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Duke Nukem Boards => Classic Duke 3D => Topic started by: Forge on 08 December 2011, 16:29:29

Title: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 08 December 2011, 16:29:29
Welcome to Come Get Some.

This site is recently opened and getting off the ground. While our grand administrator, Puritan, works hard on getting a data base put together and adding content to the site, we welcome our members to submit reviews for excellent maps and mods that they feel deserve some attention, recognition, and would like to see hosted.

Puritan's intent is to host as many excellent releases as possible.

Feel free to submit a review for your favorite maps and mods here in this topic. All that is required is a write up describing the map/mod, six(preferably) or more screen shots, and a link to the file. If you want to submit a review, but would rather not post up in this thread, e-mail your submission to Puritan at    Administrator@scent-88.com or myself at forge@scent-88.com  Even if doing reviews is not your thing, providing solid suggestions and recommendations will contribute to future content.

***


Important!



A submitted map and/or review uploaded here will not be changed whatsoever.
Be absolutely sure that the map/review is done before releasing it.


Puritan
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 13 January 2012, 05:18:05
Thanks for Earth Base review, btw!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: EmericaSkater on 13 January 2012, 18:06:32
Here's a review for Duke 12:12. Sorry it took so long. I actually wrote one a week ago, but I was basing it off the half-run I did of it back a few months ago, and I just didn't feel it was up to the same standard as the other two I wrote, so I replayed the map, beat it, and cranked this out this morning.

Quote
AT A GLANCE:

Duke 12:12 is the sequel to Forge's predating map Duke 6:8. I haven't gotten the chance to play the latter, but I'm finding myself wanting to check it out now that I've given this thoroughly badass map a complete run through. Give it a shot and you probably will, too.

THE GOOD:

This is one of those maps that, in strict terms of progression, plays relatively linear, but feels nonlinear thanks to the general layout, the huge, open spaces and the creative use of background scenery. For the most part, progression itself is a pretty straight-forward keycard hunt (controlled for the first set, whereas the second set's scattered throughout map's main "mall" hub).
Spritework was the main emphasis for this map and it's done extraordinarily well. Sprites constitute entire floor plans of some buildings and you honestly wouldn't know that just by looking at them; it's all done near-flawlessly. This doesn't, however, mean Forge limited the spritework to level architecture, as it's also put to clever use for simple decoration. The inside of a mechanic's shop in the beginning of the map is a good example of this, where just a few sprites are used to make suspended winches and other neat things, showing an imagination few other mappers (myself included) manage to achieve.
Gameplay is solid too, with there being a decent (thin at first, but stronger later) ammo/enemy ratio, and plenty of health. The open spaces that comprise much of the map make for some fun firefights, and it all culminates in a brilliantly designed boss-fight with a Cycloid Emperor in a bombed-out chunk of urban environment.

THE BAD:

Duke 12:12 ought to tickle everyone's fancy. There's very little you could logically complain about in terms of gameplay, but there are a few things worth noting. The spritework (decorative, at least) tends to be a bit of an obstruction in the areas outside of the mall, both for the player and the badguys. Ordinarily this would be fine, but there are a ton of hitscan enemies here, and they can wear you down pretty fast while getting conveniently hung up behind phonebooths, parkbenches, etc. One memorable instance was a fat commander that drifted up behind me while I was trying to untangle myself from some palm-trees, fired a rocket and wound up blowing us both to pieces (while creating a nice bonfire out of the trees).
Apart from this, there are a few masked walls that should've been given an extra hitscan flag. One of these areas is in the map's strip-club. After catching the attention of a few octabrains, I ran into an adjacent office, thinking I could get some cover there, and a window in the office wall would help me figure out a safe way to exit and attack them. Imagine my surprise when the octabrains floated up to the window and passed right through it. Live and learn, I guess.

THE UGLY:

Forge said that this map wasn't technically complete, which seems crazy when you think of the overall design, the well-executed placement of enemies, and the fact that beating the map took almost everyone that played it at least half an hour. Nevertheless, after completing the map's last keycard hunt and entering an EDF base, you'll see scant traces of what he's talking about. Design takes a bit of a backseat here, with bland, squarish rooms, weak lighting and not much attention to trimwork, but it all picks right back up when you reach the final area of the map. It's recommended that this map be played in 32 bit. Software causes some clipping issues with the spritework (on my end, anyway).

SCORE: 95

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 13 January 2012, 18:24:50
Thank you, EmericaSkater  ;)


A review of my likings.
Uploaded.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 12 February 2012, 02:24:36
Can someone review this: It's all the maps for the 1.5 hour mapping project. 10 short maps in total, averaging about 3 minutes of gameplay. Two or three lines per map would be nice. Drop the folder in your eduke32 directory and follow the instructions in the "ACTUALLY READ ME" for best install.

Here's the file: http://www.sendspace.com/file/wkx021
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 12 February 2012, 10:21:05
It's now uploaded with a pending review  ;)

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 19 February 2012, 18:52:29
1.5 hour mapping project

A collection of ten small maps made by various authors under the restrictions of two rules: make it in one and a half hour or less, and use the basic Duke 1.4 textures.

The collection consists of multiple themes and features different types of game play. Locations may range from city street, military base, canyon, space station, mines and caves, rooftops and other urban locations. Game play can be straight forward combat, boss fight, or puzzle solving.

Map quality also depends on the author and what areas they chose to focus on. Some maps have strong architecture and are very well textured, others have prominent trimwork and a bit of detailing, some are fairly basic looking, but have a stronger emphasis on game play, while others have a little bit of everything.

Due to time constraints during the build, these maps are incredibly short and most can be finished in a few minutes. They were made as a personal challenge to their capabilities to be able to make a decent, playable map under a very crippling restriction. Design for several does suffer, but they are mostly pretty fun little levels well worth the time to run through them all.

Texturing/Lighting-Shading: 7/10
Sprite Work/Detailing: 7/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Architecture: 16/20
Layout: 16/20
Gameplay/Design: 27/30 (+5)
Overall: 85/100
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 19 February 2012, 20:08:45
Great!
Review uploaded and also with a new feature; A download counter  8)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 20 February 2012, 05:37:49
Thanks Forge  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 20 February 2012, 11:04:57
my pleasure.

I understand you may have wanted a little said about each individual map, but due to quality variations, I felt it would do the project more justice to cover it as an entire package
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 20 February 2012, 12:19:56
Mikko's review had a tid bit on each map, I guess that's another benefit of having two independant reviewers who know their stuff. I liked the way you described the variety and how different authors focused on different aspects though, which is an important thing for the player to understand, especially if they're not mappers.

I submitted a news article on the CBP linking to both your reviews, since there hasn't been any news at Duke4.net for a while.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 11 March 2012, 00:59:30
We've broken the 200 mark for maps in the data base.

Approximately 358 (+any new releases) to go
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 11 March 2012, 02:06:40
That's a fairly specific number. What maps are you putting into the database? All the maps from the Repository, or perhaps all the maps from the repository above a certain score?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 11 March 2012, 02:24:39
That's how many maps I have left in my temp & cue directories. I do believe 99% are from DN-R. The rest would be items that weren't hosted there for one reason or another (too big or never uploaded - mostly small TC's and episodes)


Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 11 March 2012, 19:53:09
Back Alley http://msdn.duke4.net/hotballey.php was never put on DN-R no matter how many times I asked

I might do a review of it if you're okay with that
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 11 March 2012, 19:57:45
Please, go ahead  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 11 March 2012, 20:11:38
Quote from: methy on  11 March 2012, 19:53:09
Back Alley http://msdn.duke4.net/hotballey.php was never put on DN-R no matter how many times I asked

I might do a review of it if you're okay with that

If you don't I can do it after I'm done with BNW. I do take requests.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 11 March 2012, 23:14:27
Sure go ahead, I already know my opinion on this map so I'd like to see someone else's

plus I have this short simple map in such high regard i might overrate it with your site's standards
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 12 March 2012, 01:14:05
Would you be willing to review my second map Libraryl?  ???
It's not a polymer map even though it has polymer lights, but it is designed for the HRP.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 12 March 2012, 02:03:03
Quote from: methy on  11 March 2012, 23:14:27
Sure go ahead, I already know my opinion on this map so I'd like to see someone else's

plus I have this short simple map in such high regard i might overrate it with your site's standards

I've played it enough times I can score it now

Texturing/Lighting-Shading: 10/10
Sprite Work/Detailing: 10/10
Ambiance: 10/10
Architecture: 19/20
Layout: 20/20
Gameplay/Design: 28/30
Overall: 97/100

But I'd like to play it again to get a better write-up and verify my initial rating

edit:done

Quote from: Micky C on  12 March 2012, 01:14:05
Would you be willing to review my second map Libraryl?  ???
It's not a polymer map even though it has polymer lights, but it is designed for the HRP.


I can do this one as well.

edit: done, though exactly the most glamorous of reviews  :P
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 12 March 2012, 20:16:10
97 holy shit! Glad to see I'm finally not the only one to like this map so much, I was starting to feel weird
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Trooper Dan on 13 March 2012, 01:48:16
Quote from: methy on  12 March 2012, 20:16:10
97 holy shit! Glad to see I'm finally not the only one to like this map so much, I was starting to feel weird

I like the map too, but 97 seems high for a map that short.  I mean what if someone makes a map with rooms of the same quality but it is twice as big?  Do you give it the same score?  Seems to me that length should count for something.  Having said that, yes it is a good map and I actually don't know what score I would give it.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 13 March 2012, 03:04:26
As far as the quality is concerned, it's just slightly better than E1L1. Where balley picks up it's points compared to the original is that the game play is significantly more balanced as far as the weapons/supplies to enemy ratio.

Length to me wasn't that big of a concern. It's not that much shorter than E1L1 and it's a fully playable level.

I'm open minded and if you can provide a persuasive reason why I should change the score, I will.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Trooper Dan on 13 March 2012, 03:50:24
Quote from: Forge on  13 March 2012, 03:04:26
I'm open minded and if you can provide a persuasive reason why I should change the score, I will.

I'm not really trying to get you to change your score, I'm just thinking philosophically about the implications of giving a score that high to a map that small.  Consider the following thought experiment.  Imagine that the map author comes forward with a longer version of the same map.  It starts the same way but when it gets to the current ending, it keeps going, and the new version is 3 times as long, with the same quality throughout.  And he says that the release of the earlier version was a mistake -- he intended to release the longer version all along and it has been sitting on his hard drive for years.  What score does the long version deserve?  Since you gave a 97 to the short version, you can give the longer version --which has same quality of design and 3 times the gameplay-- at most 3 points more.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 13 March 2012, 04:17:46
That significant of a change in design and amount of game play would increase the gameplay/design score. The map would receive a 98 or 99, as long as the game play balance remained consistent.

If the map is longer and the quality of all things are equal, but the balance gets skewed, then the score wouldn't change or it might even go down, depending on how bad it gets.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 13 March 2012, 05:00:51
I remember Mikko also complaining about the length of the map. To me it's not a problem, I think the map is perfect as it is. There is no big ending or big boss at the end, but that's the point; this map was made as if it was E1L1 or E1L2. It would fit perfectly at the start of Metropolitan Mayhem for example. That is my point.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Mister Sinister on 13 March 2012, 08:28:32
Hey, Forge, could you please review my old episode, Bad Weekend?
http://msdn.duke4.net/hotbadweekend.php
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 13 March 2012, 11:31:36
Quote from: methy on  13 March 2012, 05:00:51
I remember Mikko also complaining about the length of the map. To me it's not a problem, I think the map is perfect as it is. There is no big ending or big boss at the end, but that's the point; this map was made as if it was E1L1 or E1L2. It would fit perfectly at the start of Metropolitan Mayhem for example. That is my point.

It's a perfect map for what it is, an archetype of a good map, but it's not a great map. There's no way this map belongs in the 95th-98th percentile of Hot Maps as a rating of 97 would suggest. That'd be ludicrous.

Also, compared to E1L1, the map is just too generic and narrow to be a memorable experience like E1L1.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 13 March 2012, 14:53:04
Quote from: Mister Sinister on  13 March 2012, 08:28:32
Hey, Forge, could you please review my old episode, Bad Weekend?
http://msdn.duke4.net/hotbadweekend.php

I'll have to discuss this with my boss. He gave me a file size cap and your project (at 32Mb) is over it.

Quote from: MSandt on  13 March 2012, 11:31:36
Quote from: methy on  13 March 2012, 05:00:51
I remember Mikko also complaining about the length of the map. To me it's not a problem, I think the map is perfect as it is. There is no big ending or big boss at the end, but that's the point; this map was made as if it was E1L1 or E1L2. It would fit perfectly at the start of Metropolitan Mayhem for example. That is my point.

It's a perfect map for what it is, an archetype of a good map, but it's not a great map. There's no way this map belongs in the 95th-98th percentile of Hot Maps as a rating of 97 would suggest. That'd be ludicrous.

Also, compared to E1L1, the map is just too generic and narrow to be a memorable experience like E1L1.

I can concede that I over rated the map, but I feel you under rated it at 86

After further consideration and the proper amount of sleep, I'm changing the score to 93
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 13 March 2012, 19:03:59
Quote from: Forge on  13 March 2012, 14:53:04
Quote from: Mister Sinister on  13 March 2012, 08:28:32
Hey, Forge, could you please review my old episode, Bad Weekend?
http://msdn.duke4.net/hotbadweekend.php

I'll have to discuss this with my boss. He gave me a file size cap and your project (at 32Mb) is over it.

Request approved. I may not get to it immediately, but I will as my schedule and health allow.  (medical appointments and participation in a cbp are already planned)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MikeNorvak on 14 March 2012, 21:31:16
I think Gambini should review Crimson Moon, since he didn't take part of the project and his reviews are pleasing to read...
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 14 March 2012, 22:26:03
Yeah, I played with the thought to write a review for Crimson moon, but I also contributed to that map, so it wouldn't be very objective.. Gambini would be perfect.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 15 March 2012, 00:30:49
I´m glad you liked those reviews guys. But I´m not really interested on writting so many of them. Also (and hoping to not disappoint you) I didn´t like too much Crimson Moon nor Suburban hive, so fixing my rating for another site would be awkward.

BTW Forge: Wasnt you who reviewed Blown Fuses and Project Zero at DNR? what stops you from copy/pasting them here?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 15 March 2012, 00:52:39
I reviewed all those maps on my todo list at DN-R. Nothing stops me from copying them to here, but I still have to play them for the screen shots. (and I'd like to verify the score I gave them)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 19 March 2012, 12:57:12
    Project:                                                                         Status:                                             Required
    spaceship to fix (DM)                                                        hosted                                           write-up & score   
    Doomed duel(DM)                                                             hosted                                           write-up & score
    Suburban Hive (cbp)                                                         hosted                                           write-up & score
    Surburban Hive II : Crimson Moon (cbp)                                hosted                                           write-up & score

i don't play DM, I don't review cbp maps I've participated in. if you have the bug, feel free to submit a review for these hosted projects

todo:

    Project:                                                                         Status:                                             Required
    Random Map Selection                                                      in que                                          complete review 

                                                                         
   
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 21 March 2012, 00:40:54
heh Mortum got one of the lowest ratings of this site. I know it isn´t very good but c´mon!  ;D

My surprise comes mostly by the reasons of that rating. Shading 6/10? Spritework/detailing 6/10? There are some design aberrations that got a couple of points above in those departments.

Well, is not like I´m asking for a revision but just found that rather... interesting.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Trooper Dan on 21 March 2012, 01:03:22
I remember playing that a few years ago.  I haven't played it since, so my memory might be failing me, but I remember it looking pretty good.  The gameplay was average and it was short, but I would give it at least an 85.  Maybe I'll play it again to check.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Trooper Dan on 21 March 2012, 01:24:00
I tried playing it.  It's a good looking map for the most part, but the gameplay is worse than I remember and it is very very cramped.  Also a funny thing happened.  I saved the game after getting the red keycard right before a big explosion that kills me.  When I load the game I can see a view screen that says "Just Run!" for about .01 second, then I die.

Expect double posting on this site until more edit time is allowed.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 21 March 2012, 15:04:02
Quote from: Gambini on  21 March 2012, 00:40:54
heh Mortum got one of the lowest ratings of this site. I know it isn´t very good but c´mon!  ;D

i replayed it to see what the disconnect is all about (Puritan played it to get the screen shots and used the old write up I gave him to get it hosted)

the lack of trimwork in the corners and/or the lack of shading (every wall had the same shade value) really hurt the depth perception. the only serious shading came from the few objects outside that threw shadows or where the lighting effects where used. But saying that, there's more lighting/shading effects, than I gave credit for the first time.

the detailing was better than i gave credit for

the map is alot more cramped than i remember

the constant behind the back spawns where more annoying than i remember

the layout is a little better than i originally credited

architecture is just a bit better than i gave credit for

original:

Texturing/Lighting-Shading: 6/10
Sprite Work/Detailing:6/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Architecture/Design: 16/20
Layout: 16/20
Gameplay/Difficulty: 26/30
Overall: 76/100.

new:

Texturing/Lighting-Shading: 7/10
Sprite Work/Detailing: 8/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Architecture: 17/20
Layout: 17/20
Gameplay/Design: 23/30
Overall: 79/100
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 21 March 2012, 15:10:24
Quote from: Forge on  21 March 2012, 15:04:02
...

the map is alot more cramped than i remember

the constant behind the back spawns where more annoying than i remember

...


That was exactly my thoughts too when I played it last night.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 21 March 2012, 21:58:37
New score added for Duke Nukem ex mortum  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 22 March 2012, 00:45:53
Being the Duke current situation as it is, Forge: I dare to say you played the map using polymost with a wrong shadescale. I don´t really want to push you to change the review but there´s actually a lot of lighting implemetation on this map, that´s the main factor of why it is so short. That I used a lot of sector shading and therefore ran out of resources quickly. I would accept it got a low rating because the crampdnes but the triming and detailing? Just to be sure, would you give a quick look to it in software mode to see if you still think that of the map?

Also, not sure what version are you playing but I revised the map about a year ago, including polymerlights dukeplus and hrp support and at the same time fixed a few minor visual glitched in software.

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 22 March 2012, 01:30:59
Quote from: Gambini on  22 March 2012, 00:45:53
Being the Duke current situation as it is, Forge: I dare to say you played the map using polymost with a wrong shadescale. I don´t really want to push you to change the review but there´s actually a lot of lighting implemetation on this map, that´s the main factor of why it is so short. That I used a lot of sector shading and therefore ran out of resources quickly. I would accept it got a low rating because the crampdnes but the triming and detailing? Just to be sure, would you give a quick look to it in software mode to see if you still think that of the map?


I'm curious as to how you know what mode I played the map in. I assure you that I play as many maps as I can in classic unless it's either specified in the text, or the map is too damn dark to see. (This map was not too dark). If you're going to point at the screenshots hosted on this site, I will repeat that Puritan took those, not I.

I did increase the score for shading, but as already stated, there was little to no difference in the shade values from one wall to the next (at corners & mostly the indoor areas).

I mentioned putting trimming in the corners to give the map depth since you chose to use minimal wall shading

I increased the sprite work/detailing score by 2. this map does not score higher than 8 in that department

I never said the map was too short

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 22 March 2012, 01:51:55
QuoteI'm curious as to how you know what mode I played the map in.

Because you say shading is too sparse and that´s completely wrong. Shading is plentiful and quite strong.

Look at these screenshots:

(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0007-1.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0006.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0005.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0004.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0003.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0002.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0001-1.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0000.jpg)
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll240/Gambini01/capt0008-1.jpg)

Sigh! Even that little lighthouse casts moving shadows in the back gallery of the "castle"

And what do you mean btw with more trimming? The level of detail is pretty much the same than in Rush2k and that one was praised mostly by its level of detail. You´d have a hard time trying to show me a bare corner.

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 22 March 2012, 03:33:49
(http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/2916/capt0011.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/35/capt0011.jpg/)(http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/6020/capt0010.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/515/capt0010.jpg/)

(http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/1053/capt0009.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/708/capt0009.jpg/)(http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/1423/capt0008.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/210/capt0008.jpg/)

(http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5606/capt0007.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/capt0007.jpg/)(http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/8716/capt0006.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/210/capt0006.jpg/)

(http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/8110/capt0005.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/534/capt0005.jpg/)(http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/5406/capt0004.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/515/capt0004.jpg/)

(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/2932/capt0003.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/141/capt0003.jpg/)(http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/6156/capt0002.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/694/capt0002.jpg/)

(http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/5678/capt0001.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/840/capt0001.jpg/)(http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/1305/capt0000.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/849/capt0000.jpg/)

fine. screen shots aren't good enough so I busted open mapster so there would be no doubt.

Note the cursers. Note how they are pointing at two adjoining walls at 90 degrees from each other. Note they those walls have the exact same shade value. Note that even the ceiling and the floor in that hallway have the exact same shade value as all the walls. Note the empty and unadorned hallway. Note that the map is full of what I'm talking about and I can post up many, many, many more screen shots, but this is sufficient and now I'm done with this. Note that now you've loaded your post with the screen shots to prove your point and made me retaliate in kind, I'm still not likely to change my opinion.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 22 March 2012, 05:29:06
Strange coming from a mapper... That he uses as an example of "a whole map with scarse shading and trimming" a small hallway in which cycler sprites are dancing and yelling "hello, Scott we need all surfaces on these sectors to be the same shade value to work!!!". So yeah, that´s the best counterargument you could come up with? You go in mapster checking adjacent walls to see if they share the same value everytime you rate a map? Last pair of shots also make me wonder where you got this map from. I have 5 different revisions lying in my HD and in all of them those walls are 12vs6 and not 6vs6 (You should download my maps from my blog).
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 22 March 2012, 05:40:49
"editlike post"

Actually there are no downloads in the blog and DNR had version 1.601 vs the map I posted which is 1.607. That very last wall is the only difference I can see regarding the matter of discussion so everything else stands.

http://infosuite.dukerepository.com/index.php?page=ae_lighting_b
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 22 March 2012, 06:47:48
I chose sites from the map by going to them at random. One small corner just happened to have cyclers. Still doesn't account that there is no differentiating wall shading for that entire area of the map (especially where the cyclers are not present). Of course when the cyler is "off", all the walls in that area have the same shade value. The map has trimming, just not where it's needed, like in the corners to give some depth, since the mapper decided to give all the walls the same shade value. Also doesn't account for the rest of the majority of the map (which doesn't have cyclers) and suffers from the exact same problem; all the walls have the same shade value. Noticing that the other screen shots showing the same problem were ignored. You know, the ones also showing the opposing walls having the same shade value. Maybe I should have posted several dozen of them, but I have the feeling you'd still find some strawman argument to counter anything I say.

I only go into mapster to show that what I'm saying is valid when someone insists on bitching about a subject over and over and acts like screen shots are doctored or that I'm not playing the map right. For example: all the walls in any given area pretty much have the same shading value.

I don't make it a habit of looking for newer versions of each and every map I review. If I did It'd take me 5 times as long just to get one done.

Instead of blowing all that hot air because you got bent out of shape, you should have just posted up the newest version and asked for that one to be used to revise the old review in the first place.

Nothing positive is going to come out of carrying on with this. You've made up your mind and I'm not changing my opinion. You can go ahead and lambast me now with what ever colorful remarks you find appropriate. Get in the last word because I'm done discussing it.


