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30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

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Subject: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 30 Nov 2015, 13:45

Map Title: Chizra-Nali Water God
Author: Myscha the sled dog
From: Unreal
Filename: Chizra.unr
Music Files: chizra1.umx




Video Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_U_lMWa9BA

Synopsis: Prisoner 849 enters the ancient temple of one of the Gods of Good Lore - Chizra.

Discuss!

Annetteblue
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 01 Dec 2015, 17:13

As I sad, temples are my favourite maps. This is the first temple we meet. I find anciend sounds (drums, some kind of roar and chirr) mysterious and entrancing. Also I like the idea of entering some rooms in different ways (to the right, to the left, througt the water, etc.). You may choose order of visiting places. Blue tourches and all the lagoon of lightning fire are charming for me. Effect of earthquake in the pool of thunder and the thunder over the pyramid made me nervous. :)

I have a question. ;) Anybody knows about the secret with shield belt? I've found it only now...

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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 01 Dec 2015, 20:16

Yeah, i know the shield belt secret thanks to EXU2 (Where there was a shield belt too in his version, Ultra belt.), using Cheatview command and also the Editor.

Also, the secret door is visible, look at the edges.
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 02 Dec 2015, 02:19

Ohmygodyes.

Chizra is the point in a Unreal playthrough where I have trouble putting the game down. It's sooooooo good. :|

Annetteblue
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 05 Dec 2015, 06:53

Where is the video playthrough? :)

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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 05 Dec 2015, 18:59

Overall I think I've grown to like this level more over time; it helps when you realise the water maze stuff is entirely optional and there are land routes almost everywhere, and I like how the path splits later on with two heavily divergent ways to reach the Eightball room. The Eightball also gives the second half of the map a focus that some others don't (setting aside how the Eightball lore here kind of gets compromised in the next map). The greenery and water elements also make it probably one of the better looking maps in the game too.
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 05 Dec 2015, 20:24

Best part of the map is the music. It's actually one of the finest songs in the game, it really defines the benevolent ancient theme of the game (compared to the more "malevolent" suspense.umx from the beta).
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 06 Dec 2015, 14:46

Historically, maps using the Ancient texture set have been my least favorite out of all of Unreal's, which is actually rather strange, as their antique Aztec aspect is a really refreshing and rare theme in video games (which, again, makes Unreal so special!). Maybe it has to do with the "dankness" of the atmosphere, with murky green waters, annoying bugs and giant slimy creatures (Slith) populating the maps?

Either way, I've never been much of a fan of the Chizra set of maps, however I feel that may change if I eventually replay the game. Growing up changes things about your taste and opinions! :)

Also, I did vastly prefer Chizra to Ceremony, at least. Ceremony may be the main reason for my dislike of these maps; I was never good at telling them apart.

Semfry wrote:(setting aside how the Eightball lore here kind of gets compromised in the next map)


Hmm! Could you perhaps elaborate on that?
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 06 Dec 2015, 14:54

ividyon wrote:Hmm! Could you perhaps elaborate on that?


The Eightball is in Ceremony already; that lava room was added like before release (it wasn't even mentioned in the guide). It was probably part of the cut fire god map.
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2015, 02:39

Annetteblue wrote:I have a question. ;) Anybody knows about the secret with shield belt? I've found it only now...


Well, actually I had missed that :shy: Yet I thought I had been pretty thorough, but hey, this is a complex level after all!

And really, Chizra - Nali Water God is one of the most complicated levels from Unreal. I sure spent a lot of time in there - and on top of that, I remember the level managed to scare me! :) It's quite hard to get through the first time round. It also strikes me as beautiful.

One of the most memorable maps from the campaign. Very good execution, all in all.

About the Gods of Good Lore - I know I already read a thread about this but it's been a while - if I'm not mistaken, Chizra is the only official deity mentioned as belonging to this group, and I just thought about this the other day - there's no such thing as the Gods of Evil Lore, right? :P (though there should be!)

And with that said, I have to say that this level's redux in EXU2 - Batshit Insane is... intense :P (for reference, I'm referring to Doomhouse Power Station)
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2015, 09:03

I've changed my opinion on this level so many times. I guess it's because I've always been conflicted with how to interpret aspects of the level that don't jive with the rest of the pack. In recent years I've come to terms with some of the more ambiguous "mystical" aspects of the level and generally appreciate the map for what it does right.

