Grand Theft Auto 5's Content Creator tool has been available for quite awhile, resulting in plenty of fabulous user generated content for the game's multiplayer mode, GTA Online. Looking to get more of the community involved in the creation process, Rockstar has posted several tips that will help you make a "killer" Deathmatch in GTA Online. Though the actual post covers things from balanced weapons to the perfect placement of triggers, below are some design tips that you may find helpful.
- Balance should always be your ultimate goal – the feeling that every player has an equal opportunity to win and that no particular Spawn Point offers an unfair advantage or disadvantage.
- The kinds of things you'll want to be considering carefully are cover placement, high ground and sight lines. With this knowledge, you can create interesting sections such as effective sniper spots (with a handy Sniper Rifle to boot) and chokepoints.
- Keep the radius of your Deathmatch in mind; players do not want to be running a marathon to get to the heat of the action.
- Unless your Deathmatch takes place over a very large area, consider lowering the minimum number of players. This will make it easier to gather enough players to launch the Job and cut down the risk of keeping your players waiting.
- Consider placing powerful weapons in harder-to-reach spots, such as on a low roof where a player will have to climb to get it. Try to place pickups in more dangerous areas so that players can't just camp in a corner with a rocket launcher spawn.
- If you would like to set up a Deathmatch where only one weapon can be used, select it as the Forced Weapon in the Deathmatch Details menu and switch the Lock Weapon option to Forced + Pickups or Forced Only. With the latter option selected, any weapon pickups you placed out on the field will automatically become that selected weapon.
- Varied terrain and existing structures can make your Deathmatch more interesting so whenever you're cruising in Free Mode, be on the lookout for potential spots.
- You can add dynamic props such as explosive barrels or vehicles to give players different tactical options.
- Spawn Points should be placed near to where the action is likely to be but clustered so that each spawn doesn't result in instant death. Also make sure you adjust the orientation of Spawn Points using the L1/LB and R1/RB buttons, making sure the player is facing the action when they spawn. There's nothing more frustrating than spawning into a frenetic battle with your back to the action.
- When placing spawn or cover points, consider a rock, paper, scissors approach so that all positions have an advantage over some but a disadvantage over others.
- Test, test and then test some more! Keep fine-tuning things until you can’t find anything more to improve.
- Market your creation – A clever title and well written description coupled with an offbeat photo can make your creation pop on the Social Club website, meaning more players will notice it. You should also be creative in looking to promote your masterpiece amongst your Crew, your Social Club Friends, and also on outside social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to make sure all your friends know about it and give it a go.
- Change the camera mode to third person view often when editing a Deathmatch so you can see how the props and objects will work in the game. An elaborate maze of props might look cool from above, but it could make for a frustrating map. This can also help you place weapons and objects more precisely on the map.
- While it may be tempting to fill the area with exotic weapons and vehicles, this can result in a bloated, unbalanced experience.
Head on over to the Rockstar blog for more details on creating a badass deathmatch. Who knows, maybe you'll wind up featured as one of Rockstar's "verified" jobs.