Randomized Maps in Team Fortress 2 Explained

Given the amount of time that gamers have been playing the original Team Fortress, it's no wonder that Valve has designed the upcoming Team Fortress 2 with longevity in mind. One aspect of that design process is map layout: a randomization algorithm will reconfigure the map every time a game is launched. The result will be a multiplayer game requiring much more than simple map memorization and sniper rifle spawn camping. The post on Computer and Videogames offers a video featuring project lead Robin Walker describing the complicated process of making every random map work well. "As for how the dynamic maps work in practice, that was hard to judge. The match we played on Hydro, the first map to use this special game mode, was enormous fun. But as extensive as our playtest was, they didn't let us play on the map for three years, and that's the kind of heavy use under which this system should flourish. What we did notice is that this is not just a Battlefield type system with some control points 'locked'. When a point is not in play, routes to that section of the map are physically blocked off, so the physical shape of the map is different for every combination of points. That forces you to revise your mental picture of the map, and see it as fresh again."

Comments

Re:Dumbing down of FPSs

[Serengeti]

"Therefore the game designers add autoaim and weapon spread to make it less important."

I don't know of a multiplayer game that has auto aim. None of the ones I've played do, anyway.

"Randomizing the maps makes this skill less important."

This would be true if the maps were actually redesigned each game. What's happening is that certain parts of maps are blocked in each game, and the starting point changes, but the map itself does not. They're not looking to confuse the player, or to remove any chance of the map being memorized, they're trying to provide new scenarios in maps that will be played hundreds of times (in a row, sometimes!)

In games where every player is a powergamer, it will require memorization of the map AS WELL AS an ability to adapt to changes. If anything, it will require not only the same skills as before, but also 'thinking on your feet' at a slightly larger scale.

Half-Life's TFC map sequence

[British]

I know the map sequence 99% of the servers in Half-Life TFC by heart. It's easy!

2fort
2fort
2fort
2fort
2fort

That was my biggest gripe of Half Life TFC: Almost no map variety. You were almost always guaranteed to play 2fort. It was the de_dust of TFC. It got boring after awhile.

I enjoyed the other maps like the attack/defense map where you would have the attacking team going literally at a snail's pace towards the flag due to all the crossfire. It was great. Favorite map? The map of the gigantic living room where snipers frequently stood in the bookshelf.

In terms of multiplayer-PC game maps, Multi Theft Auto is great. Tons of maps(Deathmatch and race), most of them suck, but still fun to play. They load literally in a second, being grafted onto San Andreas. Now only if the combat(ie get out of your car) MTA will surface.

Re:I never understood.

[Endo13]

Correction: Deep Blue had played Chess games before, Kasparov simply was not allowed to review them.

Part of the Source engine that is not used

[Foo2rama]

This feature has been in the source engine for awhile. In fact it is used on 1 map for Counter-Strike Source. On the map cs_Havana, there are 3 routes from the CT spawn to the Hostages. On this map there are 6 choke points that may or may not be closed always allowing at least 1 path to the objective. Funny thing is this map is rarely played, and this feature is somewhat un-noticed by the players.

Granted what they are going for seems a little more ambitious for TF2, but feature like that are what internet based FPS's need to progress and become better. TF has also been one of the few FPS's that truly utilize height in map making, something that is lacking in most CS maps...