Karrdes Lair 2008

Description
Well, what a way to start. My first review, and I approved a file to the site with the original description in it AND I didn't have a review ready to paste in......I have a bright future ahead of me. Sorry about that, guys. XD

I actually liked this map a lot. The setting is either sea-side or lake-side, I can't decide which. Seeing the huge hills next to the water made me wonder how in the world it all got there. I really can't think of words to describe the environment very thoroughly. Anyhow, there are several buildings just offshore. They are old, and many areas have deteriorated. The largest building seems to be built around a huge tree, which actually looked pretty awesome.

After starting the map, one of the first things I noticed was the pipes that are placed around the facility. Apparently, they carry an electric charge - watch out, it hurts! There are also explosive crates, steam vents that shoot you from rooftop to rooftop, and a cage with a rancor in it.

The weapon and item placement seemed pretty solid for a good FFA or CTF, although some of the guns were hidden quite far away from the map, encouraging sniper wars. There were many Ysalimiri and force items hidden as well.

Now for the "improvement" side of things. The author stated in the readme that he was finished with the map and included the source file. It's sort of a shame to hear that, because I see this map having some potential. The biggest problem, as you may have guessed, is the FPS. The map just under normal for the most part, but as soon as you look toward the big building, be ready for a big drop in FPS. Apparently, there is a camera inside the building that can see itself, so it sucks up fps like a sponge.

The other thing I didn't like was the music. The author used the music from a base JA ffa map, which I thought pulled some of the energy out of the map. There were also several unclipped staircases, but that's trivial.

I like the map, I really do. It's a shame that it won't be finished. Have at it, folks!


~Dretzel