This is a duel map by DevMapAll[C]. It's titled "The Crack of Doom" because it attempts to recreate the inner depths and workings of J.R.R. Tolkien's Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings. The map consists of a large inverted funnel, two outcroppings midway down, and a sea of magma with beaches of rock.
I can see where the DevMapAll was going with this, but I think there's just a few too many issues for me to keep this map. First, the skybox that is visible through the entrance(s) of the volcano is a bright blue sky drifting over sandy stone. It ruins the ambience of the map, and from what I've read in the books and seen in the movie, is definitely not typical of Mordor. Another issue is the misaligned brushes at the side entrance. The edges of the curves do not coincide, not an easy thing to do for even an experienced mapper. From a design standpoint, the repeating textures of the walls make it seem fake. Try adding some stalactites or outgrowths on the walls and around the mouth. Finally, falling into the molten lava has an interesting phenomenon. When you float down, your surroundings become a surreal noclip product. I don't know if this is a bug with the map, or a game issue. Not really a problem, but there are ways to avoid it, like encasing the lava brush with rock-textured brushes.
Now that I've totally rained on his parade, let me bring out the sun. I'm extremely impressed that there are bot routes here. Wow! This is very rare to see in maps submitted to us. Dev has also included one of the soundtracks ("The End of All Things") from the movie. The prominent strings and choral background in the song set a good ambience.
IMO, to make this an uber map: fix the few bugs, get a darker and more ominous skybox (look through the JK2 skyboxes if JA doesn't have one), add some detail to the inside of the walls, and put some spewing lava effects (fx_runner) and motion to the magma. Do with you want with my picky advice, but either way, keep the work coming. I look forward to an update. :)
Technical Data:
Pros: 1. Botroutes! 2. Good music choice.
Cons: 1. Bad skybox choice. 2. Brush gaps. 3. Simplistic and geometric design.
Rating: 4/10
Bot Support: Yes New Textures: No New Sounds/Music: Yes Game Types: Duel, PowerDuel
JEDIofONE :mepimp:
1/31/04 ================================================================ Map Name : The Crack of Doom Author : <EJK>DevMapAll[C] Email Address : [email protected] Website URL : nope Map description : This is based on the inside of Mount Doom from LOTR. This is based on the movie mostly, except for the name, because in the book they call it the Crack of Doom Other info : Um...nope Additional Credits to : nope Thanks to : The JK2/3files.com Botrouting tutorial. ================================================================ * Play Information * New Sounds : No New Skins : ah....no New Objects : nadda Gametypes : duel/powerduel Software used : GTKRadiant 1.4.0, MSPaint Known Bugs : uh...let me know...thanks Build Time : couple of days * How to use this map * Drop the duel_crackofdoom .pk3 into your base folder like always, and its available with all the other MP maps (in duel/powerduel only) * Copyright / Permissions * THIS LEVEL IS NOT MADE, DISTRIBUTED, OR SUPPORTED BY LUCASARTS ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LLC. ELEMENTS TM & © LUCASARTS ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LLC AND/OR ITS LICENSORS.
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