There's a bit of environment interaction in the beginning that followed the water pool in the previous map that had a lasting impression on me when I first played Unreal. Like others, I admit much of my fondness stems from my strong preference for the music. Subsequent playthroughs of this level in years since have been rushed, as I tend to think of it now as an early wonder on the way to more memorable levels (replays of Unreal seem to really start for me by the time I get to Dark Arena).

I will say a little on the subject of the Ancient.utx texture theme used in this map (and to better effect later in Vandora). I don't think I've ever liked the colored textures in this set and how they look. Perhaps it is just how they have been made, as I don't think anyone has applied them to an extent any better than what is seen here in all the years since Unreal, yet plenty good has been done with the more bleached and gray ones. In our own histories the ancients often had colorful architecture that turned alabaster by time, which gives this level (by contrast) a very "active" vibe that I suppose they were going for. The soundscape always seemed to make it apparent that the place was a functional site, which chanting pilgrims just a spell away.

It may also be that as a mapper who has used this set I tend to skip those on the simple basis that however I use them I end up making something that looks like Chizra. It's the dungeon crawler in me I expect. I like ruins to be dank, cracked, and taken over by neglect. But maybe it is also that the Chizra levels are the only ones that seem "correct" using them.


Sat42 wrote:
About the Gods of Good Lore - I know I already read a thread about this but it's been a while - if I'm not mistaken, Chizra is the only official deity mentioned as belonging to this group, and I just thought about this the other day - there's no such thing as the Gods of Evil Lore, right? :P (though there should be!)



Correct. In the mother game Chizra is the only deified figure mentioned in the same breath as Good Lore. This has emboldened many folks to make presumptions of the other named Idols (or assumed ones). Vandora is also described as a powerful, elusive figure and is referred to as Godess, though is never associated with any other circle. Velora has another ruin location tied to his/her namesake in Return to Na Pali with far less information (though people here tend to think of Velora as a male entity and include "him" in this Godship). But this is simply the realm of fan speculation, and there has hardly been much cohesion between various community projects and levels.

All other assertions have been made by community levels and debate.

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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2015, 16:42

Thanks for the reply, Mister_Prophet :)

As for the more "mystical" aspects of the level: given the lack of a strong official storyline (the game always seemed to be more about experiencing an odyssey than the story itself), it never really bothered me, despite the fact that I do usually take issue with any work that claims to be science-fiction and yet uses blatant fantasy/magical elements.

Also, this aspect of Unreal has obviously left a lot of room for interpretation by the community: hence, retrospectively, and in light of numerous (excellent) community works, for me Unreal provides a malleable universe, which overall can be considered science fantasy.
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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2015, 17:20

Mister_Prophet wrote:
Sat42 wrote:About the Gods of Good Lore - I know I already read a thread about this but it's been a while - if I'm not mistaken, Chizra is the only official deity mentioned as belonging to this group, and I just thought about this the other day - there's no such thing as the Gods of Evil Lore, right? :P (though there should be!)

Correct. In the mother game Chizra is the only deified figure mentioned in the same breath as Good Lore. This has emboldened many folks to make presumptions of the other named Idols (or assumed ones). Vandora is also described as a powerful, elusive figure and is referred to as Godess, though is never associated with any other circle. Velora has another ruin location tied to his/her namesake in Return to Na Pali with far less information (though people here tend to think of Velora as a male entity and include "him" in this Godship). But this is simply the realm of fan speculation, and there has hardly been much cohesion between various community projects and levels.

All other assertions have been made by community levels and debate.


Hm... Why only Chizra is official? We meet Vandora location only onse. Ok. However, she mentioned as a Goddes of Lightning, as you sad. And what about Velora Path in U1? So, Velora Temple is not only location of the God, despite of little information about him. Finally, we have God of Water, Goddes of Lightning, God of Some Other Natural Event. :) And we know about existence of the Good Lore. Yes, this is good knowlege for mappers. :)

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Subject: Re: 30/11/2015 - "Chizra-Nali Water God" by Myscha the sled dog

Post Posted: 07 Dec 2015, 18:58

Only god of Good Lore mentioned by the game is Chizra.
Vandora is a goddess too but nowhere mentioned to be part of the good lore.
The other known god is the fire one, Acerack, whose map made by Myscha was cut (it's where the Ceremony lava room came from probably).

Velora is not mentioned anywhere to be a god. It's the name of a castle map that was supposed to end with Velora Pass (sadly we ended up with a "filler" pass instead).

Well we'll continue this in Ceremony.


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