Halls Of Darkness
2 to 6 players | Reviewed by Paul - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 04:31
Dean (Rotpig) notes in the maps readme that he spent "much more time concentrating on the visual appearance of the map more so than having a complex layout!" After a quick run around you'll notice that, taking the theme of the ztn's classic BloodRun (ztndm3) a step further what with windowed corridors actually opening out to courtyards and walls beyond, unlike the normal effect of just blocking them up with sky textures.
One of the set pieces in the map is obviously the tree sitting dead centre in a rectangular shaped room. But that's not all, there are so many nice touches in the architecture, such as the curved arches in the over hanging walls.
The maps layout is flat, but even so it is very cool to play. The layout is basically circular in its simplest form. 1-on-1 is good as is royal rumble with 4, 6 tops. There are plenty of wide spaces in the map, in fact the entire map has loads of space to move about in.
There is a brutal overabundance of power ups in here. Remember that blooming 
tree I mentioned? Well a quick rjump onto of it, then rjump upwards into the pentagram set in the roof, you're teleported into one of the outer corridors you see lining the huge open windows. Running around this short 2-turn corridor gives you… a Quad, a Pentagram of Protection and the Ring of Shadows!!! Oh, and there is a RA and MH there too. Talk about bloody invincible! (This is ignoring another Pentagram of Protection tucked up in the rafters of the MH/RL room). All I can say is play with power ups off and that will keep things nicely balanced… unless you want to be evil.
4.0 out of 5.0
Download 654Kb | readme | Dean Turner | http://rotpig.homestead.com
# 1. Cool looking map... ^
by Shambler - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 08:58
...those courtyards look nice. /me chexx0rz
This is what I like about MPQ - lots of reviews and seeing all sorts of maps I haven't seen before. =)
# 2. Heh, never saw those two.... ^
by Shambler - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 10:08
Didn't see those two secrets... but I did get the Quad between the RL room and the big courtyard, and the MH in the sewery bit, as well as the extra route from the Quad area to the top of the sewery bit stairs.
So Rotpig, is 5 secrets and a total of 2 RAs, 2 MHs, 2 666s, 2 Quads, and the Eyes ENOUGH FOR YOU OR PERHAPS YOU'D LIKE TO ADD SOME MORE POWERUPS??
To be fair though, only the 1 RA, 1 MH, 1 Quad come into play with bots, the rest can be left alone....hell you could leave the Quad along too but once it's open they do get it (as long as Shambler isn't camping it eh).
You can get to the outside bit with one RJ from the LG, btw.
Not as keen as the gameplay as I am on the looks....it's okay though, but not special, connectivity sucks a fair bit. I do like RJing up the slope from the RA to give me a bird's eye aim on anyone by the SNG =). Architecture is very good and once again it's a pity this wasn't made for SP, especially that courtyard...
# 3. P.S. ^
by Shambler - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 10:09
Rpdm9 is cool too, unusual Id base style.
# 4. Hey! there is actually 6 secrets! ^
by Rotpig - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 10:59
This secret is the least practical and was only included as a novelty feature although it can sometimes act as an escape route or a surprise attack. Opposite the Quad Damage secret mentioned above, there is a moaning face fire feature (man, that sounds like a damn nursery rhyme :) Go right up to this and then look up. You will see (yet another) flashing red button. Shoot it and the window behind seperates to make a passage through and an alternative route for a surprise attack on an unwary player or bot :)
# 5. Rpdm9... ^
by Rotpig - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 11:04
Yeah, the textures and some of the architecture is unusual but the layout on that one is damn... well for want of a nastier word, crap! That is the main problem I have with maps. Getting a good layout.
# 6. Oh, and there is another secret not mentioned. ^
by Rotpig - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 11:09
Ring of Shadows located in a moaning face inset at the top of the ramp in the "Tree Feature Room" You can get to this by jumping or rjumping as you reach the top of the slope.
# 7. ...? ^
by Shambler - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 11:37
""as well as the extra route from the Quad area to the top of the sewery bit stairs.""
= I got that one opposite the Quad. The 6th one I didn't get was the second ROS....yes I was thinking "one ROS just isn't enough, it unbalances the map and another one or indeed several would be useful"...=)
BTW, the connectivity could be easily improved in this:
1. Lose the doors, they just slow down gameplay.
2. Where there is a barred off window *inside* the map (i.e. not one leading to the outside), replace it with a doorway. I.e. between the GA and sewer, Quad room and spiral stairs, and the other one above the spiral stairs too. That would have made it much better connected (and added more 3D gameplay too)
# 8. Oh, and there is another secret not mentioned. ^
by Rotpig - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 11:58
Ring of Shadows located in a moaning face inset at the top of the ramp in the "Tree Feature Room" You can get to this by jumping or rjumping as you reach the top of the slope.
# 9. Layout Suggestions ^
by Rotpig - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 12:02
Thanks for those suggestions. I will keep such architectural and layout influences in mind for some of my future maps...
# 10. hahaha you are a funny man, shambler ^
by Rotpig - Tuesday 07 November 2000 @ 12:07
My next map will be titled "The Palace of Powerup Pandemonium" Well balanced and with lots of umm... lets see. Quad! Need I say more? Just kidding. A map like that would be kinda fun as a novelty thing.