I still love you though.  :-*

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 22 March 2012, 07:16:34
We could carry this for ages, but still you can´t deny you have pushed your point to a too specific aspect, of which i still disagree. I was surprised the low rating the map got (in comparision to other maps reviewed here of course) and I noticed it was mostly (according to your dissection) by shading and trimming. establishing how many adjacent walls have the same shade value will lead to nothing at this point. Except by Bob Averill maps (which you extremely underrated) most maps rated even ten points above surely have less shading and trimming work but that´s OK. By no means I want to change your opinion, if that´s the impression you got, fine. You could have rated it even lower by standing on things like the confined spaces and unfair explosions, the overuse of the green bricks wall and I would have had to shut up.

You don´t seem to love me so much, you have cheated on me with Puritan. His long and blond hair seduced you. lol i got goosebumps for writting that uuhhh
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 22 March 2012, 07:40:45
Quote from: Gambini on  22 March 2012, 07:16:34

You don´t seem to love me so much, you have cheated on me with Puritan. His long and blond hair seduced you. lol i got goosebumps for writting that uuhhh


;D ...me too....
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 22 March 2012, 17:32:51
Oh, get a room you 3.  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Trooper Dan on 31 March 2012, 10:16:58
Quote from: Forge on  30 March 2012, 15:24:50
is the way Duke Nukem ex mortum has been rated, here's it simplified out:

Texturing; 3/5
Lighting-Shading: 4/5
Sprite Work: 4/5
Detailing & Trimwork: 4/5
Ambiance: 7/10
Architecture: 17/20
Layout: 17/20
Gameplay: 11/15
Design: 12/15
Overall: 79/100

I don't understand how all those different things can be separated and judged independently of each other.  It seems to me that a map is a blended whole where the many different facets contribute to each other in complex ways.  Making a very general distinction, like separating the gameplay from the look of the map (although even that is somewhat controversial) does make sense, but giving separate scores for all that other stuff just gives a false sense of precision to the review.

It also makes your review more open to criticism.  Take the texturing score, for example.  3 out of 5 is 60%.  That's pretty bad.  I have played maps with bad texturing, and this wasn't one of them.  Then it gets docked a point in each of the following areas:  shading, sprite work, and detailing/trimwork.  A point in each area doesn't sound like much, until you realize that makes each area only 80%.  Compare that to, say, Red 3, which you gave perfect scores in all of those areas.  I like Red 3 a lot, but was it really that good looking?  You scoring system forces you to say about each of those areas that it is either perfect (5/5) or very flawed (4/5 or less).  And more importantly, the way you break it down does not allow you to evaluate the map as a whole.  The only way to get around that would be to decide on the overall score first, then go back and make sure that the different areas add up to what you already decided.  But of course that would be cheating and would make a joke of the whole reviewing scheme.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 31 March 2012, 15:35:32
It's a rating method I've been screwing around with for awhile.

If I break it all the way down like in the above post, then the obvious problems with it are more apparent because as you said, everything is pretty much dependent on and related to everything else. Also that either something is perfect or flawed.

The more subjects there are, the more chances the map will lose points. The result is very low rated maps.

The less subjects the rating is broken into, the higher the rating of the maps get.

The current break down I use with seven subjects seems to fit my scale on how I perceive maps should be rated. It's also useful if you want to tell the difference between two maps with the same rating where one of them looks better, but the other plays better.

The alternative is to not break anything down and just give it a flat score.

Bottom line: Any method used to score a map is subject to criticism

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 02 April 2012, 00:55:04
What does design mean? I'd interpret it to be layout/architecture but those already have their own separate scores.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 02 April 2012, 03:11:36
In this instance design encompasses aspects of the construction that can effect game play. Technically I can remove the word "design" from that part of the rating breakdown, but I keep it around because other "physical" aspects of the map also affect game play. The layout and architecture are the two usual apsects that are considered when thinking about how the design affects game play. i.e.  Are the corridors really narrow making it difficult to move around or have a fair chance at fighting enemies? Narrow corridors are by themselves not a problem, but when you surround the player with fat commanders in narrow corridors, then it becomes a design issue by the definition I'm using.

edit: another way to think about it. If the architecture is oversized. Then the architecture score is affected. But if the oversizing affects the players ability to move around and messes up the flow of the game, then the architecture score is affected as well as the gameplay score because of the design.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Hank on 02 April 2012, 04:56:16
Quote from: Forge on  02 April 2012, 03:11:36
In this instance design encompasses aspects of the construction that can effect game play. Technically I can remove the word "design" from that part of the rating breakdown, but I keep it around because other "physical" aspects of the map also affect game play. The layout and architecture are the two usual apsects that are considered when thinking about how the design affects game play. i.e.  Are the corridors really narrow making it difficult to move around or have a fair chance at fighting enemies? Narrow corridors are by themselves not a problem, but when you surround the player with fat commanders in narrow corridors, then it becomes a design issue by the definition I'm using.

edit: another way to think about it. If the architecture is oversized. Then the architecture score is affected. But if the oversizing affects the players ability to move around and messes up the flow of the game, then the architecture score is affected as well as the gameplay score because of the design.
What about narrow corridors intended to be a player's challenge, with Commanders? If you have the Shrinker I gave you, use it. If you did not find the Shrinker, well, entering those corridors, armed with only a shot gun are deadly.

I think it should not be just the layout but also how the layout challenges the player with actors and accessories, or as Trooper Dan mentioned.

Keep in mind I am just mouthing off. :P
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 02 April 2012, 06:01:36
Quote from: Hank on  02 April 2012, 04:56:16
What about narrow corridors intended to be a player's challenge, with Commanders? If you have the Shrinker I gave you, use it. If you did not find the Shrinker, well, entering those corridors, armed with only a shot gun are deadly.

I think it should not be just the layout but also how the layout challenges the player with actors and accessories, or as Trooper Dan mentioned.

Keep in mind I am just mouthing off. :P

I don't see it as mouthing off.

In the instance you use as an example, it's done by design, not because of poor design. I would say that the portion of the map you're describing was put there with intent and is easily recognizable as such. More times than not, the instance I'm using as an example is prominent throughout a large portion of the level.

Those are just examples and there are as many different situations as there are mappers.

"Layout challenges the player with actors and accessories"? If I understand your intent that falls under game play.

most aspects are related to each other in one way or another, so trying to break everything down into "pieces" isn't perfect, but it works well enough for me and I prefer it over giving one flat score

A brief breakdown on what certain areas cover

Layout = floor plan (can depend on architecture)

game play = aliens, weapons, supplies - ratios, placements, variety. Puzzles, spawns or lack thereof (also when backtracking), behind the back spawns, unfair explosions, etc.

design = flow of the game & navigation of the level (dependent upon layout and architecture to some extent)

ambiance = interactivity with the environment, things blowing up (and not in your face), crashing skycars, ambient sounds, etc (dependent upon texturing, shading, lighting effects, detailing, sprite work, trimwork, and to a minor extent architecture)

there are aspects that demonstrate where the breaking things into individual pieces isn't perfect

examples: trimwork can be of sprite or architectural in nature. I lump it in with sprite work/detailing under the pretense that it's a detailing feature.
              sprite constructions? Depending on the extent of what they are. A bridge would fall under architecture, a chair would fall under
              sprite work/detailing. It somewhat relies on whether it's there for looking at, or for using as a "platform" to get somewhere. What about a chair 
              used to jump off of to get on top of something? No different than if a barrel where used instead, it's sprite work not architecture.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Hank on 04 April 2012, 05:15:52
Quote from: Forge on  02 April 2012, 06:01:36
game play = aliens, weapons, supplies - ratios, placements, variety. Puzzles, spawns or lack thereof (also when backtracking), behind the back spawns, unfair explosions, etc.
I think I've got the gist. :)
BUT!!!!!!!!!!
What is an unfair explosion? Yes, I am asking. I am reusing my maps with modern cons, I can do stuff now I only dreamed about, but if parts of it are unfair – no point.

Example, you should have a lot of guns collected by now. There is a gorgeous shot gun resting on an altar, contrary to your previous finds, in plain sight and visible for the proverbial miles. Would you be surprised said gun to be booby trapped?

I always use nasty traps. You either get a visual or audible hints, so watch your step and keep your ears and eyes open, you snooze, you loose, yet, what is fair?  ::)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 04 April 2012, 12:37:46
Quote from: Hank on  04 April 2012, 05:15:52

What is an unfair explosion? 


Example: You're facing a crack in the wall. You throw a pipebomb. You step 20 meters away. The explosion comes out of the hole and keeps on going for ages and spreading out on the entire available player area.
That's what I call unfair. ( and unrealistic)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 04 April 2012, 14:55:41
@Hank

Again, the example you use is not unfair or unavoidable

Puritan uses a good example.

Also constant exploding traps set up along the main path with no warning is annoying.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: High Treason on 04 April 2012, 15:08:28
This raises a question for me, if there is a reactor to destroy, is it unfair to assume that the player should expect a huge explosion in the area almost immediately?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 04 April 2012, 15:18:07
Quote from: Trooper Dan on  31 March 2012, 10:16:58
It also makes your review more open to criticism.  Take the texturing score, for example.  3 out of 5 is 60%.  That's pretty bad.  I have played maps with bad texturing, and this wasn't one of them.  Then it gets docked a point in each of the following areas:  shading, sprite work, and detailing/trimwork.  A point in each area doesn't sound like much, until you realize that makes each area only 80%.  Compare that to, say, Red 3, which you gave perfect scores in all of those areas.  I like Red 3 a lot, but was it really that good looking?  You scoring system forces you to say about each of those areas that it is either perfect (5/5) or very flawed (4/5 or less).  And more importantly, the way you break it down does not allow you to evaluate the map as a whole.  The only way to get around that would be to decide on the overall score first, then go back and make sure that the different areas add up to what you already decided.  But of course that would be cheating and would make a joke of the whole reviewing scheme.

The problem is that Forge has fixed parameters. For example, the parameter for the variable "texturing" is only 0.05 (assuming a scale from 0 to 100 for "texturing"). So you could have the worst texturing in a map (imagine the whole BobSP1 covered with the default brick texture) and its effect on a score of 100 would still be only -5 points.
Moreover, since Forge only applies integers, there are some discontinuities. For example, as you quite specifically implied, the jump from 3/5 to 4/5 is worth 20%. This could be fixed with a modified version of the equation Forge uses:

Score = 0.05(texturing)+0.05(lighting)+0.10(ambiance)+0.20(architecture)... etc.

Each variable would have values between [0,100]. This would preserve the weights Forge applies but allow for more continuity. But then again with a weight of just 0.05 every, say, 10 points is worth only 0.5 points so the issue you brought up doesn't really matter. It's the fixing of parameters that causes problems.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 04 April 2012, 15:19:13
Quote from: High_Treason on  04 April 2012, 15:08:28
This raises a question for me, if there is a reactor to destroy, is it unfair to assume that the player should expect a huge explosion in the area almost immediately?

I'd say that depends on the distance between the reactor and the player. "In the area" is quite vague.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 04 April 2012, 16:12:14
I've mentioned that all parameters rely on one or more other parameters several times. They are not as "fixed" as you like to believe.
A texturing of an entire map with the default brick would effect texturing & ambiance. Potential for -15 points right off the top. Since you are using the same texture, there could be little to no detailing. So now you have a potential for -20.
More points would be lost under Gameplay/Design. Having an entire map in default brick is going to effect the ambiance. Ambiance affects the gameplay. I don't care how good the game play is, if you're in a map made with only one texture, your mood is going to sour and make the gameplay alot less enjoyable. "Design" is also my "catch-all" category for examples like the one you used. More points lost at my discretion.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 04 April 2012, 18:05:44
I've been contemplating over all this math that's been applied to the breakdown I use to score maps. I've never bothered to consider the percentage difference of a 4/5 compared to a 5/5. If I were using that as a base for what I was doing, every category would have 100 points, then I would figure out the average to get the overall. Doing that is just as flawed as the method I currently employ.
When I start a map it starts with 100 points. If a certain area has noticeable and prominent flaws, that area loses points in relation to how flawed it is. To me 1 point = -1% from 100% no matter what parameter it applies to.
If we really want to beat up my method, lets discuss why certain areas only carry so many points compared to others.
The two main areas are how it looks & how it plays.
Looks = Texturing(5), light-shading(5), sprite work for detailing(5), architectural detailing (trimwork)(5), architecture(sprite or sector based)(20), ambiance(10) = 50 points
Plays= gameplay(15), layout(20), design(15) = 50 points

Since most aspects rely on other aspects (even between aspects from the two different main area (i.e. architecture can effect layout), it's not an exact science, but it works for what I want to do

so dissect away
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 07 April 2012, 03:32:59
I see you've reviewed the WGRealms episode. Doesn't its counterpart episode in WGRealms 2 make the original somewhat redundant? I recall William saying that the WGRealms 2 version is a lot more how he originally imagined it, or something along those lines.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 07 April 2012, 05:18:45
I don't see anything wrong with hosting the original.

some people might prefer the original for whatever personal reasons.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 07 April 2012, 13:11:21
They're very different so each should have its own review.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 07 April 2012, 15:37:17
Quotesome people might prefer the original for whatever personal reasons.

I'm one of those people; I thought the remake was way too overdone, especially the overuse of the cyberdemons was pretty annoying. So I'm glad to see the original here. :)


QuoteI recall William saying that the WGRealms 2 version is a lot more how he originally imagined it

Yeah well, that's also what George Lucas says about every new version of Star Wars..  :P
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: quakis on 08 April 2012, 19:24:19
Noticed a mistake in the map listings and reviews. Shrunken (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/S/shrunk/shrunk.php) is under my name in both areas, but it's supposed to be under Ryan Lennox (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/S/shrunk/SHRUNKEN.TXT). :P
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 08 April 2012, 19:41:43
^Oh shit...my bad. Corrected now.
I'm very sorry  :-[
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: quakis on 08 April 2012, 20:50:16
Don't worry about it, I just wanted to help correct a little mistake after noticing it. ;D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 16 May 2012, 15:04:08
Thanks to Forge for the review of Kill City and Moonbase accident!

I would disagree about one thing, though: the second secret level in MA may look like a mess, that has nothing to do with the plot & space theme, but I actually put a lot of effort to this level and I still like it a lot. Boosting the number of levels in the episode wasn't my goal, I just wanted to create something weird and wacky. I think this is that the secret levels is all about - weird and wacky stuff that can't be put on the actual levels.

Still, the review was cool and I'm satisfied with the score
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 08 June 2012, 15:20:21
Pjsloth1

A canyon styled map. Duke starts at base camp on the open valley floor with the objective of summiting the nearby mesa. To do this the player must navigate around the mountain base ascending up ramps, traversing rockslides, and navigating along terraces loaded with stacks of crates. I have no idea why the area is loaded with crates, there's nothing around but cliff faces. Maybe this is where the term, "box of rocks" comes from. Moving through the map is fairly linear, but there is the option of gaining the next level up the mesa by either taking a lift or climbing up rock piles. Most locations are pretty wide with lots of room to maneuver; you'd either have to be pretty clumsy or very unlucky to fall off the side of the mountain.

The theme of the map is to move from start to finish and live to tell about it. There are no puzzles to solve or locks needing keys searched out; just surviving is all that's required. As the player travels through the map they'll encounter wave after wave of enemies; each progressively getting harder with more numerous and tougher aliens, until the finally is reached which will put some hair on your chest (regardless of age or gender). Supplies are strictly limited. There are only a few weapons available, and a meager amount of bullets and health are doled out between each wave of resistance. If you're lucky, the bad guys will drop some ammo for you to collect; if you're not so lucky then I hope you invested well in running shoes.
 


Texturing/Lighting-Shading: 8/10
Sprite Work/Detailing: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Architecture: 19/20
Layout: 19/20
Gameplay/Design: 28/30
Overall: 90/100
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 June 2012, 02:29:47
Very nice review, Forge  ;)


It seems to me that the you and Merlijn are way beyond....
I really appreciate your affords.
This community is small but I have a certain feeling that the last words haven't been spoken....or in other terms: The fat lady haven't reached the stage yet  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 26 June 2012, 22:34:45
Ah, I see the infamous supa-series has made its way to sent-88. :D Don't forget Supa3 though, that map was actually pretty good. ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 26 June 2012, 23:29:47
I have about three hundred maps in a que folder and use a random generator to select the ones I play for review. Supa3 will get picked eventually.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 28 June 2012, 00:13:11
Did Hasit just got 76? Oh come on, it's a cool map, especially for it's time. It's full of great ideas

In the other hand, Alien X by William Gee is a bit overrated, IMO.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 29 June 2012, 19:58:41
appreciate the opinion.

maybe it'll stir interest in others to see for themselves why our views differ on some projects
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 10 July 2012, 19:34:16
I'm really sorry, but I don't think it's only the matter of an opinion.

Alien X is a decent map, but it doesn't have anything new in it. It recycles a basic ideas of standart alien maps and also has a lot of design and gameplay issues. Hasit, in the other hand, has an unique design and a lot of great ideas. The gameplay is great too. Alien X is obviously not much better than Hasit if you look at it. I would understand if the Hasit had at least 90, but 76? I don't understand your criteria. New ideas and unique design mean nothing to you? I'm not trying to say that Alien X deserves a bad rating like 76, but I just ask you to compare Hasit to Alien X.

Again, the new map called Desert complex came out, and you rated it 97. I played this map and it's decent. But rate 97 and higher belongs to milestones like Blackend, not to a decent maps like this.

Okay, maybe I'm going way too deeply into it. I respect your work and I know you're a good mapper. But please, can you be a bit more objective in your reviews? Maybe, paying more attention to new ideas that the map has? A lot of players like Hasit, and it's obviously a good, memorable map. It's better than 76. That's all I can say.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 10 July 2012, 22:11:27
Nothing stopping you from writing your own review, submitting it Puritan, and letting him decide. Won't hurt my feelings any if he changes them.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 10 July 2012, 23:23:36
What do you mean by this? I was just confused by your criteria, that's all.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 11 July 2012, 00:36:23
I mean that I don't agree with your point of view on certain things you've mentioned. I have no intentions of trying to explain or justify why I scored anything the way I did. It would just be a repeat of the review and the score breakdown anyway. I also have no intentions of arguing with you over the matter. I've been down this road a few times and it ultimately never leads to any good, and no matter the outcome everybody loses. I don't feel the need to change the reviews or scores, and since you seem to feel strongly about the entire matter, the best solution is to submit your own review and let a third party mediate and decide.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 11 July 2012, 05:21:19
I still don't know how my second map Libraryl got 85. It was slightly noobish, moderately basic, but ok I still like the gameplay and layout. Makes me want to work on a lone vanilla/dukeplus map again rather than all these TC and collaboration maps I've got myself caught up in.

Wow, I just had an idea while writing this post. I've been tossing up for a while between a desert map and an outer space map (outer space would look especially good with polymer lighting due to those shiny space textures in the HRP), but I've got the solution: A base inside an asteroid in outerspace! I can still have my space station and make desert-like areas  :D
Now I just need to actually finish my other half dozen projects  :-\

I don't know why I'm posting this here  ???
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 11 July 2012, 15:48:41
Don't get me wrong EddyZ. It doesn't bother me that you have a disagreement with some of the reviews.

I'm not shooting you down off hand. Right now it's one person's view against another. If you can rally a couple of the regulars behind your cause I'd be more inclined to take a second look at the maps in question. Otherwise, you can do as I suggested earlier and submit your own review for Puritan to decide.

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 15 July 2012, 00:16:44
Quote from: zykoveddy on  10 July 2012, 19:34:16
Again, the new map called Desert complex came out, and you rated it 97. I played this map and it's decent. But rate 97 and higher belongs to milestones like Blackend, not to a decent maps like this.

I don't think there's much difference between the two. Blackend was perhaps even slightly less "milestonish" back in the days because, quite frankly, it was just another Alejandro map.

Damn... Ale released such a good bunch of high-quality maps in such a short time span. Those were the days.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 15 July 2012, 02:54:41
Well, I'm not that impressed of Ale's maps.
Gameplay is close to nothing...
But the design and texturing is top-notch.( more like a Build show-off)


Yeah, I know, his maps had the over the top design and ambience back in the days. Few others made maps with that "look" and attension to details. But again; Good look and zillion of hours spent in making the scenes look good doesn't make up for a lack of story/gameplay.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 15 July 2012, 16:13:16
Ale's maps may lack alot of direct environment interactivity and have virtually no secrets which basically eliminates the extended exploring aspect, but they have good combat scenarios and the layout/progression is set up proper for the key card hunts that they are.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 26 July 2012, 04:41:37
 Project:                                                                         Status:                                             Required
    spaceship to fix (DM)                                                        hosted                                           write-up & score   
    Doomed duel(DM)                                                             hosted                                           write-up & score
    Hell Awaits(DM)                                                               hosted                                           write-up & score
    Suburban Hive (cbp)                                                         hosted                                           write-up & score
    Surburban Hive II : Crimson Moon (cbp)                                hosted                                           write-up & score
    CBP8:Metropolitan Starlight (cbp)                                        hosted                                           write-up & score

i don't play DM, I don't review cbp maps I've participated in. if you have the bug, feel free to submit a review for these hosted projects
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 31 July 2012, 21:48:18
I'm not sure if anyone still plays DM, you could always write a small review based on design and layout.

As for the CBP's: I'd be willing to review them, but I also contributed to each of them and witnessed their progress so I can't be objective. Maybe ask Gambini to write a review for CBP8?

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 31 July 2012, 22:05:13
Quote from: Merlijn on  31 July 2012, 21:48:18
I'm not sure if anyone still plays DM, you could always write a small review based on design and layout.

As for the CBP's: I'd be willing to review them, but I also contributed to each of them and witnessed their progress so I can't be objective. Maybe ask Gambini to write a review for CBP8?

I'd have to know something about playing DM maps to be able to tell if they're set up proper. I've never played DM. The map may look nice, but play horribly.

I don't care who reviews the CBPs, but I'm not touching them with a 10 foot pole because of objectivity issues.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 10 August 2012, 16:33:20
Quote from: High_Treason on  10 August 2012, 02:20:07
Actually, I also noticed that EDF Computer Base has a higher score than The Space Mission, I'm shocked at this, but that's a point for another thread.

If you look at the score break down you'll see space mission scored higher in game play/design, but edf computer base scored higher in texturing/shading & ambiance. 

When I do a review I enter it "cold". I don't look at other people's reviews of the same map, I don't look at the scores of the mapper's previous projects. I may remember standout parts from some of their maps, but don't ask me what score I gave it if I played it more than a week ago.

I call 'em as I see them at the time I look at them.


on a sidebar; i feel the same way about a couple of my maps. I can't believe the first piece of shit i made scored over 80, and the last piece of shit out-scored the two maps before it.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: High Treason on 10 August 2012, 18:21:13
It's not an issue anyway, there's only one point difference.

I'll just try to make something that will score higher next time. :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 11 August 2012, 18:27:31
Looking forward to more of your work.  :)

The scores for the maps are only one person's perspective (in this case mine). That's why I encourage anyone interested to submit reviews, even for maps that already have one. They may see things differently. Let Puritan play the map, compare the reviews, then select the one better suited to represent the project.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 12 August 2012, 00:08:43
As stated, reviews are done and rated by one single individual, in this case, Forge.
I'm standing 100% behind his reviews!


