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oc_holdthefort

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:44 pm
by shiftey
oc_holdthefort

oc_holdthefort is a teamplay map designed for Obsidian Conflict in which players fight on the team of either rebels or combine soldiers. The rebels and combine have different strengths/weaknesses as well as different unlockable features. The main feature of this map is the unlocking of team specific abilities which aid in capturing/defending.

Teaser Video (Watch it in High Definition)

Backstory:
The rebels held this particular base, an old Soviet-era military installation, as a major strategic location in protecting the rebels and scientists at White forest from combine assault. However, after failing to keep control, they must regroup and assault the now combine fortified base. Fortunately, a small group of rebels managed to blow the nearby tunnel shut as well as a mountainpass just south of it. The combine have nowhere to go and must defend the base at all costs. (See 'Additional' for chronological information.)

Gameplay:
- 10 points are awarded for every 10 seconds of successfully holding the base.
- The first team to defend the base for 2500 seconds wins.
- Each player is allotted 1 life. Once the entire team is dead, they respawn back at their base with another life.
- The attacking team must capture the base by infiltrating the outer walls and underground interior to "hack" the control console.
- Various security systems make entry into the base very difficult, however a smart strategy is to disable the security through the separate "surface security console" which is more vulnerable and must be closely guarded.
- Combine thumpers keep the antlions at bay and can be disabled to bombard the soldiers manning the wall turrets with a stream of antlions. However, care must be taken, as the antlions will attack the closest enemy first.

Team Rebel Features:
- A rebel merchant will sell you weapons and supplies for kills you contribute to the rebel cause.
- Rebels start with no armor but it can be purchased through the merchant or found throughout the map.
- Purchase of the physcannon or "Gravity Gun" will allow you to unlock alternate passages to the base.
- Purchase of the vehicle will allow quick movement and advancement past enemy defenses, also enabling the driver to plow through various combine obstacles and hardpoints.
- Purchase of C4 plastic explosive will allow you the option of blowing your way to an alternate route and also unlock some hidden areas within the base.
- Purchase of the radio allows the rebels to call in a friendly helicopter to reek havoc from the sky.
- After capturing the base, rebels can use the Gravity Gun (if they purchased it previously) to interact with various "base-building" gameplay mechanics.

Team Combine Features:
- Combine soldiers start with rechargeable armor making them twice as hard to kill as unarmored rebels.
- Combine have great defensive positions and fortifications.
- Combine can purchase NPC re-enforcement to man bunkers/turrets.
- Combine can call in dual gunships to hunt down rebels hiding in the treeline.
- A designated player can remain in the control room to operate the interactive holographic map which displays base breaches and can direct canister bombardments.
- Combines recapturing the base can choose to trade their weapons for a cloaking device and a pistol instead.

Base Defender Features: (Rebel or Combine)
- The base defenders can direct mortar fire using the binoculars on the observation level of the base. However, they are very susceptible to sniper fire.
- Various mounted guns can be placed at the players choosing for a more customizable base defense layout.
- 4 hard-point bunkers are located around the outer walls which are protected by an energy field. However, an infiltrator disabling the defense system will disable these bunker shields.
- A small bunker toward the coast protects the southern route while a small bunker built into a hill protects the main road passage to the base.

Additionally:
- Until a proper system is coded in, my map will change your player model to match the combine vs. rebel teams. I'm not happy about this, but I don't have any other options.
- I spent a good amount of time creating a dropship that would drop players off but due to a few code issues I have to scrap this concept until a later time.
- There are a handful of other abilities/areas that can be unlocked but those are for the players to figure out themselves.
- Both teams have an unlockable room at the beginning of the map which quickly explains some of the mentioned features for new players.
- The level design for oc_holdthefort will be featured in a much larger co-op map series I have been working on for the past 2 years. In the "HL2-shiftey universe" timeline, oc_holdthefort is toward the end. oc_escape_c17 -> oc_undersiege -> oc_holdthefort

Screenshots (Alpha):
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Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:43 pm
by cementiet
That looks and sounds very nice!

cant wait to try it :-)

(interesting drawing )

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:16 pm
by Vasili
Someone else draws out their map on paper before starting it? I thought I was the only one.

The map looks good btw.

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:45 pm
by JerC
I Reaaaaaly need to buy ep2 now.

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:26 pm
by fug4life
Holy Shit Soldier! You got your self a map thar!

Can map -> Shiftey!

You don't do things by half... :wink:

P.s I particually like the elevator room, but you did a good job of everything, mine, forest and base.

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:08 pm
by Gary
Whoa, I would have to say, your the best mapper I know.

This map looks great, sorta makes my map look like crap...

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:48 pm
by Ny
Trust me when Shiftey starts something he put his all into it. (His movie was awesome!) I can tell this map will also be just as awesome :3

Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:52 am
by shiftey
Thanks for the awesome comments. This makes me wanna keep on going. Hopefully my professor will feel the same when I send her these screenshots later tonight.

@cementiet: Thanks! Hopefully my drawings aren't too horrific. I'm not the best free-hand artist. Not at all honestly...

@Vasili: I started drawing them out for this map and let me tell you...it makes a huge difference. It is quite a time-saver once you start up Hammer.

@JerC: There's no excuse for not having ep2 already. It's such a great expansion on the HL2 universe. It's also a great example of cinematic video games.

@fug4life: It looks a lot better in-game. I couldn't fit the whole room in a single screenshot and the shot I took wasn't from the best angle. The elevator doesn't exactly work. You'll see when you test. For now I'll leave it a mystery.

@Gjsdeath: Wow that means a lot. Although, if I weren't the one being complimented I would say you should wait until you play. It might be pretty but boring. :/ But it won't! I'll make damn sure of it.

@Ny: You got it right. I don't half-ass something I care about. And I'm glad you liked my short-film/movie. Although, now a year later, I could probably make something a million times better. Maybe with a not-so-cheesy action movie story.

Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:18 am
by MOXron
Wow, OC has some of the most Talented Mappers i've ever seen. GREAT Job.

Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:41 pm
by destiny
so the map is starting to look better :) good job shiftey.
also are there beta tester positions open?

Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 10:49 am
by sven666
Very good idea, very good mapping, perfect bloom controle, nice displacement, that's what I love to see ^^

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:18 am
by shiftey
I'm going to need a test server (passworded) and people to fill it. I don't exactly have a fully working map. Only have about 5% of the features and no real core gameplay mechanics right now.

However, I need to record about 2 hours of demo footage of basically a full server "roleplaying" as if the map was in the final version. This means I need players that will fully cooperate as I "direct" you.

If you can provide a server and/or are interested in helping me please send my a PM. (Do not reply in this thread please) It would also help to include what days this week and what times you are available.

I'm doing this because I need to make a video for my final project in one of my college classes regarding this map. Just a warning though...the map is very unoptimized at the moment and the file size and extra content might be large.

I am hoping to do this sometime this week. The day and time will depend on you guys.

Thanks in advance. I hope to have a nice amount of people for my video.

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:41 pm
by fug4life
weeknights GMT time.
weekend probably again in the evenings GMT time.

Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:07 am
by bigbusey
the map looks real good.
your always welcome to test on my server

i think you already have though :)

Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:23 am
by shiftey
Yeah I got myself banned from it in the process. But the footage I got came out great.

Every scene with the car in this video was taken on your server:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDYjU8_pNiY

(credit to Fire Sniper for his driving skills)