[Release/Dev] Arachnid2 re-balance

Simple re-balancing of the map. Has improved clipping, better default bases, obstacles for aliens, etc…
Check the changelog for a full list of the changes.

Make sure to post any suggestion/request you may have in this thread. They would be mainly aimed at making parts of the map less annoying/more balanced ideally.


#[color=cyan]-[/color] Downloads:

Obsolete builds [color=red](avoid at all cost - refer to changelog)[/color]

- [color=red]**R1.3**[/color]: [s][map-arachnid2-mjed-r1.3](http://www.mediafire.com/download/8ikgqo8aabno4up/map-arachnid2-mjed-r1.3.pk3)[/s]
- [color=red]**R1.2**[/color]: [s][map-arachnid2-mjed-r1.2](http://www.mediafire.com/download/h8yn3hp4nu54206/map-arachnid2-mjed-r1.2.pk3)[/s]
- [color=red]**R1.1**[/color]: [s][map-arachnid2-mjed-r1.1](http://www.mediafire.com/download/ag25e83159204i7/map-arachnid2-mjed-r1.1.pk3)[/s]
- [color=red]**R1**[/color]: [s][map-arachnid2-mjed-r1](http://www.mediafire.com/download/c1jxf155sczphlp/map-arachnid2-mjed-r1.pk3)[/s]
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#[color=cyan]-[/color] Screenshots:

<img src="/uploads/default/original/1X/a2f8516e31aea558a783f08297af1b0cd93bdbd2.jpg" width="690" height="431">
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<img src="/uploads/default/original/1X/f5cfc257d32a320156e5b7a30f4fe5391fc1a10f.jpg" width="690" height="431">
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<img src="/uploads/default/original/1X/0ebea281fc6eca07dc0e3b38a2584a977b428c47.jpg" width="690" height="431">
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#[color=cyan]-[/color] Changelog:

>**• Release 2.2.1**: 
>
> - Using rev 2.0 map source - lost latest, so tell me if anything needs a correction.
> - Alien ramped hall now allows dretches to fall through the ceiling ''vent''.
> - Fixed weird grate clipping...
> - [u]Fixed major FPS loss in long hall (made all clipping brushes detail (yes, surfaceparm trans etc. the fact is, the engine was like FUCK ALL so whatever the fuck happened there)) - i.e., fixed the map's shitty vis.[/u]

[details=Older builds]
[quote]**• Release 2.1** - *[color=red]lost?[/color]*:

 - Pipe lighting in long hall is weaker.
 - Real lighting over the pipes.
 - Fixed 6 blocking spots. Box room's corners & boxes, and the corner spot in the hall down box room.

**• Release 2**:

 - Box room reworked.
 - Top of H base's crates are further away from the wall and slightly changed. Now allows to fit RC and other stuff.
 - Slight visual upgrade to the older additions.
 - Fixed ugly crack shadows & lighting. Dirtmapping corrected :L
 - Always more clipping.
 - Added some blue lights.
 - Shitty looking GHub advertisement!

**• Release 1.3**: 
 
- Adjusted snipe protection on stairs' pillars in human default.
- Changed the pipe at the back of H default slightly.
- Adjusted vent exit size. (Granger has fat bootey.)
- Fixed some lighting.
- Fixed a LOT of clipping issues and spots that got people stuck. (Top of A base, pipes, etc.)
- Fixed missing light textures & cubic lights missing side textures. (Some may still be missing.)
- Deleted some useless overlapping brushes that could've been affecting performances.

**• Release 1.2**: 

- Human base grates were replaced with something better.
- Added obstacles in the long hall above H def.
- Pipe access to the vent room near crates is a lot smoother to walk on.
- Increased overall map brightness. Added some light over pipes.
- Fixed grates overlapping.
- Silly looking crate in long hall changed. The one in alien base is fine, haters.
- Changed some clipping.
 
**• Release 1.1**:

- Fixed one-way grates. (DJADJLASKAQZFS)
- Fixed a few location markers.
- Clipped some pipes on top of alien base, and lowered the pillars for easier rant access. Clipped a bunch of other stuff in some halls too.
- Added some crates in H base, and top of A base. Added some pillars there too. OM built on top should be rather safe now.

**• Release 1**:

- Added obstacles around the map for aliens' QoL.
- Alien default's top platform is less accessible from the pipes.
- Rants also now have full access to alien def's top part. They can use either the pipe at stairs or the trample trick jump added in the base. The pipe at the corner of alien base w/ the staircase is also less awkward and rants can get through the hole.
- Added some shiny_coloured_shit in human default just because. Also gives new default base options.
- Added -primitive- location names.[/quote]
[/details]

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#[color=cyan]-[/color] Bugs/Glitches/TODO:

- NULL!!1!!