Having said that, it's nothing wrong about two reviews ( or more) for a map.
The math would be pretty easy for calculating a score.
If you're not willing to do a review but still are whining about scores......please take it down to the beach ( with a jackhammer) and pour something up where the sun never shines....alright?

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 12 August 2012, 15:48:40
Only a certain few "whine" about the scores (High Treason not being one of them, just to make that clear). I find it amusing that they can spend the time and energy to vent their disagreements, but you won't hear a word out of them when asked to provide a counter-review.

I appreciate the vote of confidence, but leave the acting crazy bit to me, it doesn't suit you well  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 22 August 2012, 22:34:53
heh nice, Sewage by Allen Page ! A classic for me, that will make me replay it some time.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 09 February 2013, 00:09:17
Did a review of Akimbo's Slaughter House 2 earlier today. I plan on doing the whole trilogy, "The Quest", if the review is good enough.

QuoteSlaughter House 2 is, by the author "Akimbo's" own words, an ancient/medieval-themed map, the first in a trilogy, with some pretty damn impressive visuals considering the fact that it was released way back in December of '96, roughly a year after the release of the original game itself. Some might be put off due to this fact but as aforementioned the map is actually quite the visual achievement. If you'd look back at the majority of maps released back then you'd mostly find an plethora of ugly, uninspired masses of ugliness and dreadfulness much in vein of Duke!ZONE and its abominations of shovelware cousins.

Apart from its visual treat Slaughter House 2 is also fairly big so most newcomers could probably run through it from start to finish in a little less of half an hour, that is if you'd occasionally get stuck as so very much occurred during my playthrough. And that was definitely one problem I had; you'd find a switch and hit it but no indication of what it unlocked or opened up. Since there's no accompanied view-screen indicating what you just did you have to pretty much rely on either your memory trying to remember that locked door you stumbled upon a minute ago or do what most of players do when they get stuck: run around until you find it! Unfortunately this occurs all too often so if you're that type of player with a lack of patience you might want to take this into consideration.
Additionally there are some other issues regarding the texture work of a few areas most notably certain doors, specifically the locked doors. For an example one door use a texture that makes it look like a bunch of wooden crates stacked upon each other which may delude players into thinking that it's a blocked wall and not a door and thus increasing the frustration when they can't find the correct way. There are a few other odd texture choices throughout the map as well but the doors are what's most notable.

Unrelated to the above issues but nonetheless important was also a very notable lack of ambient sounds. Apart from the exceptionally dull DETHTOLL drumming away in the background the map was surprisingly silent apart from a few completely unnecessary staged sound effects and water fountains.

Despite these issues it's still a good map, no doubt about it. There are many sections in the map in which you can tell the author spent time and effort into most notably the shading and architecture. Areas are quite vast in scale without looking all too similar. During one point later into the map you come across a large maze in which you must navigate in order to find a switch to unlock a door. It actually works in a general sense and isn't as frivolous as it may sound while it fits pretty well into the medieval-theme of the map. Furthermore the shading is excellent and while the texture work is lacking in a few areas, i.e. unaligned textures are very abundant, it's not too much of an issue as the shading mostly make up for it.

As the rather literal name implies it is most definitely one big slaughter house with more than 200 enemies waiting for the inevitable death by Duke Nukem himself. Is it good then? Well, yes... more or less. Apart from the running-around-aimlessly there's not one single dull moment in this map. With monster hiding behind corners and walls you'd think it to be incredible difficult but no, actually, since there is an insane abundance of munitions and health packs lying about everywhere the difficulty never reaches any significant height so you're pretty much left blowing away monster with the standard shotgun/ripper/RPG combination. But is that a bad thing then? No, not really, it's still very fun mostly due to that the map has a high level of enemy diversity. It doesn't just rely on heaps of Enforcers but also Pig Cops, Troopers and Octabrains.
The only issue I had with the gameplay was that the final battle was set up kinda odd; you fight two bosses at the same time but you can actually lead both of them out of the chamber, get them stuck in a hole and venture on scavenging the chamber with ease. Due to this the battle is stupidly easy and anticlimactic.

Despite some annoying and rather unforgiving aspects this map is still a good romp through the early years of Duke Nukem 3D. If you like blasting away alien scums and can look past a lack of guidance this map is definitely worth a try.

Score: 70
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 09 February 2013, 01:46:19
nice write-up.

you should mention that you included screenshots in the attached zip to make Puritan's job of uploading the map a bit easier since he won't have to go capture them himself

again i'm trying to drum up someones interest to do reviews for the CBPs Suburban Hive, Surburban Hive II : Crimson Moon, & CBP8:Metropolitan Starlight. The maps are already hosted, but have no write-ups or scores. I shouldn't do them because I participated & it'd be like reviewing my own maps, but if you have the time and motivation, it would surely be appreciated.   

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 09 February 2013, 01:57:19
Unless someone else does it before me I'd definitely take a shot at it, but of course it depends if I can find the time. First I need to finish Akimbo's two other maps though.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 09 February 2013, 05:04:15
I doubt anyone else will do it, the Suburban Hive maps have been up there without a review for over a year.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 February 2013, 09:36:57
Thanks a lot, Loke  ;)
Uploaded.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 February 2013, 13:03:28
Arghantyl have done the Suburban Hive I  ;)
But if more people like to submit a review I wouldn't mind a "twin-review".
It has been done in the past.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 09 February 2013, 16:37:52
twin reviews are great, but pretty rare. not many people have the review "bug".

it's just nice to finally have a review for that cbp after it's been sitting there for so long without one. 
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 09 February 2013, 20:55:38
Did the sequel earlier today as well. Screenshots are accompanied together with the map below.

QuoteThe Vigilante, the sequel to Slaughter House 2 by Akimbo and the second map in The Quest trilogy, is a medieval-themed map much in the same vein as its predecessor. Released in the early months of '97 comes a rather impressive architectural level with a good attention to detailing and overall shading.

As with Slaughter House 2 The Vigilante takes place in an old medieval setting with the majority of it taking place indoors, though there are a few areas set outdoors but they're usually a bit confined and aren't particularly expansive while offering little in exploration.
While its predecessor had these grand and vast areas The Vigilante has played it safe and taken a step backwards in regards to this which is unfortunately a bit disappointing. As a result there are a few confined and cramped areas that'll make some of the encounters with certain monsters unnecessary thwarting.

Despite lacking these grand-esque locations The Vigilante is still a rather attractive level with some mighty good-looking and strong shading. Though lacking a bit in the texture department with unaligned textures it's not too distracting.

Just as with Slaughter House 2 there is a lack of direction when the player happens to run into a dead-end. Hitting a switch usually means trying to figure out what it just unlocked so in the end you have to pretty much scour the map until you find the right way. This is an immediate annoyance particularly when you feel that you've already dashed through the entire map numerous times. This is definitely the weakest point in the map just as with its predecessor as it slows down the gameplay transforming a rather enjoyable map to a crawl-and-seek type of map.

Keeping intact with the previous map an abundance of enemies are present here while a few hide behind doors and corners and attack when you least expect it. While in Slaughter House 2 enemies usually concealed themselves behind trapped walls here they rather frequently spawn around or behind you after stepping over a triggered line. This is more than often frustrating and might anger the player due to the unfair advantage of the enemy.
Otherwise Vigilante has some fun combat with tons of weapons and health packs scattered about and, as in the previous map, it's not overly difficult but balances itself without being too lenient.

Overall The Vigilante is a decent sequel to the otherwise superior first map in the trilogy. Not a bad map intrinsically but if you'd compare the two it falls a bit behind which is unfortunate. Nonetheless, if you liked Slaughter House 2 despite its shortcomings you will most likely enjoy The Vigilante as well.

Score: 65
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 February 2013, 21:17:15
Thanks once again, Loke  ;)
No rest for me today it seems  ;D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 10 February 2013, 00:37:54
Loke's on a roll.

Time for me to finally retire back to just being a player?  :)

Quote from: Puritan on  09 February 2013, 21:17:15
No rest for me today it seems  ;D

'bout time you did something around here, slacker  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 10 February 2013, 12:59:16
I can't believe you reviewed "Duke's Nightmare"  :P
Oh well, no harm done.

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 10 February 2013, 16:49:03
because of the map's elements or the person who made it?

the former: this isn't the only project to modify or use original levels. while minimal effort is put forth in creativity, at least they were honest about "borrowing"

the later: i can't argue with that
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 10 February 2013, 19:53:35
Did the final map (The Citadel) today as well. As usual screenshots are added together with the .zip.

QuoteThe Citadel is the final map in the medieval-themed The Quest trilogy, by author Akimbo, and is arguably the best of the lot. Released roughly two months after The Vigilante it pretty much walks over its predecessor while rivaling Slaughter House 2.

Keeping in uniform with the two previous maps the author has kept both the architectural design of the map as well as shading very similar which is both impressive for its time as well as making it feel very consistent. Fortunately I didn't notice the all too much inconsistent texturing which plagued the previous maps so it's safe to assume that Akimbo spent more time on refining the textures this time around. While on the subject it is actually hard to point out faults in the design as everything is evenly constructed without looking too drab or dull apart for a few issues with the overall darkness in some areas. A few corridors, particularly those involving enemies are often pitch-black making it difficult to spot concealed monsters. This can very often be an annoyance especially if you're low on health when the enemy gets in a cheap shot on you while you're trying to navigate a prodigiously dark hallway.

The biggest issue with the two previous maps was the factor of getting stuck whenever you found a switch resulting in some amazingly annoying backtracking throughout the rooms and hallways. In The Citadel the issue still persists however I didn't find it that all too frustrating or even mildly annoying since most of the switches are conveniently located in near proximity of their parent door so you don't have to scour the entire map as before. Incidentally this is a good thing as it keeps the combat in high gear, one of the best features in the map, while still making you stop and think for a second.

And as for the combat then, is it still good as before? Oh yes, very much so. As mentioned the combat is the better part of the map. The enemy diversity is good as it doesn't rely on you fighting one single enemy for the duration of the map. Furthermore careful planning was taken into consideration when adding enemies as they don't just stand around in the open but stay behind walls and pillars or even concealed behind fake walls surprising the player when they activate a switch or do something similar. Fortunately, the spawning enemies near the players' proximity which were very persistent and vigorously irritating in the previous map, The Vigilante, are pretty much gone making the gameplay much more similar to Slaughter House 2.

The Citadel is a fine conclusion to The Quest trilogy. Overshadowing its weaker predecessor whilst being very much on par with and perhaps even surpassing the first map The Citadel is definitely worth a try even on its own. With some good and satisfying combat and fine mapping The Citadel is a good addition to the Duke Nukem 3D universe and well worth a try.

Score: 70
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 10 February 2013, 21:25:56
Thanks again, Loke  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 10 February 2013, 21:43:30
Glad to help. I'll see if I can get some more done (of those Forge listed) this week as well. :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 12 February 2013, 04:39:05
Duke's nightmare (E1L1 and E1L2 COOP remake with a few design differences) got 79, and Hasit (an all time classic with some great design ideas) got 76.

This totally makes no sense to me. Forge, could you please replay Hasit and maybe give it another rating? C'mon, that map clearly deserves another chance :'(
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 12 February 2013, 08:31:22
Not sure about Hasit, I dont remember it. But sure, Duke Nightmare is overrated by like 78 points...  :o
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 12 February 2013, 10:44:01
Guys don't forget, there's a user rating score. If you don't like the map, give it 1 star. When people see how low the user score is they'll pass it by.

And I know none of you have voted for it because it only had 1 vote when I had a look, and that's the automatically given 3  ::)
No point having a user rating system if people don't use it.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 12 February 2013, 14:26:47
Quote from: Gambini on  12 February 2013, 08:31:22
Not sure about Hasit, I dont remember it. But sure, Duke Nightmare is overrated by like 78 points...  :o

If you haven't played Hasit, I recommended it. Sure it's not a masterpiece, but I was surprised by it's ideas and good level design. It's sure better than any E1L1 remake.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 12 February 2013, 16:03:27
Quote from: zykoveddy on  12 February 2013, 04:39:05
Forge, could you please replay Hasit and maybe give it another rating? C'mon, that map clearly deserves another chance :'(

Fine. I'll give it another look. It's been long enough where i can go into it cold and be impartial, but don't get mad if nothing changes.

It'd still be better if you submitted your own review, imo

and all the hate makes me want to re-evaluate duke's nightmare. should i also go back and re-evaluate all the other maps that used original levels as a base as well? Maybe I should auto-reduce 15 points from design for every map that uses something from other maps.



This is as harsh as I can get:

Duke's Nightmare

Texturing/Lighting-Shading: 6/10
Sprite Work/Detailing: 6/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Architecture: 17/20
Layout: 18/20
Gameplay/Design: 15/30
Overall: 68/100


This is as generous as I could get:

Hasit

Texturing/Lighting-Shading: 8/10
Sprite Work/Detailing: 7/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Architecture: 17/20
Layout: 18/20
Gameplay/Design: 26/30
Overall: 84/100

I'm not re-writing the summaries, and this is the last time i revisit these two particular maps. now it's on Puritan to update the review page.

At this point if you're still not satisfied with the scores then it's on you to submit your own reviews.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 12 February 2013, 17:13:43
The updated rating for hasit seems to be fair. Now I'm satisfied  :D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 12 February 2013, 19:06:04
Quote from: Micky C on  12 February 2013, 10:44:01
Guys don't forget, there's a user rating score. If you don't like the map, give it 1 star. When people see how low the user score is they'll pass it by.

And I know none of you have voted for it because it only had 1 vote when I had a look, and that's the automatically given 3  ::)
No point having a user rating system if people don't use it.

I´m gonna giving You a one star rating  >:(
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 13 February 2013, 00:08:06
Okay, did a review for CBP 8: Metropolitan Starlight.

QuoteThe Duke Nukem 3D community is a rather modest bunch of talented individuals consisting mostly of mappers from the early era of Duke Nukem 3D, so called veterans, as well as newer people with different set of skills. If you'd compare it to either the Doom or Half-Life community it'd find itself pretty much dwarfed. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing; with a smaller community most members know each other and from time to time they will get both their minds and strengths together to form an appropriately named community based level, more specifically a so called "Community Build Project". In this particular case ten members sat down and meticulously formed together one of the finest community based maps in recent years, the Community Build Project 8: Metropolitan Starlight.

The premise is, well... there isn't any real premise. Basically, aliens have, for some unexplained reason, invaded a starship housing a gigantic metropolitan. But as in most user maps they all share the same basic formula: merciless extermination. Yeah, it's Duke Nukem after all.

At heart, one might be unsettled by the massive sights that stretch across the immense skyscrapers and landscape of Metropolitan Starlight. Make no mistake, it is an enormous map with many locations to visit such as the streets of the metropolitan, a sewage facility, a police station, the reactor core area of the very starship as well as a stripper bar, an essential addition to any Duke Nukem 3D map, and a brisk train ride all accompanied by a phenomenal original soundtrack composed by Mike Norvak.
Most areas are either blocked off with a force field or a locked door requiring the corresponding key card. So essentially it's not particularly non-linear, i.e. you must follow the predefined route which the mapper set in order to continue, which may come as a surprise considering its massive size. As a result its replay value isn't as eminent as it could've been as you are pretty much required to follow the flow resulting in every subsequent playthrough being very similar each time.
Despite this however the flow is rather good as it seamlessly takes you from one impressive location to another as well as getting progressively harder.
Though you'll visit quite a few different areas all very diverse from each other the section that you'll spend most time at is the tall tower located in the very epicenter of the vast metropolitan. This also serves as a sort of hub area when you go from one sector to another. Moreover, this works great as a fallback if the player would happen to wander aimlessly throughout the city not knowing where to go or getting stuck at a certain part of the map.

As mentioned previously the map gets progressively harder the more sections you discover and explore culminating in an explosive and fierce finale. On the gameplay side of things Metropolitan Starlight is a rather difficult map with over 300 enemies to boot offering some really challenging combat to even the most hardened Duke Nukem 3D veteran.
Starting off with the most basic weapons you eventually receive the standard shotgun and ripper chaingun rather swiftly and can begin your alien extermination as you so please. Obtaining the bigger guns usually requires a bit of exploration, particularly at the beginning, and it is often worth the trouble getting there while a few are conveniently placed inside some rather cleverly obscure secret areas.
Whilst the diversity between the different alien classes are frequently high I had some generally annoying engagements with the chaingun-wielding Enforcer aliens; in short there were just too many of them. Since they possess the ability to damage the player in an instant with their chaingun, a so called "hitscan" weapon speaking in a technical manner, they can really start withering down your health fast. These guys are usually more suitable when placed in high alcoves jumping down and surprising the player when you least expect it. In Metropolitan Starlight however they overwhelm the player constantly and will most surely aggravate you just with their sheer number alone.

One of the stronger points of Metropolitan Starlight is its notably immense and beautifully crafted mapping. The texture work, while a bit drab and generic in a few areas, looks great overall resulting in some really impressive and distinct piece of work.
The map also makes good usage of the exclusive EDuke32 feature called True-Room-Over-Room, usually abbreviated as TROR. Due to this however EDuke32 is mandatory when playing the map. Unfortunately, due to the use of said feature the map do have some ugly visual glitches when playing in either the old classic 8-bit mode or the OpenGL rendering mode Polymost. As such the more recent and underdeveloped rendering mode called Polymer is recommended. In addition, a powerful computer with a more recent GPU, particularly a Nvidia card, is pretty much a requirement for it to even be playable. So if you're from the Middle Ages you might consider coming back when you've got a decent enough computer to run it unless you can look past the ugly visual glitches.
Either way, Metropolitan Starlight looks astonishing in Polymer. There isn't an overly extensive use of Polymer lighting effects so the framerate is rather acceptable even on an ATI card.

Though originally supposed to be a 1-week CBP, as in every member had one week to finish their part of the map, some issues hampered the project resulting in a long delay. But in the end what we got was a magnificent piece of work worthy of all admission. Incidentally the issues surrounding the delay were perhaps only of a positive nature resulting in a longer more polished release. Either way, Metropolitan Starlight is a must have for any Duke Nukem 3D fan despite its linearity and sometimes overwhelming enemy numbers. If you haven't already played it do so now, you won't regret it.

Score: 90
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 13 February 2013, 08:22:17
That's a fair review.

QuoteThere isn't an overly extensive use of Polymer lighting effects

Huh, if you followed the installation instructions the number of polymer lights should be approximately zero  ???

Trivia: CBP 8 was originally going to be covered with polymer lights as an option for the player, however it was cut early on when we realized no one would have a computer powerful enough to use them, and there were some creative differences over the placement of lights.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 13 February 2013, 18:45:40
Thanks once again, Loke  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 25 February 2013, 16:52:43
Quote from: Gambini on  12 February 2013, 08:31:22
Not sure about Hasit, I dont remember it. But sure, Duke Nightmare is overrated by like 78 points...  :o

Kind of late on this but I am happy to see Hasit mentioned, it is one of my all time favorite maps !
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 05 March 2013, 23:48:11
My small 2hoursmyballs map has been reviewed!  ;D best timespent-rating ratio I ever got in a map. It lives scored 99 after about 1000 hours of work. This one did 81 in six hours, so 81/6 gives 13.5 points per hour of work, whileas 99/1000 gives 0.099 points per hour.

I think I´m done with complex maps :P
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 06 March 2013, 04:22:27
just checked out the front page. Wow, I didn't know that Bob Averill have made a remake of Rott level. Pretty awesome for it's time, I liked some of the ideas. Is there exist any other Bob's forgotten levels?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 06 March 2013, 10:26:20
I really enjoyed that ROTT map by Bob Averil. Sure it's not the most detailed level but neither were the original levels. And it has a distinct ROTT feel, with original texturing that sets it appart from traditional Duke levels and lends to increased ROTT immersion, not to mention the gravity anomaly disks.

I got the impression from the review that Puriitan never played ROTT.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: High Treason on 06 March 2013, 14:08:46
Quote from: Micky C on  06 March 2013, 10:26:20
I really enjoyed that ROTT map by Bob Averil...

I knew I forgot about something, I recieved a message from Bob a while ago, there was a BobSP that he never finished. I don't know wether I'm allowed to post it for anyone that's curious though.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 06 March 2013, 14:17:00
^Why don't you ask for his permission?
Or better, force him to finish it  ;D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 06 March 2013, 22:57:08
Man, Forge... :P
I was hoping that nobody remembered that map anymore.
My worst map by far.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 07 March 2013, 18:36:21
the nice thing is; no matter how bad you think your worst level is, there's always something else out there to make it look like a masterpiece
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 07 March 2013, 18:38:19
Yeah, tell me about it.
I've shuffled through most of that huge map-pack floating around on the web  :P
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 08 March 2013, 00:18:20
Quote from: Forge on  07 March 2013, 18:36:21
the nice thing is; no matter how bad you think your worst level is, there's always something else out there to make it look like a masterpiece

lol
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 12 March 2013, 19:32:01
the site has hit the 450 hosted projects mark.

I still have just over 200 projects in que, so by the time the dust settles and everything is "caught up" there should be around 700 hosted projects as we wait for new releases and i dig around in my directories for gems & look at acceptable file sized TCs like platoon, starship troopers, etc.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 16 April 2013, 13:55:45
just had to say, i have developed the habit to check the front page of this site everytime i feel like playing a map, and everytime i do i always see a bunch of new maps uploaded and reviewed, just wanted to drop by and show some appreciation, thanks for all the hard work ! even from a casual player perspective (i don't play many maps anymore, but every once in a while i have my sprees), you guys are killing it
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 16 April 2013, 20:42:05
Thank you for your kind words, Aymeric  :)
We're trying to be here for the Dukers around the world.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 16 April 2013, 22:54:56
Yeah even though I don't play that often anymore, you guys still succeed in surprinsing me especially with good-to-great oldies. I just played The Haunting for instance which is really good in itself even by today's standards and definitly great for 1997, although a bit short.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 19 April 2013, 19:49:14
appreciate the appreciation  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: quakis on 20 April 2013, 00:54:01
Noticed that Discarded Stronghold is finally up here. Only things missing from are some old crap; this (http://dukerepository.com/maps/EDF_Overtaken_(Nuked1_Remake)) and this (http://taw.duke4.net/quakis_origin.zip).

Might also be preferable to have DS listed under my full name like my other releases for consistency in the listings.

