My own Forged Map: Madrigal v1 (Small, Symmetrical, 3 tiered)

Madrigal is a small, symetrical 4v4 three tiered map built with CTF and Slayer in mind. Firstly, let's get to the screenshots then we will discuss the ideology behind it.

(Quick note on the map name: I honestly was just calling this "2base-t" until about an hour ago. For some reason I thought of Madrigal (Wikipedia Entry). So the name stuck *shrug*. I realize I spelled it wrong, that will be changed next time I upload a version to my fileshare)

Download Madrigal v1.59

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QUICK STATS
-x6 DMR spawns (x2 each base side of the outer rim, x2 outside each tunnel; 30s Respawn)
-x4 Plasma Grenade spawns (x2 on each base's ramp-platform; 30s Respawn)
-x2 Plasma Pistol (One in each side-tunnel; 60s Respawn)

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Coming Soon/In-Progress

Power weapon: Shotgun?
Armor Ability bottom center?

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FINISHED MAP EDITS

CHANGED A lot of behind the scenes stuff, including fixing some objects that were causing lag/z-fighting

DONE Added more Spawn points for slayer gametype
DONE Fixed Flag Spawns. Flag now spawns on the stand instead of to the side.
DONE-Work some lighting to provide better orientation and callouts. Currently the map is slightly confusing without any identifying characteristics on either side

[DONE]-Map is a little too cramped at the moment, In the process of doing the math to let out the seams, and give the map more room to move around in.

-REMOVED Rockets from map, as well as rocket platform, the shield doors, and the ramps leading up to them. This map plays better without them.
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Screen Shots

[Initial spawn points] Base shot. The platform is slightly elevated, ramps on each side, platform with slight cover above each ramp




Going down the right side of each base will lead to this hallway, semi covered, with a ledge sticking out to provide jumping access to level 2 on this side.


Ramp on the left side of each base leads to level 3


Bottom Floor, facing outwards from each base


Another Side View


Out the front of the base


I took the top off the map and took a screenshot (Thanks for suggesting it, Ender!)

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Design Philosophy

I initially wanted to make a map that was small enough that it had the H3 Onslaught feel, without being a straight up remake of it. I also wanted very much to use items in the forge toolbox that wouldn't be the same sort of ledges and ramps other forged maps would use over and over again.

With this in mind, I started with the inverted Pyramids on each side which provide the outer rims of level 2, as well as the side tunnels.

Originally each side tower used a teleporter located on the awning below the nest. While this worked for a while, eventually the need for more cover on the left side of each base meant that I had to do away with the teleporter and insert a ramp. This was a welcome change which added more diversity to the map, as well as more cover on that side.

The right sides of each base ("Ledge corner", where the small ledge is located to get to Level 2) was too open, and with the nest right above that spawn area it meant too many spawn kills if the setup was solid. To limit spawn camping, I made a small corner wall using two tall walls. These walls also have ledge where a player can tac-jump to the next in two jumps.

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Current Problems


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Special thanks to AtrumX who offered me a couple tips and helped with some construction, and SKN SMEAD who helped him playtest it while I was still constructing it lol.

S7 Panzer wrote:Ill help you test when you need it.

S7 R0LLING THUND3R wrote:Vision how does one go about learning to build maps...every time I attempt to do it is seems I'm limited by funds...what do I do? Help a NOOb

• Pick a Design focus: Do I want this map to be designed as a 4v4 arena, competitive, less competitive? Asymmetrical? Symmetrical?
  What Gametypes do I want to support? KOTH? Team Slayer? FFA? Oddball? 3-Plot? CTF? All of them? Some of them?
  
  
• Pick an Art Focus: Do I want to make this all metal? Should my map be in the Colosseum? How much natural elements do I want to include in it, if any? Do I want rocks in it, or trees, or water?
  
  
• Sketch out some ideas. Be sure to start thinking about the following 3 things in particular:
  What the movement of the player is going to look like if you drew a line from one area to every other area, because continuity matters. If a player cannot get from one area to the next easily, you're going to have a bad experience for the player because discontinuity in a map breaks immersion, which has the player feel less like he's playing a map, and more like he's being directed somewhere.
  
  What center piece is this map going to function around? Zealot has the center spire with the lifts. Ivory Tower Reflection has the top center. Countdown has the sword bridge, the Tri lifts, and the wide open center. Sanctuary had the center rings. Midship was freakin' Midship. Guardian had the deadzone.
  
  Start thinking about base design. You want your map to be fluid, and encompass the base, to have the base BE a part of the map, not look like something that was added because there needed to be a primary area for the team to spawn (For a good example of what doesn't make a good immersive base, see my map Madrigal)