[size=2][color=green]×[/color] Fixed for next version
[color=red]•[/color] Pending or simply acknowledged[/size]
5 Likes

Nice work! It has been added to the servers and to GrangerPub’s rotation.

1 Like

Menace has been showing me a few flaws that need to be addressed ASAP (such as one-way grates, shame.). I’ll be posting the update as soon as possible.

I like the objects placed around the map, the limited access to the upper alien base is a nice change.

Although…

Buffing rants

Their brute strength should be countered by their awkwardness and unavailability to certain areas of the map. I guess there’s still the vents.

I’m happy that aliens now have a viable and strong base, but not that it made rants even more dominant on this map.
For future changes I recommend a similar improvement to the upper human area, allowing them to also make non campy bases on this map. ( the pipe hub)

The main problem with rants not being able to defend the OM, is that often most of your team will play that class. Not to mention the obvious jetpack OPness in default alien. All should be good now though.

That’s my point, discouraging that by limiting parts of the map and teaching them to use the smaller aliens.

The map is already unfriendly enough to rants as it is, to be honest.

As every map should be.

3 Likes

Any map unfriendly to rants is a good map, to be honest.
Now i don’t want to turn this into a rant rant (huehuehue) but rants are fucking overpowered, i don’t care about their supposed weaknesses like not being able to jump because in 90% of the maps we actively play on this server their weaknesses don’t get exposed at all. The main problem with tyrant is that there is no reason not to use it in most maps, we aren’t AA server but still we basically 24/7 atcs, and on atcs there is no reason not to use rant unless humans made a miraculous move to bunker top. If you don’t force people to use other classes they won’t use other classes. The only thing goon has an edge over vs rant is agility and speed, i actually find this trade off worth it (so do a lot of good players) but for newer players this is their reasoning:

Tyrant compared to Dragoon:

Rant: 2x goon’s hp
More damage (i believe it can even oneshot crouched helmets)
Costs 2 evos more (but noobs only dretch until they can evolve into rant, so it doesnt matter for them)
Especially the 2x hp is a big pull factor for newbies

Goon: Faster movement (although disorientating for noobs)
Smaller hitbox (noobs only charge enemies head on anyways, so who cares)
(possible snipes, but noobs will only miss these anyways)

So yeah, if we don’t force noobs to use other things than rants by having maps that expose rant’s weaknesses, they won’t start using other classes themselves, thus they stay noob.

Moral of the Story: Play more arachnid and Karith, #TuckFyrants.

I’ll fuck them up another way. Everyone should be able to defend the overmind regardless of their classes, and alien base is already enough of a fuckstorm to deal with as an alien to begin with. Not to mention that the overmind is built up in there a good 80% of the time.

Are you really blaming HUMANS for using jetpacks because ALIENS decided to move om up even though all defenders are tyrants.
See maejong, in public games i have this saying: “If a rant can’t camp in your base, you have a bad base” and even though that sounds nooby, we both know that the average pub player is a fucking retarded rant main and that this saying is true.

The humans can take advantage in some of the new alien default features. (Sitting on top of box/Trample ramp/Added platform, etc.). My point is, if most pub tards are rantwhores, might aswell make the game less of a pain in the ass for the rest of the people. Rants still have to go all the way around their base before getting up in there, and it is not too easy to navigate for them up there. Humans can easily work their way around the top-camping rants.

The changes also mean a luci or a psaw can easily take out OM before the rant even got up, if they are fast enough. (Rather than spamming from across the pipes.)

What? Perhaps you should redefine your definition of noob to include yourself. :smirk:

The changes are a welcome step towards making Arachnid a decent map in terms of building, which is the core issue of the map.

2 Likes

Map was updated. Changelog & link are in the OP; I also updated the screencaps.

Perhaps you should read the whole post before quoting me :smirk:

Seems like the .map from the pk3 was some shitty decompilation-reconstitution or something. Definitely not the real one.

Please report any unusual performance issue/texture missing/bad clipping you might encounter. With a screencap preferably. (Bind screenshotJPEG)

Ams from new edge had its own arachnid version. Maybe their map file has a higher quality. I don’t think that they changed so much stuff. I guess it would be a great base for ur map.
http://new-edge.org/base/map-arachnid2-edge-beta4.pk3

Map is ok right now. There isn’t much more to fix that was caused by the shitty .map file. Also afaik the new edge version has pretty bad performances, even for myself and I really cbf going through that. I’ll check it out though.

Well after checking they used pretty much the same map file except that the cube lights are fixed. So I’m assuming the lags are caused by the boxes or whatever… But it also means I can stick with the .map I used.

Map was updated again. Infos & screenshots in the OP as usual.

3 Likes

The map is fine.