DM-1on1-Eterna
Map Info
	File Name dm-1on1-eterna.zip Author Luzz Gametype UT Deathmatch Date Added 11-12-2004 File Version 1.00 File Size 587 kb Player Count 2 Map Description Please download and rate this map! Review Rating 4.5 User Rating 8 Overall Rating 5.5
Review
Reviewer ArcadiaVincennes Awe Score:  1.5/3 Date 12-10-2004 Build Score:  2.0/3 Review Schema Cast Score:  1.0/3 User Point:  +1 Overall Score:  5.5/10 DM-1on1-Eterna (UT99) The second map from Luzz is an improvement over his first, DM-Ancete http://nalicity.beyondunreal.com/map_hub.php?mid=7926, but he still has some work to do. We find ourselves back in an abandoned temple? warehouse? - not sure where - in a 1 on 1 sized map. AWE: 1.5 An old abandoned place. Evidenced by the scraps of wood laying around and the vines/slime oozing down from the walls a little. That's really about the only clue as to what this place is. Lots of stonework and metal, mostly stone, make up the body of the map with lots of brushes that don't really provide any function nor do they look that spectacular. The textures are largely sized well compared to his previous work with only one or two discrepancies. However alignment still needs improvement as there was much to many stones that didn't match up with their neighbors. The trim added on most brushes was well applied except for a few places that had the incorrect texture applied to them. The lighting has seen almost no imrovement, however, with most, if not all, light being white. The author has discovered coronas but the discovery lead to abuse as they were too large and bright. The little improvement there was was that the lighting was no longer so ambiant as in the previous attempt. Better shadow and contrast work but still a ways to go. The architecture is, like his previous work, puzzling. Many of the brushes serve little to no purpose and yet this is where he put most of his brushwork effort. There is the obligatory ramp system, doorways, opening to skybox, and a window. Yet there are many pillars, beams, and oddly-shaped decorative work that server to game function other than to break up the monotony of the square and rectangular rooms. I take that back about the pillars. They do serve as patial cover from fire however there is another problem with them that we will discuss later. Overall the author has improved on certain aspects of the design but the maps is still lacking a clear overarching theme. The lighting needs to vary more, the architectural additions need to serve a better purpose, and lots of practice with alignment is in order. Build: 2.0 There's not a lot to complain about in terms of the build. The sounds have improved over his first map. The water sounds are better chosen and have a decent radius and volume but despite the animation the water seemed like it was in a pool whereas the sound was more of a stream flowing. The area under the sky has a nice enough wind effect. However that's about it. A few more ambiant sounds would have increased the ambiance a little more. The brushwork itself is solid and sometimes nicely complicated. And that's about it. CAST: 1.0 The gameplay potential is there but it doesn't really amount to much. First, the three rooms are set up pretty much the same. A ground level with ramps leading up to a second level that travels along the walls. From here, a ramp in the middle leading up to a thrid level that is centered in the room and is open. Each of the rooms has this same setup with slight variations. Yes, there's z-axis, but it's all the same no matter where you go. This limits the gameplay in that you always want the higher ground and the only reason to come down is the damage amp/Invisibility pickup. This item, however, is not placed in a very creative place and there's no risk to getting it. It could very well have been replaced with a health pack or some vials purely in terms of location. As for the bots, they do fairly well. They were pretty good at picking up the Damage Amp/Invisibility before I could get to it. They travel along all three levels decently but they do have a clear preference for the lower two. My big complaint comes back to the pillars. The pillars are set a few UU wider than the player along the second level and its ramps thereby providing some cover. However, they're all in a row and have a splayed base. This becomes a problem when you leap between them, miss, and fall down between the pillars and the second level's wall. You become stuck. They only way out was to either wait for a bot to kill me, flak jump out, or simply suicide. Another location that I had the same problem with was between, again, a second level wall, and some boards leaning against it at odd angles. Only this time there is no way except for death. The gameplay here is very basic with repetitive z-axis and geometry, an uninspired superpickup location, and sticking poiints that lead to death. The bots will do fine in the match but it's really not quite what it could have been. The maps certainly has its faults visually and with gameplay but the author does know how to map. I gave his last map a 3.5 and this one gets a 4.5 from me. The author is certainly improving but still has a way to go. However, if he remains consistant in his improvement, we'll have a 10 in about 6 more maps. If you're starving for a 1 on 1 map, go ahead and grab this one. If you're content with what you've got, then stick with what you've got.
Map Comments
xTRMsNPR 11-12-2004 06:45 AM MST Rating: 8.5   Nice work! Be cerful in some points! RayZidane 11-13-2004 06:12 PM MST   something looks like DM-codex..... Master roshi 11-13-2004 10:12 PM MST Rating: 7.5   Nice but still needs work.