(and tweak quakis with a lowercase q! cough cough [/super nitpick])
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 20 April 2013, 01:06:24
they've been in que. eventually they'll be selected at random from among the other 192 projects still sitting in the waiting to be done folder

i'll only play them in the immediate future if they're requested. I can do that if you like
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: quakis on 20 April 2013, 12:53:00
There's no rush, so play them when you feel ready as usual. I just wanted to mentioned those two incase they might have been missed unintentionally, but seems not!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 11 May 2013, 20:08:28
HT's maps are undervalued here, except for the overvalued computerbase map.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 12 May 2013, 08:15:17
Quote from: MSandt on  11 May 2013, 20:08:28
HT's maps are undervalued here, except for the overvalued computerbase map.
and you undervalued Puritan's last map and a couple of undertakers maps, overvalued some of Sanek's maps and my maps (no offense Sanek - me & you are the first ones that came to mind is all)
nobody's perfect. definitely not me. especially not you

wheeeeee...isn't trolling fun?

i recognized all the hard work HT put into those kick ass tricks, but he left other areas lacking. i mentioned them when i provided feedback during beta-testing, but at some point he stated he wasn't worried about those things and this project was more focused on putting resources towards creating desired effects.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 12 May 2013, 11:21:06
Yeah we don't get that many maps out these days so every one counts, especially when they bring something new to the table.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 12 May 2013, 12:42:20
Quote from: Forge on  12 May 2013, 08:15:17
Quote from: MSandt on  11 May 2013, 20:08:28
HT's maps are undervalued here, except for the overvalued computerbase map.
and you undervalued Puritan's last map and a couple of undertakers maps, overvalued some of Sanek's maps and my maps (no offense Sanek - me & you are the first ones that came to mind is all)
nobody's perfect. definitely not me. especially not you

I am perfect and as such any deviation from my ratings is imperfect.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 12 May 2013, 14:11:15
Quote from: Forge on  12 May 2013, 08:15:17
i recognized all the hard work HT put into those kick ass tricks, but he left other areas lacking. i mentioned them when i provided feedback during beta-testing, but at some point he stated he wasn't worried about those things and this project was more focused on putting resources towards creating desired effects.

I agree with Forge on this one. The map seems well done and all but it´s lacking charm in design and that makes it just a good map. I notice the fear of the maps becoming scarce with the time has been pushing reviewers to raise the rating average even more. 94 is 6% away from perfection. That´s the ultimate overrating.

With the exception of my maps, which should need three digits ratings. Many many things are being overrated these days.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 12 May 2013, 15:09:51
Your maps are the most overrated ones out there.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 12 May 2013, 15:23:23
Quote from: Gambini on  12 May 2013, 14:11:15
I notice the fear of the maps becoming scarce with the time has been pushing reviewers to raise the rating average even more. 94 is 6% away from perfection. That´s the ultimate overrating.

There are just 16 possible scores for Hot Maps; that's what makes it seem that those scoring, say, 94 out of 100, are overrated. But, as always, it's not the scale itself that matters but the map's relative position.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 12 May 2013, 17:02:44
Quote from: methy on  12 May 2013, 15:09:51
Your maps are the most overrated ones out there.

Nah. Actually, reviewers would need to lower all other maps 10 points just to actually reflect the supernatural quality of my maps. ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 16 May 2013, 16:07:23
Maybe when I deplete my reservoir of projects waiting to be done, I might go back and re-assess some items. Sunshine Complex and Last Pissed Time are a couple at the top of that list.

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: DavoX on 22 May 2013, 06:01:58
I don't know if I ever released "Chili factor" but if I did you should definitely give it a go :D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 22 May 2013, 14:49:14
Quote from: DavoX on  22 May 2013, 06:01:58
I don't know if I ever released "Chili factor" but if I did you should definitely give it a go :D
i remember asking for it a long time ago, but you said there were things that you wanted to do it first....and that was the last i heard about it.
you gave it out to a few friends, but there was never a real public release.


i don't know where i got it, but i found the updated 2008 version in the map bog on my HD

i'll toss it in my que folder and give it a whirl when it pops up in the rotation
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: DavoX on 22 May 2013, 19:37:35
Thanks man :) It came out before BAE remake when Gambini and I used to share maps via actual letters and floppy disks  :D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 16 June 2013, 04:30:21
What's up with that NewGlory map uploaded and reviewed? From the photos it looks like a total piece of garbage, even using the default ugly brick texture as a floor  :o
http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/N/newglory/newglory.php
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 16 June 2013, 04:49:03
kinda not fair to judge it strictly by the screen shots - i wouldn't play it just by looking at those, but the review claims it might be interesting if you're into heavy combat styled gaming. you should give it a run through first so you can make more accurate and meaningful criticism.

but on the surface.......
same thing that's up with Supa2 i suppose
http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/S/supa2/supa2.php

if a mapper made a decent map at some point then everything they released gets archived so you can see their progression. kinda like one of those time capsules you bury in the ground then dig up a decade later to see what's changed.

In this case you can see how he improved in just seven months from New Glory to his next map Volcano Isle

doesn't really matter. i say in about 200 more old single player map releases we'll be out of almost all the quality projects and be scraping around for anything playable. so enjoy the next year while you can, after that it's old TCs and mediocrity with an occasional gem.

i suppose at that time i can review all that stuff ck3d posted up a little while back, I also have a handful of Gambini's old stuff

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 27 September 2013, 00:32:25
Since Forge has stepped back for a moment to take care of real life there will be no reviews coming from him for a while.
Now, I'm not a reviewer as you might have understood.
I only do a quick DNR styled write up of oldies that I'm familiar with ( got piles of old maps on my HD ready for uploading).
In addition to that I spend parts of my spare time behind the scene with this site already.


If anybody feels like submitting a review you're welcome to do so.
I can promise that I'll upload 'em up as fast as possible  :)


Of course, I'll upload releases to our server with or without reviews.
I feel truly sorry for you who want a review for your released map but it's better for everybody that I keep away from new releases.
( I did a review for a recent map but when I compared it to another review on the web I realized that my score was more than ten points lower.....so I threw it in the thrashcan)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 08 October 2013, 16:36:15
i don't feel obligated to look at new releases, they get tossed into the que folder with the rest of the todo reviews. I'm in no rush to get any of them done.
since there's only X number of Duke projects, I'll get to them when i get to them.
if someone wants a specific review done within a certain time-frame, they can ask.
the upside to my lackadaisical attitude is that their project will get fresh exposure sometime in the future, and the site will have an extended influx of uploads before the bottom of the barrel is scraped and the site becomes "dead" like MSDN (having to wait on new releases, focusing on other games,  or rehashing old reviews onto the front page during times of inactivity).

i don't know how many hits this site gets, but the minimal amount of tangible activity on the board makes my admin job negligible
if you want to "fire" me for lack of competence and replace me with someone more active and enthusiastic (like MickyC) I'd agree with your decision, and it won't affect my willingness to sporadically submit reviews when i feel like it

edit: i'm going through a rough patch and i feel like a dickhead for encouraging you to start up this site with my full support then i just walk off leaving you hanging
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 09 October 2013, 01:21:09
Luckily there aren't that many new releases coming out. And yet I still never have enough time to play them...
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 October 2013, 07:57:54
On top of everything: My comp has imploded, so there will be no updates at all in the near future.
I can't afford to fix it / buy a new one atm.
Close to Christmas is my best guess.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 09 October 2013, 11:51:22
Sorry to hear that. How are you posting then? Phone?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 October 2013, 14:58:53
No, I'm logged in from work  ;D


But I can only peep in here for a quick glance in between my tasks.
Can't access database or any other update features on CGS server though  :'(
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 09 October 2013, 15:15:31
i have my M4A78LT-M-ASUS motherboard sitting around if you want it
has onboard video card
can include amd phenom II x2 560 black series cpu that can be unlocked to four core and oc'ed easily to 3.8 stable
have oem windows 7 disc that goes with it (you may have to figure out how to run sysprep.exe on your hard drive to get rid of the old drivers or you may get conflicts)

you'll need your own harddrive, powersupply and ram (those i don't have any extras)

not the newest or best, but better than nothing and can hold you over until you can afford a decent replacement
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: DavoX on 09 October 2013, 22:37:01
It looks like the DNF DLC will have to wait until christmas then :P
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 10 October 2013, 00:54:15
Quote from: DavoX on  09 October 2013, 22:37:01
It looks like the DNF DLC will have to wait until christmas then :P

Yep. Christmas 2014  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 11 October 2013, 18:20:47
Hah....Christmas comes early this year.


A colleague of mine brought me an old comp to pick spare parts from.
Looks like it's working  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 12 October 2013, 06:03:11
and what did she want in return that we shouldn't be telling your girl friend?  ;) 8)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: zykoveddy on 02 November 2013, 18:08:56
http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/E/e1l10a/e1l10.php

This is really weird. The review is basically a description of E2L10 from Duke 3D, and the screenshots are obviously taken from there, but I downloaded the map and it's nothing like that. The map from zip file is made in 1997 by The Master, judging by the signature, and it looks pretty cool actually.

(http://cs616620.vk.me/v616620872/154c/GkWRbkBShhg.jpg)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 02 November 2013, 19:28:16
It's not weird....only me shuffling files back and forth behind the scenes  :)
Obviously this one wasn't for public eyes yet. It's just something I'm fiddling around with.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 04 December 2013, 14:18:03
The map posted on the main page as "Moonland" by Nick Celender is "V5" by Ryan Isenberg. Get the real version here: http://dukeworld.duke4.net/classic%20dukeworld/maps/u-z/v5.zip
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 04 December 2013, 18:00:51
Well, I'll be damned...?


Thanks Mikko  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 04 December 2013, 18:04:51
I missed it. Did somebody steal someone else' work and call it their own, or were the review/screenshots and map mismatched?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 04 December 2013, 18:25:55
Looks like something have gone wrong at a point in the past.
Dunno if this is thievery or not.


I think the zip file is inside that huge map pack floating on the web.
Anyway, I've attached the zip file that I'm having on my HD.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 04 December 2013, 20:52:37
Yes, I too originally downloaded & played the map as Moonland (back in 1998) but it's V5 by Ryan Isenberg, no question about that (see Hive Duke for a very similar map).
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 05 December 2013, 18:33:06
i can see where there's confusion since that moonland map "by" Nick Celender is also in the classic Dukeworld site
http://dukeworld.duke4.net/classic%20dukeworld/maps/k-o/moonland.zip

it's obviously V5

the Nick version zip file has a set of "generic" non-matching dates for it's files like what you would find on one of those "500 greatest Duke Maps" CDs that used to flood the market for a cheap buck.

My guess is that this is where the file originally came from and the template and map were mismatched together in confusion over the moonland.map file name (there are old versions of V5 that use moonland.map instead of V5.map - it's why the title is called V5(moonland) even though it doesn't mention the moonland moniker in the template)

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 06 December 2013, 02:24:09
So it's just a simple case of file mixup of files? No stolen work?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 06 December 2013, 05:26:12
It's hard to know for sure. One template (Ryan) describes the crash landing at the beginning, the other (Nick) describes a lot of wall cracks. They both can fit the map. It could be stolen - that was back in ('97) the dialup days and there weren't many stable or well established Duke sites (tripod, aol, freehostingwhatever,etc). Collecting and distributing maps was happening, but there wasn't alot of intense scrutiny or reviews, so thievery would have been easier to get away with. Ryan could have used Nick as an alias for some reason. The only way to really know for sure is to find an original copy of Nick's moonland.
All i can say is the time stamps for the files in Nick's zip smack of crappy CD compilation.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 24 December 2013, 21:25:37
Another review I did today after finishing my recent map projects. I'll probably do the sequel tomorrow or something. Screenshots are in the .zip file.

QuoteHexhouse is the first map made by author Aaron Barber released back in '96. It's quite a large level, on par with The Abyss from the original game, and offer quite a decent amount of playtime.

Hexhouse isn't something you'd normally expect from someone who's never released anything prior to it, i.e. it's not a complete pile of shit. As mentioned the level is large with a lot of hidden passages and secret rooms for the player to discover. One path leading to another is occasionally broken up with multiple passageways giving the level a much more non-linear progression. Rooms aren't built just for the sake of it but actually contain value items so exploration is a very rewarding experience.
The map, however, isn't much of a challenge even for the lesser experienced Duke player. Even with around a hundred enemies to kill you will pretty much blast through it in about half an hour with most of that time spent exploring the map and finding your way through the canyon and comically large house.

While Hexhouse generally look good there are a few oddities regarding texturing which is a bit sloopy from time to time with either unaligned textures or questionable placement of textures that look really out of place for such an environment.

Hexhouse is a fine example that not every first release is a complete waste of time. If you're a sucker for canyon-themed maps this one is definitely worth checking out.

Score: 75
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 25 December 2013, 00:04:56
I'll put it up tomorrow.
Thanks a lot and a Merry Christmas, Loke  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 25 December 2013, 00:15:11
Quote from: Puritan on  25 December 2013, 00:04:56
Thanks a lot and a Merry Christmas, Loke  :)

Likewise!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 25 December 2013, 18:42:24
Alright, as promised, here is Dark Gate. It's the sequel to Hexhouse. Don't know if the author did any more after this.

QuoteDark Gate is the sequel to Aaron Barber's first release which went by the name Hexhouse. Dark House follows its predecessor in a similar fashion with large rooms and a lack of enemies, however, rather unfortunate, it also replaces the non-linear design that was very prominent in Hexhouse for a more standard linear type of progression. In a way it's less impressive but also a bit more interesting due to its more varying locations.

While it is more linear compared to Hexhouse, Dark Gate still manages to offer a solid experience with its interesting form of progression. While early on it's basically your usual wading on through huge corridors and big open spaces while killing enemies later on you'll come across two locked doors which need to be opened after finding their corresponding key card. Finding these key cards however is the fun part of it as they're both located in these strange and illusive places.

As with Hexhouse, however, Dark Gate is not without its problems. Texturing is sloppy like its predecessor with some odd texture placements. Furthermore, for some reason, most of the sectors which use the water texture aren't actually tagged as water sectors so they behave like a piece of solid ground. I don't know if this was just an oversight of the author or if he actually thought it was a good idea. So think twice before actually making a leap of faith into what you think is a pool of water.
Sadly, Dark Gate also manages to be even easier than Hexhouse with only about 70 enemies to boot on a fairly large map with lots of ammo. Also, don't expect any difference between the difficulty settings as the enemy count is the exact same across all of them. But to put some light into it enemy variation is good as you will combat most of the enemies that the game has to offer including mini-battlelords and a mini-overlord.

Unfortunately, Dark Gate is a bit lacking due to getting rid of the big open non-linear design from Hexhouse and for being just too easy. There's just not enough "oomph" to say the least. But still it's worth checking out on a boring and rainy day when you got nothing better to do.

Score: 70
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 25 December 2013, 19:03:00
Thank you, sire  :)
Properly uploaded.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 25 December 2013, 21:29:52
Aaron Barber is a professional mapper (HL2, Portal,...) these days btw.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 26 December 2013, 13:52:37
Cool. So that makes at least 3 duke mappers who turned pro mappers at some point! There was also  Enric Alvarez (Lem series) I believe and obviously Robert Travis
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 26 December 2013, 15:59:41
What does DavoX do?
iirc he is (was) in that industry or something related to it
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 26 December 2013, 17:14:09
Don't forget C3PO.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 26 December 2013, 18:34:51
Quote from: Forge on  26 December 2013, 15:59:41
What does DavoX do?
iirc he is (was) in that industry or something related to it

Level designer I believe.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 26 December 2013, 19:09:18
Where did C3PO work?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: MSandt on 26 December 2013, 23:32:09
Quote from: methy on  26 December 2013, 19:09:18
Where did C3PO work?

http://www.magnarj.net/

If you have HL2EP2, you should definitely check out his Mission Improbable.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Gambini on 27 December 2013, 00:03:32
The other day I was talking to this guy I know from the hl2 world and he told me that C3PO now works on Valve, he did some maps for CSGO at least, so maybe we played his maps the other day hehe.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 02 January 2014, 20:09:47
Another map called Mega Plaza Shopping Center. Thought it was a great map. Actually played it before in the Duke Attrition mod but this is the first time I tried it in vanilla.

QuoteMega Plaza Shopping Center is a large city-themed level built entirely by Andras Piroska. It focuses on a shopping center located in the city of Los Angeles which was recently overrun by aliens and it's up to Duke to clean up the place and then get the hell out of there before it blows up in a fiery blaze.

Mega Plaza focuses a lot on its non-linear gameplay which relies heavily on finding well hidden key cards. Finding the first one is actually the tricky part and definitely my favorite moment in the map. The areas a very well constructed in a sense that you can very easily see the key cards but they're either hidden behind an indestructible glass window or a fence blocking your path, a "so near and yet so far" moment if there ever was one.
Scouring the map for cards isn't the only highlight of the map. Exploring the map for every nook and cranny is another great moment that the map has to offer. Cleaning up every room isn't necessary however, but it's definitely recommended and very rewarding since they house a lot of goodies that will help you along the way.

Starting off Mega Plaza can be a bit challenging since ammo is a bit scarce and you have to look around for it. Nonetheless, with that said, it's not a particularly hard map despite the hectic brief introduction and a few nasty but well designed ambushes mostly due to the abundance of health packs.

If there was something that I'd criticize it'd be that while the map certainly looks good the shading leaves a lot to be desired. Frankly, a lot of areas look a bit drab due to the lack of good shading resulting in a very bright environment. One would might argue that of course it's bright, it's a shopping center and yeah, you're right, but this is also a building that's been overrun by aliens. Think of sections of the building with poorly lit rooms or hallways with aliens lurking around corners. I'd preferred if the author could've experimented a bit more with the shading but I also understand the style that he went with. Don't get me wrong, it's not a major issue just a bit unfortunate when the rest of the map is so solid.

Overall Mega Plaza Shopping Center is an excellent map well worth your valuable time. Piroska pretty much nailed everything that makes a Duke Nukem 3D map good, be that the well balanced combat or non-linear design that isn't overwhelming. Definitely check it out or Duke will go medieval on your sorry ass.

Score: 85
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 02 January 2014, 20:32:22
Man, this is weird.
I had "Mega Plaza Shopping Center" almost ready for an upload myself  :o


But of course, you guys first.
I'll upload your review.
And you get to be the map number 600 contributor too  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 03 January 2014, 16:42:31
Thanks. I got another one from Piroska. :)

QuoteUnderground Base is a canyon/hi-tech-themed map by Andras Piroska. The basic premise revolves around an underground base that has lost contact with the outside world and it's up to Duke Nukem to figure out what happened.

Underground Base isn't particularly ambitious nor great but what it do offer is a solid 15 minute romp through a decently constructed hi-tech base. The shading is occasionally a bit wonky; some areas look good while others seem to lack any form of shading at all. Texturing leaves a lot to be desired with a lot of odd texture choices (using a hi-tech crate texture for walls, really?) but overall it does a good enough job of depicting some sort of base.

Unfortunately, one of the weaker aspects of the map is also the combat. You'll be granted a big arsenal of weapons and explosives early on from one of the supply rooms which is almost enough to stomp through the map with minimal effort. On the bright side you do get a lot of different colored enemies but sadly they're quickly eradicated by Duke's explosive armament.
Ultimately, you pick up the Devastator weapon and from there on out you're pretty much unstoppable which also, towards the end, makes short work of the big guy waiting for you.

Underground Base is a bit uneven especially when compared to Piroska's clearly superior release "Mega Plaza Shopping Center". It's not a bad map, definitely not, but it's also not great. You might enjoy it, who knows. I just expected a bit more.

Score: 65
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 03 January 2014, 17:51:10
Thank you once again, Loke  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 30 January 2014, 22:57:42
there's an updated version of Lara Croft's house that was released in '99. supposedly it improved multiplayer
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: LeoD on 08 May 2014, 16:22:46
The Library map reviewed here (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/L/lib/lib.php) is a modified version of LIBRARY.MAP contained in Sunstorm Interactive's Duke Xtreme (same layout, pickups modified).
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 08 May 2014, 17:40:07
^Thanks for that info.
Now, I'm not sure if I will add Sunstorm as author.
Might get me in trouble with all kind of copyrights.


After all, it was somebody who actually released this map somewhere back in time.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 08 May 2014, 18:02:08
Quote from: LeoD on  08 May 2014, 16:22:46
The Library map reviewed here (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/L/lib/lib.php) is a modified version of LIBRARY.MAP contained in Sunstorm Interactive's Duke Xtreme (same layout, pickups modified).
I have at least four different versions of this map
the one hosted here
one dated 9/21/99
one dated 1/10/04
one dated 2/19/97

and not one template or watermark with some author identification to be found
that's the stuff that makes me shake my head - make your own map or at least give credit to the person/entity it was taken from
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: LeoD on 08 May 2014, 21:59:55
Quote from: Forge on  08 May 2014, 18:02:08I have at least four different versions of this map
the one hosted here
one dated 9/21/99
one dated 1/10/04
one dated 2/19/97
My version is dated 1997-02-03, the accompanying LIBRARY.TXT is 1997-02-19. Therefore I assume the last entry on your list being identical to mine (93690 byte). Robert Travis used to sign his maps, so LIBRARY.MAP is supposed made by a Sunstorm mapper who is not RT.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 09 May 2014, 00:44:10
i found the one dated 97 with a text file, but just a minor map description:

Library - DM

A DukeMatch in a small library. A central, stacks area provides an arena, while side galleries allow for ambushes. 4 hidden areas.


it's in the same format as other sunstorm DM map texts, but didn't have the Sunstorm monicker. I think that's typical though, some did, some didn't include the name.

this is the template i have with an old version of Anslem X:

Anslem X - DM
by Sunstorm Interactive

Anslem X is the acclaimed Dukematch level based on the popular single player version Anslem. Anslem X won the esteemed TEN level design contest, and was named the best Dukematch level ever!


this is the template for under ice by sunstorm:

Under Ice - DM

Ice fishing Duke Nukem Style.  Features several icehouses, a cabin and other goodies, perfect for match play.


my gripe is the later editions of Library probably weren't done by Sunstorm and no credit was given to them for borrowing/modifying their map
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: methy on 09 May 2014, 12:25:54
I had no idea Library was made by a Sunstorm member. No wonder why I love it so much :p (at least the version I know of it, the one on DNR; the modified version is horrible)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Micky C on 09 August 2014, 04:15:14
The screenshots for Dukecraft don't have the new colour palate which makes all the colours look much, much more vibrant. Is there a chance of this being fixed?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 09 August 2014, 05:40:24
his template didn't specify which renderer to use, so i played it in 8bit.

you can play it in 32bit, take some screenshots, email them to Puritan, and ask if he'll change them out.

a ) i don't feel like playing it again just for screenshots when i have other maps on my plate to do that use up my free time.
b ) you have just a good a chance as i do to convince Puritan to re-upload fresh screenshots
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: LeoD on 09 September 2014, 00:55:46
The download link of "Bob Deathmatch 1" by Bob Averill points to dukeprox.zip.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 September 2014, 16:45:02
Quote from: LeoD on  09 September 2014, 00:55:46
The download link of "Bob Deathmatch 1" by Bob Averill points to dukeprox.zip.


Fixed.


Thanks  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 11 September 2014, 13:55:37
You know I rarely ever drink, and when I do it's usually not enough to make me loopy. If you'd provide me an access point to bunge uploads these things wouldn't happen as often as they do.  ;)

(http://www.scottcarper.com/images/glug_glug.jpg)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 01 February 2015, 12:27:55
Hi everyone

Is this the right place to submit reviews for user maps, I found some of the user maps don't have a review yet so I thought I do one myself for the map Zero, a deathmatch one.

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/Z/zero/zero.php

Here's the review here.

An interesting deathmatch level, one that may of been overlooked as being not that good a level, I think it's a good level as it's meant as a deathmatch. It has a few interesting places to explore such as the skate park, library and many other places also on your first attempt you probably will not of discovered everything about this map but despite this the map is somewhat small but do not let that put you off. One area will remind you of the very famous level three (Death row) church area where you can hide behind one of the glass panes, mind you this could be unfair to your opponents. You can have upto eight or probably more players but I would recommend three at most as things do get a bit crazy. There is small hiding places you can use also do not forget to get to the Center of the map where you can find the skeleton face and once you jump into the eyes you will find some guns. If ever there was a game of hide n seek this would be an interesting map to do it in, not too big, not too small.

