What do you like in a map and games?

[Sabre]

While I have plenty of other stuff to be doing, I've been very Half Life 2 inspired recently. Unfortunatly, for whatever reason I can't get the mod installer to work (btw, there a none installer version?) so I can't mess around with OC mapping stuff, plus I want wait for the steam version anyway. I'm not a mapper, I know my way around hammer and IOed some map level mods (I made a DotA style map once) but never anything worth releasing.

Long story short (to late) I got thinking about what people like in maps, and games generally.

So, let's assume this is a sliding scale. Popular, pro quality maps at one end, and maps full of new NPCs, weapons and features, but is unrefined.

[DisConnected]

Oh god, everyone's voting for the last one because they are in the OC community. Well, I'm being different! New maps, with lighting, that work, without 300 hp combines. That's all I ask for.

I don't like maps with merchants as much as I like maps without. It's a hassle going back and forth JUST for a new weapon, and it's less realistic that they just can't give you the weapons while you're fighting for your life. But it does make you work for your items, instead of just sucking up 20 bullets from a Combine and then killing him with 2 hits of a crowbar and stealing his ar2. You'd suck up 20 bullets from a Combine, kill him, then go all the way back to spawn to buy enough ammo to kill another 2 Combine, go all the way back to the frontlines (after most of the action is gone) and repeat until you find a merchant up ahead. I really don't know any other OC specific features, lol.

[LivingWithGames]

Oh god, everyone's voting for the last one because they are in the OC community. Well, I'm being different! New maps, with lighting, that work, without 300 hp combines. That's all I ask for.

I don't like maps with merchants as much as I like maps without. It's a hassle going back and forth JUST for a new weapon, and it's less realistic that they just can't give you the weapons while you're fighting for your life. But it does make you work for your items, instead of just sucking up 20 bullets from a Combine and then killing him with 2 hits of a crowbar and stealing his ar2. You'd suck up 20 bullets from a Combine, kill him, then go all the way back to spawn to buy enough ammo to kill another 2 Combine, go all the way back to the frontlines (after most of the action is gone) and repeat until you find a merchant up ahead. I really don't know any other OC specific features, lol.

I don't know what to say here,I agree with you and well,you got a point here about the Merchants here.

What I would like for a new map would be checkpoints,which,we already have for some maps,not all of them.Broken Escape is one of the good examples of maps that actually features checkpoints.Also,I dunno if the life thing is good for the checkpoints,I think it depends of the difficulty you put for the level.

[Sabre]

Oh god, everyone's voting for the last one because they are in the OC community. Well, I'm being different! New maps, with lighting, that work, without 300 hp combines. That's all I ask for.

I don't like maps with merchants as much as I like maps without. It's a hassle going back and forth JUST for a new weapon, and it's less realistic that they just can't give you the weapons while you're fighting for your life. But it does make you work for your items, instead of just sucking up 20 bullets from a Combine and then killing him with 2 hits of a crowbar and stealing his ar2. You'd suck up 20 bullets from a Combine, kill him, then go all the way back to spawn to buy enough ammo to kill another 2 Combine, go all the way back to the frontlines (after most of the action is gone) and repeat until you find a merchant up ahead. I really don't know any other OC specific features, lol.

I'm most likely going to get a slap for this, but I think the problem with mercants is partly that the menu is a pain in the arse to use, but imo the main reason mercant maps aren't very good is that they are placed at the start when you have no money. I think mercant maps would be better if, let's say you fight to a building, gaining points as you go (perhaps extra points for completeing optional objectives) and you can buy supplies ready for the big battle at the end.

Other features are the custom NPCs (xen creatures, mortor synths and I think maybe assassins, but dont quote me of that) new weapons, scripted weapons and ammo types, lives, Im not sure if this was the mod with the aux powered gadgits, those are the only ones I can think of atm.

As for 300 hp combine, I feel your pain. For me though, it's the 1000000hp gunships and striders that are irritating.

[DisConnected]

I'm most likely going to get a slap for this, but I think the problem with mercants is partly that the menu is a pain in the arse to use, but imo the main reason mercant maps aren't very good is that they are placed at the start when you have no money. I think mercant maps would be better if, let's say you fight to a building, gaining points as you go (perhaps extra points for completeing optional objectives) and you can buy supplies ready for the big battle at the end.

Other features are the custom NPCs (xen creatures, mortor synths and I think maybe assassins, but dont quote me of that) new weapons, scripted weapons and ammo types, lives, Im not sure if this was the mod with the aux powered gadgits, those are the only ones I can think of atm.

As for 300 hp combine, I feel your pain. For me though, it's the 1000000hp gunships and striders that are irritating.

Ah, well I do like lives. Gives people more incentive not to die. Scripted weapons I really hate. They're so awkward to use, and half the time the muzzle flash, recoil, or animations don't show up. Custom NPC's are always nice, since they give the mod more diversity.

[Sabre]

Speaking of NPCs, is there a list of them somewhere. I know the xen aliens are in there, not sure about some of other stuff though.

I think scripted weapons are like mercants, just poor use of them. One idea I had was to use scripted weapons with the default sound and look, but change the ammo. So you have generic light, mid and heavy ammo.

[PrplFlavrdZombe]

I like all 3, but I voted for the first one because it is something that isn't done too often in Obsidian conflict. I know half life maps and stuff have been ported over in OC but can you imagine re-vamped campaigns based on levels in Perfect Dark and the like. It would be epic.