DM-Horizon
Map Info
	File Name dm-horizon.zip Author Xiphon Gametype UT2k4 Deathmatch Date Added 03-09-2005 File Version 1.00 File Size 4.73 mb Player Count 6-10 Map Description What would be dreams if not for reality? Review Rating 6 User Rating 6.5 Overall Rating 6
Review
Reviewer ArcadiaVincennes Awe Score:  2.0/3 Date 03-18-2005 Build Score:  2.5/3 Review Schema Cast Score:  1.5/3 User Point:  0 Overall Score:  6/10 DM-Horizon (UT2004) Dreaming of half a horizon. Here we have a somewhat fantastical map hgih in the sky. A strong theme that lacks depth it's a nice start to something that doesn't quite finish what it starts. AWE: 2.0 The textures a fairly well aligned - no big complaints there. However, the trim is really pretty lacking. The author used small BSP ledges to ring the perimeters of the floating 'islands' and although textured appropriately, they don't really look 'finished'. The textures are fairly well chosen with perhaps some too-contrasting rock walls. Otherwise they're nicely implemented with some retail mesh reskinnning as well. The lighitng is somewhat of a mixed bag. Although nothing's oversaturated, the shadows are spare and when they do occur, they're a bit on the overly dark side. The colors are nicely chosen and the corona work isn't too bad. However, there are some long coronas available to use use instead of two smaller round ones. This would help the effect attempted in the flat room on the long light sources better. And why is there no light source to illuminate the inside top of the large rounded buildings? The architecture is basic but nice. Rounded 'gazebo'-like forms are the predominate structure and they're varying sizes are eye-catching. The flaoting platforms they rest on is nt quite as nice. Perhaps a reflection of the same shape but inverted would have been nice. Dotted through the map casting fairly unecessary light are gently bobbing floating arches supporting hanging pyres. Normally I would complain about 'floaties' but the map's theme and their implemetation are quite nice. The walkways connecting all of these attributes are flat reskined Arborea meshes and do work with the theme. Lastly, the skybox is quite pretty but only seems half-done. The top half of the skybox is really very nice. However, it sseems that almost no attention weas given to the bottom half. In fact, I could see the bottom of the skybox brush when loking down. In a Sky-based map, this really needs to be addressed. Overall the texturing is good but the trium isn't. The lighting is decent but some areas are too dark and shadows too deep. The architecture is quite nice but could have been rounded out more. BUILD: 2.5 The BSP work is solid without an HOM in sight. The terrain work is well done as well. Curiously, the author used one very large fluid surface info to create all the pools on the one side of the map. This very easily could have been broken up to save a bit on the framerate. Finally, the sounds were somewhat dissappointing. There were nice accent sounds such as the hum inside the small gazebos. However, the chain sounds for the hanging pyres had a much too small radius to be heard unless I was on one. The map was somewhat dotted with interesting sounds but the repetitous wind sounds could have been varied a bit more. The author did provide some blocking volumes as replacmeents for some of the more complicated meshes but more could have been done here as well. Overall not a bad build. Some better sound work and a revamp of the fluid surface and it would have been great. CAST: 1.5 The gameplay doesn't match up to the visuals at all. Almost all of the ramp work has little to no z-axis which is dissppointing. On the plus side, they're wide enough that the common practice of falling off sky maps doesn't seem to be much of an issue here. The large gazebops harbour a little bit of z-axis but the access isn't readily available so really all that one's left with is the low low platforms fro the small gazebos to jump off of. Another problem is that the map is on the large side of things which means you're either in a fight around 1 weapon with a bunch of recently spawned bots, or you're just running around. Another flaw is that the are plenty of 'dead end' floateing gazebos. A path from a weapon will lead you to a gazebo that hads some ammo and the only way back is the way you came. Not so great for flow. Connecting all of those platforms with jumppads probably would have livened up the map quite a bit. Finally, the access to the upper story of the flak cannon room is via a distanced teleporter. Once up there, you have access to the ion cannon. The risk/reward model is a nice touch but the map would have been much more fun had the second floor been readily accessible for z-axis work from the floor of the flak cannon room. Finally, the FPS I found to be at or slightly above retail levels so the complete lack of standard optimization was actually not a problem. Overall a dreamy map that offers up some refreshing visuals but not a whole lot else. It's nice to look at but is fairly mundane in terms of fragging. Download it for the visuals - not for the gameplay.
