Affinity, v1849

Bug report by Okom1

Date: 24 Oct, 2024

Feedback notes: -

Detected mode support: Capture The Flag (Arena, Neutral, One Flag), King of The Hill, Strongholds, Oddball, Attrition, Elimination, Headhunter, Stockpile, Last Spartan Standing

Map link: Affinity

Priority 1 = Must fix:
Exploits, gameplay stalling issues and non-standard functionality.

Priority 2 = Should fix:
Recommendations, major visual issues and balance issues.

Priority 3 = Suggestion:
Inconsistencies, minor visual issues and optimization tips.

Positional values are described in the order: X, Y, Z.

Object references are described like so: Object name.

0. Layout

Unintended hiding spots present on the map:

Position: -278, -7, 1569 Multiple similar around the same area
Position: -295, -6, 1652 Multiple similar around the same area
Position: -285, -60, 1690 Both Sides
Position: -460, -152, 1353
Position: -371, -114, 1385
Position: -237, 66, 1403
Position: -322, 87, 1359
Position: -221, -62, 1409
Position: -452, 155, 1352
Position: -407, -10, 1495
Position: -434, 53, 1508

Prevent access to the listed hiding spots.

Movement hitches can be experienced around some positions:

Position: -311, 203, 1521 Ledge
Position: -311, -194, 1521 Ledge
Position: -329, -142, 1516 Staircase entry
Position: -329, 149, 1516 Staircase entry

Smooth out movement in these areas by either removing collision from the objects that cause the movement hitches or by adding blockers or other collision objects around the area.

1. Spawning

Some Initial Spawn Points have an incorrect Team value which can lead to those Initial Spawn Points not functioning correctly:

Spawn Point [Initial] 8 Eagle
Spawn Point [Initial] 9 Eagle
Spawn Point [Initial] 10 Eagle
Spawn Point [Initial] 11 Eagle
Spawn Point [Initial] 12 Eagle
Spawn Point [Initial] 13 Eagle

Add the correct Team value to the listed Initial Spawn Points.

FFA players = "Neutral"
Infection infected players = "Team 2 (Cobra)"

Only 6 Initial Spawn Points on the map when the required minimum is 8 for a Free-For-All experience.

Add enough Spawn Point [Initial] objects on the map to bring the total amount to at least 8.

Some Spawn Points are positioned unexpectedly:

Spawn Point [Respawn] 13 Intersecting geometry
Spawn Point [Respawn] 24 Intersecting geometry
Spawn Point [Respawn] 25 Intersecting geometry
Spawn Point [Respawn] 27 Intersecting geometry

Adjust the positioning of the listed Spawn Points so they are positioned correctly.

Spawn Points positioned on a dynamic blocker may cause players who initially spawn on them to bounce in the air due to the blocker's outward push force which disturbs the camera movement during the match intro sequence. Replace the dynamic blocker with a scalable blocker to mitigate the issue.

The symmetrical Respawn Point layout is not being followed in some locations:

Extra Spawn Point [Respawn] at: -417, -126, 1557
Extra Spawn Point [Respawn] at: -423, 39, 1532

Add or remove Respawn Points at the listed positions to balance out the spawning availability symmetry.

Some Spawn Points are positioned in a way where the player will not have enough time to react to something happening shortly after spawning on them:

Spawn Point [Respawn] 7 Player falls off a ledge
Spawn Point [Respawn] 8 Player falls off a ledge
Spawn Point [Respawn] 75 Player runs into a wall

Reposition the listed Spawn Points so that they don't lead to actions that a player spawning on them can't react to quickly enough.

2. Sandbox

Some sandbox spawners have non-standard Item Selection Properties:

Weapon Pad Class/Tier set to "Any"
Weapon Pad 1 Class/Tier set to "Any"
Weapon Pad 2 Class/Tier set to "Any"

Adjust the Item Selection properties to be inline with set standards.

The Class/Tier should be some other value than "Any" as it doesn't have a functional "343 Default" Spawn Property mapping. The standard is to use the same Class that the Weapon in the Static Item Selection belongs to. The Weapon in the Static Selection can be different from the Class it belongs to if it is intended for that weapon to spawn only in Ranked modes, which force the Static Selection to "Enabled". In a situation where the Static Selection is "Enabled", the Weapon class is determined by the static Weapon set in the spawner.
The Symmetrical Channel should be set to Alpha for each sandbox spawner that relies on a Class-based item pool and has a symmetrical counterpart for it. If the same Class of item shows up more than once per side, a different Symmetrical Channel should be used for each of them. For items with Static Selection "Enabled", the Symmetrical Channel should be set to "None" to provide more randomness in Fiesta modes.

