This Map Is Only A Test

We actually got a pretty good number of people to play some Far Cry Instincts last night. Woo hoo! I was able to drag myself away from the map editor (and BSG) for some multiplayer and I'm glad I did. I was nervous however, as I asked our Host with the Most (RuFfNeCk) to throw one of my maps in there for everyone to try. This would be the first time the guys saw a map I had made and I was hoping they would enjoy playing on it. I thought the map looked great but really had no idea whether it would translate as being playable.

The one we tried was "Fort Dialot". This is a map using the Jungle and Military brush sets. The basic idea of it is an abandoned Army base. I decided to make it a nighttime map due to the middle being a little open, so I was trying to cut down on being able to see from one side of the map to the other. Also, nighttime in an abandoned anything just makes it look creepy. Muwahahaha. The guys seemed to like it for the most part. They did feel that being nighttime made it difficult for them to see weapon pick-ups, health, etc. I could kind of see their point, as I made the map and found it difficult to find new weapons myself.

That being said, I am all about placing weapons and such in logical places on my maps. For instance, you are more likely to find a gun in a building or around a wreakage than laying out in an open field or behind a tree. Same with health and armor. I think that, for me, it's just a matter of trying to create a mood or "environment" that actually feels like there was life to it at some point. Taking that, it makes logical sense to me that "health" would have been kept in and around structures. Now with that being said, I understand that when you're in the middle of Chaos mode, you're not really stopping to take the time to admire the campsite or fuel station I made and you're more concerned about finding pick-ups and the like.

It's all a matter of taste I suppose. Functional maps are great to play on, but look a little barren. On the other hand, maps with an asthetic are pretty to look at, but may lose something in function.

So it looks like it's back to map tweaking for me. It did give me a thrill to watch other people running around my map, climbing the sniper towers and making strategies based on an environment I had created. Very cool indeed...