What I did last week

As noted in my last post, I fixed the spawn points, some of the level geometry, turned the vehicles around so you don't immediately fly into the map boundary, and also expanded the map boundary, changing it into a soft boundary to allow the player to react to it.

And here it is! The new and improved Symmetry 2021!

There's a lot of changes to show off, so I'll get right to it.

The first change I made was to add some extra geometry to the corner areas. My aim here was to give players more variety in how they access the content of this level, with new weapons and armour abilities being added depending on which direction the player intends upon going.

My idea behind this structure is to provide items and abilities that may be useful to the player depending on the side they wish to access, with some slightly more powerful items in the centre, but requiring more time to reach. These items include an armour ability (At the top in the centre), spare grenades, a grenade launcher and an assault rifle.

Opposite this square, there is a covenant equivalent. which serves to add variety to this map.

While they use similar weapons, the largest difference is that the covenant armour ability is a bubble shield instead of a jetpack. This grants additional mobility to those who spawn in the human weapons area (along with access to the bonus weapons), and additional defensive options to those who spawn on the covenant side. This creates a somewhat asymmetrical, yet balanced battle, as both sides have access to the same tools. I borrow this idea from League of Legends' Summoner's Rift, which provides both sides with symmetrical tools, but you will have access to different tools depending on what side of the map you spawn, leading to the map feeling more varied.

As can be seen in this photo, I have added team specific spawn points, and a teleporter behind each falcon. This teleporter leads to the falcon opposite.

I also added banshees in between the spawning corners. Directly underneath them is a rocket launcher that cannot be accessed without removing the banshee. I felt that this provides a level of risk, you may feel that escape is a more viable option, but in doing so, you open up options for someone to blast you out of the sky!

Another new detail you may have spotted from the overhead view, this map now has two sniper nests opposite each other.

Both sniper nests have the same equipment in them: a long range beam rifle, a long range pistol, and a jetpack (pictured below.). This sniper's nest allows players to access two extra jetpacks that aren't in two of the four corners of the map. Obtaining them opens up further movement options, such as jumping certain walls, accessing powerful weapons, and new options for flanking players around the map. Controlling this vantage point is also very useful, as it is a vantage point with considerable view of the map. (viewed below from the Eastern platform)

This section in the centre now contains more weapons, enabling people who spawn there to pick and plan their new strategy.

I have made additions inside the tunnel as well, both sides now have a health station (the only one in a roughly safe position on the map), with grenades posted nearby, more weapons added, and perhaps most interestingly, a very powerful weapon on the back of the main cover. I have also moved the sandbags aside to allow the players more freedom of movement to walk around them instead of jumping over them. The barricades remain low down deliberately, as it allows players to throw grenades over the barricades, but the gap is too high up to jump, only allowing players with jetpacks through, adding an extra dimension to the fight, and extra utility to the jetpack.

(view from the eastern side)

As mentioned above, this is the heavy weapon placed on the back of the main base's cover. This weapon is largely useless against people up close, but very useful against vehicles, and long distance kills. Directly in front of this weapon is a landmine, with the express purpose of killing players who aren't paying attention.

On the subject of landmines, I have also placed one directly underneath both sniping towers. Part of the defence for snipers is to listen out for approaching footsteps, however mines produce a light beeping noise, meaning that it's slightly harder to hear people approaching, and encouraging snipers to regularly check their surroundings and remain vigilant.

The final changes I wish to talk about are Objectives. There are two points on the map that are designed for capture the flag game modes, with the flags being placed at opposite corners of the map. This provides the longest possible route people have to take when holding the flag. You can either take the long way around, trying to reach a banshee and then risk getting blown out of the sky, or take the shortest on foot route, through the central tunnel.

The flag location:

The capture location:

Both points are visible below

I have also added several points for King of the Hill, with players required to stand in many challenging locations. There's one in each corner, in the centre of the map, in the centre of the central bridge, and on each side of the tunnel (inside each team's "Base").

This concludes what I worked on last week! Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to add them in the comments.