about each design, but opinions on them are greatly appreciated. :D

Cerberus Beast · 07-15-2009

HOLY SHIT. Solo, those are some amazing symmetricals you have there. Personally I think Plex will end up better than Anomaly, mostly because the lines-of-sight appear much more managed. My only worry is that it doesn't appear that there will be much incentive to go along the ground floor of the map, particularly by the tube columns. Otherwise, Plex looks like it would play very well.

Solo · 07-15-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerberus Beast

HOLY SHIT. Solo, those are some amazing symmetricals you have there. Personally I think Plex will end up better than Anomaly, mostly because the lines-of-sight appear much more managed. My only worry is that it doesn't appear that there will be much incentive to go along the ground floor of the map, particularly by the tube columns. Otherwise, Plex looks like it would play very well.

Thanks for the feedback, man. That was actually a concern of mine as well. I had a talk with ZoroSeerus (the guy who designed Plex) and we discussed the possibility of another raised level by the side tube structures. That will hopefully balance out the hight variation, since there isn't much to begin with. I know what you mean though, you're either on the floor or the mainframe.

As for Anomaly, that is my design. I thought about MLG Impact by Kon Artist while designing it as inspiration. Since it's a 1v1 map I tried to incorporate LOS blockers as actual playing surfaces. If you look at the center piece, it's easily accessible by a jump and can be used as the main control point. Although it also has function in limiting viewpoints directly from one side to another. Ultimately allowing players to spawn safely in the corners or down below on the middle level. It's a pretty efficient little gadget. :D

Thanks again for the constructive criticism!