AS-Asthenosphere
Map Info
	File Name as-asthenosphere.zip Author Phil '-=¤willhaven¤=-' Cole Gametype UT Assault Date Added 05-28-2000 File Version 1.00 File Size 2.14 mb Player Count 10-10 Map Description None Review Rating 8 User Rating 8.5 Overall Rating 8
Review
Reviewer Mister_Prophet Awe Score:  3.0/3 Date 02-02-2004 Build Score:  2.5/3 Review Schema Cast Score:  2.5/3 User Point:  0 Overall Score:  8/10 Until UT2004 arrives with the new Assault game-type, the significant portion of the community has all but forgotten that mode. Face it, AS is quite dead. So dead that all the soft parts have long since rotted away and the bones are covered with fungi and all kinds of bugs. So, after saying that, I bring you an old map that once brought radiance to this game-type. I know this was reviewed before but since it was lost in the site shuffle some time ago and since it has been sitting in my review list for a few months, I figured…what the hell. Asthenosphere, released by Willhaven, was among the most acclaimed AS maps ever made. When I think back to the great AS maps, and I mean the truly epic maps which stood out as the best of the best, Asthenosphere always makes it to that list. The map remains one of the best examples of good Uttech1 texture use and smooth architecture. The game takes place on a research vessel that floats inside a massive tunnel of fire (If I recall correctly from the readme I read years ago, I believe it was inside a magma flow deep within the surface of a planet). Like I mentioned earlier, the map relies heavily on Uttech1, as well as PlayerShp and other space tech textures. This map inspired a lot of learning mappers in its day, the architecture really was clutch. Today, it still is rather good looking, though some would say the lighting has been surpassed nowadays, so to speak. I still think the map looks great. The place is believable as an environment, which is much more than I can say for a lot of maps made in that age. You got all the goods; crate rooms, rotating alarm lights, numerous monitors, moving blast doors for windows, curved windows, giant pillars, various ship logos, rocket ships, coolant fans, waste pools, vents, curved corridors and rooms, and to top that off, probably the most explosive victory sequence to ever be made for an AS map. Many maps following have tried to mimic the ending scene used in this map, but few come close. As for the map’s gameplay, I will say what I always felt about the map in this category. I never felt it was balanced. The idea is that the attackers have to move from a supply dock section of the vessel, move past crew quarters to destroy two turbine coolant units, which will grant entry to the bridge. From there, you have to deactivate a panel to allow entry to your escape vessel as the ships power core ruptures, which causes the vessel’s destruction in the ending sequence. As the defender, your role is to stop all this from happening. Like a lot of Assault maps, this kinda of endurance/trench warfare style is pretty common. The teams fight section by section, the attackers trying to push their way to the final goal as the defenders have to prevent this progression in each area. Spawnpoints change accordingly, as does the weapon cycle, which shares arsenal types as the fight goes on. Perfect item placement, perfect idea. What is flawed in this map, I always felt, was the gameplay in some areas. For the most part the transition is pretty good, though restricted. By that, I mean, you don’t get a whole lot of alternate options and most of the time you are taking either 1 of two possible paths. This allows the possibility of severe choke points for the attackers if the defenders have a good plan. Most notably, the waste-pool room where the two coolant fans are located, contains a messy ambush spot. Since there is a very small space available to get into this room, a good defender team can hold attackers back quite well here. In all the many times I’ve played this map, bots will never, EVER get based this one spot when I am on the defense. Online, it is a different story since people are smarter than their computer controlled counterparts. I remember playing a round once online where the entire Defense team held this spot for 8 straight games simply on the grounds that they clusterfrucked the entire attacking force at this segment. The game plays good, don’t get me wrong, but I always had the impression that the map was a little too limited to route choices. The Prophet’s Verdict: Visual masterpiece of its day, and while the gameplay is a bit shallow, it still remains one of the best AS maps around. I think most people love this map for other reasons aside from the gameplay and will probably be quick to defend my verdict. But you know what, this map rocked us all once upon a time, and I’m just saying that it still has charm. I only hope UT2004 can revitalize the glory that maps like this once gave to Assault. To Assault Enthusiasts who think I suck: Do not e-mail me like last time, telling me I am a loser because of my views of the fleeting AS community. No I am not alone, the voices of those in the UT world who share my honest opinion more than overshadow your cult following. Until UT2004 comes out, AS really is lingering despite the absence of a pulse. To NC Admins: I ask this map not be considered for MOTM because it has been around for so long and this review is mainly being plugged in to leave this legendary work with a score on our database. No review screenshot available
Map Comments
