Gameplay Thoughts Part 1

by David Münnich

David Münnich

http://www.planetunreal.com/teamvortex/davidm/

Just wanna talk about some of my gameplay thoughts.
Most maps out there are completely without purpose, and
I hate it when level designers don't think about EVERYTHING they add to the map,
you feel it when you play an unplanned map.

Now I'm gonna show some examples for gameplay ideas I like.
It's just about 1on1 or 2on2 , because matches with 16 ppl or so are just spamming and don't need a good layout.
Here a scene from Codex, you know it...

I love stuff like that: Player 1 sees player 2 entering that hallway (first blue arrow)
and knows that he will get out at the 2nd blue arrow. But if player 2 knows that player1 is waiting for him to
kill him on the top, he can return to the lower end of the hallway and try to fool him that way because he expects player 2
to leave the hallway on the upper end.
When you build something like that it's important that player 1 can control all exits, it's not very exciting
if the other end of the hallway is somewhere else in the map...
Here another example, from DM-ArialSE + a topview pic (ph33r my l33t drawing skillz).

Very similar to example 1.

Player 1 can see both exits of the way. He knows player 2 is somewhere in that hallway but not exactly where...
Player 2 knows that player 1 is waiting for him......a cool situation....
Make sure that there is some cool item in that hallway because there must be a reason to go that way....

You can spice it up a bit. Place some health vials or items in that hallway (pic below), so if player 2 is
stupid (sorry @ player2) player 1 can hear player 2 when he is grabbing up the items.
There can also be knee deep water, so player 1 can follow the steps of player 2,
but it may be a bit too easy for player 1.

Next example: Deck16, you all know it......

While reading this look at the pics below.
Player2 is on the lowest level, he wanted to grab the shieldbelt.
Now Player1 knows where he can catch him. The only ways for player 2 to get up again are
- the lift (1), it's pretty easy for player1 to kill him
- the teleporter (2), player 1 can take him down with a rocketlauchner or the shockrifle
-he grabs the jumpboots and jumps up to point (3)

Again the same principle, player 1 knows where player 2 is and from one spot he can see all 3 exits.....
Also important: player 1 is being warned
- He hears the lift sound
- He hears the teleport sound
- He hears the Jumpsound
Imagine that spot without sound, it would not work!!

Ok, in Deck there is a 4th way to get up, you jump on the shieldbelt bar with the jumpboots, and from there onto the ramp above it.....
The map could have been designed better there....

I don't want you to copy these scenes now, just want you to start thinking about stuff like that (if you didn't already).
I'll add some stuff soon.....