CTF-Baranco
Map Info
	File Name ctf-baranco.zip Author desperado#2 Gametype UT Capture the Flag Date Added 06-23-2000 File Version 1.00 File Size 3.73 mb Player Count 6-8 Map Description A asymmetrical ctf design with two bases and it is well balanced. Both bases look distinctly different from each other. This map was meant for online play instead of the bots. Bots do work in this level but are not optimized perfectly. Review Rating 8 User Rating 8 Overall Rating 8	NC2 map imported without screenshot.
Review
Reviewer Kain Overall Score:  8/10 Date NC2 08-02-2000 This one must have been a bitch to build. Although massive, each section of the level has been highly detailed. There are plenty of cool effects, a huge well-made outdoor area and slanted brushes that would normally have unleashed a legion of BSP demons. I found one, yes one BSP error on the whole map. It seems to be a simple 2-forts style CTF map, with two opposing bases at opposite ends of a ravine. However, the map is asymmetrical, with each base being completely different and so big that much of the fighting takes place inside. This is no bad thing although does not make the fighting very different from all the other tight DM maps that there are. The architecture is varied and of a very high standard, with a noticeable but understandable drop in trim in the outdoor areas. This shows that the author, Rogelio Olguin, is a good mapper, knows the limits of the Unreal engine and compensates to keep framerates high. The canyon is quite a thing to behold - very natural looking and with rocks even where you cannot reach to create a sense of scale. The orange sky is different to others I have seen but is great to look at and adds to the effect of being in a desert canyon. If I had a criticism it would be that the ground is entirely flat, but then the author is not trying to make a outdoor trench-fight with this map so the very even ground does not matter. Lighting is, as in all the best maps, tastefully used and has appropriate light sources. It is usually easy to tell which base you are in by finding a coloured light nearby. The lensflares near the base main entrances look like the ones in CTF-Terra, and they look equally good in both maps. Right, onto texturing. This was the one thing about the map that I didn't like, with main textures taken from the DecayedS, Mine, Playership and many of the UT packages such as UTech1 and UTech2. Perhaps if each base had a package to itself it would be more effective. As it is, the textures are mixed up and therefore the theme seems confused. This will not bother some people - unfortunately I believe in creating a well-defined theme which adds to the atmosphere of a map. In terms of texture alignment there are a few problems but they are not very noticeable. Items are never hard to find, and the flags are well-placed to make defending difficult but escaping with the flag just as difficult. I feel that there is perhaps a little too much ammo spread around the map. Getting the Udamage requires an Impact jump while under fire, which is hard. Bots are pathed well and will function well (and even snipe) if left to their own devices, although they never get the aforementioned powerup. There are many cool little features that you can find throughout CTF-Baranco, that shows that Rogelio is not afraid to try things with UnrealEd. There is a whole corridor that is slanted downwards, and while you are in it you start to think you are walking horizontally until you jump or reach the end, when your orientation can get really messed up (in a good way ;-) ). There are skylights in the bases allowing light to enter and players to catch brief glimpses of the sky. There are lava-falls, which pan at a good speed and make good sounds. Oh yes, ambient sounds throughout the level are great. The music track used is 'Strider', the same one as used in DM-Stalwart. To be honest I never did like the track and I don't think it fits this level. There is a screenshot, locationstrings etc. Although I could only find one BSP hole in the whole map, it's a bit of a killer. It is at the bottom of the large blue corrdior leading underground, as in the second screenshot, and I would advise the author to try and fix it as it effective prevents people from using this route for fear of being pulled through a hole in the floor. This is a shame because if it wasn't for this the playability score would be a lot higher, as frame rates are high throughout the map. With the textures better chosen and the BSP hole fixed this map would get a 9. --- It turns out that the bad BSP problem is due to the UT v4.20 patch, when I downloaded v4.25 everything worked fine. The map now gets a higher score :-) ---
