55 replies to this topic

[jjm1]

Here is a map concept, commissioned by CK16 with instructions to make a BattleTech agricultural/rural themed map. This in no way represents a final product, just an exploratory first-pass to get a feel for it which would aid in planning a more polished second pass. (which isn't coming BTW, its only a fan concept)

Main importance is that it is an attractive earth-like environment that is commonly found in BT lore but so far hasn't been represented by an existing MWO map.

The finished map would ideally have alternative time of day and seasonal varieties featuring rain, thunderstorms, rolling fog and snow.

The concept was created using UE4, with help from UE4s free collection of grass, trees and rock assets. Structures, wheat, materials and mountains etc were created for the concept.
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Intended play-style:

Firstly its very open outside of the low lying river, but there are distributed rocks, buildings and rolling hills to provide some cover. The main battles in skirmish would be expected to take place around the river where rocky outcrops and buildings allow forces to gather before attempting to cross, or weaken the enemy if they try to cross in a bad spot. Pushing an enemy off their river bank and into the fields would be when they become open to LRM rain or if they attempt to cross the river in an obvious place and without using a bridge for cover.

The trees are large, requiring more momentum to destroy than the small destructible trees in MWO, perhaps they could require heavy mechs. They should also provide some limited line of sight cover to aid in stealth.

Lore:

The map is set in an agricultural region on Tukayyid. The population lives in homesteads and modest villages and work at the commercial agriculture facilities where Terran-sourced crops are cross-bred and engineered to thrive in the local environment. Power is sourced from solar and wind in addition to biofuels. There is nothing of real significance to invading forces with the exception of the sturdy bridges necessary for moving armies.

To-do:

Coming up will be at least one concept painting for the maps visual theme adding more detail to the ground/buildings (mud, ditches, different soil layers, vehicle tracks, power-lines, plant variation etc) and of course agromechs doing some agromech related activities.

Video:



Compilation of screenshots:




Overview, (map area is extended beyond play area in the 3D concept)

[process]

I realize it's a WIP but I think it would need substantially more cover to be viable in MWO.

Other than that it's a gorgeous map that I would love to play on. I don't know why PGI has such a penchant for dark, gloomy, gritty, and foggy environments. Brightness is okay! Color can be your friend!

Edited by process, 16 November 2017 - 09:55 AM.

[easyday]

Nice work!

[Odanan]

process, on 16 November 2017 - 09:55 AM, said:

I realize it's a WIP but I think it would need substantially more cover to be viable in MWO.

Other than that it's a gorgeous map that I would love to play on. I don't know why PGI has such a penchant for dark, gloomy, gritty, and foggy environments. Brightness is okay! Color can be your friend!

This ^

[Little Details]

A thing of beauty to see something with 'Earth' scaling around this game.

Edited by Little Details, 16 November 2017 - 04:44 PM.

[Kin3ticX]

this looks ******* BADASS

[Ragedog4]

HELL YES. I have been asking for just this as well as a LOT of my friends for a long time. GIVE US FARM LANDS AFTER CITY MAP PGI PLZ!

I lived in the rocky Mountain Farm lands of Idaho for a while and the hills are a lot higher but most are covered with farm land. So LRMs can work but the hills are so many (not kidding how many switch backs I drove through to get to the next town over) that there would be lots of more cover than Polar Highlands. I mean twice as high than in Polar.

DO THIS MAP PGI PLZ!

[Zephrym]

This is brilliant and a testament to the added value that the game's fan base provides. Would love to see a map like this.

[Imigo Montoya]

Brilliant... we need a map like this...

do it PGI

[AlienPickle]

I've been desperate for an "earth-like" map since day 1. This is definitely what I want, right here.

As for "doesn't have enough cover"... Ok, take our current big flat ice-world map and make it green instead. Then cover it in small lakes and big patches of trees. There is sufficient elevation in the rolling hills to hide a mech behind "hull down", and you'd have more than enough dense forest to obscure people who want to stomp blindly through the trees to flank. I'd have a couple of hills that have terraced farming on them and that would give you corner-peeking. It wouldn't be hard, folks.

Not every map has to be DE Dust 2.