For it being a deathmatch, it's a rather good map as you have your weapons, plenty of areas to explore and plenty of killing. (Duke loves to kill people) make sure you give this one a try if you like your deathmatch.
70% score   
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 01 February 2015, 14:36:50
Thank you, Tgreyhair  :)
Your review is uploaded.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 01 February 2015, 21:47:03
Thanks Puritan.  8)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 02 February 2015, 01:41:08
Here was another review I had but it's a map I don't think is popular.

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/O/omega/omega.php

Omega is a deathmatch level that has a few areas to explore but do be careful not to fall off the structure. It has its share of hidden places but nothing special, It can get confusing going through the teleporters but that's what it's all about, that way you can trick your opponents. There are one or two hidden places to explore but nothing special again in that regard. It might not work that well with computer bots as the bots tend to walk off edges as it tends to be something they do not recognise because of the A.I.

The bad could outweigh the good because it can be a very difficult setup to play against a human playing but do give it a try for a quick dukematch. Watch your friend fall to their death once you trick them in this map.

41% score

(Would this be okay to upload?)

Many thanks.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 02 February 2015, 18:03:53
Quote from: Tgreyhair on  02 February 2015, 01:41:08
(Would this be okay to upload?)

Many thanks.


Of course it's okay.
Thank you very much for your review.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 03 February 2015, 21:05:46
(Here's a third review for a map I decided to do. The map is Arene)

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/A/arene/arene.php

This deathmatch map will get you straight to the action no waiting long or looking around the map for too long as most of the action takes place in the arena. The architecture in this map is very good as it represents a somewhat Roman or Greek style amphitheatre with a few differences such as your two teleporters where you could maybe perform a few tricks on your opponents. In my own view I would say that this map would work well if it was only two players but you can have upto eight players or more but that would make the game very crazy as it's only a small map. The arena sometimes may not be the best place to be as a lot of the goodies are up on the higher section where you can find jetpacks, more atomic healths and plenty more goodies.

Apart from the design of the map being good its a rather small map that might probably have taking the score down, If you do not want a map where you are searching for ever to find your opponent then this is the map for you and your friends. It works well playing against a computer.

Have to give credit to the architecture,it is well designed.

65%   
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 04 February 2015, 08:12:30
Added.
Thank you, sire  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 12 February 2015, 01:25:08
I might post a couple more reviews, Here's one of them for the Scrapper.

(Scrapper)

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/S/scraper/scraper.php

Deathmatch only

This is one of the old 90s maps that sort of has that shrapnel city edge to it. There is plenty of places to hide including one that is opposite the duke (lunar apocalypse sign or poster) you can walk through one wall and trick your friends by shooting them when they walk by.  The level itself has a lot of steps and a lift so you can plan what tactics you want to do such as pipe bombing the lift (etc). One area in this map contains an area where you can heat up food, somewhat like the (Raw Meat) level from shrapnel city. Don't forget to pick up the yellow freezer gun.   

Many different areas to explore thinking from the perspective that it is only a deathmatch, I can see this might actually be not a bad level for a quick fight with the computer bots or friends. 

Score 68
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 12 February 2015, 02:06:52
Here's another quick one.

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/G/gbar/gbar.php

(Gbar Map)

If you want to see what life is like for the spiders and flies, check this map out. Everything in this map is big but beware not to get lost inside the pool table. A unique deathmatch with guns and goodies everywhere, you will not know which way to turn. A lot of the action does usually take place on the pool table as I was battling it out with the bots. (Be careful not to get stuck behind the bar)

Make sure to get the jetpack as this will allow you to explore the vents up near the ceiling, you will notice RPGs and many other little things, health packs if I remember correctly.

If you love your dukematch give this map a try. Another thing I would like to say about this map is you do not get to see this level design technique getting used much in maps  where duke is in an oversized room. It might inspire a few of us to do the same thing in the future. 

I now know what it feels like to be a pool ball. 

Score 92
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 12 February 2015, 17:29:16
Added, thanks  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 17 February 2015, 00:31:59
Thanks for uploading Puritan.

Here's another review for the paintball level, an old map I think

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/P/paint/paint.php

Paintball

A very old map from 1996 or 1997 but nevertheless an interesting one I have to say. Deathmatch is what this map is meant for but maybe this map is meant for another type of game mode, something such as capture the flag. The map has a few secret hiding places to explore including one place where you would be better off if you never visited it. The place is called (The Bank of Hell) as this place is like a deathtrap.

It has a few underwater places as well to explore, always good for finding weapons. Just as the map says it's very much like a paintball arena which would probably work well as a deathmatch where if you get killed that is you eliminated from the game. The two bases are Blue and Red with its own wall architecture.

A good map for duking it out.

73 Score
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 20 February 2015, 02:02:21
Here's another one again.  :)

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/S/stadion/stadion.php

Stadion

A deathmatch level with a Olympic twist. This level has a few hiding places but make sure you get yourself out on the Olympic field as that is where the action takes place. When you stand on the podiums where they hand out the medals a few goodies appear in front of you including an atomic health. IT looks like a lot of work has went into making this map as the Olympic track looks neat also the other Olympic areas such as the long jump area looks not bad, I think Duke would beat any Olympic long jump record. There is an outside area which includes a lot of weapons and such like but it mostly leads back to the Olympic stadium where most of the fighting tends to take place. 

The reason I am giving this a high score is I think that this level could inspire many others who might want to take it a step further. An interesting deathmatch level and again another one that is unique in ways.

Score 81 
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 20 February 2015, 17:21:54
Both uploaded.
Thank you for contributing  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: anvil on 25 February 2015, 03:00:36
Mega Plaza Shopping Center by Andras Piroska and Mallrats by Andrew Horne, both reviewed here, are basically the same map.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 25 February 2015, 13:42:58
Quote from: anvil on  25 February 2015, 03:00:36
Mega Plaza Shopping Center by Andras Piroska and Mallrats by Andrew Horne, both reviewed here, are basically the same map.


You're right.
I'll guess that the one by Andrew Horne is false.
The templates are quite similar.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 28 February 2015, 00:13:53
Here's the Astral map review, many thanks for uploading.

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/A/astral/astral.php

Astral

Astral is a deathmatch level with plenty of places to hide and also plenty of weapons, health pickups including the devastator weapon which is guarded by some trip bombs. Certain areas in this map can be destroyed such as the outside area with the satellite making a small hiding place where once you destroy the ground the satellite is standing on you can get the jetpack from the place below. The bridge above the green sewer water can get destroyed as well making whoever is standing there fall into the slime. The map has an underwater area to explore probably nothing special in terms of powerups (etc) but there are a few sharks waiting for duke as the sharks are very hungry. One area to fool your friend is the rotating cogs as you can fall to your death if you are not careful.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 19 April 2015, 04:11:14
I've fucked it up....
In the process of polishing stuff around here I accidentally deleted some information that I can't recover.
The author of the review for:

Xtermination (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/X/xtermin/xtermin.php) is lost.

I sincerely hope you'll step forward and kick me in the nut sack.... :D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 19 April 2015, 12:46:28
Pretty sure that's EmericaSkater since it uses the same review template for Retaliation (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/R/retaliation/retaliation.php).
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 19 April 2015, 14:58:52
You're right, thank you very much  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Loke on 19 April 2015, 15:51:29
Your nuts are safe. ;D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 08 August 2015, 23:32:55
Hi guys

That's me reviewed another map.

The map is called (Seven)

http://dukerepository.com/maps/Seven

   
A very atmospheric map with it having a yellow scenery attached to it. You can play the single player as the single player has a few enemies and if you can find the Protector Drone that can be your mission for the single player but this map is meant big time for dukematch. 

A few of the areas in the map is your pistons where duke gets crushed if he goes under also there is a conveyor belt with a few burgers on it. Sounds very delicious but there is one thing I forgot to tell you which are the burgers are made from dog meat. You will be eating doggie burgers. Hope I have not put you off your dinner.  There's a hidden bathroom area as well because you have to blow up a wall to get to the bathroom. The other bathroom in the map is very easy to get to. 

As far as the deathmatch goes I think two to four players is idea. Not too sure if it would work with more as it would get too frantic, if that's the right word to use.

Score 73
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 August 2015, 18:13:41
Well, hi there.
Nice of you to post your review  ;)
But as you may know, I've got some 15,000 files to edit around here...
I don't have time to play any maps nor taking screenshots.

If you wont me to put up your review could you please take at least six shots with a resolution above 740 X 440 ?
(.....and the file format isn't important since I'll modify 'em anyways)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 11 August 2015, 13:32:09
Hi Puritan

No worries,  8) Looks like you have lots of files to get round to but the worst thing we could do is to rush everything, I think that's when the problems start if we were to rush things.

I think there's already some pictures of the map then again I could be wrong as I was unable to access the seven map section of the website. A very good website with many maps you can play, I posted the old duke repository website which I think is not being updated any more and most of the maps on the duke repository website I think have been played by myself but on this website there's lots of  good looking maps that I've still to play.  :)

Don't worry about the review just now.  8)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Forge on 16 August 2015, 08:02:26
If it came off the DN-R site, then it should already be uploaded here with screen shots (minus NY rebellion, which I've been a slug about getting around to)
It should only need a write-up and a score.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 01 October 2015, 01:34:14
Oh I got confused there, yeah you are right Forge.  ;D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 01 October 2015, 01:39:00
Here's the map seven.

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/S/seven/seven.php

Here's the review, sorry for the confusion. :)

   
A very atmospheric map with it having a yellow scenery attached to it. You can play the single player as the single player has a few enemies and if you can find the Protector Drone that can be your mission for the single player but this map is meant big time for dukematch.

A few of the areas in the map is your pistons where duke gets crushed if he goes under also there is a conveyor belt with a few burgers on it. Sounds very delicious but there is one thing I forgot to tell you which are the burgers are made from dog meat. You will be eating doggie burgers. Hope I have not put you off your dinner.  There's a hidden bathroom area as well because you have to blow up a wall to get to the bathroom. The other bathroom in the map is very easy to get to.

As far as the deathmatch goes I think two to four players is ideal. Not too sure if it would work with more as it would get too frantic, if that's the right word to use.

Score 73
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 01 October 2015, 17:14:21
Thank you very much, sire  :)

Your review is bunged to the server.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: anvil on 19 September 2016, 20:09:50
The map "Area" by Zik crashes the game with eduke32 versions from the past 4 years.
Btw, there is a newer version of this map, which also crashes the game, here: (http://dukeworld.duke4.net/classic%20dukeworld/tc/zik/z_area.zip)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 20 September 2016, 15:41:44
Quote from: anvil on  19 September 2016, 20:09:50
...
Btw, there is a newer version of this map, which also crashes the game, here: (http://dukeworld.duke4.net/classic%20dukeworld/tc/zik/z_area.zip)


;D
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Captain Massive on 21 September 2016, 17:53:02
Quote from: anvil on  19 September 2016, 20:09:50
The map "Area" by Zik crashes the game with eduke32 versions from the past 4 years.
Btw, there is a newer version of this map, which also crashes the game, here: (http://dukeworld.duke4.net/classic%20dukeworld/tc/zik/z_area.zip)

http://www.mediafire.com/download/bhacpstsgxj9wb9/z_area.zip (http://www.mediafire.com/download/bhacpstsgxj9wb9/z_area.zip)

Fixed it for ya, and it was a tricky one.

I had to dislocate the vertices from the transport elevator door.

Transport Elevators depend on an adjacent sector's ceiling height in order to determine the height at which to teleport. For this reason, you should not use any effects that change the ceiling height of a sector adjacent to a Transport Elevator. The original map designers made this mistake in E2L1.MAP: "Spaceport", which only works correctly by luck/coincidence.

:Quoted from The Duke Nukem 3D Informational Suite
by Ryan Lennox

:Nothing was changed except the fix, I even used the original zip file.

All I did was copy/paste its own door back into itself after I removed it and it dislocated the vertices automatically, and then copy pasted the exact textures with the correct panning/shades back to their origanal state.

It works/looks & acts as the author intended.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: anvil on 21 September 2016, 20:45:10
Thanks for the fix!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 21 September 2016, 21:03:46
Nice work, guys  :)
Added the fixed map to the server.

Btw: I've got more maps from Zik to be uploaded later on.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: anvil on 08 May 2018, 13:56:45
The map "Betrayal" by Bruce Sparhawk you uploaded yesterday has a newer version. (http://dukeworld.duke4.net/2001-current/unsorted/other/Duke%20Nukem%203D/Maps/Single%20Player/1997/Maps/betrayal.zip)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 08 May 2018, 16:48:36
Quote from: anvil on  08 May 2018, 13:56:45
The map "Betrayal" by Bruce Sparhawk you uploaded yesterday has a newer version. (http://dukeworld.duke4.net/2001-current/unsorted/other/Duke%20Nukem%203D/Maps/Single%20Player/1997/Maps/betrayal.zip)


Fixed, thanks  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 26 July 2020, 15:25:21
Hey Puritan!

Maybe I don't need to, but I felt like notifying you of Maarten Van Oostrum's latest epic called Woudrichem War: https://msdn.duke4.net/hotwoudrichem.php

Great job on all the recent uploads, you've been finding some gems it looks like. Can't wait to play a lot of those maps, most of them I don't think I ever knew about.

People on Duke4 have been bringing up those boards again as an example of a strong ongoing site that's important to the community yet not openly celebrated enough. I hope all is well. Paul B's Dukemaps website just went down, too.

I've been working on an episode for the past year with two and a half maps completed so far. It's most likely not coming out anytime soon, but when the time comes to create a WIP thread on forums I'll make sure to start one on here as well. Good luck and keep it up!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 27 July 2020, 18:56:49
Thank you very much for your kind words and heads-up about Maartens latest addition.
I'm on vacation right now....and now it seems that alien scumbags are screwing it up!  :D

I'll try to upload Maartens map tomorrow.

Take care!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 28 July 2020, 10:45:21
Quote from: ck3D on  26 July 2020, 15:25:21
...
I've been working on an episode for the past year with two and a half maps completed so far. It's most likely not coming out anytime soon, but when the time comes to create a WIP thread on forums I'll make sure to start one on here as well. Good luck and keep it up!


Great news!
Your maps is always from the top shelves. Can't wait.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 31 July 2020, 16:39:46
Quote from: Puritan on  27 July 2020, 18:56:49
Thank you very much for your kind words and heads-up about Maartens latest addition.
I'm on vacation right now....and now it seems that alien scumbags are screwing it up!  :D

I'll try to upload Maartens map tomorrow.

Take care!

My pleasure! And thanks,

Just reporting another level,

I haven't played it yet, but I just found this map from 1999 just now seeing the light of the day, apparently the author has three more of them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlO3n7wUqzU

There's a download link in the description, too. Map looks good in parts, it's obviously been shown some care and it has some interesting stuff, although it also has its share of areas with poorer design and typical beginner mapper mistakes (explosions in your face, etc.).

Hope you had a great holiday!

edit - my bad - looks like that map was already released before, along with the others, with the author going by the name Cyrell at the time. They're all on Arrovf's website. I don't think he even suspects that the community has been keeping those old maps of his in a drawer or two somewhere, that's pretty cool.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 02 August 2020, 15:31:45
Quote from: ck3D on  31 July 2020, 16:39:46

...
edit - my bad - looks like that map was already released before, along with the others, with the author going by the name Cyrell at the time. They're all on Arrovf's website. I don't think he even suspects that the community has been keeping those old maps of his in a drawer or two somewhere, that's pretty cool.


Been at CGS a couple of years (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/G/godown/godown.php)  ;)
But thanks for your effort. There's still nice oldies out there waiting to be discovered.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 03 August 2020, 14:52:08
You're a better man than I am!

Ha! Yeah, lately I've been finding myself finding a lot of user map playthroughs on YouTube (it's one way to kill time while eating lunch all the while gathering inspiration I guess), I usually filter them per date to find the more recent ones and occasionally I'll run into people using the platform to advertise their maps that they don't really showcase anywhere else, it's funny. Like there's a new generation of creators who don't really know about the traditional route. Or old mappers getting the bug again and making showcase video clips with or without dev commentary. I suspect a lot of this newfound hype has to do with the recent World Tour ports such as the one on the Switch. For specific instances, I've been sharing some interesting findings in this thread: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/8858-what-have-you-been-playing-posting-about-duke-3d-maps/page__st__30 in the case of potentially unreleased stuff (such as this guy's who's making 'sequels' to Alejandro's maps), I reckon you could always get in touch with the authors for some (at least temporary) exclusivity.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 10 August 2020, 17:41:17
Dukebot just released his new epic: "Lost World" https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11317-release-lost-world/

I beta-tested the map a few months back and it was already amazing, and I trust the author has ironed out most of the little flaws it used to have. Big scale level, expect at least one hour on a first playthrough. Enjoy!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 13 August 2020, 14:21:08
Quote from: ck3D on  10 August 2020, 17:41:17
Dukebot just released his new epic: "Lost World" https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11317-release-lost-world/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11317-release-lost-world/)

I beta-tested the map a few months back and it was already amazing, and I trust the author has ironed out most of the little flaws it used to have. Big scale level, expect at least one hour on a first playthrough. Enjoy!


Hey
Thanks for the heads-up...
I'll have a go on "Lost World" as soon as I can manage to squeeze in some Duke on my schedule  :D


Edit: Enemies killed: 727  :o
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 15 August 2020, 16:56:25
Yeah it's a pretty intense level. If you want me to come up with a review I'm short on time too but I could probably piece one together rather quickly from cuts from the beta test report I sent Dukebot a while back, just let me know and I can post something like that.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 16 August 2020, 10:38:43
Quote from: ck3D on  15 August 2020, 16:56:25
Yeah it's a pretty intense level. If you want me to come up with a review I'm short on time too but I could probably piece one together rather quickly from cuts from the beta test report I sent Dukebot a while back, just let me know and I can post something like that.


That would have been very much appreciated if you can find some time  ;)

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 16 August 2020, 14:07:07
If you're into sandbox type of levels - a style not many Duke user mappers really dare to tackle - then Dukebot's newest piece "Lost World", regarded by the author himself as a new start in his mapping career, should be right up your alley. Name of the level is an accurate representation of the basic plot as in "Lost World", Duke finds himself stranded in just that and as the player, you're obviously the one to have to pick up on its navigation.

Great care was put towards crafting a credible (on Duke 3D's standards), immersive location with a certain attention to detail that - quite surprisingly given how that typically tends to result in cluttered and unpractical levels - never gets in the way of the gameplay here, nor of the scale of the map at all. Quite to the contrary, the feel of exploration is amazing, the impression of an alternate world to explore with different lands to take over is really there, and built in a way that originally takes some time for the player to grasp but then becomes a very simple layout to master, thanks to some clear landmarks, and visual touches that really convey the idea of said lost world being broken down into different lands with their inhabitants and specific intricacies.

The map is large indeed, and the firefights are very much shooting gallery style but in fact, because of how varied the terrain is and how crazy the encounters can get, a million of scenarios can happen with every fight, encouraging the player to develop strategies such as using the variations in landscape to retreat or trap monsters - when you're not the one getting overwhelmed due to bad decision making, that is. One of many other strategies one can develop is aligning themselves with the vegetation to block some of the shots and rockets, all the while firing back - basically the whole battle arena functions as such very well. The map's dynamic in general is super explosive, and its design makes for a lot of different ways every scenario can play out, including monster respawns, ensuring lots of replay value.

The ending does come up a bit abruptly, but not after keeping Duke on his toes with one particularly memorable, frenetic, hard-earned battle that essentially consists in conquering a whole portion of the map.

With "Lost World", Dukebot really reinvents himself all the while suggesting a fresh take on the game that mostly brilliantly breaks away from some of its most established conventions. An inherently well-designed map that really functions as an alternative way of seeing and playing Duke 3D.

Score: 92
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 16 August 2020, 14:51:21
Excellent, sire !
I've included it on the Lost World page.
Thank you  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 27 August 2020, 19:05:12
New Shaky Grounds 3 by mrline released: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11353-release-shaky-grounds-pt3-epicenter/page__pid__347912#entry347912
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 27 August 2020, 19:13:21
Damn, ck3d beat me to it! :D

Hi Puritan, long time no see. Great to see that this site is still running! :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 29 August 2020, 11:08:17
Quote from: ck3D on  27 August 2020, 19:05:12
New Shaky Grounds 3 by mrline released: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11353-release-shaky-grounds-pt3-epicenter/page__pid__347912#entry347912 (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11353-release-shaky-grounds-pt3-epicenter/page__pid__347912#entry347912)


Wow, that's great!
Thanks for the heads-up
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 29 August 2020, 11:10:05
Quote from: Merlijn on  27 August 2020, 19:13:21
Damn, ck3d beat me to it! :D

Hi Puritan, long time no see. Great to see that this site is still running! :)


Hi Merlijn

It's been a while. I've ditched FB a couple of years ago and migrated to MeWe instead..
CGS will be running for years to come  ;)

Looking forward to play your map this weekend!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 30 August 2020, 10:36:38
Hi Puritan,

yeah I understand why you ditched Facebook. I mostly keep it for band related stuff.

PS: I screwed up the zip file in the duke4 post. There's an ogg file in there that should have been a voc file (bookem03.voc).
I just added a new reply with the correct zip, please use that one if you upload to the site.

(I assume a mod will also add it to the original post, but I can't edit it myself)

Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 31 August 2020, 11:28:19
Are you looking for a review for this one too, Puritan?

Fully gotcha on Facebook, too. All my social media would be long gone if I didn't need it for work so much.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 31 August 2020, 14:56:20
Quote from: ck3D on  31 August 2020, 11:28:19
Are you looking for a review for this one too, Puritan?

Fully gotcha on Facebook, too. All my social media would be long gone if I didn't need it for work so much.


If you would be so kind  ;)
You are a good reviewer for sure. You may PM me your review and I'll put it up immediately.
Very much appreciated!

"Social media" has become socialist media. Censorship and lies goes hand in hand.
MeWe are a neutral platform and you may be anonymous.
No gathering of your personal data.....etc
Recommended !
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 04 September 2020, 11:08:23
Very rare are Duke 3D user maps so chockfull of surprises that the mere act of writing a simple review risks instantly slipping into spoiler category. And Shaky Grounds Pt. 3: Epicenter just so happens to be one of those (urban-themed) pieces that tells its own story - or its own chapter of the story more specifically here - as written by longtime Build engine narration legend from the Netherlands, Merlijn Van Oostrum.

The author not only lives up to his legacy here with more stellar design, clever texture applications and good taste as far as general visuals, but also pushes it even further in terms of gameplay flow - navigation is made clear from the beginning to the end of the level, ensuring you'll never get stuck despite the existence of a constructed plot, but also dotted with moments of build up then release. It's hard to think of any map since Red 4 and Red 5 (not coincidentally also by Merlijn) with such a progressive sense of immersion - here your whole ride will be punctuated by atmospheric moments of tension and bouts of all possible kinds of action, including some particularly ambitious explosive surprises (jack-in-the-box style - except your brain will be the box).

