CTF-Hover
The Massassi Temple » Levels/Mods » Jedi Knight CTF Level » CTF-Hover
Description
A small CTF level inspired by several Tribes CTF maps, it is meant for 2-4 players in a no force setting. CTF - Hover is a high-scoring and fast-paced rumble set high above the ground, so hardcore gunners won't be dissappointed. This level is made entirely with 16-bit mats, so a compatible video card is required.
Screenshots
Level Info:
Ratings:
3D Preview
User Comments:
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3D Preview developed by Stephan Reiter
* Texturing
* Architecture
* Jump Pads & Elevators
* New Scoreboard Font
* One Concussion Rifle
Bad:
* Lighting - Too Dark
* Incorrect Surface Flags
* Ammunition
Advice:
Due to the small size of the level, it's good that you only put in 1 Concussion Rifle. I would recommend putting in 1 Vest in the center somewhere as well though. This would add a bit of control strategy to the level. Also, you never want to put the Concussion Rifle ammo anywhere near the gun itself. It becomes a bit too easy to control. Put the Concussion Rifle ammo far away from the base, and ammo that is useless to the Concussion Rifle, around it. This will keep players from camping on it.
The jump-pads and elevators were a nice touch. I would recommend speeding up the elevators to give the player enough speed momentum to jump up to the roof of the base. The roofs in the level are relatively low and it wouldn't be too difficult to kill a roof camper in this level.
Is there a bit of the level that is made from 3do? I've noticed that when I rail jump/mine jump to the flag roof, sometimes the columns dissapear. That's a relatively small glitch though.
Also, I noticed that you didn't flag the top of the scoreboards in each base. You may want to do that so people can stand on them. There is also an incorrect surface flag on the top of the beams on the roof of the center building.
The level is a bit too dark for my taste, and that's not always bad (example: vents in Nar Shaddaa Loading Terminal), but what is bad is when there is no Fieldlight/IR Goggles in the level to aid a player. I would defintely recommend that much.
Overall, this is a decent CTF level, I give it a 6. It's a bit small for my taste, but the basics are there. Hopefully the snazzy textures and jump-pads will interest even more players in CTF. I hope to see you do more CTF levels for JK in the future. Good luck.
-You aren't supposed to be able to go up to the areas you mentioned that caused HOM. I put so much detail in the level that from high up top, well more than 200 surfaces are visible, which is why I did not recommend using force powers, and also why I didn't add any force-type items.
You'll also notice that there aren't any powerups in those areas... the only reason you'd go up there is to camp.
-The reason the scoreboard isn't flagged is because I didn't want people camping on it, and I actually meant to put a kill surface on it.
-The lighting isn't too dark, it's actually too bright. If you go out in the country, far enough away where city lights don't light up the sky, you'll see that it's almost pitch black out. My level is only partially dark in the middle of the center base, which it should be from the natural lighting... it also allows you to place mines which are almost undetectable.
-The conc rifle and ammo placement was changed through trial and error. I found that the powercells placed by the ledge made anyone trying to get them extremely vulnerable, and placing the ammo in the base or on the bridge just caused people to camp. There wasn't a better place in the map to put it.
As far as the shield thing goes... the map is extremely small and meant to have a high score count. If I placed all that crud on the map, it would just be a race to the powerups instead of the flag.
While I thank you for all the suggestions, I will not be doing another CTF map in JK. The engine is simply too limited for the amount of detail I like to use.
I re-read the readme and don't think that I overlooked/misunderstood anything.
"You aren't supposed to be able to go up to the areas you mentioned that caused HOM."
Rail Jumping, Concussion Jumping, and Mine Jumping are used quite frequently by JK CTF players. Most serious CTFers don't play JK CTF with Force Powers, but that doesn't stop us from reaching the roofs of ever level. If you don't want people using the roofs, you may want to block them off with impassable surfaces.
"You'll also notice that there aren't any powerups in those areas... the only reason you'd go up there is to camp."
"The reason the scoreboard isn't flagged is because I didn't want people camping on it, and I actually meant to put a kill surface on it."
Agreed, but what you're missing is that in JK CTF, camping is considered very strategic, unlike with more modern games.
"If you go out in the country, far enough away where city lights don't light up the sky, you'll see that it's almost pitch black out."
