Test Map Pushables 2 - Waffle
Pushables was suppose to be breakable v2, created out of brushwork, moved around maps and adaptable with the entity state system. Sadly this is not how they turned out and this test map is about showing what went right and what went wrong with the pushable system in AD 1.81.
Why is this a test map! It looks like a proper map!?!
Originally the pushable system was tested with a basic prototype map featuring simple cubes and no real setups. Everything looked obvious and functional because of the textures, but the test map was flawed because it did not have any proper entity setups or actual gameplay uses!
It will probably be easier to discuss what is going wrong with the pushable system rather than trying to sing the merits of what is good.
* Pushables have to be 64 x 64 map units at their base, they can be different heights but if the base is any larger the pushable will end up moving into walls or having odd collision. I am not sure if this is a problem with the QC or an engine limitation of the movetypes that are being used. This will need further investigation.
This behaviour was highlighted to me by Mukor, but at the time I did not understand what was going wrong because it worked in my test map! This obviously will limit what can be done with pushables because they have to be a certain size, but with some creative setups the pushable can be used as intended.
* Pushables cannot spawn touching anything! If they are touching walls or other solid entities or items, they will not spawn settled on the ground and have issues being pushed. The work around to this is to use func_illisionary entities and very tiny (1 map unit) brushwork gaps.
This is a hard bug to get around because not all pushables will be free floating cubes. There are plenty of situations where the pushable needs to spawn next to world geo and this is something which should of been found/fixed with a proper test map.
* Pushables cannot climb up and are always move downward. This is not really a bug but more a design consideration which highlights the need for plenty of stairs, ledges and other movement restricting world geometry.
As a level designer the use of pushables can be a nightmare because in theory they can be moved anywhere (downward) and need to be contained. The player can use them as jumping points, defence from damage or ways to break the flow of a map. The floor design is extremely important because it will dictate where the pushable can go.
* Pushables can fall through the floor or slide out of the map if being pushed off a high (>64 map units) ledge. This should of been found with a proper test map and a void check added to the code. Unfortunately this check is not present and any gameplay progress usage of pushables needs to have a reset function. This can either be the pushable is breakable or there is a switch/button that can reset everything if the pushable has disappeared.
* One key feature of the pushable system is that they can be stacked on top of each other! This is impossible to know for a Quake player because this is not existing behaviour or something seen before. This test map does feature examples of stacking pushables, but its going to be tricky for any player to get this without hints.
* Pushables do work with the new func_insidevolume system, but this new feature does run very slow and cannot catch fast moving pushables when testing if they are inside or outside of the volume. This means the volume brushwork needs to be larger than usual and ideally working with floor restricting (small drop down) brushwork designs.
Test Map Design Flow
The player starts in a small room with two pushables either side showing them what to look for in future and one directly infront via a jumping route. The player has to hit two buttons to release the lower floor and move on to the next area. This room is about showing the player that they can jump on pushables to reach higher area's and gain new routes by placement of pushables.
Once the player has unlocked the floor barrier and dropped down they are in a small area with a locked gate to the next room and one pushable wall (previously shown texture) to interact with. This area is about showing the player how to recognize pressure plates and how to use them with different pushables (upright door and simple cube).
After the pressure plates have been activated the locked door to the next area is open and the player is faced with a large gap and no obvious route forward. The gap is crossed via a pushable, but this time its hidden near the water and needs to be moved into place. This is a repeat behaviour to reinforce the idea of pushables being moveable platforms to reach higher areas.
Once across the gap the player is again faced with a locked door and a single pushable wall (previously shown texture). This leads to a large hidden area where the player has to use the pushable to reach different platforms and move forward. Again this is repeating the idea of platforming and pushables together.
The next area is a shortcut hub, with doors to previous areas opening and a single way forward to the next pushable setup.
The next room is split into two ledges with a pressure plate in the middle and two new types of pushables that can be broken and reset. The player has to move both pushables onto the pressure plate and stack them to reach the collectible goal. This is probably the hardest part of the map because its a completely new mechanic. No player is going to know about stacking pushables because they have only interacted with one at a time. This is the first hurdle of the map.
The next area is a vertical room with one pushable and pressure plate and various buttons to unlock progress. The player will be required to jump across obstacles to reach the collectible goal. This room does not feature any new pushable mechanics and its really about reinforcing previous experience.
The player will be greeted with a small sandpit area with three pushable blocks and one breakable/reset block at the far end of the room. This room is about using pushables to create a bridge for another pushable and using previous stackable knowledge. If the player did not complete the stacking puzzle then this room is going to be the second hurdle of the map.
Once the player has got a block across the pit and climbed up into the final room, they need to get up to a wall button and unlock the platform/lift up to the next area. This area is about teaching the player to use detail ledges around the room as ways to climb up and across pushables.
After the player has taken the platform up they are greeted with two pressure plates which require two pushables. One is down in the previous room and needs to be brought up via the platform/lift and the second one is in a locked area below.
The final pushable puzzle is using pushables as cover against shooters, with the player having to move down a small corridor and shield themselves from damage. Once this has been done the pushable is available to moved over to the platform/lift and be raised up to the two pressure plates.
At this point the player should have ten tomes and the exit portal should be open. If not the player can go back around the main loop and find more tomes as needed.