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zps_shanty_housing

I also appreciate that the outside, while imo one of the weakest parts of the map visually and gameplay wise, has some stuff placed here and there so it is not completely empty looking. The Wagon, the grass and the Trees, the Dirt path leading to each of the buildings.

I realized i never gave some postitives about this map, so sorry to be flooding your notifiations again(Especially since im pretty sure the last thing you care about is any of my feedback), so im gonna go list some things I do like about the map.

Some of the interiors do look decently nice. I particularly like how the small lab area looks. There is some pretty good lighting in some of the interiors as well, as well as some nice use of particle effects to give a 'shining dust' look, and a dusty feel to the basement areas. The small run down 'shed' of sorts looks pretty good too. The church, while quite blocky looking, is a pretty good attempt at making a small rural church, and its certainly nicer than the church in church siege. The skybox, while not perfect and leans on the fake looking side, is still a nice attempt and certainly better than an empty black void.

A massive improvement to this map would be to start survivors outside of the buildings, and try to make the external enviroment more interesting. Don't have the houses start pre-barricaded either. Perhaps give zombies easier access to the inside of buildings near the start of the round. Adjust the lighting to be darker. Attempt to capture that essence of "We can't survive in here forever, we just need to use it to buy as much time as possible'. Try to ensure zombies always feel like they're accomplishing something or are using their brain to do something. Nothing is as demoralizing than feeling like you're doing nothing even if you are making progress.

For example from Snowbound, breaking through cracks in the wall involve smashing multiple tiny bits of wood. It feels better as there is more visual feedback to the fact you are doing something. There is way too many entrances for survivors to be handling, and its less of a "can survivors hold out the entire time in this building" and more of a "Can survivors forcibly handle this situation rapidly degrading". Its fun for both sides, the panic of survivors desperately patching holes all over the place knowing they'll eventually have to leave regardless and trying to buy as much time as possible, and zombies constantly breaking stuff and feeling like they're having an impact.

Sieges can be fun, but rarely if the whole map is focused around them. Good examples of sieges that i found people enjoyed on both sides were the Snowbound Lodge and Essentially the entire map of Snowblind. Giving more for zombies to do or chances for them to do something that is more than just "Get shot" or "attempt to break windows/boards/push open doors' for the whole time makes for a more enjoyable experience. Or simply making that breaking part feel better. Have smaller bits that break apart slowly instead of just one gigantic healthy slab of glass or wooden door.

Oh man. i remember enjoying this map a lot when i was younger. looking back at it though, its not particularly great. Happy to see it back, I guess, even if it is essentially another cabin clone.

Honestly the main problems with the map are both that its kinda blocky looking and ugly looking in places(especially the exterior of the buildings), the fact its incredibly wide open on the outside leading to a lot of zombies dying, and the fact every building starts barricaded meaning zombies are starting from the get go in the "Spawn, attempt to do something, die" loop instead of having a chance to ambush survivors or set-up ahead of time. Continued in second comment