The Furious Review

[Furious D 18]

[br]Cyclopean by NeverlessWonder [br][br] 8/10

An asymmetric map set up for all asymmetric gametypes. Made of gold.

We played One Flag CTF with SMG starts, no starting grenades, 10 meter motion tracker, 5 second player respawns, 10 second flag return timer.

Enjoyment: I’ve played several games on this map, and they have all been fun, with the exception of the Brute Shot starts game. The layout of the map is great. Almost every area on the map has more than one entrance or path you can take. Several times I found myself always taking one hallway or going one direction, but then I decided to mix it up and go somewhere new. I love the way the map flows back into itself in many different ways. I’m still finding new ways to move around the map.

Balance: This map is balanced very well. There doesn’t seem to be any one weapon that dominates too much. And there is a great balance between tight quarters fighting and ranged combat. If there was one negative thing I could say about balance, I would say that the map might be imbalanced in favor of the offense in a One Flag game. Our game ended 2-2. The flag was captured each round. But then again, that might have more to do with the game settings that we used than the map. And there was that one round where the team captured with 1 second to spare, I think.

Durability: It is possible to escape from the map in one spot using the deployable and a difficult grenade jump, but it is hardly even an issue because there’s really nothing you can gain by doing it. The respawns seemed fine for our CTF game, but I know that this map has had trouble in the past. Respawns are frustratingly difficult to get right, and I know you spent a lot of time making them as good as possible.

Aesthetics: Cyclopean is beautiful. It’s obvious that you spent a lot of extra effort merging objects with the map geometry and interlocking them to make this map not only play great but look amazing as well. Whenever I enter the big room, I always want to keep running all the way up to that big wall, even though there is nothing there. It’s just so pretty.

Originality: This map earns very high marks for originality. In a time when everyone seems to be creating symmetrical maps, you come out with an original asymmetrical map with a great layout. And a lot of maps suffer from being too linear, with one way in and one way out. This map flows back into itself in creative ways, with several paths crossing, overlapping, and converging.

Overall: On this map, I’ve played One Flag, King of the Hill, and several games of Slayer, but I still want more. I don’t think we’ve seen this maps full potential yet. I’d like to play a few games of Team Doubles, games with different weapon starts, and maybe even a game of Swords (I hate Swords). And I also want to play a few games with modified weapons on the map. How would this map play if you replaced the fuel rod gun with a brute shot, and replaced the sentinel beam with a laser or a sniper rifle? I know you used those weapons to give this map a unique feel, but I think the map is unique enough without that, and I’d also like to see how it functions with more traditional weaponry.

Also, why no love for the grenades? In my opinion, if you’re going to make it so I don’t start with frags, at least put some on the map. Grenade bouncing is an awesome skill, and it’s incredibly fun when the nade goes right where you want it. There’s just too much cool geometry on this map to not allow people to utilize their grenade bouncing skills.

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Other Reviews by the Review Team

JediWithASniper's Review 8/10
Predicide's Review 8/10
Rick's Recap 9/10

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[Furious D 18]

[br]Vitruvian by squidhands [br][br] 7/10

[img width=540 height=350]http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o32/jthorpano/Halo/VitruvianB.jpg[/img]

firmitas, utilitas, venustas. And bullets. Lots and lots of bullets.

We played Multi-Flag CTF and Team Slayer

Enjoyment: This map has several original features and a unique layout. I certainly enjoyed parts of this map, but the experience as a whole was not as enjoyable as it could have been. Perhaps that’s because of my negative K/D ratio, perhaps not.

My biggest issue with the map was a lack of cover, or the unconventional location of the cover. For example, the overshield area has a whole structure around it, but the structure doesn’t extend to the floor in many places. The result is that players can shoot each other from across the map with very little cover to hide behind. And the way that particular structure is slanted is very exclusive. You can’t get on it from the sides, only the middle underneath or the edge spots. I would like this map much better if it slanted toward the center instead of away from it, and parts of the structure extended to the ground to provide more cover.

And although the regenerator saved my life on more than one occasion, I think a bubble shield would be better. Or just add a bubble shield somewhere. Just give me more cover.

Balance: Despite the fact that the two sides are not perfectly symmetrical, they are balanced very well. More people should make maps that function symmetrically but are not necessarily symmetrical. The fact that you did it so well illustrates your skill at level design. But I do think the map suffers from an imbalance between close quarters areas and open areas. The mauler seems practically useless on this map unless you have the camo. A bubble shield would help that out though.

Durability: I saw no issues with spawning or weapon whoring. This map is pretty durable. But the one thing I noticed was that the mancannon lift to the teleporter doesn’t always work right. And once you’re up there, you can fall into the teleporter and end up in a nauseating “bouncing” loop.

Aesthetics: Several parts of this map stand out as aesthetically pleasing. I like the look of the laser platform. I like the look of the flag platforms with the window panels and the shield doors. And although I don’t like the functionality of the center structure, I enjoy it for its aesthetics.

Originality: There are several unique parts to this map. As far as I know, this is the first map to use hanging shield doors for aesthetic purposes. But originality wasn’t enough for me, I wanted more cover.

