28/06/2024 - "Gore Mine Crossing Entrance + Gore Mine Crossing" by Heiko 'sm0k3r' Dreyer (& DavidM)

[Sat42]

Map Titles:

• Gore Mine Crossing - Entrance
  Gore Mine Crossing

Author: Heiko 'sm0k3r' Dreyer, with additional work by David "DavidM" Münnich
From: Operation Na Pali
Filenames:

• NP05Heiko.unr
  NP06Heiko.unr

Gore Mine Crossing - Entrance:


Gore Mine Crossing:



Video Playthrough(s):
Gore Mine Crossing - Entrance:


Gore Mine Crossing:


Gore Mine Crossing - Old demo version:


Both maps on Extreme difficulty (using Unreal 227K):


Synopsis: Following a nasty encounter with a new threat, the Cyborg Nali, ONP Guy is now about to navigate his way through Gore Mine Crossing at just about the worst possible time as earthquakes seem to strike with increasing frequency...

Discuss!

[Semfry]

As before when it was available, I did the demo version as well. Also the Skaarj projectiles seemed really fast here and I'm not sure if enemies are tweaked or something is going on with my install, but it's not a problem on Normal difficulty either way

Gore Mine Crossing Entrance is a simple transition map, it doesn't do anything especially notable but, after the start it iterates on the Nyleve mine/storage interiors somewhat and makes a fitting transition between the previous map and the next "main" map. Stuff like the entirely optional basement storage area with a Superhealth and vent underneath the bridge help make it believably a full location you only explore a part of.

Gore Mine Crossing itself is one of the stand-out maps of the set, with the giant cliff you can see the whole of from the start as you work your way down, as well as rise back up on the other side at the end. While used in earlier maps I also feel this is the first map where you get to fully take in the new terrain textures and style of ONP, along with the realistic "leet" outdoor lighting, although I recall this being one of the more contentious uses of it due to the natural contrast only hitting the top (and the cliff should probably get a bit darker at the bottom). It's also probably the definitive use of "Neve" for the soundtrack in a map, and it fits perfectly here as your classic Unreal terrain journey map, although in overall music usage some of the sudden cuts are a bit awkward and would fit better as more subtle fades.

The gameplay fits into that classic theme as you work you way down, and, while the Flak Cannon you gain at the starts feels a bit unfitting for a large scale map, you later gain the Sniper Rifle which works great here and lets you take out some threats early (if anything a few more moments could have taken advantage of the large views for combat, although ONP seems to intentionally avoid using Troopers this early). As well as the terrain parts, the interiors also add a bit of gameplay contrast with slower paced exploration and minor backtracking, as well as providing some good views of the exterior to remind you that it's there. It's also notable for having one of the most insanely obtuse secrets in the set, where the intended way seems to be using an invisible ledge to get on the object it's on, although I guess you might be able to air control into it from the right place. The message congratulating you for finding the other-very easy-secret almost feels condescending in contrast, although the demo reveals the brutal secret was added later. The way there's a whole "layer" you never access that's just there for more sense of place is a nice touch too.

The story also fits the classic Unreal style of various melancholic Nali messages along with information in the Skaarj sections. This is also one of the more talkative sections for ONP Guy, with some classics like "maybe he's been dead for two weeks... Or maybe five years." The subtitle edits also feel like a bit of an early thing that wasn't modified later, given the "this is really f@cking high" with no swearing in the actual dialogue and straight up putting "(hint)" on the battery comment. With it's overall structure unchanged from the demo this map as a whole is definitely noticeable as from an earlier era than the more set-piece focused maps that come later in ONP, but that's probably part of it why it's one of my favourites.

The demo also has some interesting stuff compared to the final one. While, as mentioned, the overall layout and gameplay are very similar (except for stuff like the extra secret), and, while changes in the final one like the textures and terrain transitions are pretty much objective improvements, the major aesthetic shifts are interesting. the orangish lighting gives the demo map an almost autumnal style, and, while stuff like the new palm trees already being present suggests that isn't intentional, if it was leaned into I feel it would give the map a more unique vibe than the current "leet" sun shadows style does. Also some small things like how the house with the "can someone turn on the lights please?" comment is actually completely dark in the demo vs the blue ambience of the final one. I also forgot there was actually another voice actor in the demo, and, honestly, I feel just about every line reading here is better, although not as entertaining.

