C. Bob's Reviews (04/10)Fracticality (BB)Fracticality follows the pattern set by several of the Bitbashes in previous contests by being long, simple, and bereft of virtually any objects. It is clearly not really intended for one-on-one play, but with a number of players, it can be reasonably fast-paced and fun.
The main "problem" -- and this isn't really a problem, so much as just it crosses my personal preferences -- with the level forms as it scales up. While there is no wasted space in the smallest version, the next larger size adds in extra walls that create 'nooks' the players sometimes spawn in, that have limited use outside of their original purpose.
There is a loadout zone in the center, which adds a little strategic value to that part of the map. I might have added some testitems to spice up each of the levels, though, since they're so inactive otherwise.
Aesthetically, it's more or less forgettable. It looks nice enough, but it doesn't really stand out.
All in all, it's a decent enough map series.
Hunt (NEX)First off, let me say that Team Nexus has been around for quite some time. As far back as Zap, I can remember some people trying to make a team Hunters map. Technical restrictions and poor design, of course, kept it from being all that impressive. More recently, I made a Team Nexus back in February, or so, to test the idea out. Cracatoa uploaded what could be the first one on this forum, just about a week ago or so. So it isn't an unique idea, to have two teams in one Nexus map.
However, I will say that this series consists of some of the better team Nexus maps that I've seen, and they're possibly also the first ones submitted to a contest, as well, making them reasonably innovative in that regard.
The series consists of four maps, each with a Nexus in the center, and team bases on the outward rims. Hunt 6-12, or "Lite +1", has an interesting twist on the normal maps, by making a three-team symmetric map out of the basic two-team version, with a triangular Nexus to match.
I'm not sure that the idea of the team base is as good as the author thought it might be; while it gives the team a nice spawning point, it isn't really necessary, and it gives players more of a chance to camp and slow down the gameplay, instead of actively scoring kills. However, this might not be enough of a problem to seriously affect the levels' overall play.
Each map scales reasonably well; although the larger versions of the levels are clearly based on the "Lite" edition, each one adds new strategic elements, presumably based on the idea that more players will be able to follow a more detailed plan. For instance, the 4-8 player version has repair kits added in, and the 9+ version has extra turrets, as well as slow flag generators on the sides. The force field regens also differ slightly, decreasing as the intended player-count rises, which is a nice touch.The three-team version is probably the weakest in this regard, since the only way it really differs from the Lite version is by having three teams. Still, having a three-team map in addition to the standard two larger editions was a nice variation on the norm.
There's test items sprinkled across all of the levels, and there seems to be, in most cases, plenty of maneuvering room for the players. As far as aesthetics, the walls, unfortunately, are not filled in, making the level look worse than it could -- considering that it otherwise has a relatively classical appearance. One serious problem with the 5-8 and 9+ ones, unfortunately, is that they aren't quite symmetrical -- the test items can get stuck in a part near one team's base, where they can evenly go through its counterpart in the other. Hopefully the author will take action to resolve this flaw, and any other such glitches in this series.
In spite of its flaws, however, I'd say that, in the end, these series constitute a commendable effort, and feature a nice blend of aesthetics, playability, and innovation.
Portaliteration (BB)While it largely plays like a normal Bitbash, I appreciate Portaliteration's main scaling conceit -- the complete map shows up in each of the levels, and on the ones with lower player-counts, some sections are just blocked off. The barrier graphics are also nice, and although they aren't filled in, that just adds to the level's atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the levels themselves are long, for Bitbashes, and grow increasingly longer as the level scales up. In levels with larger player-count, it isn't such a pressing issue to necessarily increase the kill count or length of time, but these levels do both, so that while the smallest level is only four minutes long, the largest one is twice as long, and requires twice as many kills to win. I'm not sure this was entirely necessary.
I'm also somewhat disappointed by the fact that a lot of the space in Portaliteration is just empty -- the part that shows up in the 1-4 map is relatively interesting, with a speed zone and testitem, but the rest of the map, save for teleporters, is more or less unoccupied. It might have been interesting to add in, say, some resource items, and maybe a repair kit or two.
