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A guide on how to make a bootcamp map

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Due to the recent submissions for bootcamp, I decided to make this small topic in order to help mapmakers pinpoint the most common problems they may encounter while trying their hand at making bootcamp maps so they can be added to the P3/13 rotation. I'll also talk about what is expected and what is likely to be eliminatory when we check maps. I'll be using maps that were submitted on the thread as examples to illustrate my thoughts.

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1. Keep the map's path clear enough so players don't have to think too hard about where to go.



2. While hard maps are fine and appreciated when well made, mapmakers seem to have a hard time balancing difficulty in their bootcamp maps. Overly precise obstacles are just tedious and can make a map with a fun concept totally void of enjoyment.




3. Be mindful of the impact the design of your maps can have. Maps with clustered obstacles or filled with acid feel oppressive most of the time (exception can be made if it fits the concept of the map). Maps that are too open can lead to unclear pathways. Maps with a neat design are always nice to look at but bear in mind to always favour gameplay over design.

Note that arrows are fine if they help players understanding how to do a particular obstacle (don't overuse them or it may have the opposite effect). On the other hand, using arrows solely to indicate which way to go is not recommended since it means the path is too unclear; rather, try to work on making the path more intuitive.




4. Pay attention to the transitions between your obstacles. Rushed transitions can lead to a brutal break of pace in your maps, which can clearly do a disservice to your other obstacles. Also make sure not to overload your map with filler obstacles or it will make the map too generic and underwhelming.




5. Keep an eye on your map's cohesiveness. Obstacles that fit well together always make the map more enjoyable. Be careful not to use a particular type of ground in two totally different ways (for example a lava with a restitution of 20 and a lava that acts like an acid ground) as players are not meant to know how each ground behaves when there's no particular visual indication. It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use all of the editor's features to make a fun and interesting map, quite the opposite. Mixing together acid grounds, tokens, sticky grounds, treadmills and defilante will undoubtedly produce an overwhelming feeling and players will be totally disconcerted. Same goes for token spam.



6. Make sure your obstacles work consistently. If there isn't a special way/technique to pass an obstacle 100% of the time, it is deemed inconsistent and needs to be changed.




7. If possible (and particularly when the map is long or hard) incorporate some break points where players can stay still and rest a bit.

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Some other tips:

• You can't objectively judge your maps by yourself, you obviously made it so you know well how you're supposed to do each obstacle, where to go etc... don't hesitate to have your friends try them out for you so you can see how clear/problematic each part of the map is.
• Hardcamp maps are hardcamp maps, bootcamp maps are bootcamp maps. While submitting a bootcamp map to the hardcamp thread is conceivable in some cases, submitting a hardcamp map for bootcamp rotation makes little to no sense since expectations are pretty different between the two modes.
• Don't hesitate to make your obstacles retryable as it might encourage players to train on a specific part once they master the previous obstacles. It also decreases the frustration due to how punishing the map is.