[Archanor]

Hello!

I might not be too known around here, as I've been an inactive member of Synergy for a while.

To keep things short, I made syn_takeover, and I've had in mind of doing some changes to the map. So let me hear what you like and dislike about the map, and what you wished was different about it.

I'm willing to change it based on constructive criticism, and hopefully you'll see the sequel of it sometime.

Fun facts:

* It was very much inspired from HL and Black Mesa
* Sequel is in the progress (Don't take my word for it though)
* I lost the VMF and the story behind the map
* It's my second map in Synergy (where the first one is called syn_incoming ..probably lost by now)
* The map was made for 4 players

[BarkerJr]

This is my favourite classic stock map.

Here's some ideas:
* Reinstate ammo/weapon respawning. It's too hard respawning with no weapons and ammo.
* Make the gas leak look more ominous. I walk into it without realizing it sometimes.

[Icely]

Also a favourite.

Some parts I like:

The locker room. Every time I play this with friends we split up, one gose left and other other right. It`s fun to have a part of the map like this where the layout of the room splits players appart, although only shortly.

The cafiteria because you have the combine, zombies, and players all fighitng each other, not to mention the large number of destructable objects. I normaly hate headcrabs but here they`re fun to kill. I think it is becuase they get hung up on the tables just enough to slow them down. Between the headcrab rockets, breakable objects and combine bursting in it is a very active room, but large enought to hold this action without being overcrowind or overwhelming.

The way you continually provide shotcuts back to the spawn. It might be a little less important with the Orange Box spawn system, but I really liked this feature when playing the preveous version. It might be made useful again with the addition of ammo crates to the spawn area given the shortage of ammo in the Orange Box version. Although the ammo shortage isn`t really bad, I kind of like how it has forced us to actualy share ammo when it starts to become scarce. So manybe just infinatly respawning health kits at the spawn.


Some parts I don`t like as much:

Where the combine super soldiers drop down through the skylights because the players have to apporach this room from below and there are combine waiting to shoot the top of the stairs they come up. Generally I don`t mind charing forward if I am charging forward towards some cover I can use. Here you get to the top of the stairs and there really isn`t much effective cover. Not something I really like, but that alone dosen`t mean it is bad.


Some things I would sugest changing:

The combine force field you see after the cafiteria. You cannot shoot through it, but you expect to be able to. I`d suggest making it either a door, maybe with unbreakable windows, or alowing shots through.

The water puzzle. Every time I get to this part someone asks what you are supposed to do. I think the lights on top of the generators are misleading. Although it can be figured out in a relitivly short time this is a popular map and so there is always someone who knows what to do who will solve it before new players get a chance. The simplist thing I can think of doing would be to add a button to the top of the generator that displays a message about the pump being offline and the start switch being at the base of the unit. Althought there are other ways you might be able to draw attention to the switch at the base, flashing lights or another generator that players approach from the base to name a couple.

The helicopter and strider arena. Might be nice to have a bigger arena with ammo and health placed around it so you get players moving about more than just ducking in and out of cover long enough to fire a rocket. Not to mention it would be cool to get the helicopter moving around some more.

[GODJonez]

This is the map that was declared being "a good example of a good map for Synergy like mods" on my server. So good work on it!

Some things that I found bad or broken in the OB version in this map:

• The crowbar at the start, sometimes it would spawn so that you couldn't take it from the boxes, making you quite stuck in the spawn area. I mean, it spawned in an angle that you couldn't take it by simply jumping and that it was so far back that you couldn't use +USE key either to grab it, as you can't jump through the ceiling to actually get to see the crowbar so you could grab it.
• The HEV suit generators at spawn not recharging. Now it is a speed battle of who get to charge their armour level fastest
• Weapons and ammo not respawning, at the end side of the map we had no ammo and having died a few times (there's no player-player healing system yet in OB), we also had no weapons to use the ammo we had on

Also, waiting eagerly for the sequel.

[Silikone]

This is my favourite classic stock map.
* Reinstate ammo/weapon respawning. It's too hard respawning with no weapons and ammo.

Really? I find it funny. And nothing's too hard if you're working with other players.

[4-Legged Tumor]

I love how this map is so difficult on skill level 3, it enforces teamwork and tactical fighting with 2-4 players. It's practically impossible with two players, but that doesn't mean it's not fun: you can't beat (some) high-score arcade games, but doesn't mean they aren't fun.

