Trepidation - TLN Map Quest Submission

[namebrand]

This post is late to the party, but I figured since the announcement was pushed back I'd create a thread anyway. Better late than never.

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Trepidation v3.0 (http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=11675559&player=NamebranDDDDDDD)
Mind the gaps.
Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLhNAKTT8Do) | Bungie Pro Video (http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=10098361&player=NamebranDDDDDDD)

Objective:

Trepidation has been in the works since the release of Halo: Reach. My goal in creating this map was to build a map that played and felt like a Halo map rather than like a forged Halo map. I drew influences from map design in each of the previous Halo games. This map is unlike any forged map I have seen yet, in regards to the use of elevation and height as well as the general style of the map.

Layout:

Trepidation is an indoor symmetrical 2 base map. It is room based and contains 6 rooms in total. There are two bases, two upper rooms, a middle room with an overhanging platform, and a lower room. Each room is connected by ramps, walkways, and hallways. It was built in Forge World's coastline area. The middle of the map was forged to include openings into the water below. Trepidation is slightly bigger than MLG's Sanctuary, and slightly smaller than The Pit.

Playable MLG gametypes:

-Team Slayer
-Capture The Flag (multi flag only)
-Neutral Bomb
-Territories

Weapons and items:

-4x DMR
-4x Needle Rifle
-2x Plasma Pistol
-2x Magnum
-2x Sniper Rifle
-1x Rocket Launcher
-1x Shotgun
-4x Plasma Grenade
-4x Frag Grenade
-2x Jetpack
-1x Evade (only on TS, CTF, and Territories gametypes)
-3x Health Packs

Screenshots:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/loadoutcam.jpg
-The middle of the map. This is also the starting loadout camera.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/middlefromrocks.jpg
-The middle of the map from rocket side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/base1.jpg
-Blue base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/base2.jpg
-Blue base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/base3.jpg
-Blue base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/base4.jpg
-Blue base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/rocketroom.jpg
-Rocket room.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/MLG%20Trepidation/reach_10546924_Full.jpg
-Blue "dining room" that connects each base to the upper shotgun platform.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/yabrefstank/MLG%20Trepidation/reach_10100858_Full.jpg
-A view down "pistol hall" that connects each dining room to the upper shotgun platform.

Notes:
Some of you in the TLN community might have played my map before. I know for sure that people have played v1 and v2 of my map, but I doubt people have played v3 yet.

I'm always open to receiving constructive criticism on my map. I believe in my map enough to defend it to its death, but I will also listen and thoughtfully consider everything you all have to say about it. Many of the issues brought up have been addressed in v3 of my map. Some of the rooms/halls have been made more wide to reduce that "cramped" feeling, and some of the "death pits" are now harder to fall into.

[MichaelMongrel]

I came up with a few small additions to this map, and personally think it is one of the best maps running in this contest. The only problem I could see is the framerate lag caused by object density that Bungie somehow finds even after the forger has already tested for it.

[Gravity]

I came up with a few small additions to this map, and personally think it is one of the best maps running in this contest. The only problem I could see is the framerate lag caused by object density that Bungie somehow finds even after the forger has already tested for it.
This. I literally played on this map for about 3 straight hours hahaha. It is extremely well built. We did come across some screen lag, but not to the extent that it is unfixable. I am sure a few more adjustments will leave it perfect :)
Very very very well done.

[namebrand]

This. I literally played on this map for about 3 straight hours hahaha. It is extremely well built. We did come across some screen lag, but not to the extent that it is unfixable. I am sure a few more adjustments will leave it perfect :)
Very very very well done.

Thanks! I had no idea someone out there has played more than a couple games on my map :) From what I heard, v2 wasn't very popular when tested during a TLN customs session one night.

Which version of the map did you happen to play? I have detected some minor split screen frame rate issues when looking out from flag spawn, and have begun testing to locate and kill the lag. Where did you happen to notice the frame rate drops? I'm hoping to crank out a 3.1 version of this map soon which will hopefully take care of any nagging frame rate issues.

I won't say this map is the best ever created (especially looks wise -- the walls in my dining rooms are fugly), but for my first Reach map I'm damn proud of it. I'm not expecting it to win Map Quest, but I'll be happy as long as it turns a head or two.

The next map I'm planning will be a room based asymm and it should greatly surpass Trepidation in looks, gameplay flow, and object coordination. I'm pretty excited to get started on that one, even if there aren't any contests to enter it into.

Edit: Just wanna make sure you aren't getting my map mixed up with one Ender made that shares the same name (for what it's worth, mine came first).

[Gravity]

The only real screen lag issue that i remember was when I was zoomed in with the sniper looking down shotty hall. I know that I experienced it in one other place but i cant remember where exactly. That was really the only main area that I know for a fact I experienced screen lag. I did play v3, and i must say, it is a huge improvement from v2. I was not a fan at all of v2, but for some reason v3 feels light years ahead of v2, no matter how many changes were made. Keep going. You'll know when you get it to exactly where you want it to be.

[KRILLIN]

Nice! Like the poll option. Good stuff man.

[MichaelMongrel]

I ran into a lot of frame-rate issues.

Please explain.

[namebrand]

Let's see. When I moved to or done a certain thing, or something happened at parts of the map. It got laggy. Just like in Sanct.

Sorry it's taken so long for me to post, I don't have a working PC at the moment, and posting from my HTC EVO can be painstakingly slow sometimes.

Anyway, do you remember in specific where on my map you found the screen lag? Besides when you're looking out from each flag, and when you're sniping down top hallway.

I've been so excited about my next map project lately that I haven't put too much further work into this map. My experiences with creating and testing Trepidation as well as my observations from other maps around the MLG / TLN comunity have helped me learn a lot about what works in a map and what doesn't; in regards to aesthetics, object coordination, gameplay, and map flow. IMO we've come a long way in Forging over the past few months and it's shown in the maps that have popped up recently. I'm ready to take what I've learned and present to people a map that is "great" by today's MLG forging standards, rather than a map that at this point is only "decent".

So I'm probably just going to say that I'll remove the screen lag from Trepidation when I feel like getting to it. I know the map isn't going to win Map Quest and I know it hasn't turned many heads over at the MLG forums, so I'd rather devote more time towards something I know that will.