Prefab: I know that the last edit for this map was quite a while ago, and you may not even be working on it still, but I've compiled this >2k word article detailing some of the remaining bugs and glitches in the map.


I have compiled this little document containing all the errors I noticed in this map. I'm not saying these detract from the experience of playing, it's still a very fun and interesting map, but these are little things that can be improved to it to better its age from now and into the future. I'm only doing this because I want this map to thrive!

I have only been able to play with hamsters running in cages, so I won't be able to really comment on anything balance related like timing or area control. However, I did notice some things off with the map as I played. To help me with my analysis, I enlisted the help of Fred the very co-operative Bot. Say hello to Fred!

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504665602/333EAE68ADC2242BF44C9A3B18A8F42EE6641FC5/

Note the debuggy green and red lines lining the floor. These are collectively called the nav-mesh, and this instructs the bots as to what's walkable terrain, what's not and how they link together. This will be important for later (It isn't active in every screenshot, either.)

1. First we have this inconspicuous pipe in the lobby to the giant snow slope on T side:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504655005/32D31F6FB8EC734D4F02F203412C8F228CAD4D2A/

This pipe has absolutely no clipping, and thus it's very easy to hide in.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504655442/F6D4183AFD6544A0AB2813CD816709A7A92F53FC/

Here's what it looks like to someone on the outside:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504664258/6DC037FE227EB07056416365F3A5D0AE48861539/

The fact that the clerk working here has an indestructable computer monitor offering cover for this position is just salt in the wound.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504664614/366CC87E088EE2C42029D4CB99F0ACEEE61E43D7/

Which is odd as this exact copy of the pipe on the other side of the room is unenterable.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504657073/1F3B57EB2DE080FD21F91362FF0996717F1CACC1/

However...


2. If you attempt to jump into the pipe and end up between it and the wooden crate beside it...

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504667450/D3776CD24B2626312B8EFA7447D1AEFBA2938ABE/

you get stuck. At least until you jump out, but still you cannot path out of it, which is just unpolish.

Out of curiousity, since the bot always attempts to move out of your way when you get near it (even in casual mode), I jumped in myself to see what would happen...

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504667686/1F47CE39CAE7EB0290416A5EA5192DAD09002F1C/

It also doesn't have bullet decals show up on it.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504664786/70E967868AB1239DEAABC851DBBDBA19BB4FA7E3/


3. Note: This was actually discovered by Luke https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/id/LukeUltimate first, so credit goes to him! Despite a patch fixes most of the issues he mentions in his post https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/workshop/filedetails/discussion/727926171/360670708776820713/ , it seems that the following is still not fixed.

These shelves by the top of the slope on CT side:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504656290/0957A4AAC000B9523588100D2636F4CB191C8E54/

Have no collision.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504656785/32BE015684EEF8CC66EF87F5D4FCD4DAAED62592/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504664101/37D179832561DBD306E18CE7B9B5D451F7D36AD1/


4. In that same room around the corner there's this heater lamp thingy,

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504662750/68F740FB431E0303724805FECC6CAAF3C357418F/

You guessed it.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504663349/B3888E793538B9E2951ED5723D73FD03F479EC92/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504663518/5DCC8A46AC8A9F7BBE23B547F2ED184029A259FD/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504663704/391F7F82E29AC24C0F7FCD8161A28374C2C19DC0/


5. By the area next to bombsite B there's this little archway you have to go through.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504661006/2023EAED018CA42CC1AC60181D530A0C31E38BD4/

If you try walking forward in that direction so that you rub up against the wall, you get stuck here:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504661220/82C8985926E945F0BA79E991956D0BD5EB00F510/

This wouldn't matter so much if it didn't also happen going the other way.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504661449/49B19D59B8758810F212AD37FE8BC7A42A636E5B/

It's not something being caused by the pillar corner slightly protruding. The problem stems from the little decoration above it, the player character's head gets stuck on the left end of where the semi-circle arch stops on that pillar. It also happens to the pillar to the left of it, here:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504661804/F733154F41CA6B7CE7311466B44E2E11C20A051E/


6. There's a visual texture error here by T-spawn headed towards B:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504665342/EA3B5A9750E5E5F111134C8FD39CFF021D436E51/

It glitches out as you move and look at it.


7. This area by bombsite B has questionable collision.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504665762/1C3D1B83FDCC03C67F6229D3F0CFCC4C448E5F26/

You can only get this close to the doors on the right:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504666021/CDA139110C006AA1C3763FC135734E00E41DDF60/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504666271/2896A5EFCCF5B7B8D71DAEBB34D4BD64172D6922/

Which doesn't make much sense as it could offer a bit of cover to terrorists guarding the bomb, and also on other walls in the same room you can get as close as this:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504666500/12DD6BB852AA06CF253993C59AD2C2197210018A/


Now, back to the nav-mesh which was mentioned earlier. I noticed some irregularities with it and the map's actual state, leading me to assume that the nav-mesh for this map was generated on an older version of the map. One subtle example is how the nav-mesh thinks these boxes are a bit further to the left than they actually are.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504676460/3730CA12D1E4711522F36E48C0A7497EA176F28D/

This isn't really that consequential, though it might get a bot to jump a bit pre-emptively before reaching the box and have to jump again to get on it. But there are more examples...

The nav-mesh features a painter which can indicate to the bot special properties of the map. This can be used to encourage the bots to jump at specific spots, or to show them where good camping spots are. This means the bot will both check that area for bad guys and use it themselves when holding that position. However...

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504676695/849B6A8FB58B8BB227C79E0750BC209DD2884416/

The purple marks are each a separate camping spot. This is overdoing it. You usually only need one or two marks to show the bot where the camping spot is. Painting like this means the bot will check each and every point before deciding it's safe to move on.

