Maps I've seen, but never really played...

[player1]

Hey, I noticed that Basilisco added "Finally Updated" to his sig/link, and when I verified that I'd seen all the sig banners, something occured to me.

There are some older maps named there that I've never really played: MEEP, Beyond Derelict, Powergrid? I think maybe I've downloaded these and walked around in them, in case they ever came up on server. But I've never played a real game there, that I can remember. Also, I've checked out Sokolov's in much the same way. Pulse I actually played a little 2v2 on.

What happened to these older maps (as well as Flap) that I've seen rarely, but which never come up that often (Metro is another one)? How is/was the gameplay? Were they too big/small/unbalanced/buggy/laggy or what? Nothing against the current rotations, and I know that it's up to the server ops and votecalls, but if they were more popular, I would think I'd see them as much as Thermal or Volcano or that other Gloom-named map (one is Gloom2beta2 & the other is Gloom3t, iirc, I just can't keep them straight with their "other" names).

Why no MEEP, no Derelict, no Powergrid, no Sokolov's Space? Why Hamunaptra, and not Flap? Why Ancient Remains and not Metro or Pulse? Just wondering. I came in late, and it seems these maps were already declared defunct. Please elucidate.

I know they're all non-default, and some unofficial maps live and others die, I'm just wondering what happened to Tremulous's old add-on maps. No disrespect to the mappers intended, I'd like to play Sokolov's really bad but I never see it, except maybe empty on BetaServ (BetaServ, FTW! thx 4 some great walkarounds and cool downloads and 2v2s in "unknown" maps, almost like playing a coop campaign in Halo or Unreal XD, played a great round on Pulse against 2 grangers that were outrageously clever).

Oh, I digress. What gives?

[Iltama]

I remember nothing wrong in those maps, they were pretty common on servers in autumm if I remember right. They just started to disappear. I guess it's because of the fact that people have sworn to love atcs, so every other map eventually gets rejected.

[CATAHA]

U asking about maps but most of them seems not so interesting and unplayable. Thats becaus server owners erase them from map rotation lists.

[Survivor]

Most servers just run stock maps. There are some that run stock+custom and some exclusively custom.
The first exclusive custom server was [DB@]Derelict with beyond derelict being the first finished custom map outside meep which was in development before standalone release iirc.
Why they aren't played that much anymore? Like said most people swear by atcs every other map because they know how to play that. But any server that runs exclusively custom maps used to draw a bit less noobs and mostly fun crowds because of the fact that people needed to be able to perform at least the simple task of putting the map pk3 in the right place. With tjw's internal http download function this changed, but the servers that run exclusive custom seem to have an above average attendance of good to high skilled players that just mess around to much to be noticed as such.

[gareth]

they are played quite alot, at least some of them, on quite a few servers. eg funzone, dretchstorm. It would be nice to see a proper custom map server again tho, it seems people arent interested however. New Derelict EU server was up for a while, but taken down because noone played.

[Glunnator]

Funzone? I play on Funzone. I haven't seen flap at all! o_0

FZ does have Metro and Pulse though. I think.

Meh...

[gareth]

Funzone? I play on Funzone. I haven't seen flap at all! o_0

FZ does have Metro and Pulse though. I think.

Meh...

fz is too large for flap, pulse is no longer in rotation afaik, i think meep is tho.

[Gumbie]

MEEP is good map cept when aliens lose their spawns on s1 humans and aliens, then hide sumwhere for however long it takes for game to end eg. above tele or in vents.
nubs.
Atcs Alpha = best

Btw, i play on GameArena, Aus server.



SAW FTW!

[Glunnator]

Atcs > atcsalpha

...not physically though.  :roll:

[E-Mxp]

actscargo-a1 is a good map. Never seen it on Fun-Zone or else.  

[player1]

actscargo-a1 is a good map. Never seen it on Fun-Zone or else.  

See, there are three maps that I see all the time. The "trainers" (ATCSzalpha, ATCS-Cargo, UTCSb) are on the servers that I play (SST, D*S, OPP, BeerGarden, [or small servers w/ good PNW ping, or very occasionally, someplace like BetaServ or t3h NoobzWilkommen server, or Ris's HoRserver or a BalanceLite server to get some maps, files, or building practice or change my AKA, or just mess around]).

I guess I should ask the server ops, admins, or players at those particular servers's forums, I just wondered whether it was a local or general phenomenon, and what non-default maps you guys think are cool but don't see that often. I think the server ops would welcome the input.

Oh, yeah, opinions about Sedna, Procyon or Cerberus?

[Plague Bringer]

I love ATCSZA.

The Cargo's pretty cool too, I make a pwning H base there when people are willing to cooperate.

[player1]

I love ATCSZA.

The Cargo's pretty cool too, I make a pwning H base there when people are willing to cooperate.

I believe I've witnessed that, as an Alien....:/

[Glunnator]

...Cargo?
...Have I missed something? o_0

[Plague Bringer]

I.E., ATCS Cargo.


Player, was the armoury in the corner up top with the reactor infront of it?

[Raytray]

Featured Map of the Week, this is something for the mappers.  Feel free to request a map or your map to be played on DretchStorm.  If it is good enough, it will be put into rotation for a week.  If it is really good, then it may even stay in rotation.  For more information visit
http://dretchstorm.com/node/47 .

[vov35]

Atcs > atcsalpha

...not physically though.  :roll:

EVERYTHING> ATCS

[player1]

so what's wrong with Sokolov's?
that map I have never played a real game on...
comments?

[Iltama]

so what's wrong with Sokolov's?
that map I have never played a real game on...
comments?

nothing is wrong with that. I blame other players.

[mooseberry]

It would be kind of cool I think to have a server that plays only the "older" maps. The ones player1 mentioned.

