tEAM fORTRESS 2
mULTIPLAYER lEVEL dESIGN
Analyzing TF2 Maps:
Before planning and developing a TF2 map, I needed to play the game and analyse a few maps. This was my first time playing Team Fortress Two, so I didn't know what to expect regarding the mechanics and map layouts. I decided to play this map in the game mode "King of the Hill". Playing this map was fun at times, but it started to get boring as it wasn't very big. All the action was situated in the map's center, making the gameplay chaotic. The defenders are very powerful compared to the size of the map and this specific game mode. You cannot flank the enemy when playing this map, so everyone is concentrated in a tiny spot, making the gameplay repetitive. However, this is the map if you want fast and chaotic gameplay. For players who don't want to dive into the gunfight, some parts of the map are elevated for snipers or support characters who aren't situated far from the gunfight.
Lakeside was an improvement in terms of enjoyment and overall experience compared to the Viaduct. The Lakeside map is slightly bigger than the Viaduct, which has opened two chokepoints where the blue and red teams meet. Instead of the gunfight being focused on one point of the map, there are now two points, making the gunfights less chaotic and adding a bit of variety to the gameplay. The playstyle is balanced on this map, as there is something for each character. There are several vantage points for support players and sufficient cover spots for the attacking players. In Lakeside, I did not feel that any characters and their abilities dominated this map, which suggests that this map is balanced. I also enjoyed the indoor parts of the map, which added a challenge.
The Sawmill Map is very similar to the Viaduct Map. Viaduct consisted of small buildings closely placed together. Sawmill is very much the same but on a larger scale. Many buildings on this map offer close-quarter gunfights; however, there are parts of the map where this isn't the case, and it's more open. This map has three chokepoints and three different gunfight areas, making it less chaotic than the previous maps, with fewer than three. This map offers a fast and slow playstyle and is the most balanced regarding character classes. I didn't feel like a specific character class dominated this map. This one was my favorite of the three maps I experienced given there is a wide a variety of gameplay for each player. Throughout the map, numerous cover points help players recover. At the centre, where the control point is placed, two large saws move left to right, offering some cover but also exposing you to the enemy, making the gunfight enjoyable.
Designing Map (Main Floor)
I have been researching and gathering references for my level design. I have taken into consideration the following points:
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Vantage points
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Flank points
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Numerous Cover points are equal for both sides
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Player sight lines
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Chokepoints
This map isn't to scale, so the corridors will be slightly bigger. This map is about fast-paced action and strategy. I have added stairs close to the main capture point, which will give both teams a quick assessment of the CP. The stairs are part of the ground floor of the map, which I will introduce soon.
Blockout & Added Textures
This is the conclusion of a basic blockout of the level. Overall, I found this challenging as it was my first time using the hammer editor. After experimenting with the editor, I became familiar with the tools and layout, which allowed me to block out the level and texture. Towards the end of the blockout, I had to change the scale of the level because it was out of line with the editor's grid. I also added the props from my previous iterations that will act as cover for the player. The following steps for my level are to test it out to see if everything works well and if any changes are needed.
Completion of Level
(Entities added, Spawn points and skybox)
I finished developing my level and uploaded my project for testing. However, I updated it as an older version so the testers had the most updated file. I also added spawn points and the resupply entity for each team. I included a skybox to give the map some flair. I also improved the team's doors so they only open when the specific team is in the trigger box. Once again, I had trouble completing aspects of this due to the editor being challenging to navigate.
First Map Iteration Bot Testing:
Once I completed the blockout of my level, I decided to test it using the developer console by spawning bots into the game. Overall, the level played out the way I wanted it to: fast-paced and chaotic. From playing the level with the bots, I did notice some gameplay problems that I will need to address and change.
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The following problems needed to be addressed:
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Crates and barrels didn't act as cover (Too small)
When playing the level, I noticed that the crates and barrels I added to act as cover were too small. This did not go well since they now blocked the player when they tried to retreat from engaging. For these props to serve their purpose at my level, I needed to make them bigger so they covered the players' characters. This also resulted in the level corridors needing to be wider.
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Level corridors were not wide enough.
Once the match started, I noticed that the corridors I built were slightly too narrow. This affected my view while playing, which resulted in me blind firing a lot. The map also felt quite contained due to the corridors being small. Going back to the previous problem with the props being too small, I also needed to make the levels wider so the player didn't get stuck due to collisions.
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The centre corridor (Control Point) was too open.
This issue was significant when I played my level. When each team came out of the spawn room, they both came across a long strip of corridor where both teams had a direct view of each other. A lot of the fighting took place on this specific part of my level, which is not what I wanted. The rocket launcher offensive class dominated this part of the map. To help me solve this, I need to include doors to obstruct the view of each team's spawning.
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Enemy team spawns camping.
