There’s no PvE forum (yet) but I figured it would be useful to collect information regarding this question.
The requirements of PvE are significantly different compared to PvP for map-design, ergo I was curious from those that know more than I about what are ideal design considerations to take into account when making a map intended for the PvE gameplay loop? I’m doing some minor work on a map in small bursts (which has a 90% chance of going nowhere) ergo I’m curious.
Off the cuff from my personal understanding, I’d wager some suggestions such as.
Long-winding maps with lots of room for Marines to move or split up
No major requirement for xeno gameplay considerations due to xenos not being player controlled
However, it may be ideal to have one or several pre-made areas that could serve as a hive if needed, or even a pre-made hive with room for expansion if needed. Maps that feature lots of possible xeno flanking routes also help in this.
Battlegrounds that conform to PvE combat. Either areas offering clear lanes of fire, or arena’s that try to disrupt this by forcing Marines to better decide who is going to be in a firing line or that make it easy for uncoordinated squads to bunch up and lose effective firepower.
Ease of blocking off or opening up areas of your map, this can allow a Gamemaster to section off areas of the map for the round.
Alternative landing zones, as per above, perhaps a GM only wants to use a small part of the map or they want a alternative extraction that fits more comfortably than landing on top of a building.
Multiple ‘entrance/ingress’ zones, essentially small rooms that can only be opened/locked by a gamemaster, so they can deploy other players/xenos/vehicles into the map but not break immersion/roleplay.
On the one hand I do agree that it is quite enjoyable to map an area that tells a story, violence or otherwise.
But, on the other hand, I feel leaving the area as somewhat of a blank slate helps with the Game master in setting up the theme/idea of the round. If I map a part of the map that shows the aftermath of a gunfight or extreme violence, that might run contrary if the GM setting the tone that nothing violent has happened yet.
worst comes to worst they’re gonna have to tweak it in strongdmm
I feel like youd be better off having a clear tone that can be modified in post rather than just… yeah its a space lol. its easier to unbreak stuff than to break stuff i think.
Monster closets are a must. A bunch of vents here, a supply closet there, a nice blocked-off dormitory so Marines can’t see Xenomorphs popping into existence outta nowhere, etc.
It may play into “ease of blocking off/opening p areas”, but a few saferooms may be nice. Just an decently-sized room with food, some basic meds, ammo, and some chairs’d be lovely so Marines can take time to relax and potentially RP, reload weapons and dress wounds, and the GM can plot their next move. Mutual time to unwind and plan is never a miss.
yeah, that spirit migth be the best guidline for PvE mapping. Creating a template for the game master to work with.
Honestly, migth be a fun mapping chalange.
Frequent PvE player and dabbling mapper/aspiring GM here, so not an expert. But I’d look at Administration in Chance’s Claim (specifically the big, open room with the blown out corner) as an example of how you can have good storytelling that doesn’t get in the GM’s way and can actually take a load off their shoulders.
A GM can build on the suggestion of conflict there for a quick story beat/objective that doesn’t cost them much time to customize – because customization takes time, and prep time is precious. If left as-is, there’s enough to make the players linger there and speculate for good RP, but not so much that it’s going to create a distraction. I’d probably leave out the dead huggers and the more substantive gibs were I mapping this – the blood and acid could make for a nice fake-out in the rare case that it’s not a bug hunt.
Another thing PvE maps need: Good places for prop holdouts! Places where you can spawn Xenos from multiple directions to keep the props on their toes and that require reinforcing (so you can provide few/no materials for a quick conflict or more if you want them to hold until the Marines arrive). Trijent’s Chapel is great for this.
Plenty of windows to reinforce and shoot out of, with enough space that you need a handful of people to keep watch on it all. The isolated room in the back is a tempting place to store your gear … until you realize that without windows, you can’t stop them from breaking through that back wall. Plus who doesn’t love a good church shootout?
I hear ya – it’s important to have stuff to chew on as a character.
Storytelling method depends in part on the content and pacing of the session (not every round is like that linear fast-paced dungeon run you observed), but ultimately it’s at the GM’s discretion since they’re the one running the round. Sometimes they may have a specific narrative track they’re moving you along to advance a story, so they’ll try and nudge you in the right direction in various ways. Or maybe it’s more freeform and it’s up to the LT to come up with a plan for how to approach the objectives and for the squad to execute it. There’s a lot of variation there – both between rounds and GMs.
On topic I could see people making a blank-slate map, and others then coming in and adding version of it. So, perhaps a base map that is a blank slate, then 1 that is overrun with xeno growth, one that shows a lot of destructions, etc, etc.
Honestly the best is probably as realistic of a depiction of an actual colony as possible. Since you don’t have to worry about shit like 1x1 hell chokes for xenos camping, it opens up making a lot of things. Similarly, the false Z levels can be used to make stories in buildings since you also don’t need to worry about camping them.
I think PvE map requirements are less about the requirements to make arenas and more about creating believable spaces for the game masters to use to create stories out of the environment.
You could try the nightmare insert map idea that was floated around, where you basically create insert tile sets and the game itself randomly chooses which tiles to incorporate. It would be a fucking huge pain in the ass.