[whitebear]

Last summer custom maps started to popup. Probly beacouse people wanted to try something new after half year playing same maps same way over and over. After that new maps come non-stop. Mods followed of cource.
Derelict is probly oldest map I remember. After that I thought that people made too serious maps so I made highrise to balance it all. ^^

[techhead]

Meep.
Meep should have a ladder up to a ledge so that you could shoot at that spot.
Well, if FF is off, on dude could stand on his entire team and have them lasgun up his butt. The combined knock-back of a dozen lasguns should boost him up enough.
All the vents can be shot at in s1 if you're creative enough.

Flap.
Flap is nigh impossible to win for either team is the enemy successfully builds up top. Jump-pad trappers/turrets anyone?

Derelict.
Largely human-sided, due to the long shooting gallery style hallways and the large mara-proof vent system.

Pulse.
Too many FPS drops for many players.
Too large/complex for newer players.
Too gimmicky for a lot of older players.

ATCS-ish maps.
New players love 'em.
Many older players get tired of them.

Custom maps in general.
Many people are download-phobic, for several reasons:
1. Impatient, and will often disconnect if the estimated DL time is above a couple minutes.
2. Clutter, don't want to clog up their base directory.
3. Ignorance, don't know where to get the maps elsewhere and forced to UPD download.
4. Technical Issues. Auto-download not on, cannot set up WWW downloads on client, et. al. Often combined with one of the above.

[jit]

can someone upload meep_b1 --- yes beta 1. i luv meep but i can't find it anywhere . someone could upload it to rapidfire or megaupload.

[Survivor]

Meep first
Derelict
Xiane's Gloom 'conversions' 2/3
Pulse
Xiane's Gloom 'conversions' last/3
Jex's Gloom2beta2

Then it went all simultaneously and stopped being checkable.

Meep Beta 1

[Lava Croft]

People desire maps that are 'clear'. That's why in my case ATCS3 is being played, and Sokolov's Space is being ignored. ATCS3 is a simple 'opposing bases' map that's about as subtle at the original ATCS, whereas Sokolov's Space is a disguised mission map where the Humans have a rather big disadvantage over the Aliens, resulting in endless moaning about balance and what not. Who knows, maybe with the release of Tremulous 1.2, some of the less 'clear' custom maps will get some playtime. I sure as hell wouldn't mind it.

[A_Total_noob]

People desire maps that are 'clear'. That's why in my case ATCS3 is being played, and Sokolov's Space is being ignored. ATCS3 is a simple 'opposing bases' map that's about as subtle at the original ATCS, whereas Sokolov's Space is a disguised mission map where the Humans have a rather big disadvantage over the Aliens, resulting in endless moaning about balance and what not. Who knows, maybe with the release of Tremulous 1.2, some of the less 'clear' custom maps will get some playtime. I sure as hell wouldn't mind it.

ATCS3 ? What server is this run on ?
Gotta try it.

In terms of maps, I remember ATCSZAPLHA had its day-
these days, its hard to come across it at all -
hell, I havent seen it for months (I was a good map, too)


Oh, and I dont wish to highjack the thread, but I just need to know this-
I dont download Tremulous stuff often, but if I were to download a map, do I put it in the folder where all the maps are ?

[Plague Bringer]

ATCS3 is so human sided it's not even funny.

The downsides of this map:
It's nearly impossible to succesfully build near the door as aliens, hell, the base is so huge it's nearly impossible to build anywhere.
There's no viable places to move.
The halls are gigantic, it's suicide to rant or goon, or even mara, not to mention dretch or basi, any more than one human in there, unless they're a total newb.
The netural center is gigantic, and way too open.
There's a random lava pit in the middle of the map.
Locations are multicolored. It's just plain gay.
But...
It does have nice textures.

[tuple]

}MG{MercenariesGuild server map rotation is:

utcsb2
groundsource-a3
nano-alpha1
sirius-alpha1
battlezone_final
pulse_102
atcs3

I would remove atcs altogether if so many maps didn't rely on it's textures.  It's a smaller server, 10 with 2 private, so I've gone with smallish maps, unless there is a brand new one that people want up.  I'm running TJW's build so anyone who thinks they know how these maps flow is very likely wrong on our server.  Not to mention that griefer's and newbie's tend not to bother with the different client and maps.

Just about any map in http://mercenariesguild.net/base is on the server, though I stick primarily to the most recent release of any particular map.  All maps are votable, so if you want to try a map out, get some folks together and join, or join whoever is already there.  With beta maps in rotation, people are generally more experienced and inclined to try out something different :-)

I might add that with my general suckiness, I suck even worse on TJW's build, so come pwn me!

This soooo much makes me think of the fun we had at Beta Map Fest back when beta maps were really hard to find a game on for us in the americas.

[gareth]

autodownload isnt automatically on in the tjw backport, does this mean it wont be in 1.2 ? having it on automatically would make people play custom maps more.

[Quaoar]

The thing I've seen about a lot of custom maps is that they're sort of overembellished.

Four too many hallways/branch-offs, and miles more venting than even remotely necessary. What this means is usually alien victory or stalemate, because an egghunt on any reasonably sized server usually ends in the aliens setting a base up again and picking up where they left off. And humans might run into the same alien player three or four times before they finish the pilgrimage over to the alien base.

Tremulous just kind of doesn't scale. Human victory drops off in an inverse square of the map size.

I mean, some of them are really pretty, but are tactically impractical for real gaming. I kind of love the idea of really huge maps with SST-like player numbers, but I know it's murder on FPS/lag. If you stay 20 or below, though, some of these maps are just unplayable.

A lot are really great, though, and I wish servers would add more. Beergardens uses UTCS and The Bunker, the latter of which is an interesting choice because it isn't polished and I don't even like it, but it's there.