Christmas Countryside
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About:
This is my first ever "Company of Heroes 2" map. It was also made just in time for Christmas back in 2015! The goal with this assignment was to create and upload a map to the workshop within two weeks (part time) and thereafter with the help of feedback; tweak the map in a duration of one week. Objective: Victory Point: The objective is to capture (at least) two of the three victory points that are located on designated areas and hold them for a long duration of time. While these points are being held the opposing team's tickets begin to drain. When the tickets reach zero for a team the match is over and the team with remaining tickets win. Story: The Axis forces have just occupied a remote town in Europe when the Allies nearly after arrived to push the Axis frontline further back. |
Specification:
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Documentation:
I really wanted to create something that was quite familliar to me and also nostalgic. So I wanted to descretely base the map out of a small location just outside Ängelholm, Sweden (where I used to live with family).
The specifications I chose for my map was to build a 4 vs. 4 "Company Of Heroes: 2" map and decided to make the map to play out during nighttime in a winter "wonderland" (especially since christmas was just around the corner).
So I started out sketching out a rough layout of my map in photoshop. And I made sure that my nostalgia set piece was in the center of the map. After I had done that I gathered some reference photos for the rest of the map. This helped me sketching down the rest of the layout of the map.
I really wanted to create something that was quite familliar to me and also nostalgic. So I wanted to descretely base the map out of a small location just outside Ängelholm, Sweden (where I used to live with family).
The specifications I chose for my map was to build a 4 vs. 4 "Company Of Heroes: 2" map and decided to make the map to play out during nighttime in a winter "wonderland" (especially since christmas was just around the corner).
So I started out sketching out a rough layout of my map in photoshop. And I made sure that my nostalgia set piece was in the center of the map. After I had done that I gathered some reference photos for the rest of the map. This helped me sketching down the rest of the layout of the map.
A reference for the industrial part of my map.
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A reference for the middle rear of my map.
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A reference for the general trenches and enviroment.
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After my initial layout was finished I figured out where I wanted the resource points to be located at. After the resource points where placed at suitable locations I felt confident enough to start building the map inside the map editor (called WorldBuilder).
I started out placing out the roads and trees (which would help keeping the players inside the map and not deserting). And then playtested so that the size of the map inside the game felt right. But it didn't. The gameplay area was way to large and therefore had to copy and paste my previous road and tree placements with the help of a very usefull tool called "stamp placement" over to a smaller sized "canvas" of a map. After a bit back and forth doing that I knew I had the map size needed for my layout. |
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All I had to do after the size was set was to place out all the buildings and control points and thereafter start detailing my map
(which according to me is a really fun part of the map making process). I began detailing from the center of the map and then procedurally made my way detailing around the rest of the map.
What I found really fun and challenging while detailing my "Company Of Heroes: 2" map was that all the props and details in the map has an impact on the gameplay itself. So technically I was tampering with the core of the map's gameplay the whole time, even during the more aesthetic part of the map creation. An example is that if I would to place down a truck with some luggage being layed out behind of the truck. Both the truck and the luggage would serve as different types of covers. The truck being "heavy cover" while the luggage would be "light cover" for the infantry units.
(which according to me is a really fun part of the map making process). I began detailing from the center of the map and then procedurally made my way detailing around the rest of the map.
What I found really fun and challenging while detailing my "Company Of Heroes: 2" map was that all the props and details in the map has an impact on the gameplay itself. So technically I was tampering with the core of the map's gameplay the whole time, even during the more aesthetic part of the map creation. An example is that if I would to place down a truck with some luggage being layed out behind of the truck. Both the truck and the luggage would serve as different types of covers. The truck being "heavy cover" while the luggage would be "light cover" for the infantry units.
I really had to think hard about making all the different victory points into the most fun areas of the map. Especially since these are the most crucial locations of the map. There are traditionally three victory points in a map. And if a team is controlling the majority of the victory points the tickets of the opposing team is starting to drain. When the tickets reach zero of a team, then they are defeated.
The upper victory control point.
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The center victory control point.
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The lower victory control point.
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One of the resource points I made ended up with a quite interesting to design. I ended up having a strange looking inner yard. What I felt was off was not only that it was quite empty but that the stairs around the flag felt exaggerated and misplaced. But at the time I didn't do much about it and instead continued placing out trees around this area. When placing out the trees I accidentally placed a tree right over the resource point (which fortunally is modelled like a flagpole). And that's how the christmas tree with a flag on top came to be! |
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When the first two weeks came to an end I finally uploaded the map. The map was detailed at an presentable level and the layout was at place. All I had to do was gathering feedback to futher polish the map with tweeks and more details.
What I changed from the feedback I got was to add the winter version of the units to the map by scripting them into my level. I also was told that the middle of the map had too many bushes that disturbed the pathfinding for vehicles in particular. So what I did to resolve that was to removing alot of the smaller bushes and replacing a few of them with larger ones. I also got told that the railroad was unnaturally straight, so I tweaked it a bit to look more natural.
What I changed from the feedback I got was to add the winter version of the units to the map by scripting them into my level. I also was told that the middle of the map had too many bushes that disturbed the pathfinding for vehicles in particular. So what I did to resolve that was to removing alot of the smaller bushes and replacing a few of them with larger ones. I also got told that the railroad was unnaturally straight, so I tweaked it a bit to look more natural.
Another problem that I had to fix was that the upper victory control point was to crowded. The british faction could therefore not place down defensive structures. So what I did there was to replace a part of the forest above the control area with a vineyard instead. This enabled the british to build more freely.
I was also really happy that people noticed the christmas tree with the flag on top. One of the players even wanted me to apply the same idea to a victory point. Though I felt like I didn't want to overuse it and therefore kept it as a set piece.
When I was done I had a highly polished map and it was really fun to see that people liked it!
When I was done I had a highly polished map and it was really fun to see that people liked it!
