SnowBlast--Ideas please

[cowz with gunz]

Working on a map here guys, need some more ideas because I'm running out of them. And yes I will release once I think its good to be played on  .

Basically, you're in a howling snow storm and you have to cap the points.
SM's start out by a thunder hawk out post and then march forward to purge the xenos that lies ahead.
The tyranids start by there little cratered cavern and then rush forward too get the points and eat the meat that lies ahead again.

So the objective is simple, capture all the points and you win the game.

I also need some Ideas on how to map this sucker out!!! I'm running out of them!

P.S.- Sorry for long post.

[TarGET]

Well first map out the general layout, very roughly, with the dev textures. Don't even add the props yet. Once that's done, add your objectives to capture. Stuff like buttons to press or areas that a marine must manage to stand on are good. Then roughen the walls, the floors, and start the cave (Did I mention? Make the cave a square before really making it.). After that, since your map's gonna be snowy, I propose two ideas;
a) A white map is really easy to skin, 'cause if the skin is stretched too much and creates a pattern, it's less noticeable than, say, grass or rock.
b) Add some fog! That could become an interesting problem for the marines, not seeing the nids before it's almost too late. That could also fix the marine><nid team issue in the beginning of the round.

Question: Are the Smurfs capturing the points, or the nids? Usually Ultrasmurfs are, so making the nids capture could make things interesting, provided that lictors can't take positions while being invisible. It would make things more organised too, making the nids organise a general rush to get past the heavy bolters and so on guarding the objectives.

[cowz with gunz]

Thanks for the feed back, I will need some more ideas like how the map is gonna be played out or some of the other things.
Plus, I kinda want the objective fighting to go back and forth so its like never ending, because the maps on ex go WAY to fast.
Also, yea I know how to make caves there easy  thanks though.
I am gonna add some fog to the map that does seem like a good player hider thingy.

[TarGET]

I dont know how to make objectives change owners more than once, but here's how it could be played:
Marines: Start in spawn. 2 directions: Left and upper right. Left goes to objective 1, right divides in two: one that goes to objective 2, one that climbs even further, to a direct path to the nid spawn area.
Nids: Start in spawn. 3 directions: Left (objective 2), right (objective 1), and middle/up (towards the marine spawn area).

You could add other waypoints, camp areas, tunnels (like a tunnel from objective 1 to 2), traps (you know, explosions, fire, or just simply damage. Just got a idea: consider that it's so cold, to traverse certain places you take some damage per second, but those passages are a shorter way between objectives), and other things that come across your mind. I'd consider a bridge over a river, so frozen you die in it within seconds.

[Typheron]

the objectives in the game can be set up to cap by either team, you could even made a flag in hammer and have touching it trigger the cap is you were so inclined.

Only by using more advanced options can you actually get them to lock after capture, or lock when something else is captured, but by just leaving them as default anyone can cap them at any time and only when all objectives are taken does the game end.

[ChromeAngel]

in addition to what Typheron said capturing all the objectives will prevent the other team from spawning, but the game will not end until the last player dies (since he still has a chance to re-capture an objective).

You can trigger an immediate win for either team at any time by activating the "tyranids won" or "humans won" inputs of the an ex_gameplay entity.  Typheron uses this technique to award victory to the tyranid team in Thunderhawk.

Snowblast tells me about the weather but not the terrain.  Are you thinking arctic/glacial terrain?  If so some nice deep crevasses or ice tunnels could be used to break up the lines of sight.  What kind of objectives would both team be interested in this icy place?

[TarGET]

For objectives, maybe sources of heat (although I don't know how well fire renders in exterminatus, and I wouldn't have any idea how to model a plasma well), or long lost relics hidden under the surface...

[cowz with gunz]

Snowblast tells me about the weather but not the terrain.  Are you thinking arctic/glacial terrain?  If so some nice deep crevasses or ice tunnels could be used to break up the lines of sight.  What kind of objectives would both team be interested in this icy place?

Kinda both Chrome Angel, I want it too be snowy arctic terrain.
Hey Target, I kinda like the bridge idea but once they step on it, lets not make them die lets make them have to jump over certain areas or they fall OFF INTO A RIVER OF DEATH!!!!!