Custom Map Suggestions

[peglegswansoon]

We're recently added 3 new maps to the server: Temple, Dust2 and RedwoodReborn. I was thinking we should probably have a place for people to recommend other maps that is easier to keep track of than the Discord channel. So yeah, if there's a new map you like the look of (or ideally play-tested elsewhere beforehand) post the mod.io link and the admins can see about adding them in

[peglegswansoon]

This pack caught my eye the other day, "Custom Scenarios". It's an interesting concept, basically it takes 3 vanilla maps (Powerplant, Tideway and Farmhouse) and puts new custom objective layouts on them. Had the opportunity to play the Powerplant one today and it was pretty good, not groundbreaking but it brought some new life the map and has you explore a few areas you wouldn't normally see on the standard layout. Bots didn't have any trouble navigating either. The Tideway one is even the original layout from Buhriz on Insurgency Source. The best part? Since it uses the existing maps, the download is only a miniscule 2mb!

[peglegswansoon]

This pack contains a few maps from the old Insurgency Source ported over to Sandstorm. Big download, but looks like an interesting nostalgia trip!

[Tellus]

Ooh that's really interesting! Are you considering putting these in rotation on the test server Pegleg?

[peglegswansoon]

Yup! Only problem is all the downloads adding up. It already has ISMC on it, and I suspect that big download is putting people off somewhat as it is :/ Also not sure if they support Hardcore mode. But I should have time this weekend to try it out

[Spriggs]

I mean looking at those pictures brings back a plethora of memories. A shame that there isn't Siege on it, the memories of the mad dash to the first corner to empty your mag down at all the bots or to toss an explosive out.
If you end up getting it up on the test server, I'll be looking forward to hopping on

[peglegswansoon]

Haha yeah that opener was really something! Just had to watch out for the guy hiding behind the boxes in the tunnel on the left, ready to sneak in behind everyone just when you think you've cleared the point

The FAQ on the post says the guy is planning to convert the rest of the maps and add them to the mod at some point. Hopefully we'll get Siege et al soon! In the meantime someone else has already done Tell as a separate mod, I've played that one but it's a little rough (lots of stairs you have to jump up) and looks like it hasn't been updated for a while. Playing the old layout again was good fun though! Perhaps this newer pack will include a more refined port.

Oh, and this guy has done a pretty re-imagining of Peak, including different weather settings! It doesn't have a Checkpoint layout yet but once it does maybe we can give it a go too.

[Ghostie]

SpartanViperz has morphed across several of the original Insurgency maps including one of my favourites "Market" I think he has done a great job bringing these into Sandstorm, yes they still need a bit of polishing and he freely admits this but after having played them all they run pretty well

https://insurgencysandstorm.mod.io/insu ... 4-map-pack

[peglegswansoon]

We've actually be running that pack on the test server recently! Quite the nostalgia trip. For the most part they work well. Climbing trees on Heights is fun too. Unfortunately we did run into some issues with Market in particular, some people's games would crash after destroying the B point. About half of those who played it experienced this, but looks like SpartanViperz already knows about it, hopefully he can find a fix

My only other complaint is the layouts - for the most part they are accurate to the old game, but the maps he ported were the PvP versions. So they don't have any of the tweaks that were made to the co-op versions better suit the flow of the Checkpoint layouts. Things like closed off alleys and doorways that would keep things linear. Redzones keep you on the original path but the bots don't follow such constraints, so they sometimes flank around you to places you don't expect or shoot at you from weird angles. The layer system used for maps in Sandstorm means adding those layout tweaks back is supposed to be quite easy? So maybe we'll get those one day too.

We also had some trouble with the final counter attack on Heights. It's been changed so the capture point is just before where the original one is, and the bots spawn ahead of you instead of behind. Unfortunately they spawn close enough that they can run onto the point while still spawn-protected which is very frustrating. To make things worse there's also no actual cover on the point itself. Oh well, perhaps with better organization on a full server we can overcome this!