The Katagean Redoubt for Quake1

***New***

Level name: The Katagean Redoubt

Author: Chris 'Simulacrum' Houston

Release date: 04 March 2008

Size: 1 465 ko

Number of maps: 1

website: None


download:
from quaddicated

Story

YOU BIG SHOOTY MAN GOOD GOOD SHOOT NOW NO DIE FAILURE NOT OPTIONAL OP3N D00Rz L0lz

Review :
The author who did several attempt back in the early 2000 wanted to get a little expereince in order to apply to some gaming industry job, He so decided to get back into design and especially for Quake 1 regarding the success of his release he wanted to extend this map to a small episode but nothing shines since then
Design: The architecture is a mix between e1m3 and e1m4 brigging some Castle base design full of those green bricks and wood floor, It can easilly be consider as 'old school' regarding the inspiration comming from the original level.  The layout is neat and impressive featuring a well interconnected castle full of nasty surprise and secrets places (8). A lot of attention has been put into this one to create some wonderfull places to visit and this with an up and down view regarding the way you progress...Action even if perfectly balance nearly doesn't take place outdoor and doesn't really provides a lot of mechanism and trigger effects (both would have certainly increase the skill of the author and the way we can judge his skill). But this is only a personnal point of view and only minor aspect regarding the whole unit.

Gameplay is a good mix beween fight and progression in a quite linