DM-1on1-Rajan
Map Info
	File Name dm-1on1-rajan.zip Author EvilSwanky Gametype UT Deathmatch Date Added 01-04-2004 File Version 1.00 File Size 649 kb Player Count 1on1 Map Description Tiny egypt map for a maximum of 4 players. It is an older map of mine, but I hope it will be fun. Enjoy Review Rating 6 User Rating 7.5 Overall Rating 7.0
Review
Reviewer Frieza Awe Score:  2.0/3 Date 03-05-2004 Build Score:  1.5/3 Review Schema Cast Score:  2.5/3 User Point:  +1 Overall Score:  7.0/10 It’s about time I churned out a review again. And today’s lucky winner is EvilSwanky. Whoms map DM-Magma I have reviewed quite a while ago. Receiving a respectable 6.5. I’m not quite as thrilled with this map as I was with DM-Magma. But there are some improvements, and unfortunately also some deprovements (Is that a word? :D ). You’re staring right in the face of a Egyptian themed 1 on 1 map. The theme, unbeleivably over-used in many UT2K3 maps has never been used much in UT1 maps. There are only a few outstanding egyptian maps available, such as CTF-Horus by EvilAtje and DM-Anubis by Oz (For the time being ofcourse). Rajan unfortunately doesn’t quite make it for todays standards. Here’s why… The architecture is quite decent. It’s pretty basic stuff overall, but it manages the theme perfectly. There are a few BSP bugs but you’ve really got to go search for them because in the heat of the action you won’t notice them at all. The lighting is… to put it in a cruel way… bland. You have basically two colours of light (Orange and blue) and that’s it. Orange lights around the outer rim, blue lights in the inner rim. There isn’t even variation in the tone of the colour. The colour of the two lights is good, but the lack of variety makes it bland. The textures used are (Naturally) the standard ones from the egyptian pack and there isn’t really anything new about the way they were used. Atleast there were no misalignments. Gameplay is where this map shines. The map is basically one big open room with lots of ramps ‘nd things to walk on. This was also the case with DM-Magma. Personally I don’t find this annoying but I could imagine people that don’t like this approach. Another problem with big open spaces is that it might lag. And indeed, in the outer corners of the room I experienced lag in heavy firefights, but I imagine people with higher system specs won’t be having any trouble. The flow is good. No dead-ends, 3-floor z-axis fighting and the connectivity between all the floors couldn’t be any better. The placement of the weapons is fine. You’ll always spawn near a piece of mayhem for all your fraggin’ needs. The armor/health placement has a slight flaw. In one corner of the map there is no health to be found at all while in the opposite corner of the map there’s plenty, and the map could’ve used a tad more health overall. The armor pick-ups that could be found were too close together as well. And then there’s the bots. These little fuckers will rape you on settings as low as adept and will go everywhere and get everything. They’ll even jump on you from above. A little point I want to mention that the map’s title indicates this map is meant for 1 on 1 fighting, but Swanky also says it’s for up to 4 players. And I definately agree on that. It’s maybe a tad too big for 1 on 1 and it’s jsut a lot more fun with 4 players. The 1on1 in the title could’ve definately be left away. The sound is probably one of the worst departments. There aren’t ANY ambientsounds except for the sound coming off the orange torches (Why isn’t there any firesound from the blue torches I ask you?). Furthermore this map could’ve massively benefited from a reverb effect since it’s such a big hollow space. You’ll probably guess what song has been used here.. indeed, the standard egyptian song. Conclusion: It’s all about little details. To put down a good map you are going to have to think about everything. Mainly the lack of ambientsounds and the blandness of the lighting dissappointed me. Nontheless, it isn’t a completely hopeless map and for the gameplay you should definately try this map out. Awe: 2.0 Build: 1.5 Cast: 2.5 Additional note: For some fucked up reason it wouldn't let me upload more than 1 image. Sorry :S
Map Comments