If I was making it, I'd have made the level a bit busier -- more items, to give more reason to go to each part of the map. As it is, it seems just too vacant.
I might also say that this level would really, really be cool if it had some sort of levelgen script in there, to randomize the smaller ones' starting points, and which parts of the map are blocked off.
Soccer Series (SOC)Last contest, when reviewing Trism, I made a brief mention of the things that I believe should go into a good soccer map. Since that review has been lost, by some error or machination in the Zeta forums, I'll quote it here:
I came to the conclusion once that soccer maps need to have 'sweet spots', where, if the attacking team takes it very well, they can score a large percentage of the time, and this map does have that.
The main thing it lacks is the other critical detail of a soccer map -- being enclosed enough so that the ball is controllable, instead of spending over half its time out in some deep black yonder.
The Soccer Series, in spite of a few weak areas, does more or less possess both of these traits. It's easy to score in these maps (maybe even too easy), and while the ball can sometimes get caught in between zones, it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to get it moving on the 'right track' again.
That said, though, there are also some significant flaws with these levels.
The center of the maps, especially on the smallest one, are significantly harder to score through than the side tunnels. While I believe the author's goal was to balance out the fact that the ball is technically closer to the central path, by making it harder to carry through that section, the side paths can be so much more effective that it comes off as more of a design flaw.
The levels are also not the most aesthetically sound; all of the barrier objects are hollow, making them look rather less professional. The scaling work is sufficient, but not particularly interesting; each level looks and presumably plays virtually identically, given the scale.
However, while these issues are problematic, the primary flaw of this map series is more insidious; aside from the different take on soccer gameplay, these maps have very few interesting qualities. While they may be technically sound soccer maps, there's nothing besides the soccer ball, and the other bare necessities. This in itself does not necessarily ruin any of these maps, but it isn't a plus either.
All in all, this Soccer Series is a decent enough attempt at making a simple, playable set of soccer levels. It's regrettable that they appear to be so dull. To a new author, I'd say not to give up: it's a good start, they just need to be made more interesting.
Tag (RAB)I made a Rabbit that relied on kills for points a while ago, and I felt the idea had potential, so it's cool to finally see this concept make its way to a contest.
There's a good amount of space to maneuver through, and some helpful repair kits and testitems, a good thing since the level's gameplay depends on one person proactively fighting everyone else.
Each level expands on the previous one's overall layout, so the overall map looks very similar, as it expands. All the levels seem as though they would play acceptably well.
The overall appearance of the level, as previously mentioned in other reviews, do leave somewhat to be desired. Wall glitches and a variety of other flaws leave one to wonder if the author only spent about ten minutes on the barrier design.
Still, with the somewhat innovative scoring system, I feel these levels have potential. It's a passable start for a new author; they just need to work on making the level look a bit less kludgy in the future.
Wounded Knee (CTF-HTF-NEX)Unlike every other map series in this contest, Wounded Knee does not consist of increasingly scaled-up maps of the same gametype, but rather of three maps, all made in a rather similar style. As a result, this section, after I get through some basic comments on aesthetics and things all the levels have in common, will effectively be like three individual level reviews.
The graphical style of all of these levels is obviously similar, if not the same; it wouldn't be hard to guess that the same author made each of these levels, even without the similar names. They all look decent, although something about the larger two levels' designs strike me the wrong way. All three of the levels also share the same basic center section, although it varies in importance -- in the CTF level, it's just another, easier-to-stop way of getting to the flag. In the HTF, it's practically useless, and in the Nexus map, it's all-important (since it houses the nexus).
That's about where the resemblances end, however. And with that said, let's talk about the CTF map.
Wounded Knee (CTF) is very small. There's very little maneuvering room, save in the level's center -- and that can be fixed by powering up the two regenerating force fields in the center.
There are two small bases on the fringes of the map, with a force field and turret. The former regenerate, limiting the space a bit more, and making it a bit harder to make a quick escape through that area.
Two repair kits in the center seem to repair at an extreme speed, but after timing it, it only seems to be about fifteen seconds apiece -- which isn't much faster than the normal repair kit.
