U1 Trivia Thread (Clear)

[Sat42]

You were certainly not gaining altitude while proceeding through the original Toxic.

RTNP's legendary transition looking back at the list on the thread's first page, it looks like ice-themed maps never were part of the original plan, making them a completely original contribution from Legend.

[UB_]

Epic made ice textures still though. Considering there were bonus packs by them planned and developed they could have used them. They also had an "Abyss" type of map idea in mind.


FHub6 (FHub6.unr)

• FHub6 was a cut Unreal map made by Juan Pancho Eekels. Unlike FHub4 and FHub5, it wasn't repurposed for RTNP, replaced by newly made ice maps made by Nivlek. This however explained the really strange Toxic-Glacena transition in RTNP, as you never gained altitude in Toxic.
• FHub6, like the two previous Hub maps, used the desert theme. In the Unreal 1998 beta, the map was in an alpha status build-wise, completely devoid of items and enemies. Exit access points were also undeveloped.
• FHub6 contained the largest valley of any outdoor Unreal retail map ever.
• FHub6's music track was Walking.umx, aka Gala.umx in RTNP. It sounded slightly different and the action songsection (unused in the beta because no fights in FHub6) played at a different/wrong tempo.
  Reminder that Walking/Gala wasn't used too far off after Toxic in RTNP.
• FHub6's big valley had a landed Mercenary ship. In the Unreal 1998 beta, there was nothing there aside an empty hole in its belly, supposedly the access point to the ship itself. It was implied it led to a cut map named HAL.
• Cryox's entrance in the Unreal 1998 beta was not finished.

HAL (HAL.unr)

• HAL was one of the two Mercenary maps made by Myscha that were scrapped from the released version of Unreal.
• HAL was named by CliffyB, probably after the famous AI.
• It was never confirmed that the landed ship in FHub6 was HAL but the notes mentioned that it simply landed in the middle of a canyon and it wasn't a very large ship.
  Also, it was mentioned that HAL came after ALFA62 (the other Myscha Mercenary map), which might also suggest that the FHub4's landed Merc ship could have been ALFA62 itself.
• HAL was made to have a "DeathMatch"-feeling to it, a fighting-oriented map compared to the infiltration-oriented ALFA62. Prisoner 849 had to fight waves of Mercenaries in this multi-floor location, across key areas (ship dock, engine room, bridge, etc...) and with possibly usable turrets (likely the Cannons) placed around.
  It was suspected that parts of HAL ended up being used for Deck 16. One location shown in Unreal trailers was also suspected to be HAL.
• The Mercenaries of HAL and ALFA62 were part of a different group compared to the ones found in Terraniux and Cryox. Notes mentioned that a different skin for them was planned.
  The Mercenaries of the HAL landed on the planet in order to save their companions from the ALFA62, according to a message found in the latter mentioned ship (the message was planned to be even vocal).
• It was unknown which music track was used for HAL. Considering its DeathMatch style, it could have been something like Moroset.umx or Dirt.umx.
• Mercenaries in this map were planned to have enormously high SightRadius.
• It was suggested that in a scripted event, Prisoner 849 would try to use HAL to fly away but she just couldn't.
• If the beta cut section was to be fully developed, HAL was likely mandatory prior to accessing Cryox.

[UB_]

Cryox (Cryox.unr)

