[APPROVAL REQUEST] balem-danger

[Balem]

[1]
- To the best of my knowledge, the following map fits all requirements to be approved: YES
- The following map contains no unfair hidden features: YES
- The following map contains nothing against the PB2 Code of Conduct: YES
- I have read and understand fully the Required Reading for posting a Map Approval Request: YES
- I have read and understand fully the Map Approval Rules: YES

[2]
- Map Name: Danger Zone
- Map ID: balem-danger
- Link to Map Page: https://www.plazmaburst2.com/?s=9&a=&m= ... &id=989993
- Link to Map Demo: https://www.plazmaburst2.com/?s=2&map=balem-danger

[3]
- Give a brief description of the map:
Map specifically made for DM, but works very good in COOP and obviously in TDM
-each player has a Crossfire CR-34, Revolver MK1 and defib and 4 NXS-25 Shotguns around the map
-150Hp
-Not symmetrical but equal as possible

- Why you think the map deserves to be approved: Welp, firstly i think this map is my best creation, but the effort doesn't mean it deserves be approved, but i really feel the map is unique, i tried to follow all the rules for approval by making this map, the combination of weapons was never seen before, a lot of playstyles possibles there (Safe,camping/rushing), cool design and really fun to play there.
- Any other comments: -

[Stryde]

balem-danger (1st playtest)
- Lighting in map needs to be adjusted in areas. Playtest through yourself and add lights to increase brightness or use shadowmapsize: https://prnt.sc/u3ru1j https://prnt.sc/u3rvea
- I don't think it looks good seeing every wall as a warning stripe wall to be honest. It is one of those textures that feels easily oversaturated in a map.
- Make this automatic door and a larger ceiling https://prnt.sc/u3rueh
- Center your gravitator https://prnt.sc/u3rv4u
- Locker decorations don't really fit the color-palette theme of map if they aren't HEX modified, desaturate them or remove them
- Why is there a gap in lockers? https://prnt.sc/u3rvlc
- Trash bin decorations are not solid https://prnt.sc/u3rvv5
- Why are there so many ways to activate the elevator that travels so slow? Why isnt the button centered? https://prnt.sc/u3rw8e
- Make this path walljumpable https://prnt.sc/u3s0ed
- Map kind of feels similar in terms of aesthetic design to your previous approved map, but also feels similar in terms of aesthetic design to Stryde-underground. I'm unsure if this is a good or a bad thing in terms of how map approvals will be shaped over the upcoming weeks from map approval team, but this is something important to consider possibly.

[Balem]

Change log 22/08/2020

A lot of changes were made but i didnt agree with 2 of them, but i will explain that at the end, lets start with the changes

1. Fixed some lightness issues https://prnt.sc/u3ve3u https://prnt.sc/u3vkpi (ignore the rifle) also i already worked with the shadowmap size to fix the shadows, i hope the map looks better now

2. Now walljump on this area is so easy to do https://prnt.sc/u3ve8x

3. Changed the design of the CS base so the stripes walls dont look over used around all the map https://prnt.sc/u3vehq

4. i dont know what was wrong with the gap between the lockers, but anyways lockers were removed

5. Button centered https://prnt.sc/u3vepq also made the elevator a bit faster, just a bit, i want it slow because i tested how does it works as a fast elevator and to be honest, when its slower, less abusable

6. Changed a bit this area https://prnt.sc/u3vet7 (also added lights after i took the screenshot), i didnt make the trash bin decoration "solid" because i would have to rework the whole area to make it playable, also i dont understand at all how does this works, on my last approval request i tried to use just 1 decoration as wall and the approval team said it looked confusing for players even with the blue edges there, but now you're telling me to make it solid (if thats what you mean with making solid), i really dont know how does this works, but i dont think is a good idea making the trash bins solid, coverage its made already and it works fine, i playtested this map a lot before posting this, i took care about long sight issues and theres nothing to do with coverage, everything works fine

7. https://prnt.sc/u3vexd changed this whole area so now it doesnt look that small, also i decided to keep this door as manual, as i said i playtested this map so much before and that area is not campeable, both sides have good coverage and stops the smooth gameplay there and makes the player THINK about the next movement there, thats the idea of the map, a different gameplay than others, this map is not supposed to be a rusheable map at all, but yeah youre able to do it, but specifically on this area is where the gameplay changes a bit and making it automatic will just ruin the experience there

about the aesthetic design, well i dont really see the problem with it? its my own design and as i explained in our dms, i didnt want to make it look like your map, and you told me it was more because of my last approved map "station" because they have a "similar" aesthetic design, well, station on both sides have little sewers which where inspired on this map while they were made, because this map was made already (it was different than now obv) and thats why i made the limits of the map like that, also, if it was something of aesthetic design to critize my map, why there are a lot of similar maps on approved? for example the design of dm0, sector, stryde arena, stryde sniper(all the sniper series actually) have the SAME aesthetic design, the same design, so i really dont understand whats wrong with following my own design i made, even if they look similar in esthetical terms they AREN'T the same, just play a bit u will notice, also the thing about the design wasn't on the approval requeriments or rules, whatever i read all that and i never saw something like that besides being "original", and its my own desing, original and not even copied station aesthetics because i used a different color combination so as i said before i dont understand and even if that was the case there are a lot of approved maps that have the same aesthetic design so dunno whats the problem or why the chances of approval are lower/higher depending of the aesthetical design, well thats all i hope no one gets offended with what i said, thats not the purpose