Some sandbox spawners have non-standard Spawn Properties:

Equipment DispenserSpawn Properties set to "Custom"
Equipment Dispenser 1Spawn Properties set to "Custom"
Equipment Dispenser 2Spawn Properties set to "Custom"

Adjust the Spawn Properties to be inline with set standards.

The Spawn Properties should be "343 Default" as it is the standard used in built-in maps and it allows for the spawner logic to change depending on the gamemode.

A value of "Custom" is allowed if it is used only to be able to change the Spawn Time of a spawner holding a Power Weapon or Power Equipment while replicating the rest of the properties that the Spawn Properties "343 Default" would result in.

A value of "Custom" is allowed in Ranked-only sandbox spawners where the property is used to only adjust certain Spawn Logic, Ammo Multiplier/Charge Multiplier or Spawn Time values of the item while replicating the rest of the Spawn Properties that would occur with the value of "343 Default".

A value of "Custom" is allowed on Equipment Pods and Weapon Pods if they are setup as BTB Ordnance Pods.

A high Initial Spawn Delay on an item may confuse players as the item only shows up for the first time a while into the match. The highest suggested Initial Spawn Delay is "30.00".

Some sandbox spawners have non-standard Advanced Properties:

Weapon Rack 12 Selective Channel set to something other than "None". Seed Sequence Key doesn't match the standard Key used for the spawner type
Weapon Rack 22 Selective Channel set to something other than "None". Seed Sequence Key doesn't match the standard Key used for the spawner type
Weapon Rack 23 Selective Channel set to something other than "None". Seed Sequence Key doesn't match the standard Key used for the spawner type

Adjust the Advanced Properties to be inline with set standards.

The Selective Channel should be set to "None" on sandbox spawners other than Weapon Pods and Equipment Pods.
The Seed Sequence Key should be set according to the sandbox spawner type:

Equipment Dispenser, Classic Equipment Spawn = EquipmentPadPlacementKey
? = GeneralPlacementKey
Grenade Dispenser, Classic Grenade Spawn = GrenadePadPlacementKey
Equipment Pod, Weapon Pod = OrdnancePodPlacementKey
Power Equipment Pad = PowerUpPadPlacementKet
Weapon Pad = PowerWeaponPadPlacementKey
? = VehicleDropPlacementKey
Vehicle Pad, Classic Vehicle Spawn = VehiclePadPlacementKey
Weapon Rack, Classic Weapon Spawn = WeaponRackPlacementKey
Weapon Trunk = WeaponTrunkPlacementKey

The Selective Channel on Ordnance Pods should be set according to the following standards:

Equipment Pod, Eagle, Default = Juliet
Equipment Pod, Eagle, Event = Foxtrot
Equipment Pod, Cobra, Default = India
Equipment Pod, Cobra, Event = Gamma
Equipment Pod, Middle = Hotel
Equipment Pod, Last Spartan Standing = Delta
Weapon Pod, Eagle, Default = Juliet
Weapon Pod, Cobra, Default = India
Weapon Pod, Middle, Default = Hotel

Some sandbox spawners do not have a Ranked variant with Ranked-specific properties:

Weapon Pad 2 Rocket Launcher

Add a Ranked variant for each of the listed sandbox spawners. Remember to put the Label "Ranked Exclude" on the non-Ranked variants of the sandbox spawners that require a Ranked variant.

Rocket Launcher = Label: "Ranked Include", Spawn Properties: "Custom", Ammo Multiplier: "50%", Spawn Logic: Static (Time), Spawn Time: User Defined, default is "120.00", Max Deployed: "0.00"
Drop Wall, Shroud Screen, Threat Seeker = Label: "Ranked Include", Spawn Properties: "Custom", Charge Multiplier: "50%", Spawn Logic: Dynamic (Pickup), Spawn Time: "60.00", Max Deployed: "0.00"
Grappleshot, Repair Field, Repulsor, Threat Sensor, Thruster = Label: "Ranked Include", Spawn Properties: "Custom", Charge Multiplier: "100%", Spawn Logic: Dynamic (Expired), Spawn Time: "60.00", Max Deployed: "0.00"

~~In situations where there are two equipment of the same type on the map that require a Ranked variant, slightly different Spawn Properties are required for them due to a bug:~~

~~Label: "Ranked Include", Spawn Properties: "Custom", Charge Multiplier: From the list above, Spawn Logic: Dynamic (Pickup), Spawn Time: "60.00", Max Deployed: "1.00"~~

Some sandbox spawners are too high in elevation:

Power Equipment Pad
Weapon Rack

Fix the elevation on the listed objects so they are either correctly on the ground or at a standard height on the wall.