• Cryox was a cut Unreal map made by Inoxx. It was the last location of FHub6 and it was unknown where it led. Considering the connection with underwater areas, the successive area might have been Triton (a location which preceded Velora).
• Just like all Inoxx's Unreal maps, Cryox contained an "X" in its title/filename.
• Cryox was an enormous Mercenary ship that probably crash-landed on the planet. It seemed to be like a second Terraniux. The Mercenaries in both locations had nothing to do with the ones from Myscha's maps (ALFA62 and HAL).
• In the Unreal 1998 beta, Mercenary Elites made their first appearances in Cryox.
• Cryox, in the Unreal 1998 beta, was far from being finished even for its build quality, quite detailed for the time. After a set of areas, you could pretty much wander everywhere else as scripted events / triggers weren't done yet, so even the exit was already accessible without exploring the rest of the ship.
  Cryox was generally known for its frustrating layout and its really long underwater sections (there wasn't even a SCUBAGear in the beta version) and the exit itself was very hard to locate.
• Cryox is named after the word "cryo/cryogenic". The water was actually supposed to be nitrogen and Nitrogen Slith were going to appear there (instead in this version you had to fight one regular Slith).
• While it had no music in the Unreal 1998 beta, Cryox's music track was the removed Inoxx.umx; Brandon made this track strictly under the request of Inoxx himself. It had two ambient songsections and an action one. The action one was never used (it was probably going to appear in the control room fight), while the second ambient track was used for underwater exploration. The MusicEvent actor was actually placed and could be triggered but the map in the beta had no attached music to it for some reason.
• Cryox's entrance was likely unfinished (or it was supposed to follow an unfinished entrance from FHub6). Cryox began with P849 falling from a hole which damaged you no matter what.
• In the underwater area hub (the one accessed throughout that underwater elevator in the third and final nitrogen pool room) there were two unfinished pathways which looked very similar to the Mothership's portals.
  Cryox was evidently going to be much bigger than in the Unreal 1998 beta and could have even been separated in multiple maps like the Mothership.

Triton (Triton.unr)

• Triton was a cut Unreal map (or maps too) made by Shane Caudle. This map was never leaked but definitely started if not even fully developed. It didn't make it in the Unreal 1998 beta with Cryox directly skipping to Velora; Triton was heavily implied to come before Velora (might has been the only missing link between Cryox and Velora and it was very unlikely that Jupiter/Nemo/Dissent were all going to be there).
  A mini-map named "Fortress Entrance" was leaked though and it seemed to be pretty much Triton-related due to its Shane-like architecture and theme. Pic below: nothing besides what was shown, aside an unfinished t-junction corridor beyond the door.
• Triton used the Nali Castle texture set. It was a sunken Nali castle in an underground lake.
• Triton was one of the three major palaces of the Nali civilization, alongside Velora and Bluff Eversmoking. Nali managed to defend the location against the enemies, until the Skaarj became so frustrated to actually blow up the place with explosives everywhere. The palace sunk underground in a lake. Some Nali managed to survive.
• Triton was divided in two parts (two maps?): the destroyed castle first and then the underground lake.
  
  • The castle part was described as being completely broken down to a mess of destroyed walls and floors. The player had to be careful to possible collapsing events (insta-kill pits or falling pillars, possibly). Enemies were sub-terrain creatures - likely Slith and Mantas plus underwater things.
  • The vast underground lake was supposed to have makeshift docks and also a Nali "ghost" ship. Cave was described as having many stalactites and stalagmites.
• It was unknown which was Triton's music track but Newmca8.umx (aka Mountain.umx in RTNP) might have been fitting for the castle section at least.

Velora Skaarj Dwellings (Velora.unr)

• Velora was a cut Unreal map made by Jeremy War. Only its ending part made it to the final game, with a longer version of it appearing in the Unreal 1998 beta instead.
• Up until the retail version of Unreal, VeloraEnd was always known as just "Velora".
  Unlike Inoxx, the "End" part for Jeremy War's map titles was ambiguous: both maps that had it, VeloraEnd and QueenEnd, were strictly boss-battle related ones, instead of being the end of a major location made by the same mapper. Even QueenEnd was originally named just "Queen".
  Going by this, the original Velora might have stayed the way it was unless Jeremy War managed to find the time to develop it more (unlikely considering his Sky Island development rush). The proper Velora entrance felt like it was reached from Triton's underground lake.
• Velora was one of the three major palaces of Nali civilization, alongside Triton and Bluff Eversmoking. It was a religious location for prayers and worship. Considering it had Nali Priests inside, Skaarj had no difficulties converting this place to one of their outposts. The Nali either fled or were captured and tortured.
  Unlike Triton, Velora remained fairly intact as hardly any battle took place (no damage around) but it was described to be filled with many dead, tortured and dismembered Nali. An uneasy atmosphere was planned, with Skaarj ambushing and lurking behind every corner. The last known beta version shown nothing of the tortures though.
• This is the only non-RTNP Unreal location where the name "Velora" was used.
• Velora's music track was Black.umx, aka the original name of Boundary.umx from RTNP.