Map Comments
Sicko Teddy 03-09-2005 09:04 PM MST Rating: 8   ooh ! look at that! Finally someone made a map that have such a nice DREAM mood! For a long time I was hoping to see someone make a map with surreal things like lanterns floating in the air etch! (I could do it myself, but I got different plans right now. I promissed many times that i will release my new map- ONS-SpeedHighway, but my college wok slows me down. Please bear with me. :( .) Anyway, nice concept! Hope other people will like it. PS- the pink-orange sky and chains and old brick walls are a real Quake thing! I think Quakers will like that map too. DarKGamer 03-12-2005 01:24 PM MST Rating: 8.5   This map is really great! I usually don't like up-in-the-sky/you-fall-you-die maps, but this one has a great atmosphere. The abience is just perfect, and I haven't noticed any errors with it at all. The only problem I have is that one side seems to have more than the other, but that's my only beef. [EDIT]For those getting low frames, you must have some crappy computers, because im running on a 256 mb ram with a radeon 9400 and I get high frames. I actually beta tested this with him(I'm RogueAgent in the readme), and truste me. I made some suggestions that he put in that actualy made this map ALOT better. I also thought it would make a 1337 CTF map, but oh well. The ion painter is where it is so you HAVE to take the teleporter to get up to it, also did anyone notice that you are healed +5 a sec when u stand in the gazebos? Manticore 03-11-2005 02:27 AM MST Rating: 8   Good gameplay and good atmosphere with an attempt at an original theme. Best map so far from this mapper. All the best elements of this mapper's previous maps have been brought together here to produce something different. Very playable. Worth downloading. D-7 03-12-2005 03:23 AM MST Rating: 4.5   This is a typical example of visuals>>>>gameplay map. It's unplayable as a DM. Consider making a similar CTF map with this theme, that may work, but this one plays like crap. Gameplay: 2/10 Visuals: 7/10 G.Lecter 03-15-2005 12:30 PM MST Rating: 5.5   I did not like: > The visuals are great, but it would be only OK without the skybox... > In my opinion, gameplay is not very good: - In every part of the map, there are no more choices than taking one of the walkways and, after doing that, I feel in the same situation: more walkways to choose, which look and play just the same as the other ones. I feel the game quite repetitive and boring in this way... (Platform-Walkway-Platform...) I agree jumpads could have added a lot of fun here... - I miss more connectivity: · There is a path from the Flak room which finishes in a teleporter that goes to the Flak room again :S · There is only one way to get the Sniper, so a camper could get lots of frags without moving through the map... - I miss more z-axis too. There is only a little in the Flak room, not really useful. I really can't learn some strategy in a map which offers only flat battles... (Sniping is the only intelligent thing...) - I don't like the item placement, most of the pickups are in cramped small buildings that make players to get stuck and be killed easily by the flak secondary... There also are some emitters around the pickups that hurt my framerates... · The IonPainter in a indoor zone is not really useful... I liked: - The sky, as I said before, looks awesome. - Bots play well. - To be a platform based map, I never fell off, the platforms and walkways are enough wide to fight, jump and dodge with no problem... I agree with the comment above: A CTF map with the same idea (not this map, one with the same theme...) would be great. I think BR would be even better... ----- [My comment was too long, I removed most of my reply...] (...)Of course, don't stop mapping, you have nice ideas, just make them fit a bit better with gameplay... If people always put the same comments in your maps, that means you have not taken enough criticism from them. Keep in mind all the discussion here for your next work... ;) Fuzzy Logic 03-12-2005 10:47 AM MST Rating: 3.5   Awesome skybox, but that's about all. Gameplay consists of the run and shoot variety with very little else. So much more could have been made of this :( cUnNiNg_StUnTs 03-12-2005 01:17 PM MST Rating: 5.5   Low Low Frame Rates on my PC. Xiphon 03-15-2005 01:12 PM MST   Bah, I'm going to stop with the comments, there's no point. I work of inspiration and that's the way it's alwayse going to be. I try to inorperate my own swing on things a lot of times, but in truth I just do what my heart tells me to do. Chavez 03-13-2005 05:35 AM MST Rating: 8   Cool Map! The only thing I miss is the z axis action, which in this map would be possible (the balconys already exist). I like jumppad, so it would be cool jumping arround (flying like in so many dreams, but these are just my dreams). A similar CTF/BR map would be cool. Monday 03-22-2005 12:28 PM MST Rating: 6   The map was ok, as Fuzzy Logic said 'just run and shoot' but that's DM for ya! cUnNiNg_StUnTs, If you go into System on UT2004 and click on the UT config notepad settings you can change the 'MinDesiredFrameRate=' number to 40.00000 (is there twice) and you wont lag whilst playing. Heh, you can change the bot numbers a well I think, (above 16) but that might be another notepad. Yes, I liked to concept of the dreaming side of the map alot.