Overall: This is a very good map overall, but something about it was a little off-putting to me. Our CTF game here was fun and went smoothly, but the Slayer game had me a little frustrated. I guess this one just wasn’t my cup of tea. Sorry squidhands. But I’ll be happy to give it a second chance sometime.

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Other Reviews by the Review Team

JediWithASniper's Review 7/10
NeverlessWonder's Review 8/10
Predicide's Review 8/10
Rick's Recap 8/10

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[Furious D 18]

[br]Gesuido by Nemi-chan [br][br] 6/10

[img width=540 height=390]http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3597/23070498fullmn6.jpg[/img]

24th century old waste management systems are constantly under heavy repairs.

We played Multi-Flag CTF with a 12 minute game timer.

Enjoyment: This map was pretty fun to play, but it was also pretty frustrating. We played a game of 5v5, so maybe that’s where some of the frustration came from, but it seemed very difficult to even get to the enemy base. Getting down to the flag was even harder, and getting out with it seemed nearly impossible. But some of that surely has to do with our particular game settings. With fewer people or a longer player respawn time, it would have been better.

Balance: Each side was balanced and symmetrical. But like I said earlier, it was very difficult to get the flag out. Perhaps having enemies spawn somewhere else if the flag was away from home would have made it easier.

Durability: I didn’t notice any way to escape the map. But there were a few bad spawns. Since the top of the map is so open, I was able to kill or injure an enemy as he spawned on several occasions.

Aesthetics: The map looks very nice. Everything is straight and even. And the diagonal space between the bases gives this map a very unique look. A lesser level designer would have made everything at right angles and “boxy”. Nice job on the design of the level.

Originality: The idea behind this map is very original. Instead of having players climb in elevation as they go toward the enemy flag, you have them dropping down from above. And then they have to climb back out as if from out of the sewers. I like the originality of this map, but I wish there were more options for players and fewer choke points.

Overall: Getting the flag back to our base was an incredibly difficult task, but that only made the capture that much sweeter when we finally got it. Overall, this map was fun for a game. But the lack of different paths to the flag means that it gets repetitive and stale much faster than another map would.

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Other Reviews by the Review Team

JediWithASniper’s Review 8/10
Predicide’s Review 6/10
Rick’s Recap 6/10
TXGhost's Retrospect 5/10

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[Furious D 18]

[br]Elation by Cosmic Rick [br][br] 8/10

[img width=540]http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/2947/toptobackvd0.jpg[/img]

Hold the high ground. Hold the power weapons. Hold the elevator!

We played Multi-Flag CTF and Multi-Bomb

Enjoyment: I had a lot of fun on this map each time I’ve played it. There are a couple paths from base to base, and they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Whenever I got killed on one part of the map, I went somewhere else, and had fun discovering another little part of Elation. I think this map succeeds at the single most important part of making a map fun: create interesting map geometry to maximize the variability of player encounters. Basically I mean that players can fight it out many different ways, so battles are fun for the first time and the 50th time. I’ve played this map several times and several different ways, and I’m still having fun on it.

Balance: Each side is symmetrical, and each side is balanced. No single weapon seems unbalanced or too powerful.

Durability: I noticed no spawn killing in any of the games I’ve played here. And the whole map is used, so there’s no concern about escaping. And I didn’t notice any spot that a player could reach to get an unfair advantage.

Aesthetics: This map doesn’t look good in my opinion. The center seems very boxy, and there are a few too many right angles for my tastes. But the gameplay is there, so Aesthetics is a secondary concern. And the map does look very unique, so I never had trouble getting my bearings, and I never forgot where I was going. The aesthetics don’t do much to immerse me in the game, but they do their job of orienting me within the level.

Originality: I haven’t seen anyone use the elevator in a competitive map before, but the idea itself isn’t new. I do like the fact that the Ghosts are tucked away in the middle somewhere. Most level designers would have put them in the base for easy access, and it would have changed the way the map is played for the worse. The map has a unique feel and flow to it, which I can’t quite put my finger on. I like it.

Overall: I really like maps where it’s difficult to get to the flag but once you do, it’s much easier to keep it moving. If you ever played Relic from Halo 2, you know what I’m talking about. I like this map because once you get your hands on the flag and teleport, you’ve got a good chance of capturing it.

You’ve put a lot of emphasis on the elevators. But in my opinion, they aren’t even a big part of the map. I’ve used them one time in my 4-5 games here. I don’t like grav lifts, and I don’t like standing still waiting to reach the second floor. I’d rather be running around and shooting people. And I get plenty of opportunities to do that on this map.

Everyone should play a game or two on this map. I think I need to make this one of my favorites. I mean, there isn’t really anything Earth-shattering about this map, but I always have a blast playing it.

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Other reviews by the Review Team

JediWithASniper's Review 7/10
NeverlessWonder's Review 7/10

[Furious D 18]

Review Pending

http://www.forgehub.com/home/index.php?topic=5069.0

[Furious D 18]

Review Pending

http://www.forgehub.com/home/index.php?topic=3536.0

[Furious D 18]

Review Pending

http://www.forgehub.com/home/index.php?topic=3082.0

[Furious D 18]

Review Pending

http://www.forgehub.com/home/index.php?topic=5859.0