Map: Steep – Back to Stone Age

On this one, Cobalt decided to invade a strange island south of Hapis, where there was actually nothing interesting… Neighbour of a long extinct volcano, that island is strewn by tons of rock formations that can not be destroyed easily…

Proof, the usual Excavator was broken due to the hardening of the rocks.  Cobalt left the island even before covering the roads with asphalt…

So, Cobalt decided to leave the island after an unsuccessful attempt to settle with the usual monuments. There is only room for small buildings which were created by the bandits.

The main focus on this map is the caves and rock formations. A lot of locations you can install a basic settlement, and a lot of caves you can dwelve and install your cave-base in… and find major loots.

There is no major monument on this island, just small buildings usually made by the bandits after Cobalt leave.  That rush the player to have to work a little more to have the resources he need to have its kit and win PVPs.  But that does not mean there are not interesting surprises…

And what about these 5 surveillance towers… Not only they were used to protect the nature, they are checkpoints for the scientists… which means tier3 loots…

And what is better, after a hard day of PVP than a evening rest at the campfire near the beach?

This map has a lot of cool locations and hard points where to install your little base or your mega Zerg base… like the trenches between rocks or the holes under them.  But you need to love complexion and surprises. If you love to install yourself in the arid desert, you’ll be disapointed… work your brain out for a real efficient base, please!

This is a 3333 small map… no compromise, and just roads on the map itself…. Harsh but great for solo players with PVP intentions. The starting loots are enough to sustain more than 50 players for a week, but you may require more loots installation if you plan on doing more on that place. Plugins can be useful to set more features as well.

Map: Klondyke, Arizona


You read it well… it’s not Klondike, Alaska, where there was long time ago a Gold Rush.  It’s Klondyke, Arizona, with a dozen of residents, and  two barns… Whatelse can we find in that micro-village? Lead and silver mines… or actually HQM and Stones…

This map is for the cave dwellers and cave bases builders.  There is nothing else here than build the greatest bases in rock formations and caves.  This is a challenging map, because not everybody is good and efficient at building inside caves.

Lead is toxic, so you have to take care of these locations where barrels and pits are strewn with green glowing boxes and barrels.  In addition to radiation pockets around town, you also have the bad visit of scientists who wants to take back what they lost in that old abandonned ghost town.

Some ideas of Scenarios for building a map.

There is no real scheme for building a map in Rust… you use the Procedural engine and tada, a 30 seconds map is auto-generated for you.  But these are crap.  Always the same borrrrrrrring maps with the same elements.

Here we build maps based on ideas, concepts, scenarios and gameplays.  You can even decide if you want a Winter-only island, or a Desert like in Madmax – Beyond Wasteland

But as an inspiration for some cool features, I always use a list of needed elements… and sometimes known scenarios that I build the maps around. Here are some examples of scenarios. The maps are not always everything… most of them need some plugins, and the Umods.org gang is providing the bests there is!

########### Extreme Survivalism:
Pure Survivalism Enhancement where everything is just a little bit more than what it is in real life. Follows most of the vanilla setup, but with some explainations:

ex: all animals are agressives because humans are enemies in all states. even chickens hates us. Zombies spawn in the middle of the night and vanish when the sun is up…

################## Advanced Reality:

While you are a survivalist in a harsh world, your own house can become your only path to advanced tech. Automated CP, etc bring you to the age of 2020.

################## The Reality Show:

Remember Truman Show? The Prisoner? everything you do on this island is controled so you can not act aside of the goals of reality.

ex: Agriblock forces you to plant specifid seeds in the planters or they would not grow. If you break something provided by the higher mean, you are punished or removed from your loot.

ex: when you break a vending machine to loot it, everything in it will vanish. same for the CP.

ex: on first spawn you are given a startup house, and until you break it, you can not build another CP.

################## The Feria World:

Survivalism in the magical path. Automation of certain actions when you’re in your house, as the CP act on its own.

################## Back Story Plot Revealed:

When you first spawn, you are informed of the whole mean of this island. The back story, the objective of your presence here. Just do what you think is good for you to get out of this hell.

################## Down to Earth Life Endangered:

You live on this island as you were born here, with collaborating with others, having the more « down to heart » living. It can be endangered by raiders etc though… outside of the vacinity, life is harsh!

################## Science to its own Path:

All human spawn on the island is regrouping to survive against the scientists. Like in Westworld, humans have to survive against the NPC that wants to control them.

################## Suburbia:

a vanilla map with ALL the monuments in the middle, and surrounded by habitable places. the monuments have roads etc, and they will be connected properly.