Just like the previous installments in the series, Shaky Grounds Pt. 3: Epicenter is a magnificently-crafted city map but also and most importantly, one of the evolutive kind that's only too rarely seen. Here you can literally expect the urban landscape to move around you as you go, and lots of thinking and technical effort has been put into the implementation of a ridiculous amount of effects to make sure your time in this map will feel so coherent and live, with some surreal props thrown in for good measure; for brief moments you won't be sure on which side of the screen you belong: 'here you go weird' as a certain saying goes, but only the best kind of.

If around the time of its release, Duke 3D was popularly regarded as a more interactive Doom, then the whole Shaky Grounds series so far can similarly be viewed as a more dynamic Roch. If ever needed, with that map set, Merlijn reminds us all that pseudo-realistic, complex (or Kompleks?) environments don't have to be static, and discourage authors from using terrain effects that originally made a lot of the strength of the Build engine - if anything, they may in fact make for just as many opportunities to push them, thereby inviting the exploration of new dimensions in Duke 3D mapping as opposed to repeating old tropes. Each and every installment is a piece of art and instant classic.

Score: 98
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 08 September 2020, 21:32:14
Thanks for the review! ^_^
I'm willing to write a review for Woudrichem war (and perhaps some other recent maps too). But since Woudrichem war is made by Maarten, it's probably not appropiate for me to determine the rating.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 09 September 2020, 08:01:51
Quote from: Merlijn on  08 September 2020, 21:32:14
...
I'm willing to write a review for Woudrichem war (and perhaps some other recent maps too). But since Woudrichem war is made by Maarten, it's probably not appropiate for me to determine the rating.


No problem.
Your integrity is indisputable, sire.
And thank you for offering a helping hand  ;)
( I was thinking of a score around 97-98 if it is a relief ....)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 20 September 2020, 20:14:13
Alright, it took a bit longer than expected, but here it is. If it's too long, don't hesitate to shorten it a bit. :)

Review: Another alien attack 1: Woudrichem War

Duke Nukem 3D is well known for it's simulation of real life locations, in a time where most FPS games were just abstract mazes. A lot of user mappers took this idea even further and started recreating monuments, castles and even whole city blocks. Authors like Pascal Rouaud and Ck3d are well known for translating European architecture to the build engine and pushing the enveloppe. Now Maarten has taken the next step by recreating an entire town and its surroundings. This whole map tries to replicate the city of Woudrichem, a real historic place in The Netherlands. The result is a very ambitious and remarkable map.

The map starts outside the city and lets the player circle the place first. This is a nice way to introduce the player to this world and give them an idea of the general geography of the area. Enemy encounters are built up in a similar fashion, starting off slow but becoming more intense as the players progresses. Once the city is unlocked, the map becomes more unlinear. The player has to hunt down 3 keys and has the freedom to decide in which order to get them. The entire city is ripe for exploration, and there are hidden goodies everywhere. Even most of the rooftops are accessible, resulting in some enjoyable parkour.

Throughout the city, there are a lot of historic Dutch buildings to be admired, and there are a lot of fun little details. For example, there's a playground with some creative usage of sprites. There's even a little nod to E1L1 (you know it when you see it). But it's the sight of the whole city on screen at the same time that's the most impressive thing about this map. The hunt for keys will frequently take you from indoor sections to the top of a building and the sight alone is worth it.

Gameplay-wise, there's quite a lot of enemies to deal with. A surprisingly high amount of recon patrol vehicles and pig cop tanks patrol the area, combined with lurking assault troopers and fat commanders. But Maarten is always pretty generous when it comes to ammo and health and this map is no exception. And while there are some spicy fights in here, it never gets unfair. The city itself may be a little disorienting at first, but luckily there are viewscreen camera's to guide the player. What's more, there's a large bell tower in the middle of the city, which looms over the other structures and serves as a handy landmark.
My only minor complaint is that some indoor areas are cramped, but luckily these areas don't contain too many enemies.

The map saves the best for last though, with a thrilling and awesome finale which I won't spoil here. Let's just say it's the perfect cherry on top.

Conclusion: this map pushes this old game to its utter limits by creating an entire city and its surroundings, and showing it all on screen at the same time. That's remarkable enough, but it also offers a lot of fun firefights, exploration and memorable moments.There's no reason not to play it, so 98 points is what it gets.

Rating: 98
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 21 September 2020, 17:18:36
Excellent review, sire.
Thank you very much :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 25 September 2020, 12:58:27
Nice, solid in-depth review, Merlijn!

The word on the whole city being visible at once instantly reminded me of Perro Seco's Doom map Planisphere 2 which is a recreation of New York City https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Planisphere_2 I don't even play Doom anymore and haven't in a long while but the execution is insane and the result a genuine piece of art IMO. When I first found out about it I couldn't believe it and was obsessed with it for a good minute.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 27 September 2020, 11:33:17
Thanks!

And wow, that Doom map is really impressive! I wonder if mapster could even handle that size. It kinda reminds me of the unfinished Duke theft auto mod, but this is even bigger.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: High Treason on 11 October 2020, 04:19:56
It's a long, long time since I've been seen around these parts. Whatever.

It seems a couple of my maps are missing over here, so I'll shamelessly push them on this place now because I have nothing better to do or something. Most people here have already seen these anyway.

Firstly Alien Abductee from February last year; http://dxzeff.com/trash/AlnAb237.zip
Duke4 thread; https://forums.duke4.net/topic/10452-release-alien-abductee/ - the file linked in that thread is outdated, you want version 237, not version 236, though if you played the map already then 237 only really made minor cosmetic fixes and music fixes, but should be the version used from now on.

Secondly Dimension Shift from August last year; http://dxzeff.com/trash/VHT0136.zip
- And yeah, that is an overlapping sloped roof; http://dxzeff.com/trash/TROR_is_for_pussies.png
Duke4 thread; https://forums.duke4.net/topic/10697-release-dimension-shift/

Don't know if they meet the criteria for maps here, but at least they're around for consideration now, I suppose.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 11 October 2020, 12:37:35
Hi

Thanks for the notification.
I've uploaded Alien Abductee just now.
Man, that was a hard level to beat  ;D

Dimension Shift will be uploaded soon. I promise.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: High Treason on 12 October 2020, 03:38:38
Ah, cool, many thanks.

The combat was ramped up for Alien Abductee, largely as I already knew it would have to be ramped down in Dimension Shift. The part with the fuel cells can be quite nasty if you stand still for too long outside and if you didn't notice the steroids in the train station.

There's no rush, wouldn't want to be saturating the front page anyway.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 24 October 2020, 14:50:43
New, good-looking 8-level episode release by Brazilian author Preto Murara: https://www.moddb.com/mods/pretomurara
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 26 October 2020, 19:44:25
Quote from: ck3D on  24 October 2020, 14:50:43
New, good-looking 8-level episode release by Brazilian author Preto Murara: https://www.moddb.com/mods/pretomurara (https://www.moddb.com/mods/pretomurara)


Holy cow!
Thanks for the heads-up, ck3D !
Just passed this episode.
It's a marvelous production right up 3DR alley.
The details and sprite work is top notch. One of the best made trains in DN3D history, I'd say.

Not to mention the office building....
The progression and action are outstanding.

Absolutely worth a couple of hours of your time!


I'll upload the episode to this site soon.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 30 October 2020, 05:09:08
Yeah I finally just played it, top notch stuff, I especially liked the last few maps. Here's a review you can use (in addition to yours if you're already working on one):

Downtown Journey is quite the epic new 8-level Duke Nukem 3D adventure by Brazilian author Preto Murara, marking his first public release despite two decades of Build mapping under his belt. Preto is such a purist he even used a classic Pentium with the original Build.exe to craft the whole package (no Mapster32 convenience and enhanced limits; also meaning that the set is fully compatible with Duke Nukem 3D 1.4+), a trait that can be retraced even in his mapping style at the core: clean, simple architecture and interconnected layouts very much in the tradition of the original episodes, with some creative twists here and there that only rarely feel out of place.

As the title implies, your whole journey as Duke will be of the urban kind, with a feel somewhat reminiscent of popular community add-on Metropolitan Mayhem. Spoiling every level individually and thus the sense of progression would be a shame, but it can still be said that every single one of them bears a strong sense of location (some more than others) and successfully pulls off specific themes or concepts that have only rarely been tackled in Duke, all the while never really falling into the gimmicky.

Some of that experimentation turned out for the best and some for the worst, though; for instance there is one train level that looks magnificent, yet is completely unpractical to navigate due to the amount of decorative sprites cluttering the player space. Or, also, a hotel map in which extensive use of the jetpack is required, but what's always an interesting concept falls flat here due to the scarcity of the item, making for a good chance that Duke's ride might softlock. A few of the levels also use too many decorative doors, in-your-back respawns and at least a pair is way too dark (especially if you don't play in Classic mode as intended). A handful of keys and puzzles might feel a bit mean, too.

What's good is really good, though. The entire adventure feels almost canonic due to how much respect was given to the traditional style with each map, be it in terms of clean looks, straightforward and coherent storywriting, and science in the layouts and transitions from level to level. The author really only took liberties when it comes to picking new themes (for instance, a bus station or a mall), experimenting with concepts (that jetpack level) or enhancing visuals - not counting that train level, sprite work has been put to excellent use everywhere to simulate both small objects and entire floors depending on the settings, and it always looks really clean all the while usually consisting in uncommon tile picks. A lot of the maps are littered with singular instances of smart constructions, small or big, and the result only complements the classic tone instead of clashing with it. The mall level is an especially great representation of that, in addition to being a fantastic map altogether.

In the end, Downtown Journey is an instant classic, and another sweet reminder that sometimes simple is best. It has its own quirks and flaws, but also its strengths and then some more when you count those directly inherited from the greatness of the original game design, which it certainly doesn't shun. The quality of its attempt at looking and feeling professional all the while comprising some nice bouts of creativity definitely justifies its place in your Duke 3D directory.

Rating: 92
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 30 October 2020, 18:50:09
Wow!
A solid and well done review, Added to the upload of course.
Thank you very much!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 31 October 2020, 22:27:30
Always a pleasure to be of help!

CBP 9 Halloween 2020 released: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11448-cbp9-halloween-2020-release/page__pid__351779#entry351779
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Duke64Nukem on 01 November 2020, 07:03:57
I was logging in to share that one, but ck3d already shared  :). Yeah check that one out when you get a chance puritan :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 01 November 2020, 14:24:59
Thanks to both of you for bringing this map to my attention  ;)
CBP 9 is now a part of the CGS family, so to speak.

Took me more than an hour but it was worth it!
Plenty of action and cool areas. The areas are nicely nested together.
Keep up the good work !
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 03 November 2020, 13:14:29
Hey guys,

I've registered here a few months ago already, but never really got to post yet  :-[

Anyway, I've declared on duke4.net that I would review the CBP9 for this site, so if that's OK with you, Puritan, then I'll be happy to submit my review tomorrow or on Thursday.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 03 November 2020, 15:54:22
Quote from: Aleks on  03 November 2020, 13:14:29
Hey guys,

I've registered here a few months ago already, but never really got to post yet  :-[

Anyway, I've declared on duke4.net that I would review the CBP9 for this site, so if that's OK with you, Puritan, then I'll be happy to submit my review tomorrow or on Thursday.

Welcome aboard, Aleks  :)
That's perfect. A review would be nice. Thank you.

You see, my policy has always been not to do reviews for new maps or where mappers are present.
I'm not a good reviewer.
Just only pulling together old maps and give them a simple DNR'ish review.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 04 November 2020, 01:06:27
Glad you liked the map!

And honestly, Kim's reviews on DN-R were the best. Short and to the point, usually overly nice and lenient and never too analytic, but you could tell he really dug the maps with his little descriptions and that's really what matters in the end, the enthusiasm. I don't think you should shy away from reviewing maps like it has to be something ambitious, with your writing style I think you capture the fun factor of individual levels pretty well too. Most Duke websites have that problem of putting maps up without ever describing or even rating them (late Dukemaps.net, Arrovfnukem, etc.), which is only that constructive as then the platform becomes a repository but also less federative (because more anonymous); and the ones that do take the time consequently don't update as often. I don't think you need to worry about the idea of just throwing in a quick line when needed (all the while remaining open to contributors).
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 05 November 2020, 23:34:20
You're doing a great job here, Puritan! I've got great respect for people running Duke sites 25 years after the release of the game :)

As for DN-R, it's still a great site with a lot of less popular and older levels reviewed, despite not updating for like 10 years.

Anyway, here's the review as promised - hope it meets the quality level to be published and doesn't contain too much spoilers (if someone feels it does, I can edit it).

Another Community Build Project hit us right for the Halloween this year and it is not a coincidental release date – although there are various specific themes in each Author's parts, they generally all share a sense of horror and bizarre feeling.

First thing to know, this map is huge – and I really mean it. The Authors aimed for making it feel like a single-map episode and they fully accomplished this job. It takes between 1-2 hours to complete not knowing the layout. The number of enemies you will encounter is also amongst the highest ever in a single map, reaching about 800 on Come Get Some. There are 19 secrets in total (although one of them – in StarCraftZerg's part – seems inaccessible).

The map is built around a central hub (Sixty Four's part) with 4 teleporters leading to the 4 chapters. Stylistically it feels like 90's medieval FPS, albeit with better and more detailed architecture present in here. Some nice use of verticality is also present, with secrets and power-ups hanging on various balconies. The horror ambience of this part is intensified as we proceed, by splashing sounds and moving "meat pillars". It is worth mentioning that the portals to other parts nicely blend in with the design and the connections between parts don't feel out of place, in spite of different themes. They can be visited at any order.

Blue teleporter will take us to StarCraftZerg's part, which is a deserted, alien-infested space station with strong stylistical link to "Alien" series and similar space horrors. Design in this part has strong emphasis on detail, with very elaborate (and accessible) structures below the ceilings, well designed laboratory and some cute little details like a table lamp. Sense of location is amplified by a window with outer space and part of the station's exterior visible. The scale seems mostly correct, as the rooms don't feel too cramped, although there's one place where protector drones can get stuck from reaching you. Moreover, there's a couple of misaligned floor textures (mostly noticeable on some of the beds in crew quarters), but that might be an effect of merging the parts together. Puzzles are quite typical button hunt with some non-linearity involved, but the Author made sure that this would not turn into frustrating search as the hints are very clear.

Behind the brown teleporter, we will find ck3D's part. An expert in city maps, this time he takes on an alien planet – which is refreshing – and he pretty much nails it. His style is still very much present here, with well-planned 2D layout, frequent use of palettes and creative applications of original tiles. The interconnected layout is mostly centered around yellow lava lake with various cliffs and otherworldly plants to climb on and a single indoor location. Bold use of palettes (even with quite large portions with unusual glowing green palette 6) make for very original and colorful interpretation of an alien planet and – along with some serious platforming and heavy use of verticality – bring back instant associations with old-school sidescrollers (or a set of 1960's original series Star Trek episode). This is also the longest part, which can alone take about 40 minutes to complete. Enemies are mostly troopers, commanders and octabrains, which renders the first part a bit tricky, as random plants will block the player's way on some narrow cliffs and dodging the projectiles might be difficult. Furthermore, the enemies will sometimes stray off to the bottom of the lava lake where they will be difficult to spot due to palettes. Other than that, there are some intense, but fair and balanced battles with hordes of enemies as the player progress throughout the part, which makes for a satisfying gaming experience. Worth noting is also the unusual choice of weapons we will be supplied here, which mostly consists of pipebombs, shrinker and expander. There are some ships "flying" around which bring more life to this world and an alien hangar with simple, but creative design.

Still Wanted's part can be found behind the grey teleporter. It will welcome us with grand scale dining room, which is turned in a way that one of its walls acts as a floor. This room makes for a tricky, albeit a bit tedious jumping puzzle, but along with another room – a funny small scale museum – winds the expectations quite high. The part is interconnected in many ways, but unfortunately doesn't manage to keep up to the originality and quality of these first 2 rooms. There are some bizarre, but empty rooms, which might be a bit reminiscent of old Bob Masters' maps, but here they feel like rushed and a bit lazy fillers compared to other parts of the map. Use of textures and layout is sometimes a bit "too creative" (e.g. stairs in library).

The last chapter was made by JMW and is located behind the green portal. It is a large scaled temple/ruins with a stylish composition of grey, green and brown texture set, reminiscent of Author's other level, "Devil's Gate". It is the most straightforward part, with one quite unexpected intense battle in the middle. Following the Author's distinct style, it also has the most natural theme connection to the hub part. Grandness of the structures present in this part gives a feeling of ancient, long uninhabited place once populated with a race of giants.

After dealing with these four parts, there is a rather elaborate path leading to the final boss. It involves some more blood and gore horror themes and a grand scale hill climb inside a red rock formation. This part was also made by Still Wanted and he certainly made up for the filler rooms in his part with it, as the place is awe inspiring and makes for a neat and quite long platforming with surprisingly balanced fights on the way (which is tricky to arrange in such a vertical setting). It certainly is one of the more memorable moments in the map. Final boss battle is fought in quite a difficult area (partially due to some unnecessary cramping of the place with blocked sprite structures), which makes for a challenging final battle of a monster-sized level.

Conclusion: A long and challenging level with various themes and heavy dose of creativity. As with every community build project, this map had its highs and lows, but in the end manages to showcase unique styles of 5 very talented mappers and entertain with action-packed gameplay and very original design.

Rating: 91
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 06 November 2020, 17:37:24
Wow!
That was an impressive and in-depth review.
Added to the map and with credits to you.
Thank you very much  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 07 November 2020, 10:31:07
Great review Aleks! I agree that this maps evokes a feeling of uneasyness and horror, mostly because it gets so strange and unpredictable at times. It's like you're trapped in some weird dimension where nothing is like it should be. And those moving meat pillars really add to the uneasy atmosphere. 

I personally really liked Still Wanteds part. It managed to create tension because you just didn't know what was going to happen in the next room.
Although I agree that the platforming in the flipped dining room was a bit tedious.

100% agree on the other parts, every author brought something unique to the table and did a great job!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 15 November 2020, 23:40:02
Thanks, guys!

ToiletDuck64 has just released a level called "Chillin'" on duke4.net forums: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11461-release-chillin/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11461-release-chillin/).

If noone else volunteers, I could make another review for this one during the week.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 16 November 2020, 09:44:53
Quote from: Aleks on  15 November 2020, 23:40:02
Thanks, guys!

ToiletDuck64 has just released a level called "Chillin'" on duke4.net forums: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11461-release-chillin/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11461-release-chillin/).

If noone else volunteers, I could make another review for this one during the week.


Thanks for the heads-up  ;)
I'll take screenshots and upload this map soon.
It would have been nice if you want to write a review. Much appreciated!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 19 November 2020, 15:33:49
Here's the review of Chillin'!

The Author of this level seems to have quite a vast Build portfolio with lots of released maps, but in his own words, they were mostly Doom or Mario Kart remakes. I believe this one is his first shot at more ambitious design – and quite a well-executed one.

The level starts with a familiar sequence of alien's shooting up Duke's ride – this time pimped-up with the falling aircraft also damaging the large alien vessel. It seems that the aliens are targeting an abandoned government building, so Duke has to get rid of them as usual. The level includes the alien ship and a large, mazy building, along with some additional terrain around it.

The ship's design is your classic green alien stuff, with some clever multilevel compartments and an alien's mission log inside. The Author recommends you to visit it before tackling the building, and although it doesn't really serve any key purpose required to proceed, Duke will find some starter pack consisting of weapons and goodies here.

Most of the level will be spent inside a large, single level building (and it's very ill maintained basement). While the building's architecture certainly does remind a typical boring government building, sometimes it feels like the Author has pushed this feeling too far, with a lot of repetitive, copy-pasted rooms that barely serve any purpose and are usually somehow hastily detailed with one sprite copied and scattered around (although one of the rooms contains a really cool looking spritework keyboard, which is a real treat!). The corridors seem a bit cramped and too tight. Extensively used swing doors lack the closing sound. Furthermore, there is an ongoing alarm sound that cannot be switched off and becomes really frustrating for a longer time (on the other hand, it can be quite useful for navigation of the basement).

The basement is a maze of pipes and boxes, filled with green acid (although the distribution of protective boots around the area is pretty fair and getting hurt is not something that should occur). There are some nicely designed elements in here too, but overall this area also suffers from repetitiveness and seems a bit too dark. Its layout feels a bit confusing.

There is plenty of enemies (about 140), but besides the first encounters, the fights tend to be quite dull. It feels that too many enemies inside the building were stayput, which means they wouldn't leave the boundaries of their sector – which makes killing them a bit like shooting sitting ducks. This is especially evident in 2 large rooms which hold about 25 Pig Cops each – in most cases, they will just all gather at the door and be very easy to dodge and clear with just a couple of explosives. There is only one real puzzle to solve, but it might be quite difficult (especially with Polymost renderer, as the hidden hint message seems to be impossible to spot in this case).

There is a lot of viewscreen messages, which give the map a stronger than usual sense of mission. Furthermore, there's also a really cool looking rotated plan of the building that can be seen on one of the information screens – be sure not to miss it! Some road and terrain forming on the outside looks very impressive, especially the elaborate pedestrian bridge – it's too bad they are somehow "left out of action" and just sitting there in the corner, as the Author could have definitely found a better purpose for these elements. The boundaries of the player area seem somewhat not much thought of, as they give a feeling that we're in some kind of large box.

The map is also really huge in terms of engine resources used and file size – this is also due to some weird design choices, such as making sector-based parking lines in quite a shy area behind the building or creating the entire unreachable structure behind the road out of sprites for seemingly no particular reason. The layout of the building and basement make strong use of sector over sector, which is very seamless and applied flawlessly here.

Conclusion: Quite original concept and strong sense of mission make this level stand out. The design is good for the most part, with some impressive eye-candy stuff, but leaves the expectations quite short with its unevenness and repetition. Gameplay feels a bit flattened out and static with lack of respawning monsters or really challenging fights – but hey, we're just chillin' here!

Rating: 85
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 19 November 2020, 17:57:12
Yet another thoroughly written review.
Thanks a lot  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 31 December 2020, 14:02:47
Artem Brullov has released a new map/mod, Fallout Freeze: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11527-release-fallout-freeze/

It's definitely worth checking out! Great map with lots of creative ideas and top-notch design. I'm planning to write a review later on today if it's OK.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 31 December 2020, 16:28:51
Quote from: Aleks on  31 December 2020, 14:02:47
Artem Brullov has released a new map/mod, Fallout Freeze: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11527-release-fallout-freeze/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11527-release-fallout-freeze/)

It's definitely worth checking out! Great map with lots of creative ideas and top-notch design. I'm planning to write a review later on today if it's OK.


That would have been nice, Aleks  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 31 December 2020, 16:44:53
Also I've consulted Artem and he asked to link to his mod on itch.io: https://brullov-studios.itch.io/fallout-freeze instead of uploading it on the side, so he can keep better track of download statistics (and also it asks for donation, which is of course not mandatory), so if you could, it probably would be better to just link the download from there. Also he said there's gonna be a patch on it someday, so easier to keep track of the current version.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 31 December 2020, 23:42:35
Here's my review of Fallout Freeze. Happy New Year, guys!

