QUICK SUMMARY:

Game – Call To Arms (by Digitalmindsoft . . . https://store.steampowered.com/app/302670/Call_to_Arms/ )

What I have done– I used the GEM editor to build different maps for the game CALL TO ARMS. This led me to recreate Arica Harbor from Battlefield Bad Company 2. The tools allwed me to create the environment FX (weather), shoreline and the sculpting of the landscape, placing the assets and use the different textures to recreate the look of the original version.

The project is divided in two parts – the presentation in the first half (with renderings and videos) and a playability breakdown in the second half.

I. Presentation

II. Breakdown

The recreation of Arica Harbor for a RTS-game like Call To Arms came with a few challenges. Especially the gameplay differs a lot, obviously because of the genre (RTS and FPS), but CtA also offers nearly endless destructive environments. I had to change a few elements here and there to establish more cover and routes for the mass of units. Streets and pathways had to be bigger as well, since players can controll a multitude of vehicles that needed space to maneuver.

This version you can see above is a rework and differs from the published version in the workshop. The workshop map has a tad less detail (due to the performance) but has the whole map traversable – and also a new area.

Arica Harbor is in it’s core a RUSH map, with defenders and attackers. Conquest worked only semi-well in an RTS adaptation. That is why I opened up the originally untraversable area in the mountains and build a small cityscape there as well – this enabled the S1 player to go straight to the downtown area or to the military camp and opened up new strategies.

Playability and balance is a huge part of creating PvP/PvE maps. Testing is a must and planning helps to eliminate every area that could cause problems – since players are the most unpredictable creatures out there you need to keep every variable in mind.

But creating story’s within these levels is as important. I love building intricate little story details within the environment – such as a village that got destroyed via an avalanche (map Avalanche), a helipad that got constructed in the midst of an old temple (map Outlook Island) or a traffic jam at the only gas station in the city, due to the incoming enemy forces (map Teheran City).

I am creating maps in my freetime since 2015 – and since 2020 I put a lot of effort into the presentation as well with custom thumbnails, loading screen pictures and more story to immersive the players.

My published maps count more than 30.000 subscribers – a testament to the detailed environment and playability of my creations!