Treyarch Explains How They Build and Balance Multiplayer Maps

RipTen - Building and balancing multiplayer maps is hard. It’s even harder when you have to do it for the biggest video game franchise in the world and are expected to pump out high quality map packs after release.

So, just how does Treyarch manage to get it done with a game as big as Call of Duty: Black Ops?

We sat down with design director David “Von” Vonderhaar to find out:

[xPhearR3dx]

Treyarch did an awesome job in WaW. Black Ops maps were TERRIBLE though.

[malol]

black ops maps were FULL of camping spaces
and spwan system was dumb as hell
so tryearch is smoking something

[xX-StolenSoul-Xx]

Personally i liked only 3 maps in black ops, Nuketown, Firing Range, and Havana but the rest went to bad as well.
With that said i actually did not like any maps from pack 1 or 2, so i skipped 3 of course.

[evrfighter]

Treyarch maps are extremely terrible. they offer no balance and nothing but camping spots

Iw made some really good maps. dont expect to have any good maps in mw3 though. All their creative talent went to respawn

[BattleAxe]

I agree that WaW was an awesome game with awesome maps, which makes me wonder how they could get Black Ops so wrong in every aspect. I do think that Raven has done a great job with the newer maps in the map packs, and infact I think that Raven could have done a better job on Black Ops all around.

[Sigmarue]

I heard Escalation was ok?

[BeastlyRig]

"Treyarch Explains How They Build and Balance Multiplayer Maps"

I hope they figure it out.

[CrzyFooL]

Lulz

[NuclearDuke]

I liked Modern Warfare 2 maps better than any other CoD. They were simply perfect. Remember that Infinity Ward, the splitted Infinity Ward aren't making the multiplayer. That will be Sledgehammer with assistance of Raven - So you might find a whole new map layout in MW3.

[CrimsonEngage]

In what parallel Universe have they figured out how to do this because it obviously isn't this one.

[RickHiggity]

The one where cod isnt the most popular franchise, and they actually have to try to make a good game.

[NarooN]

In the universe that used to exist, since CoD3 and WaW's maps were actually good.

[J86blum]

I laughted alittle when I heard Treyarch and balance used in the same line.

[Urrakia34]

The guy in the pic is like "I have no idea."

[Cpt_kitten]

step 1 do nothing
step 2 place respawns all over the place not caring where they are
step 3 make sure there is plenty of camping spots
step 4 your done

call of duty the same crap every year since 2008

[NarooN]

Since 2007*

WaW was the last good CoD game.

[slaton24]

its 2008--WaW, 2009--MW2 and 2010---BLOPS

[NarooN]

I know. My point is that CoD4 is where all this killstreak perk bullshit began. CoD4 and WaW were decent, but CoD1-3 are still better since it all came down to individual player skill, none of that hand-holding bullshit.

[Raven_Nomad]

Treyarch are obviously some of the best, which is why so many people are still playing Black Ops. Hell even waw is on the top 10 list for XBL. Props to them for doing such a great job!

[birdy966]

How they balance them...

They don't

[disturbing_flame]

Actually MW2 without danger close, noobtube, commando, one man army and perhaps morphine was a cool game.

In BO i only liked zombies and COD points games (sorry forgot the name i don't play the game anymore). All the rest was average.

[authentic24]

GTFOHWTBS..... Treyarch has some of thee worst maps known to man with their swiss cheese level design format. They make sure that someone is always behind you. Couple that with the dumbest Spawn System, you got yourself a winner. Maps are small as hell too. Best MP LEVEL designs with Balance Go To Halo 1,2,3,Reach, Socom I,II and COD Modern Warfare, MW2. Feel Free to chime in with more, those are just off the top of my head.

[sickbird]

i hate balanced "arena" type multiplayer maps. Socom 2 had it perfect, one side should have an advantage. Makes it more interesting.

[Kee]

Almost every map in black ops has 3 channels you can go down. Left, right and middle.
There are certain parts where you can go from one channel to the next, but it feels like that is every map. It's just a pattern that I saw emerging.
It is good for search and destroy but gets a little bit repetitive as a structure for a map. The only map that I can think of that doesn't use it is nuketown (only has left and right channels).

Compare that pattern to say... Vacant in CoD4... Or the Terminal level in MW2... Or Backlot from CoD4. Or any other ingeniously designed maps by infinity ward. Gotta say, treyarch can't hold a candle to those maps.

[Zancruz]

That's nice, Black Ops still sucks monkey balls.....

[rob-E]

"Treyarch Explains How They Build and Balance Multiplayer Maps..."

So when are they going to learn to build and balance a game?

[FAGOL]

Treyarch you fail at the multiplayer part. W@W was ok but it still was broken and still is.

Just make a standalone zombie game.

[Der_Kommandant]

I will never buy a Treyarch game again

[TheDivine]

I think the maps are decent but where they really shine is making zombie maps. LOVE them, really creative. Bl ops was really a great game imo, campaign was fun, good graphics, splitscreen ulti, bots, zombie mode, dead ops arcade. Thats a LOT of content compared to most every other fps on the market. It comes with alot of maps out the gate also, dont see the problem.

[rob-E]

The problem lies in the most important aspect of a FPS, the shooting mechanics. Poor hit detection, dropped frames, poor netcoding... whatever the reason, the hit detection is horrible. They can add all the bells and whistles they want, they can release DLC after DLC... but that doesn't change the fact that the shooting mechanics in this game is piss poor. I won't even get into using a shotgun or sniping.

[GrumpyVeteran]

Treyarch explain how to milk BO to death before MW3.

[Volomon]

Well hell, I didn't know they balanced or even attempted to balance them at all. Guess this is news.