TWHL has been infested by rats. The COVID19 virus has made public trash spaces thin with food sources for rats, so they sorta moved into our vault to munch on our tasty maps!

Objective:

Create a new map or use an existing map to hide 50 rats. Use this template to get the rat setup.

TIPS:

• A rats map doesn't have to adhere to the common design conventions of deathmatch maps or singleplayer maps. There can be dead-ends and off-rooms.
• Creativity is key where and how rats are hidden.
• Use lots of prefabs and details. Make the player search.
• Use light and dark areas in moderation. An all dark map isn't as fun as it sounds.
• Provide adequate ammo and health.
• Use the unique properties of the weapons, like the Crossbow, Tau Cannon, and Satchel charges.
• A timer is optional, but you have to make it yourself, and must provide sufficient time to find all the rats.
• Mind the entity count. The rats template uses quite a few.

This isn't a minicompo yet, it's mostly because Jessie said she wanted more rats maps.

GL HF

I quite enjoyed your Hundred Heinously Hidden Buttons map, but somehow hadn't noticed your Rat Hunt map. Looks like a fun diversion for the coming weekend.

But... adequate health? Just how dangerous are these rats supposed to be?

A few technical notes:

• The rat template can be simplified by removing the env_render and making the trigger_relay killtarget the cycler_sprite.
• I think it's possible to make the counter system easier to adjust. Initialize the game_counters to the total number of rats in the map, then count down (by sending an 'off' message) whenever a rat is killed. This lets you match the counter limits with their corresponding messages, so you don't need to modify other messages when you add/remove one. The initialization can be done with a single game_counter_set, so there's only one number that needs to be adjusted. Disclaimer: I haven't tested this.

I’ll have to experiment with that counter idea. I frankly didn’t know that relays can kill target like that so I’ll update it.

Also I’ve already updated the old rats map with what I had. It’s not optimal but it works without flaw.

EDIT: Updated the template with the rat optimization, counter system is still the old one though.
I had to resize the env_blood entity size in the FGD just so i could see what I was doing. No idea why it's so large but things were easier to work with after doing so.

If you need to do this yourself, open the halflife.fgd file in notepad and search out the entity you want to resize, then there should be a size and color parameter available to you. I set mine pretty small, like 8 by 8.

Hey, I played your updated rh_quarters. Found all but 6 rats, couldn't find them after several sweeps so I admit defeat. A couple of notes, in case you ever want to update it again:

• You can get stuck behind one of those round machines in the room next to where you start.
• The rat underneath the sink in the bathroom is, uh, a lil' harsh. It's not even obvious there's doors that open there.
• Not sure about the one above the roller door in the starting room, given how visibly it sticks its head in the roof.
• I love the one hidden next to the ammo crate, I didn't think to look there at all.

All the changes make it... well, possible to beat, so that's good! The change from grenades to crossbow slightly dilutes the original point of the idea slightly to me, but it's undeniably far less of a hassle to use the crossbow, so I won't complain. I assume the template lets different weapons be used anyway, so having that on a per-map basis is good.

A good update, bringing it in line with Open the Door (the button-shooting one) as a great scavenger hunt map.

Thank you so much for giving it another shot.

Yeah its built on a func_breakable so literally anything can kill a rat.
Maybe the difficulty is a tad high but at least its challenging. They should all be able to be found.

I highly recommend someone else make a rat hunt map. Hint hint poke poke.

This is interesting. I should totally do some mapping again (feeling a bit rusty though), however I'm spending most of my time playing Minecraft 1.16 with friends, but I'll see if I can find time to get started on this.

Glad to hear it! I literally traded blocks for brushes and that why I’m mapping again these days. Figured if I was gonna build something, I’d make a map.

Never mind. I won’t have time to update the template again.

Hey, I will be done with my attempt at a RatHunt in a few days, should I just upload it in the Vault or?

Yeah just post it to the vault ^_^

I would make it an official GameBanana category as well.

On L4Dmaps.com they started the “Let’s Build” category after I made Let’s Build a Rocket so it wouldn’t be the first time. I love it when people actually use my templates and setups. ^_^

Indeed. Though, I would prefer if you upload your own first map concept on GameBanana since it's made by you (I hate to be a redistributor for some reason lol). I'll create the category when I come back home tonight.
I'm not sure where you can upload the template on the site, though. I'll check when I have time.

Posted on Gamebanana in the rat hunt category. Got some likes already ^_^

Yeah just saw that. I've dropped a like.