[Stryde]

about the aesthetic design, well i dont really see the problem with it? its my own design and as i explained in our dms, i didnt want to make it look like your map, and you told me it was more because of my last approved map "station" because they have a "similar" aesthetic design, well, station on both sides have little sewers which where inspired on this map while they were made, because this map was made already (it was different than now obv) and thats why i made the limits of the map like that, also, if it was something of aesthetic design to critize my map, why there are a lot of similar maps on approved? for example the design of dm0, sector, stryde arena, stryde sniper(all the sniper series actually) have the SAME aesthetic design, the same design, so i really dont understand whats wrong with following my own design i made, even if they look similar in esthetical terms they AREN'T the same, just play a bit u will notice, also the thing about the design wasn't on the approval requeriments or rules, whatever i read all that and i never saw something like that besides being "original", and its my own desing, original and not even copied station aesthetics because i used a different color combination so as i said before i dont understand and even if that was the case there are a lot of approved maps that have the same aesthetic design so dunno whats the problem or why the chances of approval are lower/higher depending of the aesthetical design, well thats all i hope no one gets offended with what i said, thats not the purpose

Yeah you definitely misinterpreted my intentions. It was my last bulletpoint, which isn't usually the most significant bulletpoint. It's fine to use designs from your maps you have previously made, but it still needs to provide to be different in some way. Stop citing old approved maps as your examples to your argument, because the map approval system is currently being worked on where all maps will eventually go through a re-review.

The use of dark environment themes in maps (which you can say this map and the comparison maps do) can get repetitive. Combined with using the same wall textures and a classic dark-neutral colored background scheme, it's harder to make those maps well because you have to account for lighting. Another thing with this map is that it's similar to Stryde-underground (and Stryde-crypt as well as other maps) insofar as the map is completely covered with a background (no sky used) but uses multiple backgrounds to create "a setting". Again before you assume this is an issue because I pointed it out, it's not, I'm saying it takes more time to make sure the setting is more unique in the first place because you are not working with a sky.

tldr: I do know it's not exactly the same to your other maps, I did actually playtest your map, so don't make assumptions I didn't. I'm more concerned about the repetitiveness of wall textures and lack of details or developed places in background setting. Again, this was a minor point I wanted to make to begin with, so don't make it something major.

[Balem]

The use of dark environment themes in maps (which you can say this map and the comparison maps do) can get repetitive. Combined with using the same wall textures and a classic dark-neutral colored background scheme, it's harder to make those maps well because you have to account for lighting. Another thing with this map is that it's similar to Stryde-underground (and Stryde-crypt as well as other maps) insofar as the map is completely covered with a background (no sky used) but uses multiple backgrounds to create "a setting". Again before you assume this is an issue because I pointed it out, it's not, I'm saying it takes more time to make sure the setting is more unique in the first place because you are not working with a sky.

So you're telling me a possible solution is to add some details on the background (specifically in areas where it gets repetitive) to do make it look "unique" right? idk if i get it but i think i understand now, also the last message wasn't on a offensive way as i said there, i just said what i thought there and i just said it, sorry if i misinterpreted your intentions, but i get what are you telling me now

[Balem]

minor udpate:

I changed a bit the look of the map but not at all, to be honest i want a simplistic esthetic design.
this udpate only has 1 gameplay change, the rest is about the esthetic of the map

starting with that i added those around, https://prnt.sc/u493mz (pipes since its a sewer) https://prnt.sc/u494cl

i played a bit more with gray color around the cs base, also on bottom i replaced the rust IV panel for a basic one with HEX edited, making it part of the cs base
https://prnt.sc/u493z1 also deleted the water area there, to do not overuse the water in the map
https://prnt.sc/u493sr
https://prnt.sc/u493vv i added this automatic door on bottom, just to stop a bit spam there
https://prnt.sc/u494g8 also i changed this a bit, playing a bit more with colors with the sky

[Balem]

Changelog 27/08

Added those pipes around the map, following the sewer theme https://prnt.sc/u75sm6
https://prnt.sc/u75xxr
https://prnt.sc/u75y1q

I made this just to make the map look a bit better than before, so the background doesnt get repetitive too

Also deleted the decorations that were there https://prnt.sc/u75ywb and added stripes on their place, also i made those spaces to get in the base around 2 or 3Px bigger than before, so its easier to get on every platform https://prnt.sc/u75zdb there too.

added this at top of the map like if there was a closed tunnel that connects with the outside, following the theme of a sewer https://prnt.sc/u75zjr

reduced the amount of lamps and lights around the map on some areas (not needed light because there was enough lightness) the only place were i reduced it a bit was on the CS base, because the background has light tonality and i let some shadows stay there, i hope thats not an issue

Made this area bigger https://prnt.sc/u7ngeo
Changed design of Bottom right https://prnt.sc/u7ngnd
Changed a bit the limit of the maps https://prnt.sc/u7ngxq / https://prnt.sc/u7nhcq

https://prnt.sc/u7nhqv made this area symmetrical for both sides

This area is bigger now, which means smooth movement there https://prnt.sc/u7ni11

Deleted a wall right there that made this spot campeable https://prnt.sc/u7nigv

In general i made some areas way more simple than before (in construction terms, less walls i mean) in the way that now the movement is far away more smooth than before, this is all i udpated for now, besides the outside area a bit (limit of the map) to make the preview look like a whole place with an area playable

[Balem]

Changelog 06-09

https://prnt.sc/ucbmdr Changed this whole area, edited coverage and added 2 automatic doors that stops the spam and doesnt affect the gameplay

added a tube here https://prnt.sc/ucbmnf

https://prnt.sc/ucbmr4 Changed right button position closer (same Pixels of distance than the left one) to the door

https://prnt.sc/ucbmwv Fixed an issue with this automatic door that after the timer ended his process, it made the door bounce because of the reactivation if the player stayed on the area of activation

https://prnt.sc/ucbn7b Moved a wall there, on the lamp space

https://prnt.sc/ucbnrb other changes on Left bottom

https://prnt.sc/ucbnvd Moved this decoration there