The perfect MLG map?

[B3NW]

Okay guys, ive found myself with a lot of extra time on my hand because I wont be on my xbox for a month or so, maybe longer, so with this time basicly im wanting to design the perfect MLG map. Well by perfect I mean what you guys would say is perfect & what YOU want!

All I need you guys to do is suggest overall layout of the map, aesthetics you want encorperated to the map and a theme.

Dont go, "Hey! Wait a minute... You want us to design a map for you!" because that is not what I am asking for at all. I merely want you to suggest the latter parts, not the whole map. I will be taking all your ideas (as long as they are plausable and would work well), designing the map and building the map. Credit will be awarded were needed!

So now all I need you to do is do the best you can to get your ideas across to me, whether that be a detailed peice of text or even a quick picture on paint or whatnot.

Now it is up to you, my imagination is terrible and it takes me a long time to come up with all this and even then some people dont even like that so with this small community input onto a map, we can make an epic map together.

Okay now get going.

PS: I did say I have no imagination, but once someone can get the ball rolling I input alot and I will also suggest ideas myself and you can weave and change it yourself. Plus I will allow a bit of argueing in the thread if you think an idea is stupid, but no flaming, also feel free to change other peoples ideas as well.. :)

[used man]

Do not copy midship, there are a million of those. Try a more gaurdian/lockout design

[Ladnil]

There are multiple gametypes within the category of MLG. You'll get a better map if you specify from the beginning whether you're going for CTF, King, Oddball, or plain Slayer. I'd love to help you out, but I'm sure you'll understand the different gametypes have very different requirements, and it will help your map if it is designed for one specifically from the beginning.

[B3NW]

Originally Posted by used man

Do not copy midship, there are a million of those. Try a more gaurdian/lockout design

Yeah that is the kind I wanted to do, so you think a theme like the trees would be good? some sort of structure coming out of the skybubble floor, varied sizes like a tower and the map attached to those?

Originally Posted by Ladnil

There are multiple gametypes within the category of MLG. You'll get a better map if you specify from the beginning whether you're going for CTF, King, Oddball, or plain Slayer. I'd love to help you out, but I'm sure you'll understand the different gametypes have very different requirements, and it will help your map if it is designed for one specifically from the beginning.

I was thinking more of a slayer and KOTH map, maybe CTF.

Most slayer maps can support KOTH really easily and while im designing I think I will concentrate on KOTH while building so that it doesnt look half assed, I will probally make the main areas of the map (like the top mid of gaurdian) the main parts for the hills etc, and the rest of the map built round that for slayer...

[Ladnil]

For King here's my input.

You want all spawns to be within reasonable distance of the hill. Nobody would seriously want to play King on Narrows, because spawning across the map would hurt too much, and Pit King had a similar problem with the base hills.

The first hill must be absolutely balanced for both teams. If your map is symmetric, that means its on the center line. For asymmetric, you'll have to balance test a lot to get the starting spawns and the first hill location evenly spaced and balanced for power weapons.

All hills need to be exposed. MLG gametypes discourage players from fighting while scoring objective. In oddball and CTF they've done this by making the objective not a one hit beatdown, so fighting while still holding it doesn't work, and in King, they put the hills in exposed positions, but there's always a nearby place to take cover outside of the hill. To save your own life, you have to stop scoring objective. Contrast this with Bungie objective games, where a hill such as Pit's sword bridge hill extends into the OS spawn and you're relatively safe down there, and in CTF you can go on a flag spree if you're campy enough.

Don't put a hill dead center on the map. Others might disagree, but this is the biggest problem I've got with King on Citadel. Inverse symmetry of the map dictates that the first hill has to be in the very middle, for balance's sake, but that hill is exposed from a full 360 degrees, making it extremely difficult to get any decent time on. One game I played on an MLG Citadel King variant, the score at the first hill movement was 10-5. Yeah, combined 15 points in 2 minutes. Construct and Pit put their middle hill on the center line, so both teams have equal access to it, but they've put it off to one side, so it is more like 180 degrees it can be shot from at rather than 360.