HaraldJohnsonSr 01-04-2004 02:02 PM MST Rating: 7   Great fun small map ! Sicko Teddy 03-21-2004 08:49 PM MST Rating: 10   Hey this map remind me of Serious Sam game the level - Ramses Tomb The lighting and architecture is way so similar! Tell us the TRUTH! Wern't you influenced by this game , that made you want to do that level?! Looks nice! ADDit. 10 = (my)8-(DarkJackas)2+(my bonus for you)2= (for user score)8! How to eterminate DArkJack"whatever"???????????????????????????? Tsunami 01-05-2004 02:55 PM MST Rating: 8   serious sam Sucks... but not this map! SeeD 01-05-2004 03:39 PM MST Rating: 6   Small yet challenging. Shao 01-06-2004 05:07 PM MST Rating: 7   sweet misterrioes 01-06-2004 05:29 PM MST Rating: 6   ok map Vertigo 01-07-2004 12:20 PM MST Rating: 6   the name says 1on1 but IMO this map's too open too fit the 1on1 needs. this map feels like an arena one. you can see the entire zone with yusj one look and also see where your enemy has respawned. Not good for 1on1. more: nice archy n lights, flow killed sometimes by the item placement. maybe for 3 o4 players will be better, but too open for 1on1. EvilSwanky 03-16-2004 03:45 PM MST   Thanks for the comments so far... Oh no, Serious Sam is great, but I didnt thought someone would make a link from UT to it just because a map has the same look as one level in Sam has ^^. I wasnt influenced by Serious Sam. I think 3 or 4 are too much, the map is too small to get them in, that would be a massacre I think. Two players are ok, there are many ways to dodge and to hide, so noene can kill you if you had just respawned. About Lighting, I just can say that more colors would be too much, they would lack the atmosphere of the map. Just be happy about the slight shadow below the two brigdes, ok? THX Frieza for teh review ;) You don't have to be sorry, you can see nearly everything in the three pictures above... C0der 01-10-2004 12:07 PM MST Rating: 8   Serious Sam is cool but this map is much better than cubic temple in Sam KosaPL 03-08-2004 03:48 PM MST Rating: 10   faultless [Dark-JaXx] 03-21-2004 11:06 AM MST Rating: 2   Too many fires!!! sulkava 03-22-2004 06:18 AM MST Rating: 6   Not bad Deathbliss 12-24-2004 05:24 AM MST Rating: 9   This map is one reason, and enough of one, to continue to play Unreal Tournament. About all I could mention that needs work would be the bot pathing. It's not bad, just not as good as it should be. Bots aren't jumping, sniping, or translocating around. They're not doing everything human players would do, and I'm not sure they're using the lift. Speaking of sniper... Where is the sniper rifle? But this is barely noticable in a level with superb trim, awsome architecture, perfect texturing, excellent lighting, nicely balanced weapon and armor layound, sufficent health, etc. I could go on and on all night. I downloaded all the other maps from this author here, and this is in my opinion their best. But all of them have a good atmosphere and nice architecture. But I am sad in one regard... Will I only be able to play this author's work in Unreal Tournament? I can only imagine what this person could do with UT 2004. But I fear that they are stuck in the same position as many other notable UT mappers. Levels with themes tacked on - no matter how well done - amount only to the same layout as every other of this type. These just don't work very well in UT 2004. You have to have a stronger theme, and you have to be more original. I can only assume that's why I don't see any UT 2004 work from mappers like DavidM and Tonnberry, and it's a huge loss to the community. Levels that are only rooms with good flow using ramps just aren't cutting it anymore. The party is over, the masters of this form of building have to actually do something original - there are more tools to use and more potential to reach. I hope this mapper at least can - and will - pull it off. I also encouarge mappers like Strogg, Ulukai, and Hourences - who are trying to adapat - to continue pumping out maps. I miss some of you UT mappers believe it or not! I'm sitting here with my little list wondering where everyone went. TheMadMonk. Chicoverde. Goldabar. Innox... Where'd you guys go??? - Deathbliss RayZidane 12-24-2004 11:01 AM MST Rating: 7.5   2 for what? too many files? Syrous 08-07-2005 05:33 PM MDT Rating: 9   Really Nice!!!! wow