Weapon Racks should be 5.15 units up from the ground level.

Sandbox spawners positioned at a correct height

Some sandbox spawners are too low in elevation:

Grenade Dispenser 9
Equipment Dispenser 1
Equipment Dispenser 2
Weapon Pad 2
Weapon Rack 14
Weapon Rack 18
Weapon Rack 19
Weapon Rack 23

Fix the elevation on the listed objects so they are either correctly on the ground or at a standard height on the wall.

Weapon Racks should be 5.15 units up from the ground level.

3. Gamemodes

Some Capture Zones are missing Zone Capture Plate objects:

Stronghold Capture Zone 4

Add a Zone Capture Plate inside the boundary of each listed Capture Zone. Add the correct Labels to the Zone Capture Plate.

Strongholds = "Strongholds Include", "Strongholds Plate"
King of the Hill = "KOTH Include", "King of the Hill Plate"
Land Grab = "Land Grab Include", "Land Grab AI Plate"

Some KOTH Capture Zones have portions of the hill boundary that allow the castle pattern on the bottom of the hill to show higher or lower than ideal. This could be either the hill being too high off or low in the ground or there being parts where the bottom part of the hill boundary is extended to meet the ground level, causing the pattern to extend downwards:

KOTH Capture Zone
KOTH Capture Zone 1
KOTH Capture Zone 3
KOTH Capture Zone 4
KOTH Capture Zone 5

Adjust the origin point of the KOTH Capture Zones to be level with the lowest point that the boundary reaches so the pattern won't block line-of-sight as much or be hidden.

Image of a KOTH boundary floating off the ground

Image of a KOTH boundary level with the ground

Some Stronghold Capture Zones have the same Group Index value causing the zones to be labeled in an undefined order:

Stronghold Capture Zone 3 Group Index set to "3"
Stronghold Capture Zone 6 Group Index set to "3"

Set the Group Index values correctly for each Stronghold Capture Zone.

Eagle = 1 (A)
Middle/Neutral = 2 (B)
Cobra = 3 (C)

Some gamemode objects are too high in elevation:

Power Seed Spawn 1
Power Seed Spawn 2
Power Seed Spawn 3
Power Seed Spawn 4
Power Seed Spawn 5

Fix the elevation on the listed objects so they are positioned correctly on the ground.

Gamemode objects positioned at the correct height

4. Nav Mesh

No Bot Nav Markers set up for exploration purposes so Bots will just run around in select locations of the map in a janky fashion if there are no ambitions like sandbox item spawns, gamemode objectives or enemy players nearby that interest them.

Add Bot Nav Markers on the map to make Bots traverse between them if nothing else interests them.

Place Bot Nav Markers in highlight areas of your map, set their Behavior to "Explore" and connect them together by adding other Bot Nav Markers as Neighbors to each Bot Nav Marker.
It's a good idea to name each Bot Nav Marker uniquely so it's easier to distinguish them when choosing Neighbors.

Some Nav helpers that tell Bots how to use the lifts are too wide so the Bots rarely use them correctly. Bots will sometimes hug the edge of the volume instead of going in the middle of it, often missing the lift:

Bot Movement One Way 5
Bot Movement One Way 6

Make the Length-value of the Nav helper be "1.00" and reposition the helper. Rebuild Nav Mesh afterwards.

Bots will enter the volume from it's starting point and will expect to get to the ending point after some time by meterly entering the helper and traversing in the direction of the ending point.

Image of a too wide Bot Movement One Way helper

Image of a good width Bot Movement One Way helper

Some Nav helpers are redundant as they do not serve any essential purpose for the Nav Mesh in their current state, bots are ignoring the Nav helper or there is already a sufficient Nav hint generated without them:

Bot Movement One Way 3
Bot Movement One Way 4

Remove the excess Nav helpers to gain back object budget.

5. Lighting

An OBB clipping volume in some lights results in an unrealistic change in lighting at the edge of the volume.

Light 126
Light 125

Adjust or remove the OBB clipping volume of the listed light objects so an unrealistic change in lighting is not present anymore.

6. Misc. setup

Some objects may have been accidentally relocated:

Weapon Rack 12 at 478, 24, 300

Check the listed objects and determine if they are positioned correctly or not.

The player can Mark outside the playable area to reveal locations with no name.

A good idea is to add a Named Location Volume covering a large portion of the map with some generic name like "Outside" so when a player Marks outside of the playable area, it will still have some generic name instead of showing no name.

Smaller volumes will take priority if they are located inside a larger volume so this won't affect the Named Location Volumes inside your playspace.