So, here's
Crossroads 1.0.
Edit: updated to 1.1 version.
Overlapping roadways bind this vast vehicular playgroud together. 12-16 players, Slayer, CTF, Stockpile.
As the description indicates, it's set up for Slayer, CTF and Stockpile currently. It's been tested with Slayer and CTF, and while they went fairly well I made a good number of adjustments in response to both play tests. A quick visual tour (something I should have posted before the play test, in hindsight):
Base spawn (the Warthog had been moved in the pic). Armament:
Base Weapons (30s respawn): DMR x2, Plasma Grenade x2, Frag grenade x2, Plasma Pistol, Magnum, Machinegun Turret (60s respawn)
Base Vehicles: Mongoose x2 (15s respawn), Warthog (90s respawn), Revenant (2m .respawn)
The base can be mounted from all four corners and is relatively open on top. The area can be accessed from below two ways:
The grav lift moves players right up to land next to the flag. The y-ramp takes players up to the side of it, next to the Revenant spawn.
Near the base is this man cannon, which launches players to one of the main bridges. While the landing zone is (deliberately) wide open, cover is close in any direction. Snagging the flag and getting to the man cannon is a five second trip; from landing to getting around the corner, after which line of sight is broken to the base, is also about five seconds. Our team was able to make a flag cap fairly swiftly this way, on foot.
Right next to where the man cannon lands is the rockets, up against the central strut. On the opposite side of that gulf is the other team's rockets. This should play out a bit like the rocket rushes on maps where there is only one power weapon - but there's two, and the two sides will be able to engage at some distance as they jockey for their own.
Behind the base is this draw bridge structure, intended to be an alternate route for vehicles to get between levels quickly. A well placed grenade will throw vehicles off, but the curves are gentle enough that you can barrel across is at full speed without issue. At the bottom, up against the large block, is a sniper rifle (12 rounds, 2m 30s respawn), plasma grenades and a health pack. I had the sniper set to 8 rounds in the play tests, but it did not nearly dominate the map the way I had feared, so I upped it to a more normal clip size.
On each corner of the map is what I call the quarry area, marked by using the stones to make it distinguishable from the rest of the map visually. It's also a "bail out" respawn zone of sorts, so if the entire base and surrounding spawns are getting mobbed, players spawn about a 12-second hike away but with an armament and a Mongoose on a rapid respawn.
On the base approach, around the wide side, is the Grenade Launcher (6 rounds, 90s respawn) and some ample cover. Though, Warthogs can comfortably ramp over the platform and drive through the tunnel to flush out infantry. (Or get tagged by the grenade launcher, as the case may be.) If there's infantry in this area vehicles may want to take the low road around them.
The center of the map has a gulf for vehicles to ramp gently over, though it's not a wise idea if you're in heavy combat to try it. On either footbridge is a plasma grenade for infantry to tag vehicles as they try to leap the short cut between bases.
The top sniper towers are mostly free of cover on top, so snipers will be pretty exposed. The facing man cannons are set so you don't take fall damage upon landing on the ramp. Do a double jump on them similar to the one on the front of Valhalla's bases to land right next to the down ramp. Oh, and one of the nine flags on Stockpile spawns in the apex of the trip over, so you have to launch over the gulf and snag it out of the air. The other eight are symmetrically placed on either side, two within walking distance in the span of a round, two somewhat further away. Grab a Mongoose and a flag partner.
In the file set is a CTF game type that has my recommended load outs for the map. It's definitely a DMR or Nerfle start map, with secondary.
I think both the scale and the openness of the map are a bit deceptive from the overview shots: the elevation and structures break up the sight lines a great deal, except down the driving lanes which are intentionally open. Travel time between bases on foot ranges from 38 to ~55 seconds on foot depending on the route and if you have sprint or not; vehicles take about 15 seconds. It seemed to work out well in play testing, though I've made tweaks since then. Hopefully you guys can beat it up good in a few 16 player matches and let me know.
