What Makes A Good Multiplayer Map?

[shadoworc01]

It depends on the game. In a game like Counterstrike, where you don't have vehicles, you don't need big flat stretches of land. But in a game like Halo, where vehicles are a large part of the game, you should have some nice roads for the vehicles to ride through. Natural Selection, a niche Half-Life mod, has some very good multiplayer maps, but they are very complex and unintuitive, thus isolating newer players who are intimidated by the complexity.
I thought Perfect Dark had great maps. They were complicated, but there were also a lot of simple maps for noobs. The one thing I didn't like about Perfect Dark was the lack of sniping spots. There should be a good number of sniping spots, difficult to get into, but aiming into a place central to gameplay.

 

[Voodoomancer]

Balance. You must have many ways to play, there should be no "one way to success", and there should always be a counter-tactic possible. Example: Most TF2 maps, like 2fort.

 

[micky]

nostalgia for me that is

 

[Flying-Emu]

A perfectly symmetrical map seems to be the best route to a "balanced" (I.E. no one side has an advantage) multiplayer map.

 

[lleihsad]

Although a symmetric map helps to ensure a balanced playing field, my favorite maps are usually the ones that take the hard road and manage to produce asymmetric, yet ultimately balanced, battlefields. It's high-risk, high-reward design that really stands out, to me.

I don't like maps that are, basically, a straight run that the teams fight back and forth on. Having multiple paths to your objective, each with it's own offensive and defensive quirks, makes the whole thing MUCH more (re)playable.

Finally, complex map triggers and class/equipment-specific routes and features are a real make-or-break for great maps. It's really easy to mess up and wind up with a gimmicky (or worse - broken) map, but the potential payoff for succeeding is huge.

 

[Meggiepants]

I don't know if it has ever been done, but I think it would be interesting to see a randomly generated map option.

I think this would add an interesting dimension to online FPS games. But that could just be my RTS influence coming through.

 

[azncutthroat]

Although a symmetric map helps to ensure a balanced playing field, my favorite maps are usually the ones that take the hard road and manage to produce asymmetric, yet ultimately balanced, battlefields. It's high-risk, high-reward design that really stands out, to me.

I don't like maps that are, basically, a straight run that the teams fight back and forth on. Having multiple paths to your objective, each with it's own offensive and defensive quirks, makes the whole thing MUCH more (re)playable.

Finally, complex map triggers and class/equipment-specific routes and features are a real make-or-break for great maps. It's really easy to mess up and wind up with a gimmicky (or worse - broken) map, but the potential payoff for succeeding is huge.

Yeah, I couldn't agree more with you. I like symmetric, balanced maps every now and then, but I prefer asymmetric maps with lots of alternate paths (but not so many as to get confused). Some that stand out in my memories are the classics from Counter Strike de_dust and de_dust2, de_aztec and Call of Duty 4's Crossfire [http://www.anarchic-x.com/cod4maps/crossfire.jpg] (which was the first map I played on CoD4), Backlot [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091011153931/callofduty/images/d/d3/Backlotmapimage.jpg] and Strike. [http://www.statsgen.co.uk/example/cod4/cod4_mp_strike.jpg]

 

[azncutthroat]

I don't know if it has ever been done, but I think it would be interesting to see a randomly generated map option.

I think this would add an interesting dimension to online FPS games. But that could just be my RTS influence coming through.

I'd find a randomly generated symmetric map to be quite interesting...

 

[ninjajoeman]

no choke points, no congestion points, no only one way access sniper points, no only certain people can reach points that make it impossible to hit them, mixture of open maps and close combat, obviously no spawn camping spots, multiple paths to objectives, secret less used paths, one way paths for paths ONLY, and no one sided maps where snipers on team A get all the height advantage and such (tf2 basically copying and pasting maps rotation symmetrically make up for this flaw)

I know its a lot of commas but theirs a lot be said. OH no turtling points either

I don't know if it has ever been done, but I think it would be interesting to see a randomly generated map option.

I think this would add an interesting dimension to online FPS games. But that could just be my RTS influence coming through.

I'd find a randomly generated symmetric map to be quite interesting...

didn't they have this in tf2 for hydro?

 

[azncutthroat]

no choke points, no congestion points, no only one way access sniper points, no only certain people can reach points that make it impossible to hit them, mixture of open maps and close combat, obviously no spawn camping spots, multiple paths to objectives, secret less used paths, one way paths for paths ONLY, and no one sided maps where snipers on team A get all the height advantage and such (tf2 basically copying and pasting maps rotation symmetrically make up for this flaw)

I know its a lot of commas but theirs a lot be said. OH no turtling points either

Wow, that covers... just about everything. Damn you for /thread-ing!!!!

I don't know if it has ever been done, but I think it would be interesting to see a randomly generated map option.

I think this would add an interesting dimension to online FPS games. But that could just be my RTS influence coming through.

I'd find a randomly generated symmetric map to be quite interesting...

didn't they have this in tf2 for hydro?

No, there are just different parts of the same maps. [http://tf2wiki.net/wiki/Hydro#Locations]

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Balance. Same thing that makes a multiplayer game great.

My favorite ever map...

 

[Marine Mike]

The perfect multiplayer map I've seen actually isn't a map... or in any video game. It was a training ground while I was in the Marines called MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) Town, and it even has a network of sewer tunnels.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I like the system present in the Modern Warfare games where you spawn near teammates and the spawn points don't belong to specific teams. The only big problem with that system is that sometimes you'll end up spawning next to a teammate right as an enemy mows you both down.

uhm this ALWAYS happens, thats why people hate modern warfare spawning, its broken, so you spawn next to a teammate and a heli or bomber takes you all the fuck out even tho you just spawned .05 seconds ago, or your right in some guys sights already

spawning should be mostly in buildings, or outside in corners way the fuck out there nobody sees them

 

[crepesack]

How infinity ward designs maps for MW2-
step 1:
Is this map original? Y/N
If no, then do it. If yes, make the customer pay extra, and then pay some more for re-released maps.
step 2:
Are there places to spawn rush? Spawn trap? Limited spawn points? Spawn nade? Nade spam? Spawn launcher?
If no, redesign map, if yes, continue.
step 3:
Are there impossible to reach places that campers can take over and never be killed?
Yes then continue if no return to previous step.
step 4:
Is the set of maps boring and basically the same map over and over again with different skins-
If yes then continue copy pasting, if no, sell the unique maps for extra money.

Your Typical Cod map
pink-inaccesible area
yellow-rush
brown-spawn
black-hiding area
gray- nade area
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4871/51315755.jpg

 

[azncutthroat]

How infinity ward designs maps for MW2-
step 1:
Is this map original? Y/N
If no, then do it. If yes, make the customer pay extra, and then pay some more for re-released maps.
step 2:
Are there places to spawn rush? Spawn trap? Limited spawn points? Spawn nade? Nade spam? Spawn launcher?
If no, redesign map, if yes, continue.
step 3:
Are there impossible to reach places that campers can take over and never be killed?
Yes then continue if no return to previous step.
step 4:
Is the set of maps boring and basically the same map over and over again with different skins-
If yes then continue copy pasting, if no, sell the unique maps for extra money.

Your Typical Cod map
pink-inaccesible area
yellow-rush
brown-spawn
black-hiding area
gray- nade area
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4871/51315755.jpg

Lol, you don't need a diagram to show us what we all know.

 

[Lerxst]

Clipping, clipping, clipping and more freakin' clipping! If I get stuck on a 2 inch high brick, I leave the game.