Like Orrery in the last contest, it seems it might be a bit easy for a defensive aspect to dominate in this map, but it's overall a nice enough map. If I'd done it, I would have given the players just a bit more space to maneuver through, and maybe kept the 20-second regen.
Wounded Knee (HTF) has a lot more maneuvering room, but the center seems to be a lot less useful, in general. There are two flag spawning zones that are of no use, past their original purpose; if the map was, say, a Retrieve, they'd be more helpful.
The force field/repair kit setup in the very center are a lot less useful than they are in other maps, because of the two speed zone paths that have been placed on the sides. Like the Soccer Series, these side paths render much of the center irrelevant, just because they're such a faster way to get to where you need to go.
It's a good effort, but I do feel there are some ways it could be made better. Perhaps the side paths could have been put in the area currently occupied by the flag spawn zones; then the flags could be put in the center. After that, making the map a Retrieve would allow for more of a fight for the flags, I think, which seems a bit more consistent with the other Wounded Knees' focus on the center as an important part of the map.
Finally, Wounded Knee (NEX), the largest of these efforts, is mostly a standard Nexus. The only real areas of innovation, and problem areas, in this map can be found in the four large side rooms; as there's only one entrance for each of these, it seems that that could slow down movement throughout the entire map, slowing down gameplay.
Additionally, each of these rooms contain a very large number of flag spawns, which, while they can stimulate combat and player activity, can also reward an overcautious strategy -- you don't have to seek players out, you can just sit back, cloak, and get dozens of flags from the spawns. Turn them in all at once and you can, in theory, win it without having to fight anyone.
However, 9+ player level review, just like design, is by no means an exact science, and it's just as possible that all these extra flags could make for a competitive, intense experience. I can't be exactly sure, since we have something of a player shortage at the moment, and it's hard to test the level in its intended state.
In the end, I'd say that the Wounded Knee series is a good first step for someone first entering the world of level design; there are flaws, but they can be overcome. For a more experienced developer, you just need to refocus on the basics; concentrate on the things that make the level great, and ask yourself what things aren't really necessary to have in the level, or what things don't necessarily need their entire self-contained section in the level. Merge those things into more established sections -- for an example, the flags and asteroids in the HTF could've been put in the center of the map, instead of having entirely new rooms dedicated to them.
Z-Relation (CTF)In an earlier review, someone took exception with the team colors. I don't hate them myself; they maybe aren't the most clear, and I'm not sure how the colorblind might be affected by them, but they still seem fine to me, for the most part. Actually, though, I do wonder if the designer is from San Jose; the team colors are very similar to some of those used by the National Hockey League's Sharks, and the "Shark" team name makes me curious.
In any case, this set of levels represents an admirable effort at scaling CTF maps. There's plenty of maneuvering room in each of the levels, there isn't an overabundance of repairables or other items, and while the asteroids are clearly a feature of the landscape, they don't take the maps over, representing a nice balance between Airlock and Kate.
However, I am slightly troubled by some of the scaling decisions in the largest map. The 5-8+ level nicely expands on the smaller one, by marginally increasing the level's size (but yet not adding in too much unnecessary space) and adding in more strategic options in the center, which I feel is about ideal for the map. However, the largest one removes some of these options by making the central fields hostile and regenerating, and it also removes the asteroids from being as much of a factor, something which isn't the case in the smaller two maps. I wonder why this decision was made; it seems to remove strategic options from the teams, instead of expanding on them, which doesn't make as much sense when you consider that the level is for a greater number of players.
Also, while most of the map's space is nicely used, there are some empty areas in the side paths that, while they don't have to be occupied, might have benefitted from the addition of some testitems. I'm a testitem fanboy, however, so my opinion on this is somewhat biased.
The Z-Relation series is overall a nice effort; I can't really think of any innovations that were fielded in these maps, but they do a lot of things right, and don't have really significant flaws. Overall, they're some of the best maps in this contest.
Overall Review:I've had disproportionate trouble expounding on the qualities of these maps, but perhaps it's because there's so many of them; when you count them all up, we have 22 entries (7 three-map sets +1, which is the three-team map included in Hunt). This is a significantly greater quantity of maps than I believe have appeared in any recent contest.
