CTF-DarkAges
Map Info
	File Name ctf-darkages110.zip Author TheSpoonDog Gametype UT Capture the Flag Date Added 02-23-2003 File Version 1.00 File Size 1.28 mb Player Count 8-12 Map Description None Review Rating 7 User Rating 8 Overall Rating 8.0
Review
Reviewer Twrecks Awe Score:  2.5/3 Date 06-07-2003 Build Score:  2.5/3 Review Schema Cast Score:  2.0/3 User Point:  +1 Overall Score:  8.0/10 Some (CTF) maps are not created equal. CTF-DarkAges attempts what most Capture the flag maps shy away from, an unsymmetrical layout. The Blue Base is a modern concrete construction (Hydro16) while the Red Castle harkons to a bygone era (Shanes Chuch). If looks were everything this map is above par with nOOb efforts. The use of UT terrain and acceptable trim levels gives this level rich atmosphere coupled with supporting soundFX. Light sourcing adheres to the surrounding architecture and both bases have their own continuity about them.Most of the base brush work is copied to preserve as much equality as possible. Perhaps the most difficult to balance is gameplay. The Red base is favored by the close proximity of the Shield Belt located on a bridge in no mans land. The Blue base is perhaps a bit more defensible with the access to the flag more verticly challenged and the sniper post better vantage over the approaching valley. Regardless, playability has a positive feel due to abundant Z, good item placement and game specific flow. In summary, DarkAges has a bit of the rennaisance in it, challenging the paradigm of symmetry in both time and space, it nearly accomplishes the impossible. Perhaps not a master, yet deserving a spot in any collection.
Map Comments
Nilash 02-24-2003 01:10 PM MST Rating: 9   Looks good. But i'm waiting to the review. (I'll edit this msg after i'll download it and change the rating) EDIT : Oh my god!!! This is marvelous! Homeslice 02-23-2003 05:28 PM MST Rating: 9   This one can't not be in my offline CTF rotation. It's just that damn good. Czm21x 02-23-2003 08:15 PM MST Rating: 8   This is a good map. MÆST 02-24-2003 10:40 PM MST Rating: 7   stay out from behind the mountains. other then that, not a bad map. Rob 02-25-2003 03:49 AM MST Rating: 9   Excellent ! C-Bass 03-02-2003 05:42 PM MST Rating: 7   A solid map. Simple layout but it works. Play is better than I thought it would be. Definately a keeper. Louise 03-02-2003 10:51 PM MST Rating: 8   A damn good map. Super job. dyster 03-03-2003 10:17 AM MST Rating: 8   nice to play. coming in the front can be hard with snipers, but there is a sidewalk to flee, very long indeed but with cover possible El_Buen_Nacho 07-09-2003 08:54 PM MDT Rating: 8   ooraleeee!!!...esta bueno este mapa,vale la pena tenerlo en la colección. jajajaja no hay pex compadre vertigo,q se vea q hay internacionalización=) Shao 06-07-2003 02:17 PM MDT Rating: 8   not bad. Vertigo 06-07-2003 06:28 PM MDT Rating: 6   nacho compadre, no te has fijado en ke aki no habla español ni cristo? Algus 06-08-2003 02:35 PM MDT Rating: 8   This map evoked some consternation When within I found a conflagration. But upon closer inspection, And attentiveness to direction, I discovered it was mere instagib gyration! SirTahngarth 06-08-2003 07:09 PM MDT Rating: 6   the poem stuff is starting to get old. =| fun map though. blazerunner 06-09-2003 06:39 PM MDT Rating: 9   Awesome map! I don't like a unsymetrical style, but what the hell, its a keeper! Keep it the good work! todeshexe 06-10-2003 08:09 AM MDT Rating: 8   Really good map, everyone already said it all so... DarkGriffin 06-15-2003 03:50 AM MDT Rating: 8   I was a bit skeptical when I first saw this map but, it all turned out ok in the end. The map has awesome lighting. The theme is really cool too (kind of a past/present clash in 2 castles). This was a good download. Vert 07-01-2003 08:57 PM MDT Rating: 9   Wow...this map is totally amazing... The only thing that I can critique on is that the bots seem to spawn a bit...oddly. Besides that, it's awesome. m-streme 07-02-2003 01:58 PM MDT Rating: 8   Nice map! superkag 07-05-2003 06:04 PM MDT Rating: 10   Ignore the score, this map is horrible. .............. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually this map is ................................ stupor! |Avernus| 07-06-2003 01:32 AM MDT Rating: 8   Nice map considering its not symetrical. I really dont mind asymetrical maps as long as they dont give a team a too big of an advantage. This one doesnt so its good with me =P. The only thing i really didnt like was the terrain, I thought it was too hilly and should of been more flat, or maybe thats just me. The author did a good job with the lighting. He also did a good job on the bots, i didnt notice any problems with them. There were a few un-fairness's but there always will be in asymetrical map. What i noticed(which was said in the review) is that red is alot closer to the sheild belt. It is kinda hard to tell with bots but it would seem like blue can defend their flag better(you have to take your choice of 2 ramps up and your very predictable). Its a good map and i hope the author keeps up the good work =P I play alot of his maps on servers like CTF-Sprinta and CTF-Indusrage. Mxtrmntr 08-22-2003 08:14 AM MDT Rating: 7   A bit outdated, and some questionable item placement maybe, but is has a nice Unreal-ish feeling, and is quite fun... darkjaxx 08-22-2003 08:57 AM MDT Rating: 8   Slick.... Taydawg 08-23-2003 09:15 AM MDT Rating: 8   I played this map and it looked really neat. My question though is why is there a poisionous puddle? I didnt quite understand that. Another problem was that the sniper holes are easy to fall out of. Apart from that this is a good map. What would have been really neat would be a catapult to fling people around on :) TheSpoonDog 08-24-2003 04:12 AM MDT   The puddle causing damage was a quick fix for bots being stuck in there, there's no reason to go down there anyway so it didn't have too much of a negative effect. West 09-21-2005 04:04 AM MDT Rating: 8.5   I decided to rate and comment on a few of my favorite maps to draw attention to them. There's a lot of great maps hidden in the vaults of NC that many people will never get to see, and this is one of them. CTF-DarkAges is a map I never seem to grow tired of. While its theme and layout isn't really very original, it has that extra something that makes it a blast to play. The bases are not too big (which is often the case with larger maps) and the outdoor area has a lot of strategic possibilities. The bots work great and put up a helluva fight at the proper skill setting. As for looks, well, CTF-DarkAges is a perfect example of the fact that a UT map doesn't need six billion polys to look good. The architecture is tasteful and effective and the terrain looks good. At least as good as terrain in UT is likely to look without slowing the map down. As mentioned in the review it has some balance issues though, the blue base being a lot easier to defend, but once you've played it a couple of times you learn to work around that (if you're on red). The placement of the redeemer is brilliant; if you translocate up there on your way into the enemy base, you can clear it out in seconds and then jump down and grab the flag. The screenshots above doesn't really do the map justice since they're too bright and washed out. It really looks much more atmospheric in-game. darkdt 03-22-2008 01:02 PM MDT Rating: 10   Este mapa Es Realmente Bueno :)