[Archanor]

Thanks for the comments, they helped alot!
I've done quite a bit of changes to takeover, and I'm sure they're all to the better.

I'm thinking of making this a OB version of the map, as I'm using various stuff from EP2.
You'll still be able to play the original one, unless VOSK thinks it's enough with one version of takeover.

[LiquidHelium]

Make the map less blocky.

[Silikone]

Thanks for the comments, they helped alot!
I've done quite a bit of changes to takeover, and I'm sure they're all to the better.

I'm thinking of making this a OB version of the map, as I'm using various stuff from EP2.
You'll still be able to play the original one, unless VOSK thinks it's enough with one version of takeover.

Won't do well IMO. Save OB content for part 2.

[nickelrodent]

The Arach is ALIVE! good to here from ya again

[Silikone]

The Arach is ALIVE! good to here from ya again

Where's syn_farm?

[CMaster]

Thanks for the comments, they helped alot!
I've done quite a bit of changes to takeover, and I'm sure they're all to the better.

I'm thinking of making this a OB version of the map, as I'm using various stuff from EP2.
You'll still be able to play the original one, unless VOSK thinks it's enough with one version of takeover.

Yeah, I'd suggest (as a guide for all mappers) leaving out Ep1/2 content unless it will add to the map in some significant way. A lo of people don't have the episodes, and it's frustrating to have to miss out because somebody wanetd to use a tree, or thought having a pair of zombine would be cool.

[Archanor]

A lo of people don't have the episodes, and it's frustrating to have to miss out because somebody wanetd to use a tree, or thought having a pair of zombine would be cool.

I do think further than that, but why would you buy HL2 and not the other episodes?
To me it seems meaningless buying HL2 and not the sequel games.

Besides, HL2 is not the best game to make a good coop map on, as the enemies have either close to no challenge or is too powerful without the right weapons. Enemies from EP2, such as the Hunter and Zombine are a bit harder to take down alone without getting hurt.

[CMaster]

I do think further than that, but why would you buy HL2 and not the other episodes?
To me it seems meaningless buying HL2 and not the sequel games.

What an odd statement.
There are loads of reasons why you might buy HL2 (indeed have bought it long ago) and now own Episodes 1 and 2. perhaps shortage of cash, or more interest in mods than paying what was initally quite a lot of money for a few hours more singleplayer play. (It's come down some since then but still). Maybe they got HL2 as a gift from somebody. Maybe they bought Ep1 even, but decided $20 was a bit steep for ep2 compared to what everyone else was getting with the combo packages. Etc etc.

I'm not saying don't use content from the episodes. I'm jsut saying mappers should think about maximising their audience and only using Ep1/2 content if it genuinley adds to the map.

[Archanor]

What an odd statement.

Yeah, it was a half-assed reply. I'm very tired.
However, 20$ for two awesome followups isn't what I would call steep.
I'm sure you'll get them both for 10 bucks in not too long.

I've decided to stick to HL2 when it comes to the "OB" version of takeover, but I'm not too certain about the sequel.

[nickelrodent]

Where's syn_farm?

done

[CyderBashr]

I just played this map recently and really liked it,
I would not add respawning ammo as this is what made it great, everyone was keeping together sharing ammo and many retreats when ammo ran out against the zombies. Maybe just add an odd box here and there.
The crowbar was hard to get sometimes it fell back becoming stuck so player could not get it.

[Archanor]

*1 year bump*

After "losing" the updated map file, and the story plans of this map, I actually found some stuff on a (emergency backup) floppy disk I forgot about. I've been doing some more work to the map, and it all seems to work out nice.

The map will only require HL2. I don't really have a list of changes or anything, but you should be able to see the difference if you've played it before.

I don't know if I'll get the time to work on the sequel, but some work have been started.

The map is basically done, I just need to do a few more fixes. As for the release of it, I have no idea.

[Archanor]

Picture #1
Picture #2

Note: These are NOT new areas, they are just old areas with new textures and lighting.

I'm not going to spoil too much, but the updated version of takeover has custom textures and new lighting, and it's ALOT more fun fighting the helicopter. The room filled with water has been redesigned, and takes a little more skill to complete.

[Silikone]

The map will only require HL2.