DM-VellTube
Map Info
	File Name dmvellt.zip Author redfist Gametype UT2k4 Deathmatch Date Added 04-12-2005 File Version 1.00 File Size 2.47 mb Player Count 2 - 10 Map Description It is a sort of conveyer air tube system for these universal energy cubes.No it was NOT abandoned.The deathwish-deathmatch crew just took the damn place over, and so there you have it.The place seemed to hold up through all of the explosions and bullets So they kept the biulding for themselves. Review Rating 4.5 User Rating 6 Overall Rating 5.5
Review
Reviewer Mister_Prophet Awe Score:  1.0/3 Date 06-06-2005 Build Score:  1.5/3 Review Schema Cast Score:  2.0/3 User Point:  +1 Overall Score:  5.5/10 Velltube is set in a medium sized, themeless arena that relies on a a sort of gameplay gimmick to get players into the fold. The gimmick is actually pretty fun. There are (as the map title calls them) these tubes which suck the players in vertical directions between the Z-axis and deposists them on the floors either above or below where they were. Of course they are color coded for which direction they take you (down/up) and come in pairs so you can quickly double back to ambush your pursuers. Clearly, this is a feature better suited for online play since bots only use the tubes for transportational purposes as opposed to the potential offensive/defensive ability they can provide. The layout is set in a a BSP environment carved out with the primitive brush builders....which basically means (for those of you who don't speak ED) is that every room is simple and box shaped. Some rooms curve down in a slanted ramp, but aside from that there is no real presence of any real BSP skill. The author instead uses his limitations with the building brush to put together a low-poly map with plenty of room for gameplay. Gameplay which, as I soon learned, was very dependant on long range, hit-scan weapons. The Sniper rifle, Minigun, or even akimbo machine guns are the best way to earn the frags in this one, though projectile weapons like the Flak Cannon and Bio Rifle are ideal for the areas near the tubes. You can really mess up someone's day by intercepting their tube-ride with some dripping sludge or a well placed flak shell. The negatives about the gameplay are short, and they concern the flow. I really don't think alot of mappers, or players for that matter, really understand what flow is. Flow really has little to do with performance or playability (playability being something this map does very well) and more to do with the actual ability of a player to move fluidly around the map. People who pay no attention to block volumes or leave sharp corners near doorways clearly don't understand the importance of Flow. Velltube's only real problem with the gameplay is the severe snags that crop up due to the placement of useless static meshes. I'm not saying that all the meshes used in the map are bad, quite the opposite. But 80% of the current snags in this map could be cured by either removing static mesh deco spots and using smooth BSP...or just using the very simple blocking volume. Nothing kicks flow in the balls more than getting stuck in some static mesh computer panel while some lametard named -=:-{{}]-:=- knocks you deeper into the mesh spider web by launching rockets up your colon. And BSP flow stoppers have been an issue since UT1 and I still see them in 2k4 maps. Trim saves lives. Item placement was a bit wierd. I found alot of ammo laying around and the places you find everything were...for the most part...just kind of casually placed. But I did like the weapon choices. As mentioned before, the map offers little in the way of what one would consider AWE. Visually basic, Velltube deploys standard issue lighting into a simple construction zone devoid of any real theme other than the one propped up around the central gimmick. It's just lucky for the author that this gimmick happened to be kinda interesting. I had a good time playing it (offline and online) and while the visuals leave ALOT to be desired for a game built on such an engine, you can still have a good romp. Looking over this map I came to the conclusion that the author should have just made a UT1 version and just stuck to the BSP. The static meshes are just wasted in this one and the place would be much more comfortable to play in (flow-wise) in an environment that didn't have to worry about putting volumes on static meshes. I think the author can take the same idea, the same layout, and just spend more time reading up on BSP architecture tutorials to make a map better suited for UT1. The Prophet's Verdict: Fun map with unsinspiring visuals. Beware, the potential for a snag-related cluster fu_k is very high.
