CEG battle pack

History

This stems from Eidridin-s idea to get some competitive maps in the warband scene to perhaps bring in more balanced maps (shouldnt be too hard). Plus, from the scrim videos ive seen - nothing seems worse than playing random plains.

Now Im not getting into the subject of what the competitive scene needs (class balancing, more competitive clans, maps, etc...) If you want to discuss that go on taleworlds. It is clear though, from what ive read, that most clans would like to see new maps. The thread Eidridin started sparked a lot of interest from people, but they either don-t have mapping talents or time. So I thought, isn-t that CEG-s business.

Concerned taleworlds threads:
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,184670.0.html
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,190386.0.html

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Proposal

My proposal is that we, at CEG, produce a "third-party" (not quite exactly third-party as some of us might end up playing the maps competitively) battle map pack. I-ve seen this done in a lot of shooter games, where an pseudo-organization produces a competitive map pack. And since it has the looks of a professionally made pack - its already halfway accepted.

As far as Im concerned, the best mappers are here, and so its only natural that we should be making this map pack if there-s ever one.

If a pack is produced - it could be used in kboobs, in the ENL and in ROCK. We simply have to push it on the organizers. If they-re hesitant, they can add one map at a time.

Of course - these competitions would not be using the maps until their next season - which gives us time.

What id like is a list of mappers interested in making one map (at least).

We can use this thread to display final works, mappers can use their own threads to show their ongoing work (just as usual).

Ill be PMing people as this isn-t the most active forum.

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Specifics

As far as deadline - lets set it for the end of september. So everyone has basically 1 month to submit their stuff. We might extend it if we feel theres not enough - but Im guessing it will be enough.

With regards to the specifics of the maps. I dont want to set too much. Pretty much just the common sense mapping rules (no traps, glitches, no 1mb map plz, balanced spawns).

Of course we're looking for balanced maps (spawnwise - mapwise (equal access to advantageous parts))
Reduce camping possibilities
No insanely huge open areas (a la random plains)

I don-t want to restrict too much, do what you think would be a great battle map and we-ll see.

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Mappers

spec

• Bezan Sea Shore
  sco : http://www.mediafire.com/?ncb9hxz8flqqr7q
  scene code : 0x00000000d007abd20002c8b1000050c50000752a0000788c
  Info : https://cegmb.forumotion.com/t41-ceg-battle-pack#360
  

Lor

• Palm Alley
  sco: http://www.mediafire.com/?4gn30amhwtp5kqz
  scene code: 0x00000000300005000006b9ac000069a200000e5b0000795b
  Info : https://cegmb.forumotion.com/t41p20-ceg-battle-pack#411
  

Eidridin
Lor
Vendigr
DBD

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Eidridin has full credit and ownership on the project -as its mostly his idea im trying to catalyze.

Sounds like a good idea, I'd be happy to contribute multiple maps to it. We'll have to rigorously test them for bugs and balance issues though. Hopefully if GK finally gets its new server we can run them on battle/TDM and see how they play. That, or we can schedule map-testing events.

Same here. I planned on making a bunch of TDM/Battle oriented maps once we get our new box up. We could upload it to MBrepository as well for easy DL access.

Yay! I'll get working on a Battle Map right away!

I've been very busy recently, but I'll try to get some proper stuff finished within the next month, this is a great opportunity to show what the community mappers can do.

Starting a Battle Map involving ruins.. Named it the Dark Crossroads.

Sounds awesome, can't wait to see it. Maybe I should include Ruins Struggle as my first map for this, it's very nice for Battle/TDM.

working on one which should be a tiny castle-town not sure about the name yet

Okay, I had this one still WIP and finished it now. There's a few things I need to mention, however.