Artem Brullov, Ukraine-based artist, has been active in Duke's modding community for quite a while, but also notorious for releasing mostly just screenshots of small (and beautiful!) Mapster vignette's rather than actual playable levels. This map/mod seems to be his first serious effort and despite the relatively short development time, it has been polished to the slightest detail.

In this Christmas special for 2021, Artem takes us on a journey through an exceptionally well-designed mall full of Christmas decorations, yet currently closed (perhaps due to alien occupation). It continues the long tradition of Christmas Duke releases, being a worthy successor to such classics like Kevin Cools' Christmas 2001 & 2002, Taivo Maripuu's Just Another Christmas or more recently – MRCK's Poison Heart.

From the very beginning it is obvious where the Author excels the most – design is simply stunning, with creative use of textures (some of which are new, but incorporated in such a good fashion that they don't clash with Duke's regular tileset, rather expanding on it and the vanilla feeling of the level) and top-notch spriteworks. Even the ceilings, which often are neglected by mappers, are a true work of art in this department (especially ceilings inside the mall, with intricate structures for lamps or clever use of sloped sprites for roof windows). Some other particularly cool spriteworks can be found in a forklift design, tiny shelfs that are present just everywhere across the mall and creative chairs and tables at the bowling alley. The layout of the mall with its impeccable design makes this one of the best shopping centres ever recreated in Mapster. Also some True Room Over Room was thrown in to emphasize on the two-storey arrangement of the mall, but rather than making them an easy gimmick, which a lot of people would feel tempted to, here it feels so seamless and natural that it might even go unnoticed, except for its actual purpose and functionality.

If the visuals of the map consist almost exclusively of eye-candy, same meticulous care has been put to the sounds and ambience. All the decorative doors and lockers make a clicking noise when you try to push them like in modern FPS games (unfortunately the same can be said about cash registers, which can be a bit disorientating for the players looking for secrets) and there are constant walking sounds dependable on the type of surface Duke steps on (which is appreciated, although might get annoying after playing for a longer while). The music is a Christmas jingle mix of City Streets, a classic that all Duke fans will immediately recognize. It goes very well with the Christmas mood, which can be felt particularly strong in this map. New graphics used for seasonal decorations scattered around the mall, falling snow outside (especially in a really cool and sadly unreachable area with impressive sprite-made high voltage truss poles) help to emphasize on it as well.

The player arena is mostly open to exploration, with a few very creative and interesting puzzles to solve along the way. A bunch of new CON effects has been thrown in, particularly for a code-secured lock and working jackpot machines. They're mostly minor stuff and welcome additions rather than radical gamechangers here. Another thing that deserves to be mentioned is very creative approach to secret places. Particularly one of them, hiding an atomic health and a personal message from the author, is worth noting due to innovative and super-creative puzzles required to access it. When it comes to Mapster technicality, effects and sequencing, there's some quite complex elevators, working crane/lift that moves boxes and a very unusual way of opening one of the secrets. Nothing that really stands out, but every effect used is working well and clean.

Combat offers you your standard Duke experience with mostly decent enemy placement. Chances are you won't encounter any memorable battles here, also some enemies will stray in confusion and get stuck in the corners due to the complex layout and amount of spriteworks in the map. There is more than enough ammo to suit everyone, but for the bigger part of the map, you will most likely just rely on good old-fashioned shotgun action. Heavy use of stayput enemies results in some particularly easy encounters, but this might also be a conscious decision due to Duke's bad guys rather little will of cooperation with the mapper for creating interesting firefights. Despite relying heavily on sprite constructions (which Duke will sometimes randomly climb upon touching), the map doesn't feel cramped at any moment and shouldn't restrict player's movement.

The level can be finished in about 15-20 minutes, but most players will probably spend a lot more time in it, just wandering around and staring at the design (and sometimes also due to poor visibility, which makes navigation through the mall difficult at times). Even if the general concept behind the map was making it dark and moody, and the high-contrast shadows are present wherever you'd expect them, a bump in visibility would probably improve the map as a whole – but that is just a slight nit-picking in what is otherwise a complete and fulfilling piece of mapping art.

Conclusion: You don't want to miss this one, as it has some of the best design and most creative puzzles you'll ever encounter. This is a perfect gift for Christmas made with passion and respect to the original game, but not restricting the Author's own creativity and ideas at any point. Although the map is completely free to play, Artem made an option to donate him for the massive amount of work put behind this map. It is something rarely found or even talked within the Duke community, but if you liked the level, support the Author – he really deserves it for this little masterpiece!

Score: 95/100
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 03 March 2021, 08:00:29
Puritan, I have yet to play it but that JABA map you just posted looks really cool: http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/J/jaba/jaba.php

If you ever find more from the same author or more levels released out of Japan in general, I'd be quite interested in seeing them pop up.

Been enjoying the latest uploads and frequent updates as always despite running out of time to play Duke lately. Thanks again for your work!

Also, review of Fallout Freeze never went up?
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 03 March 2021, 09:19:03
Quote from: ck3D on  03 March 2021, 08:00:29
Puritan, I have yet to play it but that JABA map you just posted looks really cool: http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/J/jaba/jaba.php (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/J/jaba/jaba.php)

If you ever find more from the same author or more levels released out of Japan in general, I'd be quite interested in seeing them pop up.

Been enjoying the latest uploads and frequent updates as always despite running out of time to play Duke lately. Thanks again for your work!

Also, review of Fallout Freeze never went up?


Thank you very much, monsieur !
JABA is actually very well done for it's time with nice architecture.
I think it was an active mapping community in Japan back in the days but the authors rarely popped up on western web sites.
Very few spoke English so they kept the releases within Japanese forums.

I decided not to host Fallout due to some monetizing / copyright issues.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 24 April 2021, 14:15:34
Played JABA few weeks ago, it had interesting design despite some issues typical for early user maps period (like inconsistent scale and some water sectors squishing you after submerging).

Anyway, new William Gee level: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11631-new-release-wgsp1map-23april2021/

It's a cool The Abyss inspired map in a twisted reality that heavily reminded me of "Stranger Things" stuff for some reason.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 02 May 2021, 11:48:26
And well, I just released Submachine: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11638-release-submachine/ :)

Once again, thanks for beta-testing, Puritan!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 16 May 2021, 12:29:53
Hi there. Here's a review for Submachine:

Aleks recently returned with his release of the Back in Business episode, now he's back with another old revived project. Submachine has been in development for over 12 years. It probably means the map was collecting dust for several years before the author decided to finish it, but hey '12 years in the making' sounds a lot cooler! Despite this long development cycle, the map feels very cohesive and well put together.

Now unto the map itself - just like Back in Business it features insanely intricate design, a great eye for detail and several innovative effects. Some of them will make you scratch your head, wondering how the hell the author managed to pull this off in a 25-year old engine. It improves on BiB by not being too cramped, there are still some claustrophobic areas but this time around it doesn't hinder the gameplay.
The map takes place in an underground research and mining facility which, of course, has been taken over by aliens. This could have made for a generic looking map, but luckily that's not the case. Aleks managed to create a large variety of environments, from research labs to mining sites to ominous caves with glowing chrystals. The whole place looks and feels believable, with cool little details everywhere and even some well placed bits of humor. The design will remind you of old classics from Bob Averill and Alejandro Glavic, but also makes use of modern Eduke features like expanded limits and sloped sprites (this means you need a recent version of Eduke to run this).

When it comes to gameplay, the map isn't your typical run and gun affair. Of course the enemy forces are present and there are several well placed fights and respawns, but you'll need to use your head a bit more than usual. The map may feel a bit overwhelming at first due to its intricate layout and several mini missions. But if you take your time, carefully read the viewscreens and take a good look at your surroundings you should be okay. There's nothing unfair here, buttons and rooms are well defined and the viewscreens do provide you with useful information. There's also a mini game involving getting a red key. I won't spoil it, but it's a well made puzzle that you'll either love or hate.
Mastering the map feels rewarding and it even has a secret side quest for you to conquer. The level ends with a boss fight on ground level. While the arena itself looks great, the boss isn't all that difficult to take care of. Just keep your distance and press that fire button (of course completing the side mission may also help!).

Overall this is a fantastic piece of mapping that you should check out. Don't be too intimidated by the intricacies and have fun!

Rating: 98
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 16 May 2021, 13:49:39
Excellent, sire!
The review is added.
Thank you very much  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 17 May 2021, 10:43:17
Thanks guys!

BTW, since my last post, WG released two more maps:
https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11639-new-release-wgsp2map-4may2021/
https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11648-new-release-wgsp3map-11may2021/

and is planning to close on his small 4-levels "The Abyss" themed episode this week!

Also Michael Hunt released his 3rd map (of what is going to be a 5 maps episode): https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11620-michael-hunt-in-progress-map-series/

I might do a review of Michael's episode when it's done in few months when I'll have some extra time, would also do one for WG but not sure if I'll find the time, but it's certainly worth the effort!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 27 June 2021, 23:53:08
Maarten just released his new epic: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11712-release-another-attack-part-2-weissensee/

I will contribute with a review of it soon. Very inspiring level.

Also, William Gee has repackaged his entire career into one .grp: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11711-wg-mega-pack/

And there's a new Michael Hunt map: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2528311462
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 30 June 2021, 05:11:42
Here is my review of Maarten's Weissensee as well as a few screenshots to save you some time.

Another Attack (Part 2): Weissensee

Less than a year after his former hit Woudrichem War, longtime renowned Duke 3D user mapper from the Netherlands Maarten van Oostrum strikes again with what's already the second installment in his work-in-progress episode: Another Attack.

Not to be confused with his brother Merlijn Van Oostrum's (Red, Shaky Grounds), which relies on the same principle of cleverly reinterpreting and repurposing the original Duke 3D textures but in a fashion that always looked a bit more meticulous, Maarten's style has always instead been about rougher shapes and bigger patches of lands, with less emphasis on micromanagement than on composing coherent ensembles of landscapes of elements seemingly thrown in there Jason Pollock-style. (That being said, over the past two decades, it has been rather interesting witnessing each brother get closer and closer to the other's dimension with every new map). While this aspect was already the backbone of some classic levels by Maarten, including the Alien Planet X-64 2 series or his shared piece with Merlijn Clear The Coast, it really was exploited to its fullest recently with Woudrichem War, an open world-type of city level recreating Dutch urban aesthetics Maarten happens to be especially familiar with. This new level, Weissensee, is a direct continuation to Woudrichem War, picking up exactly where that one left off.

Given the enhanced focus on terrain work, it is only logical to expect from both Woudrichem War and Weissensee a huge reliance on platforming, which turns out to be true in both cases. In this level too, the player is required to look not just around but most oftentimes up, spot their next objective (usually a keycard out there in plain sight) and then figure out the right way to get there. But if Woudrichem essentially consisted in one big, mostly unlinear playground based on this concept, things take a slightly different turn here by breaking down the gameplay area into four subsections: a camping site, a cave and a mini golf site on one side of a river (where part of Woudrichem still stands in the background), and then, on the other side, part of the eponymous city of Weissensee itself (although located in Austria in real-life; so, rather far away from Woudrichem). The basic challenge remains similar, except the newfound punctuation in the action helps push a more tangible feeling of progression onto the player and thus makes the gradual conquest of each segment especially rewarding. The map isn't exactly linear either; there is one part where you can explore about and choose to retrieve two different keys in whichever order. This style of minimalistic sequencing also allows for smoother narration in the general storytelling of the map, with the player remaining mostly free to roam around, shoot some well-placed monsters and stare at beautiful Build environments all the while being dictated a basic direction and rhythm.

This is where the poetry of the map speaks up. The environments you will get to traverse are stunning, from detailed landscapes comprising ancient towers, a bridge and a church to a surreal blue cave, and some other places that will take you way up, where you can finally dominate the landscape (again). Just clearing the first half of the map and finally getting to cross the river is a simple achievement that, with such proper presentation, feels nothing short of majestic. Bits of lore are being dropped here and there, but never pushed onto the player and thus mostly consolidate the action as opposed to distracting from it (like it often can in Duke maps). Each location has its own distinct identity, with the ultimate one being the largest and a (refreshingly) brutally honest switch hunt - perhaps one of the most rewarding ones Duke 3D has ever known given the visuals resulting from its completion - as, eventually, everything comes tied together by universal elements such as that moving bus or boat in the backgrounds.

When it comes to gameplay, more generally, there is nothing to fault. Perhaps the average player might scratch their head a bit looking for a way to get to the red key, but that's only if they are lacking observation skills or basic knowledge of Duke 3D physics. Generally speaking, the map is way more than fair (maybe a lot less forgiving on Come Get Some than on Let's Rock), and the enemy placement is perfectly orchestrated around all the existing terrain work - usually relying on well-timed respawns - in a way that both optimally complement each other, resulting in nothing but peak Duke 3D action.

Weissensee is a beautiful level with soul, that looks marvelous and plays really well. Maybe some of the texture and sprite tweaks here and there (such as the flipped over security screens) persist at looking a bit out of place, and since Maarten's style naturally results in terrain so rich in nooks and crannies, it's tempting to imagine him exploiting that trait even further by hiding more of the non-essential items in all those little caches (something he is already doing to a noticeable extent, though). But there is no question that Weissensee is an instant classic, on par if not wiser than Woudrichem War, and so you should play it - which should take you about an hour - and then, once done, rub your hands together in excitement at the thought of the upcoming sequels.

Score: 98

(https://i.imgur.com/YwZI0qf.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/NG5N5Gh.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/PNTSoKQ.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/ia1TPcW.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/8j5AY8t.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/ukSP3DS.png)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 30 June 2021, 20:50:12
Wow, Maarten seems to be quite productive. Those two maps require tons of work   :o


A very fun and good looking map it is.
Thank you very much for an excellent review, ck3D !
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Maarten on 03 July 2021, 12:39:31
Quote from: Puritan on  30 June 2021, 20:50:12
Wow, Maarten seems to be quite productive. Those two maps require tons of work   :o

Lockdown & inspiration is the answer   ;D Especially back in January/February we had a very heavy Lockdown,  so I had lots of time!

Btw hi, great to see this site and forum is still alive & kicking!!

@ck3d thanks again for the big, praising but also honest review. :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 19 July 2021, 22:02:31
Yet another WG map has been released: WG Fang! https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11745-new-release-wgfang/

Also Vitaliy Bondarenko has released his older maps: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11747-release-dnvs-forgotten-maps-mods/
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 12 September 2021, 18:41:55
ToiletDuck64, who's released Chillin' quite some time ago, has released another map, Infernal Foundry, about a month ago, which went kinda unnoticed. Since I've made quite a lengthy post with my opinion about it on duke4 forums, I decided I could edit it a bit and make a small review of it for this site:

Infernal Foundry is ToiletDuck64's 2nd single player level, and while Chillin' was a lot more experimental and unorthodox, both in gameplay and design ideas, this one is back to the roots - an essentially Doom style level, with very restricted use of sector geometries and texturing.

Along with the flat lighting, the lack of details and the mentioned restricted use of textures is a concious decision to stylize the map for this Doom look, and I personally really liked how the sky and the reddish bridges turned out. However, in terms of progression and the level flow, this must have been by far one of the most confusing and obscure maps I have played.

There was no indication whatsoever as to what any of the switches did or how many are there to push, which given the labrenthine layout of the map, hardly indicated any sense of progression at all. I got to the exit - only to walk into an ambush (notably a really cool one, which would definitely work better in a bit different circumstances). After being faced with more monsters that I could handle and noticing that the cage protecting the final room will be closed if I escape it, with no way of going back - I just reloaded a save game and wandered around the map for like 15-20 minutes, killing some remaining monsters and thinking what I should do with the yellow card in my inventory. Only after trying out seemingly all possible ways, I have decided to have another go for the ambush, escaped and noticed that some random doors, spread around the map, which were previously closed - are now unlocked (again, with no indication). It still took a lot of walking around the map to find them back, not being sure what is going on at all. The least the Author could have done would be adding some different texture on these doors to indicate they will be open later (or a viewscreen).

The map's visual style and layout didn't help at all with these kind of gameplay progression, as basically everything looks very similar, there are no focal points (even the central lava bridges look all like eachother), so backtracking was quite tedious. There is a total of 16 secrets, some pretty clever, but a lot seem to be just random wall-humping or ones that would trap the player in a pitch-black loops.

The map offers some nice combat encounters (notably the one with a bunch of commanders in a dark stairway, with lots of lesser monsters inbetween - it was pretty cool seeing a barrage of RPG rockets flying one after another and there was just enough room to dodge them, but nothing to take cover). However, most of the map still feels a bit flat in terms of a challenging combat, even the Battlelords at the end - this is the same problem as with Chillin', so too many stayputs, which can be tricked quite easily into just trying to walk into invisible wall. I struggled for ammo quite a bit at the beginning (also the shotgun seemed to be located quite far into the map, same with chaingun) - but then I came to a series of secrets which proved to be vital.

From positives, the "classic" look of the level is a nice change of tone towards current user map trends. The layout felt very 3D, with lots of interconnections (which unfortunately only led to more and more confusion) and the final ambush was a really neat idea, but with no indication on what's going on it was quite a miss. I think a proper beta-testing by someone else besides the Author would help a lot and make this level much better without too much extra work. It is still a solid entry, just might require some more time than it might seem, which will be spent in rather tedious exploring and confusion.

Rating: 77/100
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 15 September 2021, 18:04:38
Thank you very much, Aleks
A nice and clean review it is  :)


Edit: the link on the front page is broken. I'll fix it when I'm home from work tonight (CET)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 16 September 2021, 20:19:20
I've also recently played DannyFromNewOrlean's new map, Promise - and decided to write a small review as well, as it was quite a neat level!

Promise is a new entry from DannyFromNewOrleans, who has published quite a few maps during the past 3 years. Despite being published in August, the map has a strong Christmas theme, which provides for a nice relief from the hot weather (at least according to the Author himself). The map also comes in 2 variants – day and night, although the only actual difference is changing the sky texture, even leaving the shading values the same. Regular or "day" version uses a nice orange sunset sky, while the night one uses a starry sky, albeit the one that is kind of stretched (making the same mistake I did nearly 2 decades ago in Alex City). It is interesting to see how the mood of the level changes between these 2 versions, in my case I played the sunset/daily one.

The map is quite large and will provide a lengthy quest to finishing. There is a somehow open gameplay, as you are required to bring 3 gifts for your girlfriend (who is apparently Lara Croft) from various locations around the town. These can be collected at any order (although it is important to notice that due to a bug, the red "gift" – or keycard – has to be input under the Christmas tree as the last one). The map is filled to the brim with monsters (about 230 on Come Get Some), but the combat doesn't get unfair at all – in fact, it presents us with some quite nice and clever encounters, especially with some Battlelords pinning you down in a couple of buildings.

The layout of the map is very clearly divided into 2 large street parts (and a 3rd, smaller part, closely connected to one of them), which are connected mostly through 2 routes that lead across different buildings. This works good in enclosing quite large gameplay area, but might also make it a bit difficult for navigating. We are required to visit bookstore, supermarket and gun store, although there is many more amenities which are more or less typical for a Duke map. The notable thing about the map is the fact that a lot of these other locations can be completely avoided, as some provide alternate routes or are just there for extra supplies or secrets.

Danny is known for a classic and clean design, which this map is a very fine example of. There's a lot of neat, contrast shadows (with a particular fondness of showcasing a light coming through semi-closed swinging doors), mostly these of larger scale while omitting some lesser details (which is what the original game also did). The map could maybe use some more wallshading for improved depth. The use of textures is quite careful – there's your usual city stuff with some more originality and variance, everything seems to be aligned very diligently. Using different textures for snow on the roads and pavements is a particularly clever move. Also all the Christmas decorations, spread around the level, are quite original – from Christmas trees and lightbulbs to a cool little snowman – and greatly increase the mood.

There is a total of 9 secrets in the map, some of which are quite well hidden or difficult to access at all, with one particularly unfair that basically requires checking how to access it in Mapster. Nevertheless, the openness of the map feels very inviting for exploring around and looking for these secrets. The level is generally a very fun and entertaining experience, without much to complain about.

Rating: 92/100
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 16 September 2021, 20:34:24
Excellent, sire.
The review is uploaded.
Thank you very much  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 03 October 2021, 14:49:58
Teaser:
I've uploaded the fourth map in an episode I assume is titled; "Orbital" by Jaap Menist
The level is a space station styled adventure with tons of fights and cool areas to roam.
I'm hoping to have the rest of the episode up here at CGS next weekend.

Try it for yourself here: http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/O/orbital/orbital.php (http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/O/orbital/orbital.php)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 03 October 2021, 22:58:03
Nice to see you're digging up all these little forgotten gems from 1996-1997, Puritan!
Anyway, seems this year is very fruitful for Duke community, even Mikko can't keep up anymore - here's a couple of recent maps:
https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11620-michael-hunt-map-series/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11620-michael-hunt-map-series/) - Luna One, the 5th and final level from Michael Hunt's episode. This one is really good and quite original, taking place in a city on the moon!
https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11811-release-sm64-wet-dry-world/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11811-release-sm64-wet-dry-world/) - Wet Dry World by ToiletDuck64, yet another map by this author in quite a short period of time. This is a reimagination/reinterpretation of an apparently famous/infamous (?) Super Mario 64 level, which looks/sounds cool from the screens and description, but I've yet to play it myself.
https://msdn.duke4.net/hotboxesanddoors.php (https://msdn.duke4.net/hotboxesanddoors.php) - Boxes and Doors by Daniel Skladany, I have no idea who that is or how the map plays (the screens look very BobSP-ish though), but seems Mikko really liked it, so should be worth trying out!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 04 October 2021, 10:42:51
Thanks, Aleks.
I'll look into 'em as soon as possible  ;)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 24 November 2021, 12:49:08
I've been hosting a Rookie Mapping Contest on Duke4 forums lately, but unfortunately there's only been a single entry in it, created by SilverScrub. His map can be downloaded here: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11732-rookie-mapping-contest-for-duke-3d/page__view__findpost__p__366719

Despite being his first map, I think it's pretty nice, also it's worth noting the restrictions for the contest limited using up to 500 sectors only.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 24 November 2021, 18:18:57
Quote from: Aleks on  24 November 2021, 12:49:08
I've been hosting a Rookie Mapping Contest on Duke4 forums lately, but unfortunately there's only been a single entry in it, created by SilverScrub. His map can be downloaded here: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11732-rookie-mapping-contest-for-duke-3d/page__view__findpost__p__366719 (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11732-rookie-mapping-contest-for-duke-3d/page__view__findpost__p__366719)

Despite being his first map, I think it's pretty nice, also it's worth noting the restrictions for the contest limited using up to 500 sectors only.


Thanks for the heads-up, Aleks.
Played it and I agree with you that this is a decent first map.
It's now bunged to our server.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 30 November 2021, 20:52:56
Finished putting together my review of Shaky Grounds episode. It's about 3 pages long in Word, so hopefully not too long to be included, but then it's 5 maps after all...

"A film should start with an earthquake, and then the stress should continuously increase" – this quote by Alfred Hitchcock seems to have been taken quite literally by Merlijn while working on the "Shaky Grounds" episode.

The mod totals 5 large levels, 3 of which have been already released during the past 5 years and now only slightly adjusted for the episode, while the 2 last ones are brand new. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend to play the whole thing at once, whether as an episode or map-by-map, to have the proper, full experience.