################## Isekai:

asian anime type for scenarios with heros in fortified cities. Random villages built across the map, walled or shielded Safe-Zoned. everything outside is PvP etc

################## Mad Max Beyond Wasteland:

Part of the civilisation wants to keep the PvP and rusted raids, when the other part of the civilisation want to restart life as it was before. A vanilla scenario where two teams struggle for their survival or the disparition of their enemy.

ex: one team use the rusted elements to make war and live based on decay, use cars and build weapons. the other team is building life, plant fruits and veggies, recycle metal to peaceful usages and defense, build houses. Both protect their territories, and loot others properties.

################## toxic world:

the game is already toxic enough, so we have to deal with it… RAD elements everywhere, just avoid scraping your own life.

################## UAE Concept:

Like in Dubai city, where the entire city and attractions are built from dumping sand to create fake islands, our map is dumped islands as well… the north limit of the map is the continent… but unreachable!

################## The Barricade

is a PVP / Raid / KotH map where you have no chance of survival if you take a minute to smell flowers.

This is the place where you spawn for a fight, sniping, roofcamp, or anything related to violence… because the entire map is a vast region made for claiming victory!

There is no rule. Just do your own business. No hack or permission given. The only two plugin we installed to give permission are the « anti noob raid » and the « free home » which will protect you for 15 minutes when you first spawn, so you can take a look at install yourself.

################## Faubourgs or Total Roleplay …

Subburb from a Big City, you spawn on the beach and are welcome by the cheif of the village. You receive a home you can place anywhere, and you have to trend, exchange, loot everything to make a living.

Forbidden that leads to a ban:

violence is prohibited in the vacinities of the village.
Raids are also not allowed, and you will be banned from the server if you just try.
Toxic language or actions, like stealing or destroying other’s stuff.

Promoted actions that leads to a great server:

Participation
Teamwork
Professions: like you can be a farmer, a collier, a huntsman…
Protection: you can go to war, raise a peacekeeper team, combat the scientists… etc

Map: Hydroxide Valley

Remember Sillicon Valley, California?! The masterpiece of tech-developments, the ground of Google and Apple… Everything to make things work in the USA.

But hey, we’re not in the USA, we’re somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean, in the surroundings of the Salomon Islands.  And after the explosion caused by terrorists in Hapis Island, there was a Tsunami which destroyed most of the little islands around the Cobalt installations.  This is where we’re at.  Hydroxide Valley, like the bandits are proud to call it, is an Island that was the tech-dev center of the Indian Ocean zone.

It is now a desert of abandonned compounds, with destroyed roads and harsh temperatures… In the middle of the island, the old city, surrounded by undiscovered forests… And that’s what our players will face when spawning on the island.  There is no Launch Site here, neither a Train Yard… because it’s not Hapis…

And you’ll discover everything on your own if you connect…

Map: In Enemy Territory

Maybe not the best name for a map, as everybody seems to be in their own enemy territory, but hey… I was asked to create this one in rememberance of the old game of the same name, so!  A detail in this old game, there was always a mission to run in circle for no fucking reason…. because it was the time when PVP was new, and the game authors had no idea how to manage it without having circling roads or round-up train rails.

You can still play it by using the new Legacy version, which i still play myself…

This map is the same.  It’s not only to have a harbour or a trainyard, but to have a complete road or track between all the monuments to have a feeling of completion – which lack a lot in Rust. Here, all the monuments are connected with their proper road, street or rail tracks. And to make it more consistent, they all have their little friends to accompany them and make the place a lot more populated in building.

A good example is the harbour… by default, Harbour #2 is 200 meters large… now the entire facility is 1.2km large, with a lot of customization and buildable slides… even a lighten bridge to have nightly meetings.

But it is not only about connecting roads and tracks.. Its also having a sense of logic.  Why have only one marketplace and a gaz station on 36km2 territory?  We add 12 roadside monuments of all kind, so it’s easier to roam in your car… because yes, this map is Car-Compatible…

About cars… the only Trucks Graveyard of the entire Rust… because we need locations for amazing PVP…

And why not having a Hotel in the fishing village?A place where you can hide your loot without a problem so you can raid the Oil Rig in confidence…

Some locations are perfect for PVE, as they are protected by Scientists of different levels… You may even be taking a relaxing walk down the road and being caught in the crossfire of bandits and scientists.

One of the best scenery of this decor is the Domes Factory… complete custom site with 5 different types of Dome, and a winter mood that will make you freeze in place… but hey, tier2 and tier3 loots are easily found in this central place, so you may find a good kit to keep you warm!  or hot if you’re not the only one in the place!

