No More Room in Hell

No More Room in Hell

nmo_rockpit_v4
Holy Crap 22 Feb, 2020 @ 7:43pm
Rockpit feedback
Let me start this by saying that this is one of the most detailed custom maps I've seen out there. The visual design and aesthetic are astonishing. I really value the time and effort put into this. However, it's lacking in the difficulty balancing department.

The map is mostly wide open areas, which basically means that all players have very little risk of dying, thanks to the Shamblers' slow movement speed and thanks to how exploitable runners are in the game. Additionally, there are not enough runner spawns to guarantee a basic challenge, the map is basically a cake walk from start to finish.

To fix this, my suggestion would be to add more props / small buildings or similar obstacles to create chokepoints, where the players are at risk of getting boxed in by runners or hordes of shamblers, as well as different branching paths to give players some options to rush through or for new alternative objectives. Also, the shambler spawn and re-spawn density should be increased significantly, plus a much higher number of runners should be guaranteed in all matches (meaning that RNG shouldn't provide a scenario where very few runners spawn).

If the challenge is amped up, the replay value of this map will be increased tenfold. Currently, there is very little reason to replay it other than the visuals.

As a side note, I want to point out that having two finales is a great addition since it adds variety to the gameplay and pathing. I will suggest that more anti-objectives should be added to increase the challenge and variety further. The map has a complex enough geometry to get creative and make different branching paths and alternate routes with different sets of objectives.

Again, thanks a lot for taking the time to create this. New custom NMO maps are always welcome and, if done right, they become the biggest source of entertainment, challenge and replayability in NMRiH. I hope to see Rockpit improve on this first iteration, which is already a fantastic start.
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Showing 1-11 of 11 comments
Sirdoggy  [developer] 23 Feb, 2020 @ 5:56am 
Thanks for both the kind words and your feedback!

I knew for a fact that the difficulty of my map is a bit low, but I didn't know that it is THIS bad. A version 3 of the map is currently in the works and I will definitely increase the difficulty of the map in multiple areas, especially at the end by adding more props and fiddling with the zombie spawns. I still want to keep this map at an average difficulty level though.

I might consider adding more objectives, but it takes time and would require changing areas that I consider finished. I'll see what I can do.
Holy Crap 23 Feb, 2020 @ 6:32am 
Yeah, average difficulty is fine. Genex is a good example of that, not too difficult but has some challenge to make it interesting. I personally would like to see something a bit more difficult, but that's my personal preference. I respect the choice to make it accessible.

I'll be checking out the new version once it's ready. Thanks!

Sirdoggy  [developer] 26 Feb, 2020 @ 12:26pm 
I have just released nmo_rockpit_v3. I tweaked all of the zombie spawns across the entire map and overhauled the surface area! Please let me know what you think! I'm convinced that this version is a major improvement when it comes to the map's difficulty.
Last edited by Sirdoggy; 26 Feb, 2020 @ 12:33pm
Holy Crap 26 Feb, 2020 @ 1:13pm 
Great! I'll check it out when I can.
Holy Crap 1 Mar, 2020 @ 9:04pm 
So, I've tested the new version and the difficulty has really improved. The section after riding the two elevators is now much more challenging, with more obstacles, runners and shambler spawns. I still haven't tested on Nightmare, but it feels well balanced.

I think that the first section at the bottom of the pit is still a bit easy. Runner/shambler spawns are no longer an issue, the section feels relatively crowded with zombies. The issue now is that there aren't enough obstacles or chokepoints where players can get stuck. Most of the runners can be killed easily by kiting them on the more open sections. I think that adding a few more objects and structures to make movement more difficult would really improve the balance.

The map is shaping to be a relatively short but intense map, which is really nice cause it prevents drawn out matches that can take more than 45 minutes to complete. Keep at it and you'll end up with a fantastic map. It will also probably be a really fun and challenging experience on Nightmare.
Sirdoggy  [developer] 2 Mar, 2020 @ 11:42am 
It's great to hear that.

I will adress this lack of obstacles in the pit once I will get around to making and releasing a new version of the map. I might also consider adding some more objectives to spice up the gameplay.

I guess I should have said this earlier, but thanks for helping me make my map better! I'm much happier with it than I was before.
Holy Crap 2 Mar, 2020 @ 5:43pm 
No problem. I love helping to improve custom maps because I think they are the biggest source of depth, challenge and entertainment in the game

I'll check those new objectives if they do come into fruition sometime in the future.
Last edited by Holy Crap; 2 Mar, 2020 @ 5:43pm
Sirdoggy  [developer] 12 Mar, 2020 @ 4:25am 
I have released a new version of the map with improved balancing in the pit area. I also added new objectives! Not many, just two, but I didn't want to spend countless more hours making new areas and such. As always, all the changes are mentioned in the changelog.
💉 Marceline 12 Mar, 2020 @ 4:26pm 
Interaction with elevator door is a little difficult to do. I mean, finding the sweet spot for interaction to trigger. Both me and my friend struggled a little. Not a big deal, but still a thing. Map is so polished I have no other things to say really. Great job!
Sirdoggy  [developer] 13 Mar, 2020 @ 2:51am 
Ah, you mean the interaction with the fubar? I tried everything to make it better. I guess it's becouse the game makes the player interact with the doors itself (which doesn't do anything) instead of the progress trigger. This would explain why standing too close to the doors makes you unable to continue the interaction. It sucks, but it's the engine's fault. Maybe there is some fiddly workaround though. For now, just stand a meter or two away when trying to do this interaction, and you'll be fine.
Holy Crap 26 Mar, 2020 @ 8:24am 
I managed to try out version 4 and I'm glad to say that this is now one of the best custom maps in the game. You absolutely nailed it in every area.

I still haven't been able to check every single possible path, but so far the balance looks spot on. If you coordinate with your team the map becomes easier, which is a good thing and it doesn't take too long. It still is relatively short but very intense.

If I see more bugs or small issues I'll report them, but again, fantastic job. I can't wait to see more maps with this level of quality.
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