Umm, first off, there's a ONS-OmahaBeach-)o(-v2-beta3A-VKedit that Kenny did back in mid-March of 2011, but I can't find any thread about its changes, so I'm assuming they're largely aesthetic and/or trivial, so let's focus on v2-beta3A instead. I can offer you some off the cuff thoughts (which by no means would constitute a comprehensive list), but keep in mind that some of them would require attention and mapping time beyond just minor tweaks, meaning you might be getting more than you bargained for. Still, if you're up for it, read ahead.
- Falcons are the prime air superiority vec; in a map of OB's shape (more square-like than elongated), they're even deadlier due to reduced travel times. This is also compounded by their utterly campable/chainable respawn time. Increase to 30-40secs and even consider swapping 'em with the raptors' spawn so they'll be even farther way from the action.
- Minos and falcons
are optional. I know that's tantamount to heresy around the Omni crowd and the probability of them being omitted from subsequent versions of this map is realistically infinitesimal, but, you know, just saying
.
- Considering the high threat from custom flyers, the lack of at least one Centaur per map side is baffling.
- Remove the 2 antennas near the dragon spawns (or place just one right behind the dragon), add platforms from the laser turrets to the dragon so ppl in a defensive role around their besieged base can switch quicker if a new dragon spawns. The only current option is a shield jump and few will think of that (or even execute it properly).
- Maybe add a jumppad from the front/top of each core's bunker to the dilapidated buildings ahead for when there's no good vecs left to defend the base?
- Considering their entrances'/exits' geographical proximity, the bases' teleport system ends up being more trouble than they're worth due to the (very) probable friendly telefrags at early-game. Consider replacing 'em with jumppads and tweaking the geometry to facilitate.
- Do away with the mines everywhere. Seriously, they're aggravating, pointless and the impassable areas they define don't contribute anything to the map's gameflow. I
kinda get the purpose of the barbed wires (if you wanna take a shortcut, it's gonna cost your climbing pally/bender/badger something dear), but the mines are just dumb. If camping was what they were afraid of near the dug bunker primaries, why not just add some trees and make the place look overall better instead?
- Hate to be so blunt, but the whole beachfront terrain's texture work looks like ass :/. Feel free to mess around with the scaling, if so inclined. The sea could use some fluid surface work (why was it made completely calm?) and some linear wave/foam shader or flat st.mesh.
- Stick some fun pickup on top of the beached PT boat? Minor wreckage fire/smoke emitter to the downed aerial transport (north of the ship) and the 2 primary-proximal helis?
- The high primaries have 4 (!) minigun turrets, all facing southward. Why not bring the manta spawn to ground level and move one of 'em at the roof of the tall bunker? Also, the 3 concrete, machinegun bunkers seem kinda pointless. Why not make things a bit more warfare-realistic and move one closer to the sandbagged ridge, scale it up ever so slightly and put one minigun turret
in it? Some minor pickup could be added inside one of the remaining two.
- Again, crappy grass terrain work near the primaries and elsewhere. No point repeating this for other specific areas, I see; it's an issue that pervades the entire map :/.
- The ion secondaries' scorpions are a joke compared to what's out there. Upper primaries' tarantulas could be changed to EONS scorps for at least a better chance against the heavier opposition facing 'em right below. In fact, that should probably be done everywhere.
- I'd remove the 2 most jutting black fence beams in the adjacent holes north of the mino node. Also, some smoke emitters to debris north of it and near the nuke pickup might provide some visual cover and allow a disadvantaged enemy to pinch the mino node until tougher help arrives.
- The custom flyers (and particularly the falcons) have it way too easy around the northern toll nodes due to their increased height. Not so sure what the best solution might be here. Perhaps one of the hangar doors facing the back should be closed? Whole thing scaled slightly down?
- Weap.lockers need some consistent logic checking. Optimally, upgraded to Wulff's custom class too. Fully stock everywhere (there's some bizarre omissions in some places), remove mines from non-core lockers barring the northern garages. Definitely no mines near the dug bunker primaries.
- Mapper bothered to bring in the czech hedgehog st.mesh, but used it only decoratively while all the roads from/to northern center are clear to tanks :s.
- Given the flying opposition and anti-air hitscans arsenal on offer, central hammerhead is pretty much a joke. At least upgrade to a cicada, if a flyer
actually belongs there?
- In case ppl didn't know, for some unfathomable reason, Gorzakk made both the Wasp and the Falcon waterproof. OmahaBeach is one of the only 2 existing maps where this can be abused (the other being MagicIsle's healing-volume-proximal pools where your wasp can lurk for fun n' profit). Maybe this should be changed here in conjunction with the southern underwater terrain being made overall a bit deeper to help attacking swimmers vs heavy vec defenders?
- Bent and downed trees around the place are fun because they help tell a story and give the map slightly more character. There's a couple of trees, however, near the upper primaries that have simply been planted upside down for some reason. You up for some gardening?
- A more comprehensive deep terrain holes policy could be instated around the entire map here: sparse, protruding st.meshes for peds to be able to shieldjump/climb out of, killvolumes at the very bottom, etc.?
- Finally, let's talk about the OmahaBeach centerpiece - the Ion Cannon. For most ppl it's kinda useless as an attack option and mostly serves as a bullet sponge to attract defenders' attention while the real threats are moving around elsewhere. For the remaining, precious few who've discovered the most effective splash damaging methods offline, the IC can keep spamming and taking out everyone around the mino node even beyond the fog (just aim slightly below and in the middle of the two wall sections' top edges and your shot should douse everything around that area). There's similar ways it can harass an already besieged defending team's base as well. In every case, IMO it's there mostly for show and not so much to promote good gameplay. Perhaps some geometric rearrangement of that whole area is finally in order, removing it and adding a couple of reduced-FOV laser turrets, expand the bunker and add another vec or a link turret instead?
Huh, guess that
was kinda comprehensive after all. Anyways, turns out there's a lot you can find wrong and start fixing if you're willing to look close enough.