The premise is simple, like taken straight from some catastrophic Sci-Fi movie – yet quite original in a Duke map due to the scale it requires to pull out: there is a large series of earthquakes trembling down a town in the Netherlands and soon it unveils that the aliens are behind it. Before long, we indulge into a full-blown story of tragedy, personal revenge and Duke being once again the humanity's only hope. The story is surprisingly cohesive and full of reasonable plot twists, even having a shot at elaborating a bit on our protagonist's character – as well as that of his nemesis. It is told by some of the best visual storytelling entangled within the level design, with occasional help of viewscreen messages. Despite the bleak tone and seriousness of the story, Merlijn finds a way to also include some dark humor typical for a classic Duke game into it, along with some genuinely funny Easter eggs and references to other maps. These things never get in the first plan to distract from the main plot or gameplay, but are a welcome addition for the careful observers.

The first level, "Apocollapse", starts with an impressive earthquake scene, immediately throwing the player into the action with an elaborate escape sequence. When we finally emerge into town, there is a scenery of death and destruction – and the first thing to do is climbing a collapsed, inclined building to even get out of the hole we landed in! Later we are free to explore a large part of city (that even has a map shown on an informational screen), including a residential district, a precipice freshly created by an earthquake and a mall, which is the central and longest part of the map.

In the 2nd level, "Tales of Tragedy", we enter the Cool Center, which is a large concert venue/theater which links two districts of town. After fighting his way through it and passing through a very unorthodox office building, Duke will find himself in the town square full of restaurants and cafes as the story slowly unveils the details about our enemy and their motives. It's worth pointing out that "Happy Hipster" includes some of the coolest jokes in a Duke map, even subtly breaking the fourth wall. Towards the end, the level ventures into more Sci-Fi, alien structures, which are seamlessly and naturally connected to the devastated city.

The third level, "Epicenter", takes us into seemingly less destroyed part of the town, despite the level's name. However, this sense of serenity can be deceptive – after we clear the more usual locations around town, such as a record store, bar, drug store or cheese market, it's easy to lose one's alertness, hence increasing the effect of the sudden blow that's about to happen. The later part of the level is a wild ride that contains the scenes of destruction done on a truly epic scale, perhaps defying the physics and challenging the gravity, but certainly leaving a stellar impression. The level ends on a depressing note in one of the most atmospheric sceneries done in a Build game, which takes full advantage of its specific aesthetics, emphasized by strong contrast shadows.

After that, we enter the mysterious Kompleks, which serves as an alien HQ, in "Deeper Underground". Turns out the building is a concert venue with some of the best design seen in a Duke map. It also leads underground to where the source of all evil lies – after travelling through slime rivers and giant underground lakes, the level climaxes in an epic battle fought in enormous underground cavern, infested with all kinds of aliens and their ominous machinery.

The "Final Rumble" takes us down even deeper towards the center of the Earth – there is no trace of human habitat anymore, just monumental alien structures and barren rocks. The level pays tribute to the more classic style of level design, making a lot of use of verticality and moving sectors, while still maintaining a distinct visual style provided by careful use of textures and palettes.

Each level picks off at the moment the previous one finished, making for smooth and logical transitions. The style throughout is very consistent, both in terms of gameplay and design, almost as if it could be one, enormous map, if it only wasn't for the Build limits. However, each map also has something very distinguished and memorable, whether it's the tall buildings collapsing on your very own eyes in the first level, the sequence in a tipped over office building which we travel sideways in the second one, the dramatic destruction scenes in an unmatched scale in the third map, the enormous underground caverns and lakes in the penultimate level or perhaps the most original twist on using a boss in a Duke 3D map ever in the final. It is also the case where the whole episode is much more than just the sum of its parts, that is the separate maps. The immersion, both in the sense of location and the story, is much deeper when playing through the whole episode. In the end, it would also be very difficult for me to pick my favorite level or part of this episode, due to how many outstanding scenes there are.

The design is top-notch consistently throughout the whole episode. From the very beginning, we will see jaw-dropping visuals done at a very large scale, yet full of little details and concluding into realistic environments. Original and innovative use of textures and palettes has always been a strength in both van Oostrum brothers' maps, here probably reaching its peaks. The shadows are realistic and used for extra advantage of emphasizing on the levels visuals – especially the 4th level shines here, using a lot of layered shadows, strong contrasts and on top of that, small, detailed shadows that help to sell the locations even more. There's also some very clever use of sprites and textures for things rarely seen in Duke maps – examples of these are bakery in "Apocollapse", cheese market in "Epicenter", drums in "Deeper Underground" and other various musical instruments seen throughout the episode.

However, the aspect that truly stands out the most is the episode's conceptual grandness – the 2D layouts of each map are carefully planned to make the best use of space and resources, there is plenty of verticality and platforming that keeps the player engaged, the large scale sceneries look magnificent and the whole episode maintains a strong feeling of a true 3D environment. Despite the non-Euclidean and "2.5D" nature of Build engine, here the player has a solid sense of location, which helps both the navigation and immersion. Crossing through the tipped over building in "Tales of Tragedy" is perhaps the most pronounced example of that, but the multi-layered, full of sector-over-sector layout of the Kompleks is just as good in this aspect. One of the reasons for that might be the fact that many locations were based on real life buildings or places – the Kompleks, Doeniezo Mall, Cool Center and town square in "Epicenter" being the finest examples of that. Merlijn has not only managed to translate and interpret these locations into Build's specific language and form, but also enriched them with a twist of destruction and alien infestation.

The gameplay/combat is very entertaining throughout the episode – despite the trickery of the scenery, Merlijn has somehow got the dimwitted enemy AI to cooperate, which is especially praiseworthy in case of long-range, vertical encounters with commanders and other flying enemies. The ammo/enemy balance is mostly designed with pistol starting each level in mind, so playing through the whole episode, you should have more than enough guns not to worry about them. However, the battles will still prevent the player from just overusing the shotgun/chaingun combo – even your standard pistol will come in handy quite often. Each level has some larger fights that will provide a challenge to the players, using carefully chosen combinations of enemies to keep it interesting, while also having calmer or more usual parts serving as breathers. The pacing of such long maps is very significant, not to exhaust/bore the player, and Merlijn does that just right by constantly changing dynamics and allowing the player the satisfaction of clearing an area before throwing more monsters at them. Even the choice of monsters regarding story/progression is flawless, with e.g. pig cops stopping to appear as soon as we descend deeper under the city.

From the technical point of view, there's a lot of effects put to a large scale that need perfect synchronization to work properly, such as earthquakes, explosions and rising/dropping floors. Merlijn also isn't afraid to play with dynamic light effects, both in the form of flashing or cycling lights and the long forgotten craft of light switches, one of the gimmicks of the original game. However, the most innovative effect must be how the boss battle plays out, adding a lot of extra challenge and being very original at the same time.

All the levels (especially the first 4) are very open and inviting for extra exploration besides just moving towards the path to goal. There isn't much backtracking involved, yet there's a lot of room for free roaming or looking for alternate paths (especially the 2nd map shines here). There is plenty of secret places scattered around, most of which aren't just small compartments, but actual rooms or even parts of buildings, often with some Easter eggs to be found inside. There are also 2 unmarked "super secrets" to be found throughout the episode for extra fame and glory. Moreover, the shrinker, which can be one of the most powerful weapons, can be only found in the secret places, making it somehow unique throughout the episode.

Last aspect worth mentioning is the new music in "Shaky Grounds", which was composed by Merlijn himself. From the ominous remix of "Sneaky Snake" in the first map, through upbeat, yet stirring into your brain with dissonance track in "Tales of Tragedy", majestic and bleak piano-driven song in "Epicenter" and progressive, rhythmic track in "Deeper Underground" that seems to sync with your descent, all the way to the vigorous industrial metal song in the finale, the soundtrack fits well with each level. But it's not just a very good video game music, but simply neat songs in general that will keep playing in your head long after you have finished playing.

Conclusion: I am positive this is just the best thing I have played for Duke during my 20+ year adventure with this game. Merlijn just managed to make a consistent, extremely entertaining episode, with immersive story, strong atmosphere, masterful design and epic scale, balancing out the pace and tone and topping it off with complimenting music. Nitpicking on anything here to denounce even a point from the perfect score wouldn't give this pack justice.

Rating: 100/100
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 30 November 2021, 23:40:10
Wow, that was impressive.
A very good and in-depth review it is.
Lots of work are put into this.

Thank you very much, Aleks!

We've been discussing the score before release and I stand behind Aleks in his decission to make Merlijn be the first mapper ever to achieve a score of 100.
I will take the opportunity to say: congratulations, Merlijn. Well deserved  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Merlijn on 01 December 2021, 20:36:47
Woah :o Didn't expect to get 100, that's awesome. I'm really thankful for that. :D 
And thanks for Aleks for your detailled and well written review! I especially like how you go into the episode as a whole and not just the individual maps.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 16 January 2022, 12:26:30
Hey Puritan,

I've just released my new, short episode The Conundrum: https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-conundrum/downloads/the-conundrum-full-version-10

It has 6 short levels and is based entirely on solving puzzles :P
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: anvil on 24 April 2022, 11:27:40
The TC "TTC Doom Nukem" (v1.1) you uploaded this month has a final version (http://www.scent-88.com/forum/index.php/topic,334.msg9218.html#msg9218). (There's a fourth episode with 11 levels.)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 24 April 2022, 19:21:42
Quote from: anvil on  24 April 2022, 11:27:40
The TC "TTC Doom Nukem" (v1.1) you uploaded this month has a final version (http://www.scent-88.com/forum/index.php/topic,334.msg9218.html#msg9218). (There's a fourth episode with 11 levels.)


Yup, you're absolutely right  :)
It's on my to-do list for an upload in the near future.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 26 May 2022, 22:07:14
Hey, Puritan, hope you're doing fine! There's been some new maps emerging this month:
Hollywood Holocaust Street Part Remake by Bruno, which is apparently just a very loose variation on the original level: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12027-hollywood-holocaust-street-part-remake-in-1996-classic-render/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12027-hollywood-holocaust-street-part-remake-in-1996-classic-render/)
Slick Willy by William Gee, a map that uses new DNF 2001 assets and tons of TROR: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12034-wgdnf1map-released/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12034-wgdnf1map-released/)
Water Damage by KAP, a classic map with particularly detailed shadows: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12040-release-water-damage/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12040-release-water-damage/)

I might write a review of one/more of those, but probably no sooner than July :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 28 May 2022, 00:19:26
Quote from: Aleks on  26 May 2022, 22:07:14
Hey, Puritan, hope you're doing fine! There's been some new maps emerging this month:
Hollywood Holocaust Street Part Remake by Bruno, which is apparently just a very loose variation on the original level: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12027-hollywood-holocaust-street-part-remake-in-1996-classic-render/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12027-hollywood-holocaust-street-part-remake-in-1996-classic-render/)
Slick Willy by William Gee, a map that uses new DNF 2001 assets and tons of TROR: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12034-wgdnf1map-released/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12034-wgdnf1map-released/)
Water Damage by KAP, a classic map with particularly detailed shadows: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12040-release-water-damage/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12040-release-water-damage/)

I might write a review of one/more of those, but probably no sooner than July :)


Thanks, Aleks
I was aware of Bruno's map but not the other two.
Downloading...
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 27 June 2022, 18:15:01
Hi Puritan! Hope you're doing great, I have a new speed map for you I made this week: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12072-release-turnpike/ although, please do not grab the outdated version of it in the first post. Please use the second one a few posts below instead, as that update addresses some more or less crucial issues.

Enjoy whenever - if you can - and hope you have a great summer. Cheers!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Sanek on 28 June 2022, 13:35:13
Quote from: ck3D on  27 June 2022, 18:15:01
Please use the second one a few posts below instead, as that update addresses some more or less crucial issues.

Direct link to the said update: https://forums.duke4.net/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=19928
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 28 June 2022, 22:21:28
Now, that's a force to be reckonned with!
Pretty challenging so far.....haven't had the time to pass it as of yet.
Will upload the map as soon as possible.


Thanks to both you and Sanek for the heads-up  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 03 July 2022, 11:57:49
Hi Puritan and thanks for hosting Turnpike!

I have yet another map for you called Red Light Rumble, built in four days: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12079-release-red-light-rumble/

Hope you enjoy and have a great Sunday! Cheers.

edit - again late to the game with some shame, but I had to update it. Please grab the final version here: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12079-release-red-light-rumble/page__gopid__372325#entry372325 this is the right one to share. Thanks a lot!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 07 July 2022, 00:14:13
Thank you Puritan and happy birthday!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 07 July 2022, 07:56:14
Quote from: ck3D on  07 July 2022, 00:14:13
Thank you Puritan and happy birthday!


It's my pleasure!
Thank you very much  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 05 August 2022, 02:41:38
(Hi guys, I have a review for the rcastle map which is not a bad DM map)

You start off in a barn with lots of areas to explore, get to the top of the barn as that will give you a view of things. Knowing your way around the map will give you an advantage over the other players. There are a few different areas with atomic health including the red room area located up high in the buildings which have two atomic health items there. If you follow the water it will lead you to an underground area where you can collect certain items. Also, the level has that maze element to it as there are many dead ends or walls that can be used as a lift.

If you play this in a single-player mode you will encounter a few enemies in the towers and many other areas.

80 score

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/R/rcastle/rcastle.php
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 05 August 2022, 18:20:02
(Here's another review)

This sort of acts like a play-around type of map where you battle it out on the big arena as well as the area where the exit is. When you are going to the exit there is a hidden room to the right with atomic health in there. There's also a hidden area located around the top section of the map. Where duke starts off in the single player there is a switch and if you click the switch you release the laser trip bombs but there are a bunch of octabrains floating around the map.

50 score

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/T/thehum/thehum.php
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 06 August 2022, 01:47:19
(Another review for one of the small maps)

This map is sure to make you feel very dizzy and confused. A lot of weapons in the spinner but don't stay there too long or you will be dizzy. To get to the area above go into one of the elevators where you will find the RPG but if you collect the RPG the ground will start to go down leaving you trapped there forever. To get out of that area you must try to shoot one of the buttons that is near the elevators and if you get lucky the ground will start to rise again. This would make a very interesting deathmatch level, hope you have fun.

65 score

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/S/spin/spin.php
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 07 August 2022, 00:22:08
(Another review, I'm on fire)

This whole map feels like a death trap. I guess I can say there are a few traps and explosions such as the minefield which contains 12 mines. Watch out for the gas canisters as well as the explosion they cause is big sometimes. There is a stream of water you can jump into and swim around in and collect a mixture of items which are located on the water bed so to say. There is a place near the water where you can go up in a rock lift and then that leads to a button which causes an explosion. On the other side of the water there is a rock with a chaingun on the top, use the container to get to the top so you can collect this gun.

There are plenty of hiding places to explore and find which one you like the best. Boxes you can hide behind and jump out at your opponent and there are plenty of buildings to hide in. One building has fire all over it and if you jump into the building you will notice writing on the wall. This is a map where finding the right spot is vital to whoever wins this match.

70 score

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/F/front/front.php
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 07 August 2022, 22:07:04
(A small review)

This map sort of has that square or circle feeling to it. In the centre of the map, you will notice the water which contains atomic health and a few laser tripbombs. Before you enter the centre of the map you can use the wall to lower yourself to the ground without losing any health and use that wall to get back up again. Now if you stay on the middle bit there is a lift you can take up to the top of the map, you will be exploring the high tunnels where you can collect some items or guns. On the medium level there it all connects up to the other bit of the map

I guess you can say that this map has three levels. For what is a simple design this is actually not a bad deathmatch level where dukes can fight it out to see who is king. This is probably what your classic deathmatch level would be like in the past. It's a nice map no doubt about that one.

70 Score

http://www.scent-88.com/reviews/M/marathon/mara.php
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 08 August 2022, 10:10:54
Yeah, you are on fire!
Thank you very much for these reviews, man.
Uploaded.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Tgreyhair on 08 August 2022, 16:23:34
Thanks Puritan

Hope you have been keeping well yourself.  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 21 August 2022, 09:41:13
Really cool to see a new active contributor to this website, nice one!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 16 March 2023, 21:35:39
Hey Puritan, hope you're doing fine!

I haven't been paying much attention to Duke stuff lately due to being extremely busy IRL, anyway, seems like you're missed one of the biggest events in the scene lately - release of ck3D's epic masterpiece, Blast Radius! Here's the link to his thread on duke4.net - I'd say this is definitely front page news stuff ;)

https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12220-release-duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius-full-14-map-episode/
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 18 March 2023, 13:11:54
Quote from: Aleks on  16 March 2023, 21:35:39
Hey Puritan, hope you're doing fine!

I haven't been paying much attention to Duke stuff lately due to being extremely busy IRL, anyway, seems like you're missed one of the biggest events in the scene lately - release of ck3D's epic masterpiece, Blast Radius! Here's the link to his thread on duke4.net - I'd say this is definitely front page news stuff ;)

https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12220-release-duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius-full-14-map-episode/ (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/12220-release-duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius-full-14-map-episode/)


Thanks for the heads-up, Aleks
You're right; it's a big event and a masterpiece!
Bunged to CGS server today.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 19 April 2023, 14:33:15
Hi Puritan and Aleks and thank you for the kind enthusiasm!

I actually was abstaining from sharing the news about Blast Radius on here just yet on purpose because the file just keeps receiving significant updates around the levels, code and even installation process/structure to this day, so I've been trying to avoid mirrors until a version would feel more definitive and stable.

Current version is now onto 1.0.14 and I feel like from now on shouldn't budge much, at least not in a way that is significant. I think this one should be a better central reference on CGS (it cleans up a lot of post-release mess versions from the past two months had) and while I'm aware replacing/updating files is a pain, if one could replace the file that's currently on the CGS server with the most recent one they can already download from here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius/downloads that would be really appreciated. Thank you in advance Puritan if you ever get around to doing that.

I'm trying to play your own episode in full one of these days! Hope you enjoyed Blast Radius. A lot to do in there if one's trying to play 'correctly' but really people just having fun around the levels with DNKROZ on counts as success to me. Cheers!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 20 April 2023, 16:38:59
I just noticed Merlijn's first two Shaky Grounds maps were up on here without a proper review (what they do have is an old one by me for SG3, and Aleks' recent review of the full episode). I started a full playthrough of the episode a couple of nights ago and have spontaneously been writing reviews for Apocollapse and Tales of Tragedy I'll most likely use as a basis for something to post on ModDB, but you can also use those for CGS if you want, both are on this page: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11861-release-shaky-grounds-episode/page__st__30
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 20 April 2023, 23:19:57
Quote from: ck3D on  20 April 2023, 16:38:59
I just noticed Merlijn's first two Shaky Grounds maps were up on here without a proper review (what they do have is an old one by me for SG3, and Aleks' recent review of the full episode). I started a full playthrough of the episode a couple of nights ago and have spontaneously been writing reviews for Apocollapse and Tales of Tragedy I'll most likely use as a basis for something to post on ModDB, but you can also use those for CGS if you want, both are on this page: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11861-release-shaky-grounds-episode/page__st__30 (https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11861-release-shaky-grounds-episode/page__st__30)


Wow, that is quite some work you've put into these reviews!
Thanks a lot for letting me use 'em here at CGS  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 03 June 2023, 14:11:36
Hi Puritan! I just released a new map for Blast Radius (15th/2nd secret) and updated the mod with it: https://www.moddb.com/mods/duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius/news/blast-radius-110-release-ft-new-15th-secret-level-more

It's reached v.1.1.0 now and while I've been abstaining from reporting smaller updates since I know managing the system is difficult, some of those recent modifications to the project have been fixing a lot of issues around some of the levels, including bugged secrets and broken doors and so the package you're hosting on CGS as a whole I'd say would be worthwhile refreshing now. Addition of level 15 sort of cements Blast Radius' final form now, mod has been out for long enough that I could catch most possible issues/bugs/problems and I personally feel like moving onto fresh stuff and so from this point onwards it really shouldn't budge much anymore but for potentially microscopic tweaks that do not matter. I don't want any more maps in BR or anything and so this should be my last time suggesting refreshing the file. (Now you understand why I was prefering to wait!)

New map introduces a new enemy variant; I'm curious what you'll think of it! Level 10 has a brand new secret exit section to match, too, but one can always jump right into the new level by loading brl15.map as a user map or inputting the cheat code, DNSCOTTY115 if they don't want to bother finding it legit.

Did we just get new forum software or is it my recently fixed laptop which now allows me to see this fresh version? Awesome! I think I've spotted a typo in the text in the top right corner; probably should be "Duke 3D never dies!" (right now is missing an 's').

Hope all is well and you have fun with the new map. Cheers!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 06 August 2023, 03:32:47
Hi Puritan! Just to keep you in the loop, last month I released six more maps as the demo for another conceptual episode, Zero Zone. More info here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius/news/blast-radius-v200-release-ft-episode-2-zero-zone-six-level-demo

Radar Duker on YouTube already has videos up of (most of) the maps.

I hope you like it, the download for now is part of Blast Radius, since it expands on the code and acts like a continuation albeit in a different style. So the download link is the same: https://www.moddb.com/mods/duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius/downloads/duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius

If you would like to host it and that is possible, then maybe it should share the same link as Blast Radius because of the duality. That also would be a nice opportunity to update the version of it that is on your server, at this stage I've given most all the maps from both episodes many passes, fixed most mistakes and so for a while this version ( 2.0.8 ) also shouldn't budge, minus occasional cosmetic retouches that shouldn't warrant an update until the next slice of Zero Zone, but that may be in a long, uncertain while. I need to take some time away from the editor.

Curious to hear if you enjoy the new levels. They are difficult (especially the second one can be mean on CGS) but generally more accessible than the Blast Radius style and also introduce new surprising mechanics. Hope you have fun in the zone!
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Puritan on 06 August 2023, 23:18:14
Wow, you're pretty occupied with the Build engine these days  :o
I've uploaded the latest file to our server but can't find the time to play any Duke these days.
Real life has thrown some opportunities for me that will take some time to get on the road.
In other words, I'm in the early beginning of getting self-employed  :)
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 28 October 2023, 12:33:05
Hey, Puritan! I have recently released my new map, Der Zorn Gottes - you can get it here:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/der-zorn-gottes
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 04 November 2023, 00:01:56
And here's my newest level, L.A. Meltdown 2047 which is a reinterpretation of episode 1 in just one map: https://go.wetransfer.com/t-IBXlZbYKZf hope you enjoy! Cheers.
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: Aleks on 25 December 2023, 15:53:06
Merry Christmas, Puritan! ;D

I've released yet another map, this time a huge and open city-themed level: https://www.moddb.com/mods/simpler-times
Title: Re: Reviews and Submissions
Post by: ck3D on 14 February 2024, 13:23:37
Hi Puritan,

Here are two new maps, comparable to what L.A. Meltdown 2047 did but now to episode 2 & 3 (I'm not remaking 4):

Shrapnel City 2096: Trapped In The Future!: https://www.moddb.com/mods/duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius/downloads/shrapnel-city-2096-trapped-in-the-future-duke-nukem-3d-user-map

Lunar Apocalypse 3072: A Space Oprah: https://www.moddb.com/mods/duke-nukem-3d-blast-radius/downloads/lunar-apocalypse-3072-a-space-oprah-duke-nukem-3d-user-map

Thanks for all the uploads. Cheers!