I live in a rural area surrounded by farms and when there is a moon as bright as the one in your level, it's at least as bright. When I said that your level is too dark, I didn't mean that the lighting quality was poor. I mean that making such a dark level with no way to powerup your fieldlight, is a bad idea. It's dark enough to where you bump into walls trying to find your way around in the center.
"As far as the shield thing goes... the map is extremely small and meant to have a high score count. If I placed all that crud on the map, it would just be a race to the powerups instead of the flag."
That's understandable, but remember that in CTF, people are going to go for the flag, whether they have the vest or not...at least those that are trying to win. There isn't enough health/armor in the level for defense to stay alive. This makes for some odd gameplay. Instead of a race for the vest, it's just a race for the Concussion Rifle. If you were to put in a Powerboost and/or a Vest, it would balance out the fact that both teams won't have the Concussion Rifle at some times, but they will still have the means to kill the Concussion Rifle holder as easily as he can kill them, as long as they control 1 or more of the other powerups.
"While I thank you for all the suggestions, I will not be doing another CTF map in JK."
Sorry to hear that. JK CTF has a depth that very few other games have been able to achieve.
"The engine is simply too limited for the amount of detail I like to use."
Agreed. I'm having the same problem with my CTF map. I've been working on it on and off for quite some time, but it's difficult to come up with things that I like, with so many limitations. Hopefully one day, someone will come out with a game that has 1/2 the good gameplay as JK, so I can start editing it, but until then...
AESTHETICS
Architecture:
Blood Asp surely had a dream-and-a-half to create what he has created. This structure remotely resembles a palace from the front, if anything...but that resemblance is destroyed by the onslaught of other architectural characteristics. Although there are many sharp corners, there are no real boxes to be spoken of, except possibly the gigantic sky sector in which the floating..hrm..palace thingy is located. I got hints that it was a giant box when looking down as I fell, noting the changes of perspective. No big issue, certainly.
Texturing:
CTF-Hover uses 16-bit mats, and good ones, at that. Among these are darkened, stone..hrm..palace thingy walls, and yellow-and-black striped "warning" textures to warn players to stay away from the edges. Blood Asp pays great attention to detail.
Lighting:
Areas of CTF-Hover are darkened to a degree that makes a player feel uncomfortable. The way I look at that is this: eating broccoli can make you feel uncomfortable, but after you finish, you know you've had a full meal...just another food analogy to add to my arsenal. There are areas in which players will not be able to see other players, and even areas where players will not be able to see much at all! The darkness looks good though. The lighting has been artfully done.
Dynamics:
We've got bounce pads, and CTF modifications. Personally, I would have liked to see more from such a mind-opening environment. Maybe some random sounds here and there, maybe a soundtrack? With such heavy modification in aesthetics, I was left with a desire to see some innovative cog action here and there. Bounce pads were nice, though.
GAMEPLAY
Item Placement:
I did not count many weapons around this level...which is logical, perhaps, considering its size. I'll make whatever point I can by saying this: you can never find a thermal detonator when you want one. I thought item location was very careful and thoughtful. Nothing appeared to be haphazardly thrown in. The placement alters how players plan to attack, among the many plays the level has on people. How awkward it is when creatures of habit are introduced, even slowly, to a new environment!
Flow:
Darkness can get a bit freaky at times. The level isn't extremely tough to navigate around. It is truly the gameplay that makes this level come to life. The action may be stunted quite a bit at times, but it still holds together.
Playability:
Slower machines, such as mine (until the other machine is internet-capable), will suffer. Running at 600x800 screen resolution at size 6, I was able to run through the level at a comfortable speed, although I don't particularly like playing at 13 frames per second. Again, the map uses 16-bit mats, which excludes the non-equipped from really playing through it. Dethroning the conc king could be difficult indeed, which illustrates how unstable gameplay could be.
OTHER
The map really should be played with no force...force may actually make it harder to maneuver.
Misflagged surfaces, and disappearing glitch.
Final comments:
Blood Asp shows us a new angle of JK editing — something I always love to see. This time, we see that atmosphere can be twisted into forms of man's darkest, surrealistic fantasies. It is a lesson that projects should not be limited to any bounds of imagination, but rather, they should experiment with hitherto unexplored realms of the subconscious, at all opportunities.
Your work yet again confirms that the JK editing community is not lost. Thank you.