The Limbo Of Broken Ecstasies

2 to 4 players | Reviewed by xen - Monday 13th May 2002 @ 4:42am

One thing that really gets my goat in the mapping scene is when new mappers submit maps without comparing the quality to existing custom maps or even the ID maps. There have been previous poor releases which justify my rant enough but this one possibly takes the gold medal. The layout is entirely 2D (with the exception of one start-room containing the singleplayer spawn), and consists of four tiny box rooms, connected up as a square by four tight, straight, rectangular corridors.

Texturing and architecture are frankly absent from the equation here. The majority of the map is decorated in a horrid pattern of fullbright red squiggles against a black background, with some of the floors the same only with bits of newspaper-cuttings replacing the red squiggles. A few portraits adorn the walls but don't improve anything, and other faces are just plain fulldark. No detailing has been used whatsoever, unless you count the odd walltorch floating in mid-air.

As for gameplay, the RL, SNG, SSG and NG occupy a room each with a few scatterings of health and armour in between. With the layout of the map taken in hand, this leads to bugger-all possible tactics in FFA other than to run around in circles using up ammo, before getting smacked by a rocket and hoping you respawn by the RL. Duelling is even less exciting, with whoever spawns closest to the RL dominating the game with ease. A few monsters are splashed about randomly in SP, but even they fail to add to the enjoyability level whatsoever.

Overall this map would be quite poor for a speedmap, and even below average for a map made in Notepad, but as a full release, it makes even the lowest of the low-scoring maps you've ever played look like works of geniuses. (Oh, and if anyone complains that this map is underscored due to it being 'strategic, and looking stylish', I shall frankly scream.)

I hope Kim Vidal takes some influence from high-quality maps and improves in the future.

0.0 out of 5.0

Download 57Kb - 1377 downloads | readme | Kim Vidal | Author Site

#11. Gom Jabbar ate the title ^

by Gom Jabbar - Wednesday 15th May 2002 @ 7:29am (212.185.248.117)

You really want to d/l the map? ;)

#12. 0? Pfft! ^

by Gonnas - Wednesday 15th May 2002 @ 10:20am (62.31.64.2)

This map is underscored. The layout leads to many strategic possibilities and I think the texturing and architecture are actually quite stylish.

Well, no one else posts the obvious here.

/me runs.

#13. Hurray for moralizing mapping ^

by sargatanas - Thursday 16th May 2002 @ 9:45pm (24.218.114.137)

I'm afraid of even looking at the screenshots for too long, I might go permanently blind (and maybe deaf)

yeah you better run gonnas, ur m3h beotch!

#14. come come now... ^

by Scampie - Friday 17th May 2002 @ 1:25am (66.231.198.47)

the map had quite possibly the most balenced layout ever convinced. there is a unique and visionary use of textures and it uses a theme that's not yet been explored by most mappers. i found the lighting atmospheric and fit the map well.

a 5/5 in MY book.

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