All the same, though, it doesn't feel like very many, and I think the reason for this can be attributed to the basic theme of the contest. Most of the levels look and feel about the same as you scale up, which I suppose reflects skill on the part of the designers, since this was an intentional feature of the contest -- it just perhaps isn't as exciting as twenty-two unique maps would've been.
True innovation seems to be decreasing, from contest to contest; that can probably be blamed on the features that might provoke it (level gen scripts, for instance) being a bit trickier to use than the features that permitted the innovation in the past. Also, since it ceases to be 'innovative' after you do it the first time, and becomes merely a new status quo, this reflects on the maps -- a lot of them are just doing what's already been done, more successfully. Some of these contest maps could have very well been deemed brilliant new innovations if they had been designed just six months ago.
In any case, there are winners and losers in life; here's my list of my review-winners for this contest.
Gold: Hunt (NEX)As one of the few team Nexus map designers (so far), and a self-admitted fan of test items, I confess that this level set very much fits in with my preferences as a player, and even as a designer. Hopefully this obvious and probably significant bias has not interfered with my selection of the level for the gold, and I will try to explain why I feel this set is genuinely among the better ones this contest.
These levels do have flaws. However, the flaws that are there seem to be relatively minor ones, compared to the grievous errors they could have become, and the things I feel they do right can more than make up for it.
The larger levels scale upwards in a responsible fashion, adding both more playing space and additional strategic elements. Factors that are automatically taken care of in the smaller levels, for the teams' convenience, become something that teams in the larger level must manage and repair -- or ignore, as they see fit. The parts of the levels that would be otherwise empty generally have a testitem or some other object thrown in, to inspire some interest in that area's existence.
The team bases are an aspect that might deserve further consideration. I feel the author was trying to work from the standard BF basics when he made that decision to include them; most stock maps have bases too, and presumably he felt that this could help the maps in a similar way. I'm not so sure about it, looking over it now, but even if they slow down gameplay, it might not be by a significant enough amount to require a negative review.
The 6-12 player three-team map is also an interesting variant. It might not have the feel of a "serious" map entry, in the same way that the other three are (those scale up directly, and seem more in line with the contest), but it adds a little spice to the soup, and lets us see what the smallest map might have looked like, if it was in the last, three-sided symmetry, contest.
The Hunt series surely isn't perfect, but it's a start, and that's all we need. It's possible that no other gametype needs levels so much as Team Nexus does, and this series is a nice way to start development in that area.
Silver: Z-Relation (CTF)Like Shattered Hearts a few contests ago, Z-Relation isn't the most innovative map set, but it does what it does quite well; each level (with perhaps a minor exception or two) builds upon what was established in the last.
I'm not sure that Z-Relation is the best CTF set; time will decide that. However, it builds on a lot of what we've seen in the last few contests, and in general level design, to create a winning set, that isn't dependent on a single game mechanic or difference from the status quo for its greatness.
For example, anyone could have made Tag; its main distinguishing feature is just in turning the Rabbit point timer off. Likewise, the soccer maps in this contest only stand out from the rest by virtue of the designer not throwing in as many things to make it hard to score -- that's not real innovation.
Z-Relation stands out in multiple ways, and so it gets the silver.
Most Unique Map: Portaliteration (BB)O Portaliteration, what you might have been.
This map set has a nice theme, and the level script idea I came up with is what really bugs me about the entire thing -- the level looked and felt like it should've been great. Instead, looking over it now, it just seems to come up a bit short.
I'm not sure that these maps are the most 'unique', in the sense that they couldn't have been made by someone else, or in the sense that they're innovative enough to command additional attention. But the scaling bit, on how the level just gets unblocked as it gets larger, just really appeals to me -- if it had only been done more dynamically, and if more individual parts of the level were interesting, this one could've ranked higher.
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Hopefully I haven't been too harsh or too favorable towards any developer, or their sets.
- C. Bob
Sun Apr 25, 2010 9:32 pm 
