3 NET MAPS
The essential element of a net map is player interaction. A net map is analogous to a playground (albeit a bloody one) where the monkey bars, swings, etc., were neat to climb on but the real fun started when playing with the other kids. In net maps anything goes, but avoid anything that harms player interaction.
3.1 Understand Flow.
flow: (as written in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged) an easy smooth and uninterrupted progress or movement (as of thought, music, traffic) suggesting the steady flow of water in a river. (I would add to this definition for our purposes this simple yet logical statement) the manner in which a player moves through a net map. With the most enjoyable movement a smooth, fast, and uninterrupted progress.
3.1.1 Nearly everything set down in a net map affects its flow to a greater or lesser extent.
Consider how each of the following effect the flow of net maps: architecture, weapon & ammo layout, secrets, monsters, platforms, player skill, and lighting.
3.1.2 Architecture - The layout of doors, hallways, and rooms is the ultimate dictator of net map flow.
If your net map is not flowing the way you wish it because of poor architecture, nothing else will save it — best to remodel.
3.1.3 Weapon and Ammo Layout - Players consciously and unconsciously move around the map picking up weapons of choice.
Incorporate this into your flow. For instance, you want the net map to flow into a single area for concentrated carnage you could leave other areas sparse with weapon and ammo trails leading to the carnage area where it is in abundance.
3.1.4 Lighting - Although subtle, lighting can affect the flow of a net map as well.
If you have an area that's dark, perfect for ambushes, players might avoid it; conversely a brightly lit area would encourage open fighting.
3.1.5 Monsters - Many powerful monsters can cause problems for flow as players are forced to kill them or at least move around them.
Even something as weak as a Major Fighter can stop a player caught in a narrow hallway with no weaponry.
3.1.6 Platforms - These can improve flow and they can damage it.
They can be used to quickly move a player from one level to another, but if they are too slow they can wreck it.
3.1.7 Player Skill - If in traversing your map a player needs a difficult-to-master skill in order to move on, they might not possess it, bringing flow to a dead stop.
For example; in Tom Stepleton's net map, “Everyone Smokes at the Slab,” the player is forced to either grenade hop or forward-sidestep run off of a ledge in order to reach the hill. Some people cannot do this and thus never touch the hill, making the game useless for them. When possible avoid this.
3.2 Decide upon a number of players your net map supports.
It is difficult to design a net map that accommodates all sizes of netgames. Individual tastes vary, but a good two player net map does not necessarily make a good five or eight player net map. If you decide on a certain number or range of players, stay with it and note it in your Read Me. You can also make a larger version of the net map to suit larger games.
3.2.1 Design what you know.
If you’ve only played two player net maps avoid trying to design maps for larger groups like eight players. Just because you have a large, open net map with plenty of ammo doesn’t necessarily make it good for large games.
3.2.2 No matter what number of players you plan for always include eight or more player starting points.
This lets people play large games if they really want to and lends a bit of randomness to the starting position, since when a player starts one of those positions are chosen randomly.
3.3 Lay down your weapons and powerups with care.
Think about what you’re trying to do with your net map; are you trying for a total bloodfest or for something a little more reserved? Example, you have a small, tight net map; you want to avoid a lot of suicides so you place a few or no SPNKR missile launchers on the map.
3.3.1 Think about what you are doing when you lay down such power-ups as health bottles, invisibility, invincibility, etc.
While they can help lesser players against better ones and add uncertain dynamics to a net map, they can also unbalance it. Instead of placing health bottles you could setup a health recharger in a public place of the net map — it takes time to recharge making the player a sitting duck. In place of invisibility, consider creating dark areas for players to hide in ambush. While these are not the same as the power-ups, they do not unbalance the game, they are available to all players at the same time.
3.4 Avoid secrets that give one player an overpowering advantage over another.
An overpowering advantage would be an unassailable position or a humongous cache of weapons or health.
3.4.1 Avoid secrets that are lengthy or complex.
These will remove players from the game as they take time to navigate.
3.4.2 Consider keeping secret areas in full view.
The secret area is no longer a secret, but getting to it is! By doing this, you can offer a hint to getting there and you don’t take the player out of the game.
3.5 When placing teleporters, consider that players arrive in the destination polygon facing the direction they teleported.
It’s bad form to have the player materialize facing a wall, it harms flow when the player spends time turning around or just gets shot in the back.
3.6 Do not check “Hill” or “Ball” game types just for the hell of it.
A good carnage net map doesn’t always make a good hill game or vice-versa. Test the net map first, if it doesn’t make a decent hill or ball game, don’t allow it.