As much fun as version I. Same twitchy, tricky gameplay we all know and love. For an extra kick, try it with the co-op script; bizarre new possibilities for new ways to beat each level open up!
This is the only program around that lets you add shapes patches, so it's automatically better than your face.
This map pack is outstanding Ryoko!! The thought and work that went into this pack is amazing! I applaud you on your deserved success. This architecturally rich pack truly brought the feel of Marathon to net maps!! Nicely done and keep up the good work!!
absolutely a top 5! many maps, really good mapping, i can almost bet (5$) that no-one would say that it sucked. (haven't got that kinda money)
The last two maps added really disappointed me. The level design was good, but the overuse of the solid color textures really bothered me, especially in acid rain. I felt like I was trapped in a two year old's toybox. Paradigm wasn't so bad, but both were still very confusing to the eye, and both levels had the same predominant theme (paradigm was more open and used less solid color textures, but still...). They just felt like add ons to each other. If I could give something 3 and 1/2 stars, I would give it to this.
While I'm really an addict of the older kind of maps, namely my own and those from Ryoko's Red Spectrum, I can't help but gape at these immensely pleasing levels. They seem a little more complex than what I generally look for, and I'm not a large game nut, but damn, these are fine.
About a year ago, Ryoko and I were talking about how pleased we were with our map packs. He said something to the effect of, "These maps might look shoddy in comparison to future maps" in defense of older packs like Coriolis, whose popularity I couldn't understand. I disagreed with him at the time: Underworld and Red Spectrum were never to be eclipsed.
Looks like I was wrong.
There's a lot of levels in this pack, so many that my eyes glaze over. One that caught my attention is "Kingdom of Cydonia".
This doesn't get as much play-time as maps like Werefrog, but to me it's every bit as enjoyable - lots of rooms and halls and elevators to run through, with a nice central room with pillars and sniper posts. Good ammo and weapon replacement keep every section of the map used.
Bungie's original net maps were OK for their time and purpose - to get people on the net and enjoying carnage. But, to me, most of them wear thin after a while.
The Second Quest project was a much-needed update to the original levels, adding the right additions to the basic feel of the originals without diverging too much.
Beyond Thunderdome is still a fast moving big ol' arena.
Return to Waldo World has new ramps and ledges that make it even more fun for small frag-fests. It's a bit darker than I like, but it's prettier... staring at the flashing lights over the central pit after being splashed by a rocket is actually kind of fascinating now.
King of Pain and Route 66 are nicely modified. In particular King of Pain gained some much needed complexity making it more of a challenge to splash or be splashed. Route 66 is probably my favorite KOTH level now.
This is my go-to pack, the one I grab when I want fast action.
My favorite levels, Simon, CFA 3000 and Werefrog, are great examples of simplicity in design that never get old.
To me, a level has to look like it would actually exist somewhere. In an intelligent alien world there would probably still exist aesthetics when designing a building, and we would notice those even if their culture and architecture was radically different from our own.
What I like about Ryoko's work is that his levels look like they could be real, and that they'd been designed by an alien architect.
That's not to say that Ryoko is alien... maybe he is... maybe not....
Anyway, that's beside the point that these are gorgeous levels, very playable, don't immediately reveal their secrets so they're fun to explore, and nicely spread the carnage all over their rooms, instead of focusing it all in one place. These are good for hunting, sniping, all weapons, and warfare styles.
They do slow down a bit on older/less powerful CPUs because they are complex, but that is the price we pay for great environments.
This really does make co-op so much better; what was once an annoyance is now genuinely fun!
Hoo-Rah!!!!
Seeing as three of these are contest entries into my contest -- all of which received very positive scores, too -- I'd say that's enough to sell this pack. It's even better than Quick Six! Good stuff.
And by all, I mean any number of people.
I played through this entire pack with two other people, and even Downfall of Paradise, which is much bigger than the other two, was still awesomely fun. Even though I never ended up seeing the whole map, there was action every second. Excellent flow! I like the other two for different reasons, mostly because they are small but BEAUTIFUL. I especially like the detail that went into Serpant's Kiss (the jjaaro one, i think). The other map (lava one) was very beautiful too, especially in the parts where the walls are broken. I love how in all of these, there is an invisibility powerup, and while the only reason to get it at all on Downfall of Paradise is to cloak against motion sensors, the shadow plays in the lava map and especially serpant's kiss (which are easy to hide in WITHOUT invisibility) make the use of invisibility more strategic than just sneaking up behind somebody. I also like how there are health rechargers in serpant's kiss and the lava map. Health rechargers don't really belong on big maps, where unless you put it in the middle of an arena or something similar, it would be freebe health to anybody, if it's tucked into a corner (CTF maps are arguable here, though); but in small maps the recharger can be used, but only if the placement is exceptional, and it is. In serpants kiss, I only felt comfortable enough to stand there long enough to fill only half a bar, before dropping down the side to hide against anybody who might have seen me, and in the lava map, I made sure that there wasn't anybody in the middle before i started recharging. This is the way it should be; making you brave enough to reach the charger but cautious enough to not stand there for long. In short, great maps! I can not wait for more!
Yet another must have net pack!
This fine triptych is the beginning of a worthy successor to Red Spectrum.
Sh*t, who am I to argue with Ryoko?
I concur -- this is an outstanding map pack. I'm particularly fond of King of Infinite Space for groups of 4-6; Watchtower is excellent for 3-5.
I'd've given this pack 5 stars except that Watchtower's limited respawn points results in waaay too high a spawnkill incident rate.
Yes, there are weaknesses in this pack, but they stem from a time when the Art was simpler and netfeedback nonexistant.
This map pack is spectacular because the flow is terrific (ok, ok, IN THE FOUR THAT ROCK).
Excellent use of elevation shifts and relatively sheltered respawn points are two under-emphasized high points to this map pack.
I just wish the latest versions of A1 didn't crash Grendel's Happy Cookie...
i cant find the flag when i first tried it out idk if the bridge is supposed to go down and i like the lvl
This pack has very few (arguably no) flaws in it. All of the maps have their own qualities that make them fun to play, and I don't regret playing on any of them.
However, at the same time, there's nothing truly original in this pack. It doesn't explore any new tricks, in my opinion, but it does what's been done before very well. Which isn't bad at all, really. I'd just like to see a little more creativity.
Some of these maps seem unpolished, or have other flaws (like simply being too effing huge); on the other hand, some of these maps are fantastic, and the architecture and geometry overall is fantastic, if not overwhelming. A must-have just for the cool visuals alone, but a keeper for some solid maps.