DM Story and wad overview

[Hellbent]

r and I just finished an intense 1on1 match in la55d.wad, a dm map I made recently which just appeared in /newstuff that left me physically exhausted and and emotionally energized. The game just got better and better as we kept playing. The end result was a 130 to 100 frag tango.

The wad strikes an interesting balance of shelter and a sense of security and imminent danger. You never feel terribly exposed, on the other hand, you don't feel like you can stay in any one place too long without being punished for it. That isn't to say it's not possible to camp, but it's not necessarily a strategy that will put you on top.

After getting off to a shaky start, not sure how to handle the level, constantly getting flustered and feeling at a loss as to what strategy in which to approach the level, I eventually settled into the saddle as it were, and found myself digging a comfortable groove out of the seeming chaos. In the end it's pretty simple what you need to do. Keep moving and keep him guessing as to where you're running off to or from where you are going to attack, and try not to let the fairly exposed teleports on the middle section foul you up. But what it really boils down to is quick wits, steel hard nerves and lightning fast reflexes to own this map.

This symmetrical map can be broken down into 3 levels. The bottom level is a medium/small room of normal shape and has two small nooks accessible by two large doors with the two nooks facing the center hallway also on the main level visible through two windows (the main hallway isn't where all the action necessarily takes place). There isn't really any one part of the wad that had the most action - maybe a small bias to the top level.) Steep steps on either end of the lower level room take you up to the middle level, which is the most exposed and precarious place to linger. On either end of the hallway two teleports serve as alternate routes or shortcuts up onto the middle section which basically consists of two platforms on either end of the level acting as a segway between the lower level and the top level. The top level is similarly shaped to the bottom level, with two nooks on either end, one which houses the rocket launcher. The plasma is in the center of the map up some more steps facing the main hallway, where, way up high it's a long drop back down into the center hallway. I imagine in a 3 or 4 way map the fun and intensity will be magnified considerably before utter chaos will make play unreasonable, although I haven't tested it yet. There is no armor to be found, which I find serves to keep the action fresh and intense. Ammo and health are well placed, dispersed evenly throughout the map.

A BFG version may be in the works, although I think such an inclusion could break the delicately built, albeit controlled chaos.

If you would like to watch the demo, email me and I'd be happy to share.

It doesn't start to get interesting until about 40 frags in, as it took awhile for the give and take dance of deathmatch to kick into full swing.

[Hellbent]

...but I just cooked up two more winning maps with the same winning la55d layout.

Rellik was nice enough to texture la55d. I hoping he's gonna like these other two maps I just sent him enough to texture them as well.

Stay tuned boober snaps!