oh boy is it that time
I'm just running through core finding the biggest offenders here-- I may touch upon some personal gripes but most of it'll be maps I've seen get griped at all around.
I'm most likely going to have some overlap with other users here
MM1OIL: This is one of those maps you see get absolutely ripped to shreds by anyone and everyone right up until it comes down to actually fixing it. Most of the time, I hear people complain about the relative easiness to suicide with an accidental shot to the oil canisters, and I agree to a point. I don't think that they should be removed entirely (The ones used to separate Flash Bomb from the rest of the ledge and the ones used to block the high ground in the courtyard from other high grounds are good examples of how to use them correctly), but the ones used in a fashion like
this and pretty much all of the canisters pictured
here are entirely unnecessary and only serve to bait suicides. Beyond the canisters, I'd say this map is pretty good.
MM2BUB: I can't really say much about this map that hasn't been said, to be honest-- the layout is uninteresting and at times difficult to traverse. The constant presence of low gravity makes it difficult to gauge which ledges you can jump to from where, and every point in the map is a chokepoint. This map is definitely deserving of an entirely new layout, preferably-
MM2BUB: Wasted potential. This stage is a labyrinth of hallways which results in an uninteresting layout while the wall spikes are in bad taste. Requires a new layout, preferably with an above water section as well as an underwater section.
Bubbleman's map always felt like a weird one to me, although I understand that map was difficult to make well, due to the lack of textures. However I do feel like MM2BUBX (the remixed map that Beed28 made) could either give inspiration for improvements or replace the existing map, as it seems like a superior version to the original. MM2BUBX had more going for it such as including the overground section and waterfall from Bubbleman's original stage in MM2, along with it playing better for battle scenarios.
Took the words right out of my mouth. This stage would benefit greatly from a section involving the above water segments from the game.
MM2QUI: Rozark already covered my issue with the beams, actually. However, my main gripe with this map is actually the overemphasis on the identical corners-- two of them have random teleporter pits, to boot. There's no reason for the corners to be the main points of the map flow, a flow already heavily burdened by the quick beams. Admittedly, I'm not too certain on a good method to fix this-- all I know is that I don't like the corners taking as large roles in the matches as they do.
MM2CRA: This map needs more pathways from bottom. If you spawn down there, you're essentially screwed since you either have to climb two incredibly tall ladders or pick a chokepoint to try and climb so you can access the superior weapons up top. It really isn't fun to play on.
MM4DIV: This is just a mess. There's way too much elevation inconsistency, the low gravity screws with a lot of the fights, and the title weapon of the stage is incredibly powerful on it. Similarly to MM2BUB, this map needs a complete rework, preferably including the above water segments of the level. Gumballtoid's submission to the Falcon Pack is a fairly good example of how to create such a section.
MM4RIN: Please move some of the spawnpoints away from the outer pits-- it's very easy to spawn in and strafe left, falling to your doom in the process since the spawn was 32 units away from two parts of the ledge. Pull the spawns in a little bit. I don't actually have any gripes with the map aside from that.
MM5WAV: I both agree and disagree with Rozark on the changes necessary to this map. I like the layouts of the rooms on each side of the map, but the middle ground (Even barring the stupid wave bike gimmick) is boring, open and difficult to actually fight on. I feel as though Wave Man needs a partial revamp to create more of a legitimate battleground with wave bikes used to supplement mobility or create flanking routes. In other words, the rooms on either side can stay in some form, but the area between them needs a complete rework.
MM5GYR: This map is open, poorly laid out, difficult to traverse, and quite frankly,
it hurts to look at. I'd recommend just starting fresh with this one.
MM5GRA: That gravity gimmick sure is annoying. On low gravity, it suffers from issues similar to Bubble and Dive in which high-jumping fights can be very sloppy (Though admittedly, only two rooms exist in which this is an issue due to ceiling height) and gravity-based weapons (Napalm Bomb, Wind Storm) miss frequently or outright cancel due to hitting the ceiling. And then high gravity happens, in which the flow is disrupted by
increased numbers of jumps on stairs or
an outright inability to travel to a part of the map. Plus, gravity-based weapons are yet again messed up by the increased gravity (Napalm Bomb in particular loses a lot of its effective range and power due to it instantly hitting the ground.). Aside from the gravity gimmick, my only gripe with the map's layout is the overemphasis of one long hallway, but that doesn't even pose too much of an issue half of the time. How to fix the gravity gimmick? Well, as much as I hate to say this (Considering I just said how the layout was fine), I think this map needs a rework. In the new map, it could be normal gravity with certain sections of the map changing the gravity (To a fixed distortion-- for example, one room would always cause high gravity). This way, the map can be designed with particular gravity distortions in mind, while still leaving an area for weapons to be used normally. I don't know if this is within the limitations of what Zandronum can do, but I assume it is because water exists and that changes gravity.
MM6MRX: I don't even know what the general consensus here is, but I personally take issue with certain aspects of this map. I'll handle them by case.
This screenshot is in reference to the lower area and its gyro pad-- there's really no reason for it to exist and people pretty much only go down there to hide next to the gyro pad. I feel like it should just be scrapped.
This screenshot is in reference to the inner rooftop and its connections by proxy. It usually turns into a campfest on that rooftop, and the flow to it is incredibly clunky (Bounce pads and a ladder on one side, or a ladder on the other. Either way, you're at the mercy of an opponent while getting to it.). I recommend either scrapping or reworking the area.
My last screenshot refers to exactly what is pictured. This area is a dead end for no reason other than to provide a landing point for a gyro pad positioned on a nearby rooftop, something that could easily be worked into the actual room this dead end is connected to.
MM7FRE: Something is clearly wrong with this map. The problem is, I'm having difficulty actually pinning down what exactly I dislike about it. It's either the skating rink covering the whole map or the fact that said rink has perpetual high ground that can mow people in it down at low effort due to the lack of real cover. I won't delve much further, as I'm afraid I can't offer up much of value as to how to fix this map.
MM7BUR: There is a LOT going on here. There's high ground, low ground, middle ground, five hundred flanking routes, count bomb routes, bounce pad routes, some random room in the back that contributes literally nothing to the map that nobody goes to, and two different types of non-death water. In my humble opinion, this map needs a rework to where it's just simpler-- you can't tell if the emphasis on this map's geometry was supposed to be vertical or horizontal.
In a slightly more minor note,
if you're caught in this, you're essentially fucked until either somebody discovers and murders you or you survive the ten seconds of shame. Why is this here?
MM7TUR: The turbo roaders suck, the ceiling is really low everywhere and there's dinner tables all over the place. That's all I can say about it.
MM8SEA: This map is very clunky in design and the bushes, while admittedly adding a nice element of ambush to the map, create an obnoxious lack of visibility that hinders the fight more than it makes it unique. That's really it. The outdoor section of the map could use a total rework that involves less bushes and is more fun to actually seek out a fight in, because as it stands, the only fun fights occur
here,
here and
here.
MMBMUS: While I don't have anything of value to say about this map, I feel that it isn't a good map and it just isn't fun to play on. Consider this a "+1" to any other discussions regarding necessary changes to the map.
MMBMAG: This map is pretty damn large. I normally don't take issue with large maps as long as the size is supplemented with geometry that complements it, but this map does not have that. What does it have instead? It has a large, open, deathbox courtyard surrounded on three sides by castles that contribute absolutely nothing to the map and on one side by what you might see in an actual map. This map is large and pointless in design. It needs a complete rework.
...I guess that actually just about covers my largest issues with some of the maps. I hope this was informative/useful!
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