De_Inpu
2v2 Wingman
Information
Solo project
Time: 2 weeks
CS:GO
Editor: Hammer++ & Hammer
(Source & Source 2 Engine)
CS2
About
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Designed to be fast-paced and revolve around high ground control
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Inspired by Egypt/Morocco and middle eastern countries for the layout
Level Layout
Information about the layout:
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Blue/Green color is high ground
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Red color is cover
Research
I began my research and planning to determine how the layout should look. I searched various environments to get inspiration for the layout.
Afterwards, I collected a few pictures as references. Among the environments that caught my attention were Egypt, Morocco, and the Middle East.
Level Design Breakdown
Choke points
One of the most notable choke points on the map is located near the drop.
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If the ''T'' team drops down (see Drop on map) considering the fact that they cannot return back up from the drop, their most efficient route to the site will be through choke point number 1. As they are inclined to take the fastest way to the site.
When a player is trying to cross this choke point, they are exposed to almost the entire site.
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You could argue that there are more relevant choke points, namely the one next to the balcony, the stairs leading down to the site. This choke point is arguably not that restricting though so I choose to count it out
High ground
One of the main focuses of making this map was to incorporate high ground. The map has three high grounds, with one being the most notable called Heaven (refer to map layout).
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This high ground is important as it can provide advantages by offering map awareness and a clear view of the site.
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The high ground was made accessible to both T's and CT's to ensure balancing. If only the T's had access to it, they would have a significant advantage that would make the game unfair. For example, the CT's would have to run around the map to even get close to the T's, which could be very time-consuming when time is vital on a defusal map.
The view from Heaven and a view from site
Site
Planting area is inside the orange rectangle
The sites are the most iconic part of any Counter-Strike game. This particular site was created in favor of the T's to balance out the map. Additionally, I noticed that many Wingman maps made it challenging for the T's to have success of planting.
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My aim was to create a way for the T's to plant on the site quickly and easily without losing the round immediately. This also helps to balance out the paths for the T's to reach the site, as they aren't necessarily in their favor, making it map faster-paced.
Iteration
Iteration 1
Most of my iterations were mostly section-wise.
I changed how Heaven a high ground
(refer to the picture to the right) was and balanced it.
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What I did was to make it available for CT's to contest the high ground to make it a more fair playing field. I also expanded the section near the ladder room.
While also putting a cover on that high ground so the T's could get there without being seen immediately.
Iteration 2
One notable improvement I made was creating a drop room that allows T's to approach the site from a different angle.
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To balance out the three T's entry points, the drop room was designed so that the T's have to make noise when dropping down, giving the CT's information about the enemy's location. You could say Risk and Reward.
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This allows the T's to loop around the map aswell.
Update to CS2
Remade Level
In order to update the older version from CSGO to CS2, I had to examine the old build and ensure that every scale matched in the new engine. This ensured a 1 to 1 scale from the older version.
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The process was fast and easy due to the upgraded tools, which had no steep learning curve and were quite similar to the previous version.
Iteration 2
After playtesting with others to ensure that the level felt consistent with the previous one, I noticed that moving the box (refer to the picture) slightly to the side would make the level more engaging and fun. This adjustment would allow players to see more of the level and encourage them to plan their route to the site or consider different approaches.