The automatically generated nav-mesh also creates some questionable camping spots:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504676150/00E5BF65A10F6D15ED1CB640B8A020ABB0EF1463/

But don't worry too much about it! Most of these issues can be fixed by simply generating the nav-mesh again. Although, if you want it to be trim and proper, you'll have to look over it and adjust it yourself. Let's go over a few things,


https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504673893/9519055CD69D06D10CFC296861F679CCDE4D0128/

The nav-mesh doesn't account for this crate here, either because it's not properly touching the ground or isn't marked as walkable surface (or just outdated from an older version of the map that didn't have a crate there). To bots, this is simply an empty corner.


https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504674856/B469C20593B930107C3BAEDC34286E7100A784BC/

This is an example of a good camping spot marker. Just one, right in the corner. Bots will check this area as they pass it and will use it themselves appropriately.


https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504669466/FB4C8773999B49EA423E2C4657E6DF1332DA6E0A/

This is a more egregious example of where the nav-mesh is using an outdated version of the map. The slope here is pushed way out forward. It doesn't actually mean much for the bot's method of navigation, however, as you may already see, it causes the bots to frequently jump here to reach up to the supposedly higher platform which isn't there.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504669678/5654AA478A6F736F20535B8131A54F8E7D468C5A/

Through rigorous testing I have concluded that this behaviour is reproducible and thus exploitable. Waiting around the corner you can snipe bots that just land while waiting on their accuracy penalty to cooldown.


https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504673057/8C82C8341DFBB6F196637FE9D36712EB15E6803E/

This ladder is not properly linked up from the bottom, so bots will never climb up it.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504673454/9B95C0D7C30801FDE64644E79BCA249E3D6F8384/

However, it is linked from the top, so bots will descend it like usual. But this break in links usually causes bots to completely ignore this path anyway. Speaking of ignoring paths...


This entire section just outside of main is not meshed at all!

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504668193/BB1C2B36C386D4ED9332989DD26F5A96FB06BED2/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504668479/64F7B1FBE6D87DAA2002AD23923B30AEFB8B234C/

Bots do not know about this path's existence, and thus not only will they never use it but they'll never check it for enemy players either! You could very well hide in here from the bots and they'll never find you, see how far away Fred has ventured in his attempts to "Follow me!"?


https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504673677/A74F3CA0F81D7ACB9DEDC6E113F477CC7357629D/

This area would make great camping spots, but aren't marked as such.


https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504677419/7A9B809A5EC9CE8B2712190BB63CD812981C24E0/

This crate and snowman are invisible to bots.


https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504677621/4E217A5DA55C7A31487DCCD2988861991569DD55/

The great divisor on the giant snow slope is invisible to bots.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504677868/692C869C9ADA6DE90E0FB2B33B6895A18C378260/

Absolutely no chance of bots surfing on it!


The travelators at B seem to be properly linked up on one side, telling the bots that it's possible to jump over it.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504668730/1E87B847CAC1E6121B330C62BDAC3DA8D21559F5/

But the nav-mesh simply doesn't exist for the other side, making bots perceive it as a giant wall instead.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504669112/8B478C7FB4DC794A16F15A1A2E6818F55B8E5D51/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504668916/A014D4A3B01B312F382E5E81729F9DA299768674/

This is weird, as the escalators closer to A seem to be mostly linked up properly.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504675372/4B0AEE734084D902478A79279301C1BFB918C472/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504675709/9D018DADE5F4C9FD5A955D1330978DF945E33662/


This wall is invisible to bots.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504677184/FDF0355A4D1198A8A50FE45157163EC865384E42/

Of course they can't see enemies through it, but to navigate from A to B they'll end up smashing their heads against the wall constantly.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504676969/068D8C913B4FF5462F76265526D349776D8DEF43/

Fortunately this problem doesn't crop up often as bots rarely use this path because of the aforementioned ladder glitch.


And I believe that's all. Thank you Fred the Bot for helping us out!

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504840333/593A985EF86C9E23DCF01201C2D3D2DFEEC74551/


Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this map. Its presentation is wonderful and the colour palette is attractive. It feels like such a lively place, just brimming with personality and uniqueness. In my opinion, its presentation is better than that of most of the official maps. Everywhere you look there are little details that shows the creator's work on it. I especially like the thematics of the map as a whole, and that's not just limited to the visual presentation.

For example, if one were T side and decides to run up the wintery slope on the right, slopes and surfing are abundant even before you enter the area.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504780054/AF461D2A35E0F512624A3417A158504C67FBB888/

As you move forward you get to an entire corridor which is just one giant slide, accentuating the slope theme here. It includes a little snowman head prop at the top you can shoot and knock down all the way.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504805480/F26972CBAF30DE52CB6A189463A238312D19F0A2/
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504805998/C227577C1551065F953F97402A233B509153A3D8/

It's a very nice touch and there are plenty more examples of this in the map which are better left to discovery.

There's also many gameplay elements in the map that enhance the gameplay and make it more dynamic. For instance, these bunch of boxes on bomb site A:

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/800922305504659512/FABD729984BF7C865684E8C6E9980AC2340077B3/

You cannot jump on top of them by yourself, but if you get a run up from the staircase next to it, you can use your momentum to crouch jump on top of them, and thus get access to an unexpected position.

You can also use the many escalators/travelators in the game to carry your momentum a bit further by jumping right as you leave them, and having the railing also give you momentum is a nice touch.

There are still a few bugs and small things in the map that I haven't included in this article, but I feel I've already gone way over my limit on this. Overall it's a fantastic map. Thank you for spending so much time making and perfecting this.