Custom Map #2642: Particle Emitters I. By: Grabz

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This topic is for discussion of map #2642: Particle Emitters I


Author: Grabz
Size: 192x120

[Lentil]

Hey Grabz,

A huge thanks to you and the other map makers and coders for always kicking out new maps and new play styles. I check CW4 every day for new maps. Can't say that about any other video game/ player community. So again, thanks for your work.  It is much appreciated.

For the particles, my snipers don't really engage them much, or rather at all. I noticed the particles have the blue outline when they first eject from the emitter but lose that outline as soon as they hit the ground. Was this what you were aiming for?  I was expecting more of a sniperfest at the front line rather than the usual cannon/mortar front line (which I'm using now) until I get close to the emitter (at which time the sniper finally gets to work.)  Maybe I'm thinking too much of Particle Fleet where the particles were always fair game to be engaged by weaponry?

I'm playing stable build via Steam, if that makes a difference.

I really like how the particles pick up crimson status and then spread it as they travel.  +1

[Grabz]

NOTE TO MVERSE PLAYERS
This version of the CPACK (V1.1) has an issue where particles don't spawn for clients. V1.2 fixes the problem. Sorry about that.

Hey, thanks for the kind words :)

So, the first version of this actually had snipers as the only way of fighting the particles. Thing is, snipers are very power hungry, using 6 ammo per shot. With many particles being sniped all the time, the game ended up all about constant sniper fire (and the energy required to upkeep it). I figured that using cannons was probably a better way, and the result was as simple as cannons clearing creeper from underneath particles causing them to pop. As they popped they would release quite a bit of payload, which means your force can get overwhelmed if not careful.

I made this particular map fairly quickly without much strategic thought behind the enemies, and it probably ended up as a standard frontline push kind of map. You'll find my other map should be much more strategically interesting with the particles, and with a lot more sniper engagement. I wanted to see how well a map would do if I whipped one up fairly quickly, and I suppose I succeeded if it still got a +1 :)

I want to avoid snipers being too spammy. In my mind, the emitters that throw particles with not much force would be mostly fought with cannons/mortars, then there are emitters which throw particles with a very high force that can be intercepted in mid-air by snipers before they fall and drop their payload in your backlines. This map is completely lacking the latter. I probably should've put one emitter like that somewhere in there. I'm thinking that I might also add a new option for the emitters that makes it so their particles are snipable until they hit the ground OR for x amount of seconds. That would make it so some emitters could create particles that are snipable for a little while, if a mapmaker wants to do so.

[Clueless Disgrace]

Hi Grabz,

always good to have new game modes. I'm afraid something went wrong with this one though, snipers do not engage at all...?

[TrickyPlayer]

Hi Grabz,

always good to have new game modes. I'm afraid something went wrong with this one though, snipers do not engage at all...?

They only engage before the orbs/particles touch the ground/creeper. So basically, get range upgrade and an ERN on two snipers and you can barely silence the top right particle source, without having to push for it. The comment above your comment explains as of why Grabz made it like this.

[Clueless Disgrace]

Thanks Tricky,

I should read more thoroughly  ::)

[Lentil]

Grabz,

Thanks for the insight into the particles, your testing and your train of thought.  After you pointed out that snipers use 6 energy per shot (I'm not a hardcore numbers guy) yeah I agree - in the beginning the snipers would be draining your energy and you'd get overrun or forced to go cannon/mortar to survive.

Interesting how your goal of having us use cannon/mortar to clear out a buffer of clear land that forces the particles to pop is exactly what I ended up doing. What other strange powers of control do you have?

Looking forward to see what you come up with as more testing is done.  Maybe adjust the particles to have a random time to lose their outline instead of just losing it on first ground contact?  Or more testing with emitters that throw particles higher and faster so they do present a challenge in the beginning?  Oh my, what kind of nightmares am I going to develop when the FPS map makers integrate your particles into their maps? And what kind of fresh chaos will I be able to release on the humans when I'm the creeper and upgrading a particle emitter two or three dozen times in an LPAC map?  Mwhahahahaha!