Map Comments
The Rat Rating: 9   I like this CTF map, because it VERY balanced. Both Bases are extreamly equal. For those that demand this, you will be very pleased. If you want to see how it plays, then come to our UT-CTF server @ 207.173.133.250:7777 This map is in the Map Rotation. Later, The Rat Apart Rating: 9.5   Sweet ! Cleaner_CH Rating: 9   This map kix my nuts! Great architecture, lighting, texturing, ... lots of vertical action with ramps and elevators. Havn't played it online, so I wonder how well balanced it is with the asymmetrical layout. Deathwing Rating: 6   Looks ok, if not a little goofy. Play ok. Not as much fun as you'd think. ayJay Rating: 8   The looks of this map are sheer quality - well done on that note. It's just a shame that, for some unknown reason, it's not a tremendous amount of fun. Good job though, although the recommended player count ut miles too low. 12 is the best number for this map methinks. Vertigo 11-26-2002 02:32 PM MST Rating: 8   really cool stuff here !!!!!! like it !!!! wasting 11-26-2002 10:25 PM MST Rating: 10   I've had this map for a while now, I want someone to make it for ut2003! Im thinking about it but im busy with ctf WOOT!!!LE [IMD1]KillRoy 11-27-2002 03:15 PM MST Rating: 7   Never realy did like this map... Don't get me wrong, it plays okay, but it doesn't have that something I like in maps... Shadowlurker 01-28-2003 09:25 AM MST Rating: 7   i remember this map, it was one of the first maps I ever d/l, because i saw it on cliffy's ownage. It's quite nice, gameplay is ok, quite confusing and long and the lighting was slightly boring. deathbringer 01-29-2003 07:44 PM MST Rating: 7   Yeah, I never really got into this one either. The player load is listed much too low. You need at least teams of 5 to play this one. It's a little confusing to get around, IMO. For a similar style but smaller map, try CTF-Durante as well. Less eye candy, more action. CrowScape 07-26-2003 12:48 PM MDT Rating: 6   While a fun map, it is not balanced due to poor item placement. Each side has a Keg 'O health and a shield belt, however, the blue side has their's much more conveniently located than red's. For the blue side, to get the Keg 'O Health or shield belt just run past the outer towers and look in. If you see the one of them, just run up to it. It'll take no time to find out if either of these items has spawned and two seconds to get one if they have. For the red, enter an outer tower, go up elevator and look at cieling, shoot translocator through slightly open skylight to get on the roof, then look to see if the shield belt or Keg 'O Health has spawned, run over to item if it has. Much more effort needs to be expended to even know the status of these items on the red side. To make matters worse, if the translocator has been disabled, the blue team effectively has a monopoly on these two powerful items. It's only slightly better with the armor in the bases. While both are tucked in not-so-obvious locations, to get to the blue's you simply need to fall a short distance from the flag pedistal. To get the red's you either need the translocator, or an impact hammer jump. If you go for the latter, you still have to do plenty of jumping, and it's easy to miss a jump. The poor item placement just imbalances the game twoards the blue team. It's a shame, as it is a fun map to play. paranoid 07-27-2003 01:40 AM MDT Rating: 6   I never did like this map. . .it looks pretty ugly to me, sure some of the architecture is quite complicated and can look good at times, but it's repetitive and boring also. I'm not too fond of the lighting either not much was done with it, just simple. But it's large (and asymetrical to boot), which is good, and the fact that he managed to keep the arch and lighting consistent throughout the whole level definately deserves praise. Oh and i quite enjoyed the gameplay too, i don't play online usually, so i can't judge by that. But the bots did perform well enough, to have a good match (even though it was really the bots who were playing and i was just running around lost ;) bubbathefool 07-27-2003 05:13 PM MDT Rating: 7   Another stroll down memory lane. What's wrong? Are there no new maps out there worth reviewing or do you "Retro City" reviewers feel comfortable with the old maps you can reference? Aggressor 07-27-2003 05:35 PM MDT Rating: 7   You go by your name, don't you? :P Look at teh review date. Otherwise... oh the nostalgia...