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de_dust_pcg: conflict areas (May 15, 2005)

I was going to post this in a few weeks time... but while the map's still hot...

Below is a conflict map for de_dust_pcg... this shows the rough path points at which `first-contact' is made by both teams (assuming all routes are taken). The two coloured zones indicate the playable areas for each of the conflicts. CTs have blue arrows, Terrorists red.

The interesting thing about de_dust_pcg, compared to de_dust, is how the Terrorists have the theoretical upper hand - they have more positions to attack from in the yellow area, and need only consider one point for CTs to appear (the double arches). However, this is only true if their defence on the green area is up to par. Once CTs break through there, defending the bomb at site B becomes much tougher since CTs have 4 points in which to attack.

The restricted initial movement of the CTs is one of the major failings of the map... for CTs, the gameplay is more about interrupting the planting of the bomb (or defusing it) than about prevention of the plant at all. This means strategies must be formed much more like de_dust2.

It's a bizarre layout, and not ideal... but it's interesting how it balances out once a bomb is placed. The best strategies for Terrorists is to ignore the mission objectives, spread out to cover both sites, and concentrate on killing the CTs, since this is the easier task. For CTs, the best approach is to outnumber and overwhelm the Terrorists at one of the conflict points, such that they can loop round and take advantage of the Terrorist landscape. It's a reversal of the strategies one would use on de_dust.

That's the theory, anyway...

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user comments

Anonymous at 17:26 on May 15, 2005

No offence, but i didn't like this dust map, and it's very small. Is it 'bad' because it's for source this time, or because you didn't have so much time to finish it?

dave at 22:11 on May 15, 2005

Well, lots of people share your view, me included, but I'm never impressed with my maps anyway. It was actually very difficult to make, simply because the whole time, my mind was filled with images of Dust and Dust 2... and it's hard to be creative under those circumstances - every single piece of the map is derived or directly inspired by Dust and Dust 2.

Ultimately, it was only designed for small skirmishes and as a way to demonstrate lots of different mapping procedures for my PCG tutorials. Of course, it's also my first Source map which doesn't help matters...

Morphine at 00:53 on May 16, 2005

Is it me or Ts get faster to the bombsites???

smeerkat at 02:33 on May 16, 2005

Just like in de_port, I barely finish purchasing my equipment, and I hear "Bomb has been planted." Heh.

Cras at 08:14 on May 16, 2005

The maps only downfall is that its called 'dust'. People are deliberately looking for where its a copy or worse that the original dust maps. Ill admit the choice to box the CTs in is an odd one, but it works. The layout is entirely new, and only things like the mini underpass and the tunnel are familiar sites from the other maps. Difference being their implementation is entirely new. Its bound to look the same, its the same tileset, but it plays completely different. Just a shame nobody is interested in trying it out properly.

Tom at 09:11 on May 16, 2005

I think CTs can get to the bomb sites faster if they go straight there. I like that they can either camp in the dark of A, or go around the top for a cover advantage in a straight shoot-out over the drop-down entry point. The bots like to do that, and the T bots always go left on the first round, so CTs almost always win the first round in a botmatch. It's got to the stage where, if I'm T, I shoot the bomber in the back of the head, take the bomb to B on my own and plant it there. I know I could just order them to follow me, but where's the fun in that?

Maybe I'm just a rubbish CT, but I find the balance perfect. CTs just need to stick together - if the T's come to the same bombsite CTs have the camping advantage, and if they go to the other one, CTs have room to circle round the back or try a two-pronged.

Played this map an awful lot this weekend.

eram at 13:22 on May 16, 2005

We used this map for a match last night and i have to say 5v5 is perfect.Yes the T's do have a slight tactical advantage but that doesn't matter,What map is 100% perfectly balanced anyway.

Good Job,Nice map..

Can't wait for the next 1.

Magikus at 16:51 on May 16, 2005

I like to say that there is abolutely nothing to apologize for with this map! It's quite orininal with the long sniper-path and your idea behind the CTs breaking thrue to B is interesting and might work. Look, it just climped #1 spot on ratings in our mapbase, where all good source custom-maps are, so if you want to apologize for this map, I'm quite interested in your next map :D

The only thing I found a bit strange was the dead end underpass. What would havbe happened, if is would lead up on the T-side too?

Anyway, great map!

Magikus at 16:52 on May 16, 2005

If you are interested what I was talking about, here is the custom map Top 10: http://www.ingame.de/mapbase/index.php?action=top10&cid=3

mitch at 07:10 on May 17, 2005

can this work with condition zero

Atrocity at 16:03 on May 17, 2005

Pffffttt well if he wants to apologize for this map I want to see what he got cooking for a different project ;)

Rusty Le Cyborg at 17:15 on May 17, 2005

Actually... pcg reminds me of Sienna... mainly because it's virtually straight into action!!! I wonder what it would look like using "Sienna-esque" textures....

eram at 17:29 on May 18, 2005

LOL Rusty, you just want a remake of Sienna *HINT *HINT..Don't we all

Rusty Le Cyborg at 20:08 on May 18, 2005

Ummm.... Yes :D

RichyF at 12:12 on May 19, 2005

Now a remake of the CZ map De_truth would be great. It would need some subtle play testing to give T's more of an advantage but keeping the walls "bangable" and the corridors windy makes for some frantic fast action.

havent played on the PCG map yet but will give it a go tonight :D
Looks good

x-gamer at 16:31 on May 21, 2005

this map is one of the most beautifull map on CS:S