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28/01/2008 - "The Landing" by Hellscrag

Each week a single map is discussed here in detail.

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User avatar Jethro
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Subject: 28/01/2008 - "The Landing" by Hellscrag

Post Posted: 29 Jan 2008, 01:06

Map Title: The Landing
Author: Mike "Hellscrag" Wilberforce
From: The Landing
Filename: thelanding1.unr
Video Playthrough: http://www.dailymotion.com/MMAN2/video/7097949

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Synopsis: Your escape pod has crash-landed in night-time valley. Time to explore the surrounding area in search of the way out of here!

Discuss!

User avatar Jblade
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Post Posted: 29 Jan 2008, 13:33

I like the atmosphere of this level. The caves aren't really cave-like (in that they feel more like they were tunneled rather than actual caves) but it's still a entertaining trek and the music helps somewhat as well.

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Post Posted: 29 Jan 2008, 16:34

\o/

The first part of this map was designed for the second episode Spatial Fear (at the time known as "Kenophobia"), before it was decided to focus on the prologue. That's why it uses a bespoke hut design and no Unreal plants in the outdoor section.

Once it became "The Landing", the map was designed to be a map of two halves: the uncharted, "natural" caves, and the established underground route from the starting area to the town, which was a route that had been widened into mine-like tunnels.

Looking back at it, the build is pretty crappy. I was never any good at caves; mind you, 3dsmax would probably have helped if I'd had it.

Farran the Cave Dweller ftw. :tup:
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User avatar Jethro
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Post Posted: 29 Jan 2008, 23:50

Although architecture in this map was, in my opinion of inexpirienced mapper, rather not stunning the map had it's moments. I really liked the area around crippled Kraal (it was an interesting... subplot BTW). On the other hand combat in this map was boring and rather unentertaining - just a bunch of tentacles, mantas and gasbags (and one crippled Kraal :P).

Overally: memorable, but nothing fancy.
UBerserker wrote:Story: totally guessed that Skeletor was the thief.

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Post Posted: 30 Jan 2008, 03:14

While the build was not advanced by any means...the atmosphere of the map was quite immersive imho...l dug the lighting :tup:
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Post Posted: 30 Jan 2008, 19:36

Jethro wrote:Although architecture in this map was, in my opinion of inexpirienced mapper, rather not stunning the map had it's moments. I really liked the area around crippled Kraal (it was an interesting... subplot BTW). On the other hand combat in this map was boring and rather unentertaining - just a bunch of tentacles, mantas and gasbags (and one crippled Kraal :P).

Overally: memorable, but nothing fancy.


"Inexperienced" is probably reasonably accurate. Before this, Tashara's Cove was my only major work.

As to gameplay, well, the gameplay curve of the whole pack is off, as the last map is missing. :P
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XYZ8000
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Post Posted: 30 Jan 2008, 20:34

Pretty simple map, has a good Unreal feeling to it.
I didn't like much the use of normal plants as lighting sources (but maybe they received radiations by tarydium? :P), and I wonder why that Krall had to starve in that cave while few minutes of walk after there's a nice village with nice Kralls (and no sign of Skaarjs - mentioned in his Translator message IIRC).
Gameplay-wise this map wasn't challenging or exciting, just random roaming in a cave with occasional Tentacles or Mantas or GasBags (as usual the Giant GasBag is harsh in education of his sons and beats them, careless of laws and moral principles). There were a pair of alternative ways, but they were all ways to get back if you fall from somewhere. Some places would have really needed some BlockPlayers though, with all my dodging I found myself stuck in some geometry not that rarely (one obvious example is the geometry behind the water pool near the Krall).
Overall, not overly good but not bad :)
Any hope for TheLanding4? :P

User avatar Jethro
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Post Posted: 30 Jan 2008, 23:23

Hellscrag wrote:"Inexperienced" is probably reasonably accurate.

I stand corrected, that wasn't typo byt well, lack of knowledge how to spell this word.
Hellscrag wrote:Before this, Tashara's Cove was my only major work.

