dm_vertico

/me excitedly hits the Download Button

The lighting and ambience is more or less perfect.
I still feel the whole thing could be more detailed in terms of architecture (I'm sort of spoiled by the Combine architecture in Minerva and Episode1) but it still works and the layout suggest good gameplay and flow.

Thanks!

I looked at many screenshots from the Citadel in Episode One for architectural inspiration. The style emphasizes straight lines and 45 degree angles, reminenscent of an aggressive attitude (similar to the architecture of the Third Reich).

I didn't add more details because one characteristic of the Combine architecture is clean lines and bold strokes. Fine detailed trimming sort of counter that style. I was contemplating of adding trims to the doors and windows, but that tends to demasculinize the structure, IMO.

I put tons of thoughts into balanced gameplay, and the entire structure is interactive (especially with the generators and the launch control consoles). Enabling and disabling the shield is part of the dynamic gameplay (potentially trapping players and restricting access to powerful weapons).

Item placement and the location of chargers add tension to the flow, forcing the players to be constantly moving and prevent camping.

There is a secret SMG grenade ammo hidden in the map. It's not impossible to find, but it's not immediately obvious.

I almost forgot to give credit where it's due.

I would like to thank The Hunter for his playtesting feedback (complete with a gameplay video) that helped to improve this map.

I also want to thank Baron von Snickers from the SnarkPit for his tips on setting up the missile trap.

And everyone here at TWHL for mapping inspiration and encouragement.

i have now played the latest version. I'll review tonight probably.

Thanks.

I am making a single-player version for this map right now.

I found the original inspiration for this map. It came from dm_comsci by Addicted to Morphine (from the SnarkPit). Unfortunately, that map was abandoned by its mapper at the alpha stage.

Read this map's discussion thread. It was from almost a year ago, but you can see how many of the gameplay ideas were born from that map.

http://www.snarkpit.net/forums.php?topic=4854

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz1NrtJx6Ak

The lone, unshaven rebel awakens in the belly of a steel beast. He is hardly able to hear the sound of the generator visible through a doorway over the sound of his beating heart. His only posessions - An SMG, 2 grendades, a crowbar and a Zero Point Energy Manipulator, or gravity gun to those without a doctorate in quantum phsyics.

He starts walking towards the generator. The heat eminating from the thing is hazing the area above it, and the rebel never sees the crossbow bolt until it plants itself in his forehead, and pins him to the wall.

A laughing Combine super soldier reloads his crossbow.

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Gameplay:

Perfectly sized for three players, dm_vertico provides great gameplay for 2 to 4 people. The short, narrow coridoors, while sometimes feeling like a bit of a maze, never leave you searching for an opponent for long. Vertical gameplay plays a significant role in the map as well, but perhaps not as much as the name might suggest, nor as much as i believe the author had in mind while making the map.
Weapon placement is superb. The power weapons are all well-spaced from each other, and there is only one shotgun to find, which in a map with so many narrow halls is very important.
The missile launch, or whatever it actually is that kills players in the middle of the map is a little pointless when it's 1v1, but would provide a much more interesting gameplay aspect to a game of say, 6 people where the middle would be a high traffic area.

Aesthetics:

If a first time player was to spawn underground, say on the bottom floor, then i bet they'd be really disappointed at the architecture, which is bad. But if they work their way up, it gets better and better, with the topside being quite realistically described as "pretty."
Definately a major improvement on the last version I played graphically, what with the steam burst, little protrudings things and more importantly the improved lighting, but i still think that it's lacking in places.
The newly added green lights are one of my favourite points. They may seem really simple, but they just add something huge to the ambience and feel of the map.
Overall, a very middly opinion on the looks... I still dont like the texturing, but then i just plain dont like the Citadel textures at all.

Sound:

Meh. What can i say? There was very little, but not to a noticable effect... It doesn't need sound to add ambience, as it's already rather ambient.

Overall:

I like it.. It's a fun map to play even if you dont have many people to play with, which, if i am correct, was the original aim of the map.
Textures and architecture could be improved upon in my opinion, and perhaps something that makes which floor you're on more obvious.

Score:
87%

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The combine soldier carelessly climbs a ladder, and would have regretted had his brains not been splattered over the wall.
The Hunter reloads the shotgun and grins.
"Nice map." he exclaims

Thanks, The Hunter, for the comprehensive review and the exciting gameplay video.