ofofce 01-22-2003 11:12 AM MST Rating: 8   great map which can proudly stood in line with epic maps TyFyghter 02-11-2003 08:13 AM MST Rating: 10   One of the best baby, why isnt it reviewed!? Razor 04-15-2003 09:19 AM MDT Rating: 10   This Map Is Great!!! I Enjoy Playing It Over And Over Again Armageddon_Man 06-03-2003 12:53 PM MDT Rating: 8   Phil Cole is the creator of DOM-WolfsBay map. You can found this in the Bonus Pack 4. Moonrakeron 08-03-2003 09:55 PM MDT Rating: 8   Great map.Very well done and lots of fun darkjaxx 09-11-2003 12:11 PM MDT Rating: 9   why I had to search advanced this map? Sheesh! phalanx 09-11-2003 05:02 PM MDT Rating: 10   bloody brilliant ~shadow~ 09-19-2003 02:54 PM MDT Rating: 9   very good map!!! genius idea great movie Slim 11-19-2005 09:13 AM MST Rating: 6   It's not as good as it should be. It's certainly on par with the maps that came with UT, but that's isn't nessessarily a good thing when you consider that only three of those maps were actually any good, and none of them were particularly awe inspiring. Still... nice to see Mister_biased letting us all know how much Assault is dead and how much he hates it. Like I and probably anyone else who has more than half a brain-cell cares... Jez 01-18-2004 04:42 PM MST Rating: 9   Excellent! Fordy 01-19-2004 06:51 PM MST Rating: 8   yep it is a good map. Been playing the Eavy Assault bonus pack a bit latley & this one shines out (well along with the cold steel maps) SirTahngarth 02-02-2004 09:27 AM MST Rating: 9   Assault and Jailbreak are the two reasons UT is still on my hard drive. Great map. Shao 02-02-2004 03:37 PM MST Rating: 8   I want see a screenshot!!!!!!!! <[DecoY]> 02-03-2004 04:04 PM MST Rating: 7   this is an old one... not one of my favorites though... although it was part of the Eavy Assault Bonus Pack, and by all means it should be, there were better assault maps namely 'AS-coldsteel' and '-Coldsteel2' souldividersjosz 02-04-2004 05:49 AM MST Rating: 9   Epic should've contracted the man ages ago (if they didn't already), if only for the ideas or design, damn what a great map to play. Iridium 02-08-2004 10:20 AM MST Rating: 10   Asthenosphere was simply one of those classic maps. Loved playing it when there were balanced teams on a public server. OT: I've inserted 'assault' into the 'do not censor' list. I don't see why ass is censored anyway, I will talk to MC and see if we can have that changed. testing: shite BangOut 02-12-2004 08:08 AM MST Rating: 4   this map is 40 years old phearbot 05-05-2004 04:31 AM MDT Rating: 10   great map. a must-have! you start aboard a spaceship, in something looking like a cargo bay. after opening the doors and after a few corridores you get into a chamber with access to two cooling fans. you have to destroy both of them to open the next blast doors. the following part is definetly the best one. you have to enter the bridge and open the doors to the observation lounge. when you enter it, you could just forget to shoot the defenders, such a great view you have there. the lounge is a great round room with a roof made of glass, where you see great lava masses flowig down. this is the first time you see what is really going on outside the ship. time to get to the escape pods, and leave this goddamned ship. lighting and architecture are very good, although a few corridores are too small to effectively evade rockets. the two accesses to the bridge can be a very hard problem to solve, because you can very easily defend it. really good map, has to be in every mapcycle. utjunky 06-25-2004 06:24 PM MDT Rating: 8   Excellent! Very good detail... a complex map that is straight forward and fun to play, a very difficult combination to get right, and this map does it. Fun to play over and over again! sr dark rabbit 06-28-2004 12:03 PM MDT Rating: 9   A truly great map which i recomend to anyone. Poggel 08-12-2004 04:39 PM MDT Rating: 10   This map is really, really wonderful. The texturing is outstanding. I just played it with zero bots just to view the texturing and see if everything is clear and stuff. And i find it really great. When the shutters openend on the bridge, it was just breathtaking. I just stood there, being amazed, looking at this large thing opening... ou could say it was a revelation. Wow, im being really positive, arent i. Well, i just find this map outstanding. VindicatorEX 09-08-2004 03:03 AM MDT Rating: 8.5   Great AS map! A must download for those who like AS. Porrana 09-24-2004 07:33 AM MDT Rating: 9   CCLassic assualt. This has everything you could want in this gametype Evil Snack 09-24-2004 08:47 AM MDT Rating: 9   I like it, I like it, I like it. daproxyking 11-08-2004 05:24 PM MST Rating: 9   I love this map, stays on my HD. However, methinks it's a bit too easy to kill the coolant fans and then run like hell through the rest of the level, but that's against bots... Well? Go download! Sicko Teddy 11-08-2004 08:08 PM MST Rating: 8   Yeah? this stays along with the stock maps, even though there are UT 2004s aout there. fun RayZidane 11-08-2004 10:25 PM MST Rating: 8   nice map sir 12-13-2004 04:24 AM MST Rating: 7   not that bad. highlight is the exit sequence :) Regulus 11-07-2005 05:29 PM MST Rating: 9.5   I can see why CliffyB thinks this map 0wns. Nice use of atmosphere to establish the lava setting. The match can be over quick though if an attacker manages to get ahead of the defenders. Other than that, expect some good matches here. Overall, a great map. Gades 03-29-2008 10:15 PM MDT Rating: 9   Awesome assault map. I'm not sure whether I like this, or Bridge better. It is possible for attackers to overrun the defenders (from the vent room onwards). If the defenders are in place though, expect it to get pretty hard.