Ok time for a little update on the map! As of last week the map has been finalized for the Steam release and is now locked down. In a few months(?) time I will probably have the chance to come back and fix any remaining problems so feel free to keep suggesting changes, just don't ask me to do anything too drastic.
Here's the Beta5 - Final ChangeLog so you have an idea of what has changed and what to expect when you get the map through Steam.
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Beta 5-Final
- Added grenades to Sniper, Semi-Auto, MG, and Sapper classes for both teams.
- Russian Sapper now has an SMG instead of a rifle.
- Combined the last few groups of static meshes to increase performance.
- Tweaked bot pathing in a few areas.
- Modified a few shellholes so tanks have an easier time getting out of them.
- Added an Ammo Ressuply Point just outside the Anti-Tank Position in the back of a truck.
- Extended the capzones for the Anti-Tank Position and the Searchlight Building to include the ground floors.
- Tweaked the terrain in several places.
- Removed some select static meshes/BSP brushes to improve performance.
- Added 14 more PlayerStarts to the initial spawns due to the new 64-player limit. (18-32)
- Added 6 more Playerstarts to all spawn areas because of the new 64-player limit. (18-24)
- Tweaked numerous cull distances and some collision properties.
- Replaced some static meshes with models that are better looking and/or had fewer polys.
- Fixed a blocking volume beside the Searchlight Building.
- Added sewer access by the first German spawn.
- Increased Russian reinforcements by 30. (200-230)
- Rotated the initial Russian PlayerStarts more to the South.
- Added more cover to the Anichkov Bridge area.
- Added another spawn exit on the Allied side of the bridge.
- Moved the last 2 Allied tanks and tank spawns into a building to give them more cover.
- Changed a few small things on the overhead map image.
- Fixed a few Location Volumes that weren't displaying correctly and added some new ones.
- Changed the Spawn Protection Minefield Volume kill time from 12 to 6 seconds.
- Fixed a few potential exploit spots.
- Completely redid the outdoor lighting with the help of TWI's SasQatch.
- Touched up the indoor lighting in a few places.
- Added more posters to the Anti-Tank Position and the Searchlight Building to help players orient themselves better.
- Fixed some smoothing group problems for some of the building window frames.
- Moved things around and created a new room at the initial German spawn to accommodate the 14 new PlayerStarts.
- Added another sewer exit on the German side of the bridge.
- Fixed collision on the rubble pile staticmesh so dead bodies no longer fall through it.
- Added Spectator Cams throughout the map. (9)
- Replaced Soviet brown camo (riflemen/semi-auto) with white camo.
- Reduced German reinforcements by 50. (340-290)
- Changed tanks to have unlimited spawns and deleted the text and in-game message that told people they were limited.
- Added a 20 second delay before each destroyed tank respawns.
- Removed all Snow_Chair staticmeshes from the map. (4)
- Added a truck staticmesh near the AT Position to help the German advance on OBJ 1.
- Fixed a door that was imbedded into a wall in one of the AntiTank Position rooms.
- Moved a few staticmeshes around a shellhole in the middle of the street for better collision/optimization.
- Fixed Hall of Mirrors error on the main street. (no really, this time it's actually gone!)
- Moved the first Allied Tanker spawn (all related actors) a few meters back to give them more cover.
- Fixed a few street signs that were partially imbedded into the street lamps.
- Tweaked the collision and cull distances on some staticmeshes.
- Extended the Command Bunker capzone to include two more rooms above the original capzone area.
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I also need to catch up on answering some of your replies.
Any screens of your new map?
If you're good and behave yourself maybe there will we be some at the bottom of the page.
My 2 cents on the limited tanks
- The limited tank also makes the PTRD class quite boring to play. You have only a few targets to worry about and you are left waiting for the next objective to be capped so new enemy tanks appear. Also, the enemy tanks often die to the russian tank before you can even get yourself in a good firing position.
You spend most of the time fighting in close quarter with your pistol anyway, and if you drop the PTRD for a smg, you can't attack the next wave of tank unless you suicide.
Although I still like the idea of limited tanks I've come to realize that this causes some problems in the map, like you and others have mentioned. Maybe one day we will have a system that works, and I'm glad I tried it but for now they've been changed to unlimited spawns and a 20 second spawn timer on each vehicle. This should make the map accessable to a greater number of players.
I would like to suggest possibly another MG on the russian side, it seems like the MG makes or breaks the last defense line, and it seems like 1 more couldn't hurt. Once the germans roll on the line with tanks its pretty much over anyways.
The last objective has changed quite a bit now with more cover for both sides, and under/around the bridge itself. This should even that objective out as in Beta 5 a well placed MG could cover a lot of open area. I don't think with the changes there's a need for another Russian MG, especially now that the KV1 has unlimited spawns.
Picking up drop weapons on this map is very risky business. Dropped weapons only stay there for a very short time and then disappear. Considering there are mgs and snipers on this map, I wouldn't try running for dropped weapons as that is the spot someone just got nailed. Not an effective solution to me.
I know that carrying anything more than a pistol is a stretch for tankers in WW2, but it is done on a few maps. The first tank map I played I saw a German tanker jump out of his tank, pick up some panserfausts, and jumped back into the tank. This was on one of those less well-knowned maps called Arad. Should a tanker be able to do that? Is it proper design? I'm not sure but it does add to the gameplay and it does work. Obviously this wasn't done during the war as to the size, weight, and explosive content. I don't even think they could get a pf into a tank (safely) to begin with, less likely they could ride with one (safely). Other popular maps have added satchels and smgs to the tank position. I guess its up to the mapper how they want to do it and what works for the map.
This was another reason to switch to unlimited tanks. I couldn't give SMGs to all the tankers because that would give the Germans an even greater advantage in the buildings and I thought pistols would be enough for the ranges in the map. I'm happy with the map now even though I had to make a few compromises along the way. Now I finally have time to work on my next project and get a job.
I assume you've been good smokeythebear so here's what I've been working on lately. It's a Combined Arms (although slightly tank heavy) map set in the Caucasus Mountains August 30th, 1942. I'll get around to posting a full description of the map and it's own thread but for now these WIP screenshots will have to do.
![[TW]DrGuppy](/data/avatars/s/0/171.jpg?1568638684){kind=avatar}