Rest of Velora is separated in Velora Pass. Since I've reached this point I can slow a bit down the updates on this thread.

[Sat42]

The last two posts on some of the "lost" levels were particularly interesting - HAL being possibly partially reused for Deck 16, Triton and Velora Skaarj Dwellings sound awesome in concept - and it's funny how it seems that two of the three major palaces of the Nali civilisation were positioned next to each other. Maybe that would have been changed if the maps had actually made it - two big maps in a row might have been exhausting in terms of flow.

[UB_]

...continuing Velora (VeloraEnd.unr) (back to Unreal)

• The "End" on the map title in this case seems to refers about a boss map rather than an end of a section of levels (same for QueenEnd).
• The StoneTitan appears for the first time in this map. His HP is buffed there, otherwise his default properties are identical to the regular Titan (except the skin).
• You can defeat the StoneTitan in an alternate way - wait for him to walk on the bridge and pull the lever to make him fall down in the lava. Kill won't be counted though.
• The StoneTitan needs to be killed in order to access Bluff Eversmoking.
• This is the only Unreal retail map where the starting point can be dangerous: you have two Skaarj Warriors nearby who can easily spot you.

[UB_]

Soledad was supposed to have an actual Queen fight in the last area. There's an event tag named "queef" (queen fight).

[Sat42]

Soledad was supposed to have an actual Queen fight in the last area. There's an event tag named "queef" (queen fight).

Probably a good thing that didn't happen. The Queen as the great finale was always one of the things I thought was managed particularly well in Unreal.

(Things can be different with custom mappacks of course.)

[UB_]

Queen was probably not going to be fought, just encountered.

Leo told me that it was rumored that Epic kept changing ideas back in 1997 about the game plan and that they possibly had in store another shareware version of the game with cut maps (probably with Soledad and the rest of this section) that had its own storyline, which would explain this separate Queen appearance.

[Sat42]

Queen was probably not going to be fought, just encountered.

Leo told me that it was rumored that Epic kept changing ideas back in 1997 about the game plan and that they possibly had in store another shareware version of the game with cut maps (probably with Soledad and the rest of this section) that had its own storyline, which would explain this separate Queen appearance.

Ah, right, yes this would sound more reasonable - by the way, that's really so-90s isn't it, the idea of shareware versions featuring prominently in the gaming scene? Besides similar formulas with MMOs* today this kind of marketing strategy has disappeared.

Even demos are getting rare. (Maybe it's partially due to the abundance of info such as videos online, but well...)

EDIT:
*not really comparable, too many different market strategies

[YappieChappie]

Soledad was supposed to have an actual Queen fight in the last area. There's an event tag named "queef" (queen fight).

I'm having trouble picturing this.. by 'the last area', do you mean this area with the purple river/cave entrance in the middle? A queen can definitely fit in there but.. but I couldn't imagine a whole fight.

[Sat42]

Soledad was supposed to have an actual Queen fight in the last area. There's an event tag named "queef" (queen fight).

I'm having trouble picturing this.. by 'the last area', do you mean this area with the purple river/cave entrance in the middle? A queen can definitely fit in there but.. but I couldn't imagine a whole fight.

The potential issue with space is solved here (UB clarified his previous post):

Queen was probably not going to be fought, just encountered.