[Masterkent]

[Aspide]

Gore Mine Crossing Entrance and Gore Mine Crossing are the fifth and sixth maps of ONP, both of this maps were made by the same person (Heiko "sm0k3r" Dreyer), Heiko (just like all of the mappers of ONP) made some really good multiplayer maps for UT99 before being recruited by DavidM, his multiplayer maps are classics, he even made an Assault map for UT99, so he is a perfect mapper for a project like this. Gore Mine Crossing Entrance is a very small transition map that simply connects map 4 and 6. There's nothing remarkable in this map except for the introduction of the Flak Cannon (ONP introduces the Rocket, Sniper and Flak very early on, which makes this campaign very easy compared to others). Gore Mine Crossing on the other hand is a very big map and it's one of ONP's most memorable set pieces.

Level geometry is pretty good in both maps, both levels have that particular old fashioned look of SP maps from back in the day. The choice of textures and the geometry really makes you think that you are playing a different version of NyLeve Falls. The terrain brushes are very interesting since both maps use a completely different strategy to make them : subtracted tessellated boxes, which gives the terrain of both maps a "canyon" look to it. Gore Mine Crossing has a little more complexity when it comes to the terrain brushes, but it still uses the same strategy. Texture alignment is pretty good in both levels, however the terrain texture alignment leaves to much to be desired, however since the surfaces of the terrain are very big, the issue isn't too noticeable, unless you start to pay attention at two surfaces right next to each other or look at some of the small rocks in the levels. Lighting is decent, the interiors don't look that remarkable (also light coronas are rarely used), the lighting does replicate the look of the interiors of NyLeve Falls and Edge of Na Pali from RTNP very well. The outside areas however look beautiful, the combination of the skybox, the terrain and the general lighting looks really nice, but the thing that steals the show are the lights that simulate lighting coming from the sun, which causes some interesting shadows, this is something that ONP pioneered. Also the new panel decorations to add a reflective layer to water surfaces is really nice.

Sound design is very nice, I like the fact that the majority of the interiors in ONP reuse the same Ambient Sound to add consistency (also the clever use of the pitch is awesome). Dynamic Ambient Sounds are also used which gives a lot of life to the environments. However I still wished that more Dynamic Ambient Sounds were used, this maps don't use this actor to its full potential. At least all movers have sounds, very nice. The music in both maps is also pretty good, both levels use music from RTNP, Gore Mine Crossing Entrance uses Twilight Horizon (the NyLeve Falls remix from RTNP) while Gore Mine Crossing uses Neve's Crossing. Gore Mine Crossing Entrance uses the song really well, even though at the end of the map the music starts again for some reason, which is pointless since the music turns off when you get close to the final lift. However Gore Mine Crossing uses the song very poorly, the song turns on/off constantly, this map has like 3 indoors areas and every time you get inside them the music turns off and then when you go outside the music turns on, this is really bad considering how long Neve's Crossing is, so you end up listening to the first section of the song over and over again. This level would benefit from having all music events removed, except for the fist one that starts the song.

Gameplay is great in both maps, this levels are very similar in the sense that you go from outdoor areas to indoors, pressing switches and elevators to get from point A to B, the difference is that Gore Mine Crossing is much, much bigger. Both maps make good use of brutes in strategic locations and Skaarj are used as the main enemy force, Gore Mine Crossing Entrance has some platforming during the area in the sewer, but it's very straightforward, also that map has an optional area with a Super Health. Gore Mine Crossing is basically one long journey from the top of the map to the bottom to reach the final area. The only big challenge is killing the enemies, which can be a problem in higher difficulties since Skaarj are much faster and the same goes for the projectiles they shoot, but if you know how to deal with them then that won't be a problem. Gore Mine Crossing also introduces the Sniper Rifle (which can be used to kill enemies that are in areas you will visit later), the Bio Rifle is also introduced in this map but it's a secret (which is funny since the next map automatically gives you a Bio Rifle when the map begins). Also I have to mention that one of the secrets of Gore Mine Crossing is very difficult to get, it requires you to have previous knowledge since you have to take advantage of an invisible wall caused by BSP. I hate that secret and the reward you get is not even worth it.