# 11. Heres all of 'em in one block... ^
by Rotpig - Wednesday 08 November 2000 @ 04:10
1. Ring of Shadows located in a moaning face inset at the top of the ramp in the "Tree Feature Room" You can get to this by jumping as you reach the top of the slope.
2. Mega Health behind a wall grate in the watery section. This one is particularly tricky... As you run down the quarter spiral stairs towards the water look through the vertically barred window that lies dead ahead. You will notice that there is a red flashing button on the wall in the corridoor behind. Shoot this and then look in the grate to your left.
3: The donut shaped entrance to the cathedral room with the RA and MH. Go to the side with a vertically barred window with light coming through. Look up and you will see another flashing red button. After triggering this a secret door opens in front, revealing a Quad.
4: This secret is the least practical and was only included as a novelty feature although it can sometimes act as an escape route or a surprise attack. Opposite the Quad Damage secret mentioned above, there is a moaning face fire feature (man, that sounds like a damn nursery rhyme :) Go right up to this and then look up. You will see (yet another) flashing red button. Shoot it and the window behind seperates to make a passage through and an alternative route for a surprise attack on an unwary player or bot :)
5: The Cathedral rafters offer a pentagram of protection. To get to this you have to rocket jump onto the shrine and then again up high enough to grab it. Try doing this using the lip of the arched doors. This way it is possible to actually sit up there and watch people running about down below.
6: This is the big daddy of secrets. Every major powerup at once. This secret is definately not conservative. I thought I would include this because I thought I would do something a little different for a change. Rocket jump onto the tree then rocket jump up again into the middle of the pentagram. Enjoy...
# 12. nice... ^
by Kayin - Wednesday 08 November 2000 @ 10:09
very sexy map
pulls you in with atmosphere, but the clusterfuck of powerups kills gameplay once you figure out where they are.
but nevertheless, keep up the good work!
# 13. Hey Rotpig... ^
by sussecxe - Wednesday 08 November 2000 @ 05:36
Forget about Quake man... be enchanted by the glorious supremacy of the Quake3 power and produce some neat levels for an engine that COUNTS. :)
# 14. Quake 3? ^
by Rotpig - Wednesday 08 November 2000 @ 07:27
Huh? An engine that counts? Supremacy? The only thing that is supreme about the quake3 engine is the hardware needed to run it. I've played quake3 and quake2 but still think they lack something over what quake1 had to offer. Personally, I think quake2 was simply a revenue raiser for Id and sucks because the whole thing is built from a base style theme which becomes horribly boring after a while(base style is good but quake1 has that and a whole other range of possibilities for mapping). Quake3 is good as far as gameplay is concerned in the way that they have eliminated a "supreme" weapon by increasing the effectiveness of weapons around the RA. Also, quake3 offers a good engine with, as did quake2, coloured lighting. One big problem I have with quake3 is that they have fucked it by making it unaccessable to people without the latest tech gear. It is fair to say that they are only encouraging the industry that they exist within but I still cant see why quake3 requires so much horsepower to run. At the end of the day games like quake come down only a few considerations eg; Gameplay, looks and accessability. By accessability I mean can anyone with a half decent PC play the damn thing? Sure, quake3 has the most advanced engine around but does that alone make it a good game? I don't think so. One of these days I'll start learning on a quake3 editor but I still think that quake1 has more to offer. So, Sussecxe or whatever your name is, Does that answer your Question?
# 15. What's wrong with some powerups? ^
by Rotpig - Wednesday 08 November 2000 @ 07:40
Doesn't anyone ever get bored of simple DM with no goodies? Powerups make it so much more fun. Quad lets you gib people very easily. If you are going to die then why not die in bits?
The way I see it, powerups are just like any other item in quake. They have a part to play in any game. Why not have them all in the one map or as shambler said, "indeed several could be useful"
# 16. re : Quake 3? ^
by Paul - Thursday 09 November 2000 @ 03:58
Well it looks like good old Excessus (sussecxe backwards, not very original :P) has been found out. You daft Spaniard!
/me ducks
As for power ups, I like the Quad and Ring of Shadows, but the Pentagram of Protection should be banned. I just don't like the idea of someone being invincible.
# 17. powerups ^
by Kayin - Thursday 09 November 2000 @ 06:26
i just have this thing of a little something called unbalanced gameplay. going up against an opponent with quad / ring of shadows / pent = not fun =P
# 18. Unbalanced? ^
by Rotpig - Friday 10 November 2000 @ 10:49
Hey, if someone has all those powerups then use those little things on the keyboard called directional keys and get out of their way. I mean, would you stand in front of a freight train on steroids?
# 19. down girl ^
by Kayin - Friday 10 November 2000 @ 08:27
i love the map, rotpig, dont get me wrong. its one of the most well designed pads i've come across in recent weeks, and a few buds of mine always ask for a match with it at lans.
but you can't get out of the way of a freight train going 100mph if you can't see the damned bloody thing. =D
# 20. ok, ok... ^
by Rotpig - Saturday 11 November 2000 @ 07:27
I suppose your right... invisible and invincible is pretty nasty. Quad on top of that just makes it into madness.