There is an addition of 8 big monuments that are not shown here… each has a reason to be there… This map is not for the faint of heart… the biggest and the largest map you could have for any kind of gameplayers…

Hasard? don’t think so… Dr Newman/Stark

I’ve been storing back-story hints about the Rust game since my first day of play.  I’ve watched both Shadowfrax back-story youtube videos, and i’m adding to them… sometimes at the opposite of what Shadowfrax was going in his own path… So, let’s see!

First, Dr Newman’s back-story itself… who is he, or who is he supposed to be?! Read more

Map: King of the Hilt

This presentation is a call from the past, as for the Facepunch anniversary, i had to review all the work i’ve done with Rust in the last months.  This is a WIP map, because it was one of my first, and I’ve refined my techniques since… Read more

Map: Steep – The Atoll

AHHHHH… Beautiful Scilly & Bellingshausen atoll in Tahiti… don’t you think it’s a great place to have your next vacations?  This is only the featured image for the presentation, it’s not the actual map… which is shown in the post itself. Read more

Map Contest, first winner

I was too busy with my move, so I forgot to post the article about the Map Contest… tsss that’s bad!

Anyway, blame on me, I now annonce that we started a montly contest that will give the winners a complete custom map for their own server.

So, each month, during the week-end after the Official Wipe, you can subscribe to our contest, and on the next monday’s evening, we draw a name among the registrants.  The question is simple:  Your name and the IP for the server you register to the brawl.  If we pick your name, we check your server, to be sure it exists, and then we contact you.  If we have a deal on what we can build for you, we meet on the deadline*(usually less than 3 days) and invite you to visit the demo of the map that you win and that you will be able to install on your server.

Last month*(october 2020), PrinceVidz was the winner, and the map that was made for him is displayed on the blog already… His server admin is using the map between short wipes, to surprise their players.

This month’s winner is JDnaks, and he asked for a PVP-driven map, with the focus on specific monuments and some surprises… So i built a size 4444 temperate map with a fucked-up mix of terrains, procedural and hand-made details.  The infos about his server will be posted soon.

As the featured photo of this post shows, there is a guarded convoy like no other… stuck between 2 bridges, scientists will stop you with their life so you can not loot the tier 3 military boxes from it.

All the default monuments have a little easter-egg or modification that will give your players an advantage…

There is a fjord on this map, and to speed up your race, you may cross it on the bridge… at your risk, as if there is a sniper or a camper on these towers, you’re cooked!

You may not know it, but the Trainyard has a mini-compound on the side of the road… very useful!

In the dark of the forest, an abandonned secured facility… perfect for a pvp… and some loot

Some strange location, buildable and great as a pvp rendez-vous!

Another location that Base Builders will appreciate, a very long almost dry lake… Building your base on this lake is an advantage.. you will hear everybody passing by…

Tier3 loots, PVE with a lot of scientists, puzzles in tunnels and a nuclear recycler.. why not try this location by night!

There is no Launching Site on this map, does not mean there is no Bradley… that one is guarding the Factory in the background of this abandonned cabin. And if you have an Heli, you can go to the top of these chimneys and have some fun!

This barricade at the end of the road is blocking the access to this great Battlefield, perfect to host some great bases…

No Water Treatment Plant ?! This Water Filtration Station is giving you a little of a Sewer Branch feeling, but clearer!

sometimes we have a little desire, and the best way to solve the problem is to use the service toilet …

Project Steep

Steep is a pure fiction based on Rust’ back-story.

This game, Rust, is based on a back-story involving two main companies:  Cobalt, which seems to be developing new tech based on sulfur and uranium, and Zenlabs which is the main transporter of the Cobalt industry.

Apart from the back-story that about nobody knows anything about, there are branches of development that were displayed lately, like the Project Nova – Mars where people spawn on the red planet, in search of solutions to global warming.  There are also some under-developed projects that need to emerge.

Among them is the « Steep » project, where people are evaluated on their capabilities to work in team in the ultimate goal to recreate a community or a society inside a new reality, the aftermath.

This Cobalt Project is different from Savas and Hapis… It is not based on the terrain explored by the people, but is based on the psyche of these people.  What will they do if they are faced with specific dangers? what will they do if they find weapons? what will they do when they understand that they are observed by scientists that refuse to see them leave the island?

In Steep, you are not spawning naked on a beach with a rock.  You spawn on a road, with no memory and no sign of imminent danger… You imagine the rest.

Define Steep: a precipitous place, or to soak in a liquid at a temperature under the boiling point (as for softening, bleaching, or extracting an essence).  Yep, Cobalt want to soak you in a hazardous situation, and extract the best of you in this world.

Project Steep by Rust-Exposed is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by Facepunch Studios LTD. All trademarks, imagery, and logos belong to their respective copyright owners.

Each new map we create under the Project Steep will have the « Steep » prefix to them, so you know the goal of this specific map.