ONP also has some extra challenges and one of them is trying to beat the maps as quickly as possible, the biggest challenge is the Uber Goal Time, Gore Mine Crossing has one of the most difficult Uber Goal Times, it's possible to beat that time but you need to abuse the game's physics, basically forcing you to act like a SpeedRunner. I have a lot of respect for players that try to defeat the Uber Times of all of these maps.

Issues I found:

General Issues:
- There's very little coop filtering, also for some reason there's less enemies when playing Coop than when playing offline.
- Both maps have bot support, but it's very sloppy, incomplete and because of the complexity of the geometry, sometimes the paths don't connect.
- No texture alignment for terrain brushes, but considering that the map was done in UT99 back in the early 2000s, this makes sense.
- Not enough ammo for the PulseGun.
- Most of the tree/plant decorations have incorrect collision values.
- The books that have translator messages in them can be moved, typical mistake.
- The skybox doesn't have the rotating asteroids when playing online.

Gore Mine Crossing Entrance:
- There are no Coop checkpoints.
- At the start of the map there's an earthquake that causes some things to fall, this things can crush you but only you not monsters, which is lame since a player could try using those objects to instantly kill an enemy.
- This map uses the bugged Tree9 decoration. This tree is invisible by default because it lacks a mesh.
- One of the plant decorations is out of bounds.
- The reflective effect of the water is done with a mesh (called DavidMSheet), however since UE1 has that odd behavior where meshes disappear when not looking at the pivot (center), this means that the reflective effect can disappear out of nowhere if you go to the corners of the water pool.
- Some of the ExplosiveChains can be activated prematurely by shooting at them.
- The fan2 decoration has collision on, which means it can be destroyed if you damage it, thankfully the map does locate the decoration in a place that your bullets cannot reach, but the danger is still there.
- One of the creature factories doesn't do anything because it doesn't have a Spawnpoint attach to it.
- There's a Water Zone, some lights and some pathnodes out of bounds.
- For some reason there are some pathnodes and a JumpSpot in the rooftop near the entrance to the mine section.
- The ending of the map has you taking a lift that breaks during the journey, however the way it was done can cause players to get hurt with falling damage. Also the map uses two different movers for the lifts, which explains the strange things that go through the lift when it goes down.
- At the very end of the map there's a pulse gun ammo behind a box, this ammo pickup also appears at the beginning of the next map, so you could grab them both. The same goes for some health pickups.

Gore Mine Crossing:
- There's an Unreal female corpse with the wrong skin, this is a default glitch of UT99/Old versions of Unreal.
- This map has two BSP holes that are hidden by two 2D meshes. This doesn't look very good.
- One of the surfaces of the big canyon kills you if you touch it, this is caused by a BSP hole.
- The first spaceship that flies all over the map looks dark because of lighting issues, this could have been fixed with DynamicLighting and having a type of light like the FlashLightBeam follow those movers.
- This level uses the bugged Stukka decoration, this actor is invisible because the DrawType is set to Spite by default, when it should be Mesh.
- All of the creature factories have collision on, which means that you can activate them before they are supposed to.
- The fan1 decoration has collision on, which means it can be destroyed if you damage it.
- One of the audio lines of dialogue from ONP guy doesn't match with the written dialogue.
- All of the movers that crush you, only crush you but no one else, this is because Encroached Damage is set to 0.
- Inside the house with the PulseGun has barrels that don't get destroyed when you get close to them.
- The final Skaarj can get stuck because the railing mover sometimes doesn't work properly.
- The final Skaarj is hiding on the other side of a mover, this will cause issues when playing online because enemies can see through movers online.
- Not enough health pickups in this map, also this map has no armors of any kind. The previous map has more health pickups and an armor and that map is one quarter of this one.
- There's a BlockPlayer that doesn't do anything because the collision properties are incomplete.
- You can reach the unreachable floor of the canyons without cheating, however there are no special rewards for getting there, also there's no safety net in case someone gets stuck there.
- Just like the previous map, this level uses JumpSpots incorrectly.
- While the map does use LiftExit-LiftCenter combos for the lifts, monsters (including your allies) cannot use them.
- There's one CaveManta in this map, however you will most likely never fight it since the enemy never gets instigated because of where it spawns.
- This map has many errors with the terrain brushes, this causes many zones that shouldn't be there.
- One of the houses has a new zone, but you never go inside that house and therefore that zone is useless.
- Besides the beginning, there are no ammo pickups for the enforcer.
- The trigger that activates the lift at the end of the previous map is also in this map. The same applies to the final lift but it's out of bounds.
- One of the secrets requires you to use an invisible wall caused by a BSP error. This means the secret cannot be obtained unless you know this beforehand.
- At the end of the map there are two brushes that use the same textures as an explosive barrel, but this brushes don't explode, so this can be misleading.
- There's a continuity error in the next map, the panel with the red letters is on the opposite side of the room.

