L4D Heli map

[X-tr3m3r]

Hello everyone! I'm working on a, as far as I know, unique project for L4D. It is a map where the survivors split up. 3 of them form the ground team and the remaining one controls a minigun attached on a helicopter! I started my experiments on this test map:





I managed to reduce the lag effect of the func_tracktrain with a game_ui entity freezing the player. The helicopter is supposed to be used by one person only. It starts flying when the user fires the minigun and unless triggered, you can't leave the helicopter. The bots are automatically teleported on the helicopter when you get away from them so it is a multiplayer map only. For me, this is a successful experiment since all my attempts to make a specter gunship out of that C-130 and a couple of miniguns failed horribly.

So I decided to make a map where I can showoff this new type of gameplay. For now it is called port and its layout is a remix and an expansion of de_port from CS:S. I got some screenshots for you although I know that your eyes will bleed at the sight of this yet-to-be-decently-named map. If there is something before pre-alpha, this is what this map is:

OUTSIDE





SPAWN







Features:
Destroyable gas station (Working on it)
Panic event featuring a howitzer and a destroyable tanker ship (ToDo)
Lots of destroyable props (ToDo)
Finale with escape and stuff (ToDo)
HDR and image post processing (Working on it)
Destroyable vehicles which leave a wreck when destroyed (Done)


The great thing about the destroyable vehicles is the whole effect and the fact that they can only be blown up by miniguns. When destroyed they put fire on the surrounding area making their explosion tactically relevant.

I'm not sure about how this map will end. There won't be a rescue but there will be something holding back the 3 survivor's escape. I was thinking of putting the boat from Death Toll and have the truck from Dead Air refuel it.

Now I will explain how I'll make the helicopter work properly. Since the ground team won't always be on the run and the helicopter must costantly guard them, it has to stay close to them. That will be achieved by splitting the map in engagement areas where the helicopter will fly in circles above them. This can be achieved quite easily with trigger_multiple and path_track entities. The idea is to make a loop above every engagement area and have the helicopter change loop as the survivors proceed in the level thanks to the trigger_multiple entity and the branch path selection in the path-track entities.

However, you could ask yourselfs what would happen if the ground team died since the helicopter guy is unreachable by zombies and loops in the same area. The solution is quite simple as well. By using a game_zone_player I can have the game count how many players are on the ground. If the number of player becomes 0, then via an output I could have the helicopter blow up and stuff.

Now I want to state my motive for making such a map:
Why the heck would the US Army fight the zombies on foot while it has gunships and tanks at its disposal?
in order to make L4D lol

I would now like to know what you guys would like to see in a map like this. My approach is pretty simple:
Blow stuff up and don't ask too many questions since all the instructions on how to use the map will be explained clearly in the spawn room.

And finally a question. Is there a way to toughen up the director a tad? I can already see that a map can get really easy
if you have a flying minigun moaning down the Zeds for you.

[Mess]

i commend the idea, but from a purely gameplay-orientated point of view, splitting up the survivors is a big no-no. There's a wealth of interviews/lore from valve about how 4 was the perfect number of survivors to have in a group, and you're messing with the core mechanic here. That said, I haven't played it so it may work.

[X-tr3m3r]

Don't forget that 1 of them is gonna give constantly support on the other 3. The minigun, even if fired from a distance, lays down mobs really easily, so the support given by the helicopter will be really effective.

[trcc]

what happens if all 3 survivors on ground die/incap?

[Ich 666]

Did you make a new idle animation? because when i tried to make a thing like that the minigun was standing still in the air but the helicopter floated (making small movements to keep position like he would do in real) so it looked pretty messy.

[X-tr3m3r]

Did you make a new idle animation? because when i tried to make a thing like that the minigun was standing still in the air but the helicopter floated (making small movements to keep position like he would do in real) so it looked pretty messy.

Set it as prop_dynamic and do not set a default anim, it will be still. Then add a couple of func_rotating entities for the rotors.

what happens if all 3 survivors on ground die/incap?

I already answered that in the OP, an game_zone_player would count 0 players on the ground and would make the helicopter blow up thus killing the fourth survivor.

[Habboi]

A brilliant idea although I personally think that you should make your map which is the blow up stuff game play but outsource or if you have the time, make a real map where survivors have to get from point a - b like in any other L4D map only you add in this helicopter mechanic.

I take it you've fully tested it with real players?

[X-tr3m3r]

No, I've not tested it with players, That is one of the reasons I'm making this map. If the helicopter mechanic doesn't work, I'll make the map to work like any other L4D map. Also, you have to go from point A to B in this map as well that doesn't change.

[Die-Hard-Ed]

I think it sounds like an interesting gameplay mechanic and wish you good luck with this.

My only question is why wouldn't they just all escape on the helicopter?

[X-tr3m3r]

I think it sounds like an interesting gameplay mechanic and wish you good luck with this.

My only question is why wouldn't they just all escape on the helicopter?

I'm still wondering why...

I'll probably add something like an objective close to the escape boat to make things right.

[Corigami]

Not enough gas to escape via helicopter but enough to find another getaway vehicle?

[X-tr3m3r]

Not enough gas to escape via helicopter but enough to find another getaway vehicle?

Could be. Nice idea.... I might use this. Thanks.

[Habboi]

Shame you don't have soldier models to replace the current ones cause then you could have a real ground team sent in to retrieve something and then rendezvous with the helicopter and its support sniper / mini-gunner

[X-tr3m3r]

Shame you don't have soldier models to replace the current ones cause then you could have a real ground team sent in to retrieve something and then rendezvous with the helicopter and its support sniper / mini-gunner

That would be so fucking awesome!
No more survivors, just kick ass commandos trained to die hard.


By the way, today I made major progress with the brushwork. The left side of the map is practically structured while the right side, is yet to be brainstormed. I'll probably stick to the de_port layout and adapt the side of the tanker ship to accommodate the escape boat and vessels of that size.