NW City Siege Map "Cheruskfurt" [Complete!]

[FiatNova]

Hi all,

Looking for a "gut check" on a siege map I've been working on for the last week-or-so. The basic idea was that I wanted a map which would encourage (if not demand) teamwork in a siege setting - or at least discourage excessive ramboism - for both attackers and defenders. After that, I wanted a map that was kind of cool.

I'm about 80 percent finished, and I wanted to put up some screenshots to see if y'all in the community had some feedback/pointers on what I'm trying to accomplish.

So, pictures:

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I wanted to give the defenders a layered defense strategy: 1) Walls, 2) City, 3) Flag. Defending the walls is obvious enough; but for when the walls inevitably come down, scattered throughout the city are buildings defenders can take cover in to frustrate the attackers. Finally, if the city is overwhelmed, the defenders' flag is located in the courtyard of the "Governor's Mansion" at top left (or foreground in the below pic).

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From the attackers' perspective...

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...while they are limited in their assault options, they should be able to utilize the earthworks and terrain to limit their casualties during the bombardment phase while using the terrain and available buildings to mask the direction of their assault (over the bridge or to the harbor).

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For both teams, coordination will be essential. Obviously any attacker who tries to go alone over the bridge in the opening phase of the battle will have a short game, and uncoordinated assaults on either point will likely fail. Conversely, if the defenders are not able to recognize the direction of the main assault, or don't agree on when it's necessary to fall back to the city and then the flag, they stand to be overwhelmed quickly given the many avenues the attackers are given once they breach the walls.

Major items currently on my list, comments pending:
* Finish putting together buildings/artifacts in the city
* Build out the harbor so it isn't a guaranteed slaughter for landing attackers
* Touch up the terrain textures and flora

I look forward to your feedback!

 

[Kipsleverworst]

Keep up the good work

 

[shostak]

Looking excellent sir, a map I'd love to play on.

 

[The Muffin King]

Keep up the good work mate!

 

[IndiaQuinn]

Is the bridge destructable?
What you could do is also have the option for sappers to make a pontoon.

Nice map.

 

[Bisounours]

I really like the map ! Keep up the good work

How many cannons/mortars for the attackers and the defenders ?

 

[[-VICTRIX-]Lastman]

could you tell me what height code you use? it is perfect for one of my projects!

 

[Menelaos16]

Defenders would blow the bridge and the boats would get lost at sea, ensure these problems dont happen and it would be a good map. Try not favouring the defenders and making more viable options for the attackers.

 

[gokiller]

Sweet map, only the two "big" boats are a bit inaccurate in time period


Keep it up.

 

[Gamer2da]

Very good looking map, I like 

 

[Megaberna]

Great job 

Keep up the good work mate

 

[SeanBeansShako]

Looks pretty good.

 

[FiatNova]

Thanks for the replies and encouragement, everyone! Responding to a couple of comments...

Is the bridge destructable?

Defenders would blow the bridge...

I don't know for certain that it's indestructible, since mm_sp_rich_bridge4d exists in the prop list; however, early in playtesting, I lobbed shots at one of the spans using the fort's cannons for 15 minutes (~40-50 rounds) and didn't knock it down (and I don't know of anything in the game that a crate will destroy that cannons can't). If there's a var code to ensure that they're indestructible, though, I'd use it.

What you could do is also have the option for sappers to make a pontoon.

...mak[e] more viable options for the attackers.

The river and harbor are pretty wide for pontoon bridges, but I guess I could add some shallow islands to skip across the harbor. The other idea I toyed with was having a dam/causeway at the mouth of the river - maybe something that resembled a lock? Yes/No? The closer I come to finishing the map, the more I agree that the attackers need a third option.

How many cannons/mortars for the attackers and the defenders ?