I was rather refering to myself, as without ANY release who am I to judge the maps quality?
Hellscrag wrote:As to gameplay, well, the gameplay curve of the whole pack is off, as the last map is missing. :P

I liked the gameplay in second map, it was Krall hunting feast :twisted: On the other hand, although it's quite complex and probably best designed map in the pack, I didn't liked map 3, as generally I loath Mercenaries.
UBerserker wrote:Story: totally guessed that Skeletor was the thief.

User avatar Hellscrag
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Post Posted: 30 Jan 2008, 23:29

XYZ8000 wrote:...I didn't like much the use of normal plants as lighting sources (but maybe they received radiations by tarydium? :P)...


Yeah, they're... magic Nali plants. That's right.

XYZ8000 wrote:...and I wonder why that Krall had to starve in that cave while few minutes of walk after there's a nice village with nice Kralls (and no sign of Skaarjs - mentioned in his Translator message IIRC).


If you play the pack, you'll find that the Krall in Na Lati Town are newly arrived. Legless Farran couldn't have hoped to occupy the town himself on a hostile basis, nor do I suppose he would be expect the Nali to welcome him as a guest.

The Skaarj occupation is over. This pack is set kinda in the same chronology as the "Kran's Fall" fanfic trilogy, and is roughly contemporary with "Avenging Angel".

XYZ8000 wrote:Gameplay-wise this map wasn't challenging or exciting, just random roaming in a cave with occasional Tentacles or Mantas or GasBags (as usual the Giant GasBag is harsh in education of his sons and beats them, careless of laws and moral principles).


Yeah... I think it was meant to be a gentle beginning to a pack that was meant to get harder towards the end. Now, of course, I recognise that as the wrong gameplay model (that is, when taken to the extent that I probably had in mind here).

XYZ8000 wrote:(snip)

Any hope for TheLanding4? :P


For me to release TheLanding4, I'd want to do a complete redux of the first three maps, possibly to the extent of completely replacing map 2. In short: It's not gonna happen! If I work on anything now, it'll be something new, as and when the mood takes me.

Thanks for the comments. As the guilty party with responsibility for the release, I feel compelled to respond to your post in detail - can't help myself. :P
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User avatar Hellscrag
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Post Posted: 30 Jan 2008, 23:30

Jethro wrote:
Hellscrag wrote:"Inexperienced" is probably reasonably accurate.

I stand corrected, that wasn't typo byt well, lack of knowledge how to spell this word.


Take it easy - I was agreeing with you, not correcting your spelling. :lol:
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Post Posted: 31 Jan 2008, 14:25

Playthrough done, still not set up for commentary.

This is a nice introduction to the pack, although some of the cave architecture is too even (like the ledges to get to the key), some of the steps are also a pain in the ass to climb. The Giant Gasbag also felt a bit random, then again, there are very few that don't such as the one in my DV level

The legless Krall is a good touch (perhaps the most memorable thing in the level), the theme is also memorable because caves are such an underused theme.

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Post Posted: 01 Feb 2008, 16:14

Mman wrote:Playthrough done, still not set up for commentary.

Nice one MMAN! I never knew how to climb those stairs without cheating :shy: Also, the enemy placement seems to differ in your playthrough from the on I've seen during preparation of this MOTW, like the devilfish in the first cave - it wasn't there when I played.
Mman wrote:The Giant Gasbag also felt a bit random, then again, there are very few that don't such as the one in my DV level

Don't remember gasbag in DV, but well, I always find use of Giant Gasbags and Titans rather..... not convincing if not introduced correctly. The one in Nali Castle was also out of place, just as mentioned in previous MOTW.
Mman wrote:The legless Krall is a good touch (perhaps the most memorable thing in the level)

I totally agree, legless krall FTW \o/
Mman wrote:the theme is also memorable because caves are such an underused theme.

Another true statement, but that's most probably because they're tricky to build in a convincing (not-cubelike) way. But I must agree there was too few of them in Unreal.
UBerserker wrote:Story: totally guessed that Skeletor was the thief.


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