Firstly: The balance of that map is not a mirror balance and might require playtesting. This means that one team spawns at the beach, and one on elevated terrain with lots of cover. They are far enough apart for the beach team to make their initial moves, and there's several paths to take to avoid having the beach team run into an easily camped position, but it's still clear that the beach team is the assaulting team and the forest team the defending one - the play styles are NOT equal, but I hope they will still be reasonably balanced. Here's a picture for reference: http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/117601969-4.jpg

There is a few main points of interest, as you can see. The bridge in the foreground leads nowhere, but can be used by archers to cover the only way up to the castle (the steep hills are not climbable; I'm experimenting with terrain limiting movement, to have obstacles that block the path of players but are NOT solid cover at the same time). The castle itself is pretty much like the Ruins in Ruins, just smaller. It has the same archway, a few small walls, and the ruined tower. One of the flag spawns is located here, making it an important strategical position. It's easier for the defending team to reach this place, but going here is a gamble. While it might be the prefect position to defend, if the flag spawns elsewhere, it's also the place from which it takes the longest time to get anywhere. The defenders could, for example, station a part of their force here while having the rest mobile. In the far background, you see another part that kind of looks like the hill the castle is on, but without a castle. It's easy to reach for both teams and also contains a possible flag spawn. In the middle is the third hill which can also be used by both teams to an equal degree, and can be used to attack both the castle and the other hill from. All three hills are connected on the left side (in the picture). Additionally, the middle and background hill are connected with a small bridge. Between the three hills (invisible here) is a small river that goes through a cave (non-enterable) through the middle hill. Two bridges cross that river (both bridges going from left/right / right/left, on the picture, the river flowing from the foreground to the background). The last flag spawn is somewhere in the forest, rather far away from the castle, on the path leading up to the opposite hill (making that hill, although harder to defend, more important tactically).

The attacking team is best off adjusting their strategy to the defenses they face. If the castle is well defended, it might be best to secure the other hill and have twice as high of a chance to be close to a flag spawn. If the enemy does not defend the castle very well, they could dispatch a small unit to capture and hold it in the case of a flag spawning there, while having the rest of their forces mobile and able to capture the other two flags. The defense can either play archer and infantry-heavy, defending the flag spawns, but risk having to split their forces, or give up that advantage of positioning for more mobility and the ability to change their strategy according to the attackers approach, by incorporating cavalry forces.

The relatively dense foilage on this map provides concealment, making archers not incapable of shooting at long ranges, but severely limiting their efficiency. Cavalry has the advantage of mobility and being able to surprise the enemy, but the large amount of trees as hard cover and bushes as concealment gives a prepared infantry force the ability to quickly disappear or even prepare an ambush.

Overall, the map is relatively large, but not nearly as large as you'd fear, I hope. It's exactly the same size as Port Assault, in fact, and uses the same code (for extra convenience :p That way I only really need to send the .sco file, as everyone who has a native scene code file has the code already. I also didn't name the map or anything.)

Fact sheet:
- The map is forest-focussed, something that does not exist among the native maps in that form
- The map features unclimbable steep areas by the use of barriers as gameplay elements. For first-time players of the map, this might be a bit confusing initially.
- The map is asymmetrically balanced, with a designated 'attacker' and 'defender' team.

- The above aspects are all experimental gameplay elements, I will not suggest using this map officially before it has been play tested and, if needed, adjusted. Additionally, large amounts of trees can lead to lag, I'm not sure whether this is already the case here

Simply put, here's the .sco: http://www.mediafire.com/?ncb9hxz8flqqr7q

It'd be great if the map could be tested somewhere before I will call this an official submission for this project! Do not accept the map if it seems unsuited, I have more and can make more!

Edit: http://de.xfire.com/video/4d26ff/
The above video shows one possible way to approach the castle without being exposed to massive precision fire. Starting point is near the center of the map, far away from the beach and at the connection of the three hills, closes to the middle hill.

That looks awesome! Great contribution to the pack. It looks like you put a lot of thought and effort into it.

I plan on working on a jungle themed TDM/Battle map soon.

Sweet spec! this looks pretty neat. Ill update first post with the details. Keep sending them in.

edit: oh, and can you give it a name? doesnt matter what really.