Defenders have cannons all along the fort walls, plus mortars on the ravelins. At spawn, the attackers have four 12-pdrs and two howitzers in place, and another four 12-pounders and howitzers limbered and ready to transport. There are also three mortars set up at the end of the trench that advances to the river's edge. They're close to the walls, but out of the arc of fire from all but two of the fort's cannons and the mortars (but they're further guarded by a rise in the elevation that makes targeting a challenge). Finally, there are three "Easter egg" mortars scattered on the map.

Sweet map, only the two "big" boats are a bit inaccurate in time period

Yeah... I spent a full day trying to construct a couple of schooner facsimiles to represent river/coastal trade, but they were a huge disappointment.

could you tell me what height code you use?

0x00000004200000000005a168000041ef00005ae800003c55

That should give you a 360x360 flat, steppe terrain with no flora. I carved the map from that by drawing contour lines using the path ground texture (radius 2, full hardness and weight) and then by building up the terrain using the level and smoothing functions.

Thanks again for all the encouragement and feedback!

 

[FiatNova]

Thanks again for the comments. After some trial and error (mostly error) with the lock/causeway near the harbor, I created the "Pointe du Hoc" ford upstream:

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Although the approach is treacherous, and its success depends on the destruction of the overlooking walls, the attackers have a couple of advantages if they make it. First, once the ladders are up, the defenders can't knock them down without exposing themselves - and the cliffs can still be scaled (slowly) without the ladders. The destruction of the walls can be accomplished by artillery protected within dips in the sunken forest path behind the ford; and with the walls knocked down and the cannons silenced, their location could discourage defenders from bunching up to plug the breach. Finally, if the attackers can hold the breach, they'll be looking and firing down into the defenders' primary spawn location and access to the remaining walls. One of the balancing downsides for the attackers is that they will have to give up the protection of the trenches and rolling terrain in order to position the artillery and gather up for a charge.

I may still add the pontoon bridge option, but it's been clunky so far. Will keep y'all posted on progress. I go back to work this week, though, so it'll be slow.

 

[shostak]

The Ford option looks very promising with regards to tactical flexability. Nice work sir!

 

[SeanBeansShako]

After you've done this, I would love you to give making a proper urban map a go considering Musketoons (cramped streets and room to room CQC) and Sappers crates (opening alternative routes with explosives instead of going the 'fixed' way?).

 

[Menelaos16]

Looking great, will the inner wall resemble Fort Lyons where it becomes a automatic defense when attackers get the upper hand or a last ditch sort of thing? Would like to see maybe a cannon inside the "last ditch" since many people go artillery during siege and could deploy usefullnes and fire canister.

 

[FiatNova]

Thanks again for all the comments and support.

Looking great, will the inner wall resemble Fort Lyons where it becomes a automatic defense when attackers get the upper hand or a last ditch sort of thing? Would like to see maybe a cannon inside the "last ditch" since many people go artillery during siege and could deploy usefullnes and fire canister.

The Governor's Mansion where the flag will be is probably the best "last ditch" defense (tall fence, building walls and doors as chokepoints), but the wall garrison is defensible should some sappers to shore it up. Still debating whether to add cannons to either location or have an "artillery depot" for defenders to move cannons about themselves, but agree that they could be useful.

After you've done this, I would love you to give making a proper urban map a go considering Musketoons (cramped streets and room to room CQC) and Sappers crates (opening alternative routes with explosives instead of going the 'fixed' way?).

I like the idea - and appreciate the confidence that I could pull it off! - but I could see a map like that both getting very out of hand (TKs, TKs everywhere...) and giving people some serious lag issues since so many individual walls and objects would need to be placed in order to make viable, alternate pathways.

Fun idea, though.

 

[IndiaQuinn]

I would advice to keep it simple. The more features you put in the map the weaker it can get. The streetfight is a nice idea but just make it one or two streets, or you'll get lost in making the perfect map.

 

[Van_Zan]

As an attacker this would royally piss me off. Easily sinkable ships with long crossing times and the killing ground that is the bridge. As a defender though...
Haha I keed, great map though! Would love to see more