[Masterkent]

- Besides the beginning, there are no ammo pickups for the enforcer.

This doesn't look like an issue for me. There is one more pickup on the middle floor, and you're supposed to use other weapons (for which ammo is provided on the bottom floor) as well.

- One of the secrets requires you to use an invisible wall caused by a BSP error. This means the secret cannot be obtained unless you know this beforehand.

While this route may be the easiest and the most convenient one, it's not strictly necessary to use the invisible floor to reach that secret area. You can use dodging to successfully land on any of the two side ledges at the same altitude as the invisible floor:

[Semfry]

While this route may be the easiest and the most convenient one, it's not strictly necessary to use the invisible floor to reach that secret area. You can use dodging to successfully land on any of the two side ledges at the same altitude as the invisible floor:

I wonder what the intentional way was; for all the jokes in his levels, DavidM's actual map designs and principles that spread throughout the community as a result of packs like ONP generally focused on adding more realism to things to like lighting (also shown in the changes from the ONP demo to the final, which were also mostly DavidM as far as I can tell), so a random invisible ledge doesn't seem like something he'd add to a non-mystical level on purpose. On the other hand pretty much none of the other secrets require some sort of precise trick-jump/dodge like this. Unless it was a BSP issue that just wouldn't go away without creating worse problems, so he just made use of it to make it seem intentional.

[Masterkent]

I wonder what the intentional way was; for all the jokes in his levels, DavidM's actual map designs and principles that spread throughout the community as a result of packs like ONP generally focused on adding more realism to things to like lighting (also shown in the changes from the ONP demo to the final, which were also mostly DavidM as far as I can tell), so a random invisible ledge doesn't seem like something he'd add to a non-mystical level on purpose. On the other hand pretty much none of the other secrets require some sort of precise trick-jump/dodge like this. Unless it was a BSP issue that just wouldn't go away without creating worse problems, so he just made use of it to make it seem intentional.

Considering how non-trivial beating of the Uber goal time is, I can assume that the player is supposed to be able to show good dodging skills on that map for getting some notable achievements, including taking this secret.

[Aspide]

This post is not mine, it's from GEARvision who couldn't post in the forums

Gore Mine Crossing...

Captivating name to welcome you to the turn that ONP takes thereafter

Adequately matching names would be Gib Mine Crossing, Giblets Mine Crossing, you know?
If you drop from up there you'd define this map immediately and very effortlessly... If you have a cat on your keyboard expect it to happen!

Anyhow, I came to show my love for this map, not only it is my favorite, but my moooost played.
Comes the jaw drop, to find yourself enter what seems like your Nyleve-type level - let's see from this perspective - Nyleve gives you a waterfall down one-area, the RTNP reincarnation gives you several areas you can take down a lift to and explore
Gore Mine Crossing? Gives you one, like the original, but it is the deeepest one yet! Plus all the toys you expect a ONP map to give you! - I get into that detail later
The size is unmatched, it always takes my breath away, and 046 confirms by stating "I'ts f*#$ing high!!!!"
More so than any other maps I played, like after the train cinematic - the Frigate remake from Xidia, and Skaarj Tower (this giga map!!)

Gore Mine Crossing takes cake in that you can break your legs by falling down, in Skaarj Tower you are safe because of the ocean beneath the surrounding terrain, both are still a scary drop, but one of them is lethal.
Well well that's map presentation, what about meat?

Meat! The ammunition, your weapons, the toys of heaven!
You're given all of them with this level! - What ones? Exactly the ones you need for a large map like this

The Sniper Rifle, I forgot the count but you get like 100 rounds in this level, and I can't use them all!
But I enjoy the chance to use it, and this map is perfect for it!