The final problem I encountered was another major one. Once a team was eliminated, the other team was able to spawn camp, which completely cut off the other team's chance of playing the game. This significantly ruined the other team's experience and gave them an unfair advantage. To help solve this issue, I created an invisible collision box similar to the no-entry sign on spawn to prevent the enemy team from reaching the other team.
Playtest V1:
Was the level fun to play?
Overall, there were some positive responses about the level of enjoyment. A significant problem that I saw being addressed was spawn camping. When I bot-tested, this problem came up as well. As I noted previously, I needed to either change the layout of the spawn areas or add a no-entry box to stop this.
Another problem in the response was that the map layout favored pyro and close-quarter classes, resulting in unbalanced gameplay. To help solve this problem, I added sniper towers and adjusted the corridors to be wider. I also added a bottom floor that was outside, making it more open.
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Were there enough cover points?
Overall, the responses to this question were very positive. Six out of the nine responses said there were enough cover points. However, when I play-tested the level myself, although there were enough cover points the props were too small and didn't sufficiently cover the player's body.
Were there any problems/bugs that you came across when playing?
​A lot of the responses addressed problems that I had already identified. For example:
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The map is too small, including pathways.
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Spawn camping
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It's easy to get out of the map.
I have already addressed these problems and identified a suitable solution to overcome them.
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What would you like to see implemented in the map?
The responses highlighted the following changes that needed to be made:
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The general map needs to be more significant.
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We need to add ceilings to spawn rooms.
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With less clutter, the player gets caught.
The overall outcome is to make the map more prominent. It's too cramped and needs to be more balanced for player classes.
Level Feedback Amendments:
Changes I have made based on feedback:
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Spawn rooms bigger
Originally, the spawn rooms were too small and felt cramped when the players started. To solve this, I extended the walls out a little bit more to make them more spacious. I also spread out the player entities.
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Sniper Points
Part of my feedback was highlighting that the gameplay felt unbalanced. When playtesting it myself, I thought that no part of the map leant itself to the sniper class. To overcome this problem, I added two sniper towers on both red and blue teams to give that class a purpose. Other players can also use these points to gain height advantage.
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The lower level of the map
To help with the map's small size and tight corridors, I made the walls thinner and added a lower section. This lower section is more open, with the occasional stone wall to help with cover. To access the lower level, there are two entry points, right and left, midway between the capture point. There is also an entry point and each of the spawns.
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Bigger Cover points
When playing this level, I noticed that the cover points, which are the wooden crates and barrels, were too small to fully cover the player, so they did not achieve their purpose. I made these bigger without taking up much space. The player can now thoroughly crouch behind these to avoid taking damage.
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Doors to counter-spawn camping
A major problem highlighted in the feedback was that both teams were able to get into each other's spawn areas, creating spawning camping and ruining the gameplay for each team. To help resolve this, I created a door in front of the entrance for the lower section for both teams. Both doors can only be opened by the team allocated to them. This has stopped the players from spawn camping.
Playtest V2:
Did the level feel balanced? If not, why?
From the responses, I have concluded that most of them said the map is still unbalanced due to the spy now overpowering the gameplay. The spy class could infiltrate the opposition, go invisible, and eliminate them when they spawned. This was not the intended gameplay experience. To help solve this, I created a no-entry blockage for both teams.
Did the level corridors feel big enough?
With the exception of one positive response., all other responses said no -the corridors weren't big enough. To solve this problem, I had to extend the scale of the whole map.
Was it fun?
Even with the slight problems and the unbalanced gameplay, I received mixed responses to this question. The overall responses were 50/50. Half of the responses said it was fun, and the other half didn't. Solving the previous problems that the respondees raised would have increased the number of positive responses.
Were there any problems/bugs that you came across when playing?
The responses to this question highlighted a common theme with the main problem being the teams' ability to infiltrate each other's spawns. As stated previously, the only way I could resolve this is to attach a no-entry sign to block players from advancing.
Are there any other details you would like to add?
A lot of the details that people have mentioned have been previously stated. The two major problems that needed to be resolved were:
- Spy class and characters can enter the other team's spawns.
The overall map size needs to be increased, especially the corridors.
- Add more cover points, mainly in the center.
Final Level & Feedback Amendments V2:
Changes I made based on the feedback:
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Spawn Doors:
When playtesting the level the second time, the players seemed to be able to get into each other's spawns because the doors were allowing all players through, which was not the original intention of the doors. After looking through the door entities, I discovered that I did not set the name for the trigger_multiple to the door's actual stated name. After changing this, it worked perfectly.
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Spawning Camping:
With the spawn doors being fixed, players did identify another method of getting into spawns: jumping from the sniper towers. To help resolve this issue, I created invisible collision walls to stop each of the teams from exploiting this method.
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Centre point re-worked:
Unfortunately, due to time limitations, I was unable to extend the walls to make the corridors prominent. However, to help with the gameplay and encourage players to use the lower level, I positioned the capture point in the midpoint between the lower and second floors, adding ramps on each side and a bridge across the top.