Leo told me that it was rumored that Epic kept changing ideas back in 1997 about the game plan and that they possibly had in store another shareware version of the game with cut maps (probably with Soledad and the rest of this section) that had its own storyline, which would explain this separate Queen appearance.

[UB_]

Yeah that last area - just on the opposite side of the river.
Also that area was supposed to contain one of those collectible Artifacts instead of the DP Powerup.

[UB_]

Added some stuff at the end of Soledad regarding the last area.

Bluff Eversmoking (Bluff.unr)

• Bluff Eversmoking was codenamed as "Skaarj Fortress 1", with the Underflow being "Skaarj Fortress 2".
• suspense.umx, the track that was used for Aztec, was also used at first for Bluff Eversmoking. After CliffyB got fed up of suspense being used way too much, the real Bluff theme got made - and this is why it resembles suspense, as MVDB did borrow the synths that Brandon himself created.
  There are two Bluff themes: Newmca13 and EverSmoke.umx. The first and earlier theme has as the second songsection an edited and more action-oriented version of the first one; Newmca13 is eventually discarded (but left in the files) for EverSmoke in the final version of Bluff, which has the overly dramatic track as the second songsection heard when you enter the sewer/prison zone. This was done due to the direction change of Bluff for being more related to the ongoing subplot in here rather than the mindless shooting.
• The Kira subplot which started in the Sunspire ends in this map.
• On Hard and Unreal difficulties, the last useful Dispersion Pistol PowerUp is found there. On lower difficulties, the DP reaches its highest potential already in Velora Pass due to the DP PowerUp appearing in Na Pali Haven (the only one in the game that's difficulty filtered).
• This map contains the infamous crucified Nali on the far out mountains that, when gibbed, casts down a thunderbolt in front of the entrance to the monastery courtyard, spawning a Super Health Pack. This thunderbolt can damage or outright KILL you if you're close to the spawning point, so be careful. If your health is already 200, running through the Super Health Pack will always trigger the thunderbolt sound.
• The lake was originally blue-colored.
• The lake originally had a group of Biterfish, two big Devilfish and a Squid. All below the cave dock.
• Bluff is the only map in the game to have the "ghost" Nali. They're practically regular ones except having a Translucent mesh and various collision values being off so actors can pass through them.
• Bluff Eversmoking was named like this because it "is a reflection of the environment the player encounters". Its concept was the location being surrounded by a dense fog (used to hide the "low-polyness" of the map); the Nali stronghold on the peak was 1000 years old and was going to have a medieval gothic style to it. Overall, the map was planned to look very much dark and foreboding compared to the one it eventually became - literally "GOTHIC HORROR" style as the level notes mention; something you would see from a classic pirate location.
• Bluff was one of the three major palaces of the Nali civilization, alongside Triton and Velora. The place was built in a semi-corrupt era of Nali history and was ruled by a Nali named Lord Divinus. Bluff served as a gateway for a system of underground rivers that Nali used for trading and communication; underground rivers were used because Na Pali's aerial weather was too unstable. Access from or to Bluff was done throughout a large river cave.
  During the religious reformation period, the Nali broke free from the greed and power hungry system of the older years and formed a new more intelligent line of thinking focused on learning and knowledge and spirituality. Lord Divinus was ousted by the Nali and the castle on Bluff Eversmoking was modified to become more of a Haven rather than a military outpost.
  Then eventually the Skaarj came, took control of Bluff in a single day and turned it into a massive outpost of theirs.
• Bluff's early concept was divided in three parts: the outdoor lake terrain (you would start there, swimming to the shore), the whole Bluff palace itself and then the underground river harbor. It was overall way different back then and the map was going to be much more difficult with patrolling Skaarj everywhere. Combat was the main feature.
• Bluff's fortress was supposed to have a Skaarj leader inside, probably a Warlord which would flee away in the underground harbor once spotted.
• Level notes mention that Skaarj communicated with the Queen throughout their computer equipment. This meant that the Queen in reality was the lead of the Skaarj operations in the planet, not just the Warlord, and she could also talk telepathically to electronic devices.
• In Bluff's concept stage, Prisoner 849 exited the map through a cave, with a boat, leading to Skaarj Fortress 2 aka the Underflow.