The Bio Rifle, which can be accessed early in this level by finding the uber L33T secret, it even congratulates you, how cute!

So with that out, it is the actual meat, your backpack is ready, your teeth is brushed - You face up the wilderness...


What do you do? Scan a nali rabbit with the Universal Translator?

Point gun fingers to taunt the monsters? In this case, light fingers, but unlike light sabers, these will blind the skaarj up the rock, so much so they fall from their benefitial cover spot and instead - in total hatred - run towards you at subsonic athlete speeds



This is when you know they want a kiss... Under your sleeve - a smiley flak shell will interrupt their previous hardwired feelings for you, and will retreat - but because they are never looking behind (after all they don't carry side-view mirrors in their blades), they will find themselves right on the ledge - push them!

Now to emphasize why the height of this map feeels so huge, is that your vertigo is stimulated... And fortunately... The developers gave me the option!

By dropping onto this... Hidden sheet of broken BSP I thought... It's just a hidden sheet
I found it by accident by backing off just like the foolish skaarj... I was rewarded!
If you are lucky, your Nali lads will follow you down

► Show Spoiler

Run to your left for the Sniper Rifle, now the fun starts!!!!



& This is all before I take my first hi-speed lift! From there on things go calm... After all you sniped everything down!



Now you make it to the area with the Bio Rifle, click on the spoiler to reveal (or ruin your chance to find it yourself!)

► Show Spoiler

Now fear the Goop God...



A reminder for the kids, never pick the Asbestos Suit if you want to keep your Toxin Suit...

Bio Hazard!



So after this trip/vacation/sightseeings of the wonderful Gore Mine Crossing, comes the giants of Xidia(TM) Hourences maps, it feels like they are connected because both carved a huge whole in the terrain... It makes them more connected than the Xidia original... To me!

So for the awe granted to me by this map, is what makes this map responsible for finishing Operation Na Pali up to the last level, it is all thanks to this map!

It stands as one of the longest maps, clocking at 7 minutes of play from my averages, similar to Tonnberry's Mercenary Base and MClane's Old Nali Ruins, the latter which is the longest by 8 minutes average.

I finished ONP 50 times last year, and 2 times in a row a week ago!

Thanks to Team Vortex for making a frenetic, never shy, instant action, uber L33T awesome map!



I'm sorry for the lack of any more through & out insight, but this are the results of my homebaked blind love (:

For that I call this my first and my last post in a MOTW!



GG! Ciao!

[Sat42]

The popularity of Operation Na Pali endures I see

Cheers Semfry for the videos of not just the MOTW but also the demo version!

Always good to see another Extreme difficulty playthrough by Masterkent

And thanks to Aspide for not only another detailed MOTW post but also for posting GEARvision's epic (and heartfelt) commentary with GIFs!

I guess I don't have anything to add regarding Gore Mine Crossing - Entrance - as a transition map, it does its job well and yeah it still looks really nice (as in, better than the original Unreal - in line with most of ONP).

Of course the main course is Gore Mine Crossing itself and while I never considered it among my favourites from ONP, I do think it's excellent and overall I'd agree that it's a highlight of the campaign.

I mean, just look at the screenshots: the level has that "awesome" factor going for it, conceptual grandness FTW! The scale of the canyon, that characteristic ONP outdoor lighting and sky - it just makes you want to play! In this way, I feel the map is actually fairly typical of what one would usually think of when reminiscing about ONP: crowd-pleasing stuff.

I think what keeps Gore Mine Crossing away from the "greats", IMO, is that 1) it didn't present a real challenge on a first playthrough (on Medium difficulty), unlike the previous map The Betrayer's Path 2) it didn't have a particularly memorable storytelling moment (unlike the aforementioned previous map) and 3) it came just before some Hourences mapping. I ended up mostly "just" remembering the really cool canyon - alongside the fitting Neve's Crossing soundtrack, even if the music triggers are suboptimal (good job minimizing their effects in your video playthrough, Semfry!).

Speaking of which - you may enjoy the fullest version of the music track here:


I didn't know about Heiko's MP contributions for Unreal Tournament, but thanks to Aspide I now know about Heiko's Assault map which I'll be checking out next

Also, all the talk about Uber-Goal Time in ONP makes me want to finally attempt completing a speedrun of the campaign