Map Comments
redfist 03-02-2006 12:59 AM MST   Oh I don't know about the music pick,I just put that in there, But I wanted to mention the redeemer and quad are in there.and so don't cheat and look in the editor to find them (or ghost) but if you must.but it's a secret you know. Hey thanx,lecter, Well the boxyness is basicaly I think like I am still in UT,never was that great at brushwork,but I try. And any opinions here are cool,I am not sure how this map would pan out,but I put only weapons on top and ammo and health and shields in the bottom each have 8 playerstarts. So bots and players will be forced to go up or down,but the ones at the bottom get shields,and the ones on top get weapons. However ,! you can get to either pretty damn fast,And yes LoL I did improve the bots in the mid area from bebopping around ,but they do get off of it fairly good. And the problem with using one tube is that one would need to "switch" the direction on the velocity in ONE volume,I don't think that would work or can be done. Those tubes have a down velocity of 8000 and the up are at 4900,trust me you are moving in those tubes way faster than you think enough to splat you from ear to ear,but I solved that problem,hopefully. Try it shoot a rocket up a down tube,then quikly go up an up tube and youl beat the rocket up there. Also I don't know how this would do online,but I started my idea and it's done,hope everything works good that is there. Hey _StUnTs ,still give it a rating,and you can call it beta if you like,there are some things that still bug me in there.But it is what it is. Thanx for checking it out WehTam,I catch your drift there,but I knda make DM maps to be "in your face" ,,,meaning graphicaly,,,youl know ware you are at all times per gameplay,"like ok i'm here"or"Ok I'm there" but I do see your point. Ya,RayZ ,cool,I was just trying a different idea,it seems to play pretty good. Just played it again after getting out of edit mode of thinking,and the bots do seem to kick my A__. thanx for the comment, and score all................ EDIT WOW,thank you very much for the review Mr Prophet,I will get the hang of better brushwork one of these years,I bet if people took a CAD course in school they could map really good. ........thanx again EDIT ut2004 off my system for now,UT seems it holds it's own.but this map I probably shoulda put ammo and weapons on top and bottom,but there won't be a version 2.so check it out anyway................. EDIT...Still waitin for Chrome.... to give it a try I see new downloads anyway. DarKGamer 04-13-2005 09:35 PM MDT   I'll have to take a look at this, I liked Claustraphobis and Atro-Deck, so I'll give it a try and edit my comment with a review. G.Lecter 04-14-2005 05:41 PM MDT Rating: 5.5   - I did not like the Item placement at all. Weapons and items are placed without any sense and there are really too many ammo. - I feel the visuals cubish. There also are some complex BSP (stairs), but I prefer lfts and jumpads instead stairsteps... The tubes are too colorful IMO... - The layout is not so fun because of the placement and visuals, but it is not a bad layout, the area around the yellow building plays nice... - I liked the idea of the tubes. :) It could have been even better a single tube where you could go up and down instead pairs of red-blue ones... The blue tubes are too powerful and my head hits the ceiling when I use them... Was fun seeing the bots stuck and bouncing there... ChromeBallz 04-15-2005 12:20 AM MDT   You know, somehow you got some magic attraction going on there redfist. I was browsing maps, looked at the screenies, saw cubic environment, and clicked to the next map. "Wait a sec, did i see redfist? Hmm, better check it out then before judging too rash..." I'll check this out asap.... cUnNiNg_StUnTs 04-16-2005 01:26 PM MDT   I do like the concept of what you have done with the tubes. However I'm not adding a score because it feels like a beta. Where do you beta your maps at? Kantham 09-09-2005 11:42 AM MDT   Well , i don't look like a beta much , it's just a basic looking , and the gameplay is not terrible.(talking about tubes) At least the bots play well. Wehtam 04-17-2005 02:36 AM MDT Rating: 6.5   This map provides a descent dethmatch romp, nice use of environment maps however i personnaly felt the map as a whole needed fewer or similar textures to give it more of a united feel. All in all good job. Manticore 04-18-2005 08:58 AM MDT Rating: 6.5   Personally I don't go for the visuals (including the lighting) but the gameplay is there. Bots are tough enough for some good offline fragging.... RayZidane 04-18-2005 05:50 PM MDT Rating: 6   Pretty good job on this map redfist , is seem that you make a effort a 6 for a effort! and I will make other comments later :P Defeat 06-07-2005 08:14 PM MDT   >Lol, I have that skin too:) On another note, nice map redfist!