Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

Spice
Pastel 12 May, 2015 @ 7:15pm
Feedback
Hi there,
recently I read in CS:GO's subreddits that your map was going to be playtested. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend neither playtests because I live in SA, but I will gladly help with my feedback (It might not be the best feedback as I couldn't test it out, this is purely based on my experience offline).
Gameplay
Reviewing the layout a little bit, I noticed the map is too complex. And what is wrong with that? Well, in maps like Season it provides connections that can send you back where you started, but they are used in late game ( However in most maps, complexity as in too many paths can lead to less risk when making a decision. If you take the wrong approach, in most maps it punishes you by getting you killed or putting you at a disadvantage. In your map, for example, making the wrong decision hardly punishes you as you have one or more connectors that send you to the same area.
One way of testing this is draw all the connections in your map, and compare it to an official map. Take a look at Cache's pathing:
http://imgur.com/JjPgHoY
What I can notice from here is:
  • CT's and T's have an almost instant decision to make.
  • Near T Spawn there are many connectors.
  • T Paths to both bombsites, however, have very few connectors, and they are very risk-reward.
Look to the two T paths to A site. They are uncontested, but they are separated. This encourages coordination for the team when planning a strat, and punishes the players of either path when they fail.
The T spawn connectors are also seen in Inferno's T Apartments. These paths are uncontested in the early game, but are useful in late game when the bomb is planted or dropped in one of those areas.
Compare it to Spice:
http://imgur.com/rV1aozK
You can see the complexity is greater in this map, especially in Apartments. This area is the main route to rotate for CT's. With this complexity, T's can sit in one of the many corridors, hide, flank and take down CT's easily. This and the long rotation (will explain below) puts CT's at a disadvantage in this zone. If this zone is not a good choice for CT's it renders obsolete in gameplay, making the area in a giant place to hide for T's (kind of like a big toxic in Nuke) and not in the way it is supposed to be. If you simplify Apartments you will make retakes from there easier, but still hard (CT rotating paths are generally meant to be hard due to them being safer to travel).
Another thing I noticed is the overuse of connections in the T paths to A, like the one from T Spawn to Garage. You can get through the plank between the windows, but why do that when you can safely go through T safer and with similar timing? This is a clear example of riskless decisions. My suggestion would be to remove the T shorcut to garage. This area can act like Cache's vents to B site. You need to go through the plank, making you vulnerable to a CT in the street, but the reward is a great view of the site. Plus, you need to be boosted as a CT to go aggresive, something I consider a positive thing in the map.
The risk reward scenarios in the map (example: to cross to the other part of the A site as a CT you need to expose yourself to a T watching in the bunker, similar to the box of Platform in Dust 2's B Site) are great, and simplifying the map will make the map more fun.
In regards to the long rotation, this type of long rotations has been seen in Season and Crown. This design makes boring gameplay, as the CT's will often get outplayed and will save the majority of the bomb plant scenarios.
Graphics
Given it's your first map, the visuals are quite good. However, some textures and props makes the map look like CS:S. The doors and the dust textures on the walls seem old. You can change the doors to the Cbble wooden doors (its not the same size but it's an upgrade in graphics) and use CS:GO default textures to make the map prettier.
One thing you could do to make the map more impressive with default stuff is making buildings more interesting. For example, T Spawn's beach, the hole in the wall, B Site, etc. are unique. They are easier to remember and they are an awesome addition. You should try to make more of these.
The cranes and the warehouse orientate the player nicely, good job on making the remarkable areas be seen from far away.
Some things that you should check out.
These flowers can obstruct the sights and give unfair advantage. My suggestion would be to make them lower, as they are an important part of the visuals.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441834681
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441834696
The arch has a texture glitch
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441834587
In my opinion you should close this angle so you need to be on the plank to take the shot.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441834622
Texture missing.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441834501
Make the lights collisionless, I got stuck in them many times.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441834525
You can walk over this wood thingy.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441834537
Remove the collisions for these, they are only for visual purposes.
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=441834558

That's all, hope you find this useful :D

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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
Dänisches Bettenlager  [developer] 13 May, 2015 @ 1:38am 
Hey there Pastelito! Thank you very, very much for this super detailed breakdown of suggestions. A lot of it correlates with what other testers have said ([re]moving the window flowers, simplifying appartements) and the rest are very good suggestions as well which I will incorporate into the next update! Thank you again for taking the time to write all this out, that's extremely helpful for me!
Pastel 13 May, 2015 @ 5:54am 
Your welcome and I'm glad I have been helpful!
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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
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