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Thread: Miraviel - Developer Application (Mapper)

  1. #1
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    Miraviel - Developer Application (Mapper)

    Developer Application
    Byond ID?
    miraviel

    Age?
    24

    Gender?
    Female

    How would you define yourself? (Coder, Mapper, Spriter):
    Mapper

    If Coder, what languages?
    -

    Any previous experience developing with SS13?
    Got some very simple PRs merged on Baystation12.

    Proof of any previous or current work:
    Merged PRs that are mostly small changes/tweaks

    How well do you know Git?
    I can pull, squash, and use mapmerge safely, not much beyond that.

    Your primary job is server development, not policing the server. You may be given Moderator-level of access but you should *not* be invoking any administrative actions unless there are no moderators or Admins online. Do you understand?
    Yes

    Anything else you'd like to add?
    I would like to focus on the current maps such as Prison Station and Ice Colony, instead of working on entirely new ones.

    My primary goal would be to eliminate as many "unfun" features of the current maps as possible while retaining their basic concepts what we like them for. This would include reshaping Prison Station to be less of a walk-west-simulator, to rearrange DEFCON objectives on non-LV maps to encourage players to pursue them - despite the size of those maps; to make Big Red have less redundant parts (kitchen, hydro, general store for example), or to make small variants of the existing maps (similar to how LV's hydro can be functional or overgrown by vines or how the fog can have breaches in it). The end goal would be making Ice a single z-level map with an extensive cave system to get rid of the stalemates we usually have, and the ladder camping that often seems to be stressful for both sides.

    However, these are just ideas and rather time-consuming ones - I do not want to force my views of "how the game should look like" neither on the staff nor on the players, and I am more than open for suggestions how the current maps should be changed. The sole reason I wish to be a mapper is because I want to contribute to the game and make it more fun for everyone: and (I believe) I have the technical knowledge to do so.

    I am currently a university student so between two exam periods (December and June) I have plenty of free time to work on mapping, but I would not be able to promise an abundance of quick PRs. I usually test my own changes a good 6-7 times before showing them to the rest of the devs and even then, I would prefer having voice chat and screen sharing with them to get their opinion and feedback. If there is one thing that I have learnt is that however much I scan for mistakes, there will be always some that elude me, and I wouldn't like to see any of my works on the live server with easily spotted mistakes in them.
    Last edited by Miraviel; 01-29-2019 at 05:41 PM.

  2. #2
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    We are desperately in need of mappers that are not straight jumping to their own project. I'm happy to see you in our team just on this basis.

    Let's wait what others have to say

  3. #3
    Whitelisted Predator MattAtlas's Avatar
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    I'm a bit curious because of your motive for applying - what's the main problem with Prison Station in your opinion, and how would you fix it?
    Resident ex-punished Junior Developer and Coder, and ex three-time member of the Yautja Council, two-time member of the Synth Council.

    See with your eyes, my army of flies, when no one's alive...

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by MattAtlas View Post
    I'm a bit curious because of your motive for applying - what's the main problem with Prison Station in your opinion, and how would you fix it?
    I believe Prison Station has a lot of redundant parts and the hive is always at the very same place (central or north Civ res, only a few screens away), making it very rushable. A quick image for explanation:



    • The yard is never used as the blast doors never open, and it has no supply line (LZ) or any POI to make it a potential secondary FOB.
    • The section marked with a brown rectangle is completely unused. The first hive cannot be there as LZ2 is too close and that research is a very long deadend. The infirmary is too far from LZ1 and from a potential secondary FOB (see: hydro FOB on LV) to establish a field hospital there. Research has nothing to offer neither for the marines nor for the xenos. Max sec is terrible to defend for the xenos (narrow lines, no real flanking positions) but can be easily turned devastating for the marines (set up a boiler, kill all pushing forces with a cloud).
    • The canteen is a good xeno FOB when it is their turn to push. It is unmarked but actually used.
    • LZ2 is not really useful, similar to LV's - but as LV is a small map, it's not really noticeable. On Ice, LZ2 can be a pushing point as it is super safe; on Big Red, it can be a secondary pick-up option if marines fluke out at Eta or they deploy a second, rushing squad. Here, it doesn't cover anything nor serve any purpose.
    • Medevac is almost never used as the potential areas are civ residences (if the marines are there, they pretty much won), yard (never used), canteen (never safe), west of LZ1 (faster to go up on the Alamo).


    My proposed solutions are the following, though I would have to see it in the mapeditor to feel them out.

    • Make medevac possible at either more areas or everywhere.
    • Switch up the Security Department and Engineering (or simply get rid of the former), merge the latter with telecomms, and change up a bit the west of LZ1. That way, on lowpop LZ1 would be still defendable. On highpop, engineering could be given a chance to be defended, but the marine forces would be stretched from north to south, making a xeno siege possible with some maneuvering.
    • Get rid of maximum and medium security. Apart from unnecessary killzones, they serve nothing. Instead, spread research, the infirmary, and the chapel across the north, and the security department / crashed ship on the south.
    • Putting LZ2 to somewhere at the current max sec and make it terribly defendable. It would allow the marines to have a secondary, risky supply line.
    • Get rid of the civ residences bridges and instead stretch the entire area more to the north and the south, and make it a bit C-shaped. This would allow the hive to be at different places, to have better fallback and flanking positions but also allowing the marines to push from more sides should they use C4.


    Without seeing these changes, at first glance this would make the map more marine-sided and the south less used, so it would still need 1) more xeno-favoured flanking positions and 2) a POI at the southern side of the map. If a second FOB was available, not only the supply lines could be harrassed (LZ1 <--> Yard / Infirmary) or outright flanked, it would also solve the "just run west until you die" mentality. It would serve as something akin to LV's hydro.

    As for the xenos, a C-shaped, bigger and better shapeable civilian residences would give more time and space to prepare against and to repel a siege.
    Last edited by Miraviel; 01-29-2019 at 06:36 PM.

  5. #5
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    Hey Mira!

    It's great to see you applying. Obviously I'm a bit biased with this application considering my previous interaction with you throughout our time both on CM and Baystation, but I'll put in my opinion of your application as an existing mapper within the team.

    You've managed to show some great knowledge at gameplay flow and problem solving so far- I like this a lot, and as Neth has stated we are in dire need of mappers that are willing to work on existing stuff rather than working on new material. It's definitely hard to accept being dedicated to fixing someone else's work, and the fact that you're wanting to do exactly that makes this a great plus.
    But, and there IS a but, I'd like to see what you can do with the map editing tools before weighing in on your application; being able to explain the flaws and offer solutions is one thing as a mapper, but you'll also be expected to implement the solutions yourself. Level design is oh so important in CM, and knowing when to implement choke points, open spaces, and the lot will be something we're looking for, as well as some attempt to make things look pretty on top.

    I'll get back to you regarding a potential mapping test and we'll see from there how your application goes.

    Thanks again.

  6. #6
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    Thank you, Neth and Cakey. Can't wait to see the test!

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