In fact, I'd make the map BIG, and then have the actual play boundaries moveable so you could make 4 or 5 different maps out of the one, depending on where the play zone centers. Also, in 12v12 drops you can alter the spawns to make any of those variations play N-to-S or E-to-W, or perhaps even diagonally across it.

It shouldn't be about having absolute balance so strict that "each side must be equally distant from a good sniper spot" or such. Real battles are more like "this is the lay of the land, deal with it." God knows we need some maps that aren't DOTA 3-lanes or nascar tracks.

[MovinTarget]

Needs puntable farm animals that do no damage on contact, but earn the player an achievement when an enemy mech is struck by your flying cow...

[Tarogato]

Can you share the heightmap for this? I kinda wanna look at the terrain in engine and eye up the sightlines. I think I could overlay that overview you have, too.

[Tarogato]

process, on 16 November 2017 - 09:55 AM, said:

Other than that it's a gorgeous map that I would love to play on. I don't know why PGI has such a penchant for dark, gloomy, gritty, and foggy environments. Brightness is okay! Color can be your friend!

Even ignoring that it would be completely out of place in the MWO lineup, I still think this colour pallet is much too bright. It looks like the overworld to a cartoon MMORPG.

Just a slight tweaking of the saturation and contrast, and I get something that looks a lot more believable to me:

[Defensores 6]

Great job guys.

[jjm1]

KainX, on 16 November 2017 - 12:58 PM, said:

I propose a amendment to your agriculture map.
https://imgur.com/a/0zq0v

Tarogato, on 16 November 2017 - 03:53 PM, said:

Can you share the heightmap for this? I kinda wanna look at the terrain in engine and eye up the sightlines. I think I could overlay that overview you have, too.

heightmap and .FBX for anyone that wants a look.
https://www.mediafir...map_terrain_tmp


A lot of people have said its too open to LRM abuse, and I'm inclined to agree. That's why instead of the mountains and megastructures in other maps it would need a lot of distributed objects like large boulders and small ravines to move about.

Next step would definitely be to spend a little extra time iterating various terrain options, no doubt it could be better without losing the open air look it needs, maybe a more expansive river delta instead of one river, raised roads to break up flat fields, terraced fields around the river and the farm improvements as described by KainX.

I would say the buildings should be usable to hide a mech behind, but it would be cool if stuff like that actually collapsed when you walk into them or shoot though them.

[Tarogato]

jjm1, on 16 November 2017 - 08:58 PM, said:

Cheers!

What did you think of Kain's idea?

Kinda made me think of Kagoshima from MWLL, although that's more about terraced rice paddies. https://wiki.mechliv...hp/TC_Kagoshima



Also... the day we get some farmlands in MWO, we'll need a couple agromechs wandering around on their own, asking to get shot at.

[Cato Zilks]

1) dats hot.

2) If locusts and pirhanas can hide in the wheat... omg.

Holy ****, we need this in the game.

(and yes I realize that crops are not that tall, I just got really excited about an absurd idea. It would be fun ok.)

Edited by Cato Zilks, 16 November 2017 - 10:38 PM.

[D V Devnull]

Hey, everyone. I just saw the video and the scale of the map. It's quite a sight to see, and a welcome idea from fellow Community members.

I would say the map is great. However, I would suggest not making the outer boundary quite so circular. Also, more buildings, but not quite near the density of 'River City', given the type of map that this is supposed to be. Perhaps also place some armored boats down in the river area of the map. Then, add some more bridges, preferably raising all of the bridges up away from the water a bit. That would allow Mechs to easily walk under or travel along the network of them.

I'm sure there's more that could come to my mind, but I'm not a control freak. I definitely want to see something like this in MWO, however! Maybe it would be worth cross-linking this in the "Feature Suggestions" and "General Discussion" boards, as well?

~Mr. D. V. "That some impressive rendering there! PGI should do some of that kind of stuff!" Devnull

[Rekkon]

I love it. My only suggestion would be to add some defensive earthworks. Comstar fortified the heck out of that place before the battle. A few trenches could help approaches to the riverbank, and I think it would be cool to have a smattering of "mech foxholes" where individual players could hide, then jump jet out to surprise their enemies. Bonus points if they have destructible camo net top covers.

[-Spectre]

I agree that this map could use some more cover, but that is easily added in, I think this looks great! Keep it up, and maybe PGI will listen to us. Amazing work!