Note: levels are not reviewed
in any particular order
The objective here is to create
small space-type maps that float in the void,
based on the original Coagula series by Tim
Elek. The map were judged and the prizes the
satisfaction of reading feedback. So, to those
who entered, here is my prize to you!
The winning map ended up being
Fat Controller's Crisis After Crisis.
The layout of this map reminded my much of the
original Coagula by Elek, with just a few floors
built upon each other to form an arena type
circle, but with a hole in the middle. Therefore
there was much exploration involved, and all
the progression was made up of pressing switches
to open a door to the next floor. While the
layout was not very good for single player,
it would be good fun for deathmatch.
Textures were Lunaran's metal slab set for Quake3,
which looked good in Quake but not fantastic.
Some more set peice architecture could have
been used. It was nice to see the Grunts and
Enforcers appear in this one, as they do not
feature in the other maps. The gameplay was
good and challenging throughout, but the ending
was much too easy with monsters spawning too
far away to be a challenge.
Dilvish' map, I See
Dead People, was a very pleasant surprise
to spawn into. A unique bright red with dark
grey and metal trims. Some of the textures weren't
up to professional standard, but they did well
to convey a rather different atmosphere. The
layout was the simple follow-the-ramp upwards
style map. Not unlike that seen in Elek's Coagula2.
The gameplay was good, with a few tough sections
and well placed enemies. A suitably tough ending
followed.
Tronyn's main map was
Terracotta Terror. As soon as I spawned
in I knew this would be my favourite. The design,
totally based on Elek's second Coagula map,
uses metal trim with brown slimey walls and
brick. Bright yellow lights add an excellent
contrast, but the checkerboard floor is almost
too much. Architecture is excellent with towers
crawling up to the top platforms, rather similar
to ADD2.
While architecture was great, the gameplay was
not quite as enjoyable as Dilvish's. It is good,
but every time you turn a corner another flock
of Scrags spawn, which can get very tiring and
repetitive. Also there is unfortunately no big
ending.
Starscream was Tronyn's
next level. It was much like Terracotta Terror,
but smaller with less details and different
textures. Unfortunately, the textures did not
work at all well. He used low quality and rather
plain Doom textures, attempting to look a bluish
grey. Gameplay was good, but also had too many
spawning Scrags. Otherwise challenging with
a good tough ending that sees you in a very
close fight inside one of these small towers.
The Emptiness Without
by Necros was the final map, which would
have won until Grindspire turned in his deathmatch
judging results and saw the map falling from
first to last. This was map was quite different
to the others. While the others were really
just platform space maps, Necros put in a lot
more work to make a map almost worth a standalone
release. It is a much larger fortress built
into a rocky mountain surrounded by the void.
There are many details and much fancy angular
brushwork. Also the layout has alot of returning
to previous areas. The gameplay too is very
good, with nothing too frustrating and a great
challenging ending.
Unfortunately, progression is a problem. Necros
scatters buttons, big and small, all over the
place! Eventually I had explored almost everywhere
and could not figure out how to continue. But
I knew where I was supposed to be going, so
noclipped and finished the map (with 100% kills).
It is a shame that progression problems had
to ruin a great map.
Overall, a good pack that I
almost wish I had done something for aswell.