I really suck at giving stuff names :p

Let's say... Bezan Sea Shore. For a bit of background story: Set at a beach in the Rhodok area, not far from Jelkala. Several Nord ships have landed over large areas of the shore in that area, this is only the landing site of one of the ships. They intend to quickly make their way towards Jelkala, raiding the nearby villages in the process and attempting to besiege the nearby castle - this is a major campaign, first disguised as a conquest against the Sarranids, with the Nord pretending to travel further towards the south at first, but just before leaving Rhodok territory, they suddenly land and rush for Jelkala just at the same time as the peace treaty with the Sultanate is announced and both the Sarranids (with a large cavalry force coming from the south) and the Nord declaring war against the Kingdom of Rhodoks in a combined effort that has been planned long before. A group of Rhodok border guards that just returned from the Rhodok-Sarranid border happens to pass by the landing site of one of the ships. Only if they win this battle, they'll make it back to Jelkala in time to warn the king and mobilize reinforcements that must be taken from the inner lands and the Rhodok-Swadian border (now that the Swadians have been pushed back far enough and, for now, stopped attacking as they are at war with the Vaegirs and struggle to defend their north-eastern border) before the other Nord warbands arrive. Should the Rhodoks win this battle and be able to hold Jelkala for long enough for the reinforcements to arrive, their plan to counter the massive strike of the Nords and Sarranids will be to send a messenger to offer the Khergits the chance to attack the latter while their homeland is largely unguarded, with reduces the enemies of the Rhodoks to only the Nord invaders, giving them a better chance.

(Replace factions with whatever factions are currently on rotation :p)

If you can send the SCO file to me and the script, I'll be happy to test it out for you. Some people in GK get okay pings on my temporary servers. I can first test it out for bugs and then play a few rounds on it.

My email is slytacular@gmail.com

Sly he posted the download link in the first page.

(And you only need the .sco from me. The rest is exactly as it is in Port Assault (or at least I think so, if it isn't tell me, it's been a while, but if I recall correctly I did base it off the same terrain code etc), so apart from the .sco file itself, you only need data you already have. Well... And you might need to add the name I guess, I hadn't given the map one officially :p)

Making me do all the work? lol.

EDIT: Got the pics.

overview

center pond. Also where one of the flags spawn at.

A closer look at a part of the street

Outside the village. I have two flag entry points that spawn outside.

Making me do all the work? lol.

I'd do these things if I could get the module system / python bollocks to work. Following this guide only leads to errors and stuff not working. I have not the tiniest clue about coding, I can only make the maps. I'm lucky to even be able to change scene codes, but anything further than that tends to break when I touch it. I won't accept being called lazy, but call me stupid if you wish.

Looks great so far sly, keep it up!

Thanks, Dave! I'm going to test this tonight. Spec, I'll try to put it together tonight and test it if you want.

Eidridin wrote:Thanks, Dave! I'm going to test this tonight. Spec, I'll try to put it together tonight and test it if you want.

I really didn't want to cause any unneeded trouble. I tried to get the module system to work again, but it still refuses to edit stuff. I think it's because Windows won't allow it to touch the program files folder, now, perhaps I'll find a way around that... Which is why I normally don't really bother with these things in the first place. The most important parts, the .sco and scene code, I can provide. The only use for the scripts file, as far as I understand it, is giving the map a name and setting it up on the server, which so far, I luckily had found server owners to take care of. I didn't think that (provided one has a working module system), it'd be a huge amount of work for the admin. Now it sounds like it's more complex than I expected, in which case I apologize to any server hosts I might have caused trouble by not providing that file.

Yeah, all I need is the .SCO file and the map code.

Here's my first submission.

Palm Alley, lets just say that Im sort of dissappointed with how it turned out. It took me quite some time to frame a symmetrical castle-town to realize it was smaller than what I wanted. My take on this map was to have a mirror map - I think that part I succeeded at - however Im not sure it offers much for paths and strats. There are a few rooftops, and slightly larger area for cavalry (not sure if its open enough though).

At any rate - I will probably try my hand at another one before september ends.

Palm Alley



0x00000000300005000006b9ac000069a200000e5b0000795b
http://www.mediafire.com/?4gn30amhwtp5kqz

I would toss in some more detail. I can give you some tips on certain texturing/coloring techniques I use as well if you want.

Don't be afraid to destroy your map to make it bigger or apply something. I do that all the time with my maps.

Dave, can you also put my map on to the TDM server? I would like to test the map out with the GK guys. I tried to test it tonight on my server, but everybody had to deal with the lag on my server.

TDM is probably just as laggy... I would suggest waiting till the box is out or until someone who is not laggy can host.