[Preki]

I've always thought this lightning effect was just for decoration. Just checked it out, I got blasted right into the lake

[UB_]

Dasa Mountain Pass (DasaPass.unr)

• In early versions of Unreal, Dasa Pass and Dasa Cellars were a single map, known as just DASA (The Dasa Pass). They were separated due to performance issues.
• What Dasa ever means in Na Pali is unknown. The name comes from ancient Hindu texts and it means several things: servant, enemy, demon.
• Dasa didn't have the entrance storage area at first. The connection from Bluff was just a simple narrow pathway ending up in the pass itself, through a hole in the mountain - meaning the Pass wasn't connected to exactly nothing except this awkward hole.
• The infamous moving drawbridge is known for insta-killing players when touching parts of it while it moves. This is due to the mover crushing physics.
• No matter what, you die if you touch the bottom of the hole unless you're in God mode. Enemies also die as well if they go there. This is due to a 1000 HP-per-second damaging Zone Info.
• The Krall resting area (the ones that contain the Krall books) have a hole in the ceiling in each room. Halfway through these holes you see green lights; these are leftovers because in the early versions of the map there were breakable green glass windows next to the lights.
• It's highly assumed that the Dasa section is the ultimate result of the Underflow concept, with Bluff being continuously modified in the meanwhile.
  
  • Bluff Eversmoking is codenamed SKAARJ FORTRESS 1, Underflow is codenamed SKAARJ FORTRESS 2. Dasa comes after Bluff.
  • Dasa and Underflow share the same concept of being a Skaarj/Krall infested place with the location being used to ship equipment to the MotherShip.
  • Underflow was going to have a fortress part too after the cave area. Just like how you go to the cellars from the mountain pass.
  • Underflow ended with P849 falling in a stream which pushes her to the next map. Early versions of Dasa Cellars had the map ending with P849 falling in the water hole found in the middle of the last area (which had lava in the final version instead), where she ends up in the Serpent Canyon's river.

Cellars at Dasa Pass (DasaCellars.unr)

• In early versions of Unreal, Dasa Pass and Dasa Cellars were a single map, known as just DASA (The Dasa Pass). They were separated due to performance issues.
• Dasa Cellars is infamous for being the only major Unreal retail map without translator messages, with the level itself mainly focusing on the combat gameplay and secret areas. It's also known for three big ambush battles where you fight in each a large amount of spawning Krall.
• Another Stone Titan appears in this map. As you would expect, he's as strong as a regular Titan. He gets heavily distracted by the Krall, to make up for the difficulty of fighting him in such a small area. However, you don't need to kill him - the secret button is readily available to press.
• Not even the second Krall slaughterfest event is mandatory (it's an optional area also!) - just go to the second floor, press the lever, done.
• The third Krall slaughterfest event is instead mandatory. You need to kill 14 Krall to open the doors. The Skaarj Berserker alcove in the next corridor opens immediately when the nearby Brute dies.
• Before the area with the third Krall ambush section, you notice a closed room with an elevator in it. This is a coop-only passage that's accessible when the bars to the Krall area block the staircase entrance, so other coop players can jump in (the coop passage lets you skip these closed bars).
• The infamous "bash your head to the torch" secret to open the bars to the sewer lever was much easier in the Unreal 1998 beta version of Dasa - it was simply opened by a ground button hidden in the third Krall ambush area.
• The Behemoths first appear in this map.
• The last area contains a hole in the middle, leading to a lava pool. You can accidentally fall through the bars. In reality, this is a weird leftover from the early version of the map, where the hole was filled of water instead and you HAD to fall in it as the exit teleport was there. You would end up in the next map directly in the river cave (no dock whatsoever) - see Dasa Pass trivia above for the possible reason.