Give some variety to hill locations. Up high, down low, different kinds of LOS to watch for. Just don't let it get stale. I recommend checking out some other maps' hill locations and drawing from the ones you like best.

[Dragull]

Do not copy midship, there are a million of those. Try a more gaurdian/lockout design

It would never be in MLG if you are hoping that, now they even took of Guardian from MLG playlist.
Guess what map they put instead? Yeah, Midship.

I'm not saying you should copy Midship, but you should make the map at least symmetrical.

Yeah that is the kind I wanted to do, so you think a theme like the trees would be good? some sort of structure coming out of the skybubble floor, varied sizes like a tower and the map attached to those?

You are using rocks, don't try imitate something that won't look nothing like.
And try making it simple, clean.

Most slayer maps can support KOTH really easily and while im designing I think I will concentrate on KOTH while building so that it doesnt look half assed, I will probally make the main areas of the map (like the top mid of gaurdian) the main parts for the hills etc, and the rest of the map built round that for slayer...

Halo 3 lacks competitive KotH games, its a good choice.

[B3NW]

Thanks for the advice, I was worried the thread would get burried lol.
As I noted, I wont be on for a month or so, so that last suggestion to have a look at other maps is a no can do, im wanting to design the map from scratch and not have to take other proven maps, I want the community to state which they want, but the information you gave me will be usefull.

Im thinking of a symetrical map on symetric gametypes but the maps layout to be built so that on asymetric gametypes it will be asymetric.

For that it would have to be in a sort of H shape

EG.

======
ll
==
==
ll
======

Colour coded sides.
The dark colours are the area of the base that would be inaccessable on asymetric gametypes such as one flag and ffa KOTH.
Obv thats only a basic layout but it will give you the idea.

Originally Posted by Dragull

It would never be in MLG if you are hoping that, now they even took of Guardian from MLG playlist.
Guess what map they put instead? Yeah, Midship.

I'm not saying you should copy Midship, but you should make the map at least symmetrical.

You are using rocks, don't try imitate something that won't look nothing like.
And try making it simple, clean.


Halo 3 lacks competitive KotH games, its a good choice.

1. If the map supports MLG well and plays equally & there is enough demand for the map to be in a playlist then it will get in, they just wouldnt say no, its gaming suicide ;p
2. I understand that, it was just theoretical that idea, as I said not every idea is going to be in the map, its just suggestions and brainstorming. Ill go over the thread when im designing the map.
3. Thats a good thing, I always love KOTH and it keeps away the noobs. Amazing how many times you take over an infection party as leader and everyone scatters when the KOTH emblem destroys the infectious sign ;p

[Atik]

Give people a reason to drop their BR.

Some nice, semi-tight center structure would work. Or bases like on MLG Ldown.

The best MLG games I've ever played are the ones where I was in a firefight with my BR thinking "damn I wish I had snaged that mauler" or "where the hell is an SMG when I need one?"

[B3NW]

So you mean you want people to be forced to use different weapons, not by physically making them, but by making them need to, to win?

PS: Ill edit this post when I look at MLG ldown, with some suggestions to that :)

EDITTED: So a 2 floored base on either side? Its prooven and tested, but is this what everyone really likes?

[Atik]

Originally Posted by B3NW

So you mean you want people to be forced to use different weapons, not by physically making them, but by making them need to, to win?

PS: Ill edit this post when I look at MLG ldown, with some suggestions to that :)

EDITTED: So a 2 floored base on either side? Its prooven and tested, but is this what everyone really likes?

1. Yes, that is what I mean. The team with greater veriety should win. Not just the one with the best sniper.

2. I was moreso referring to a very open base, where you will have a very hard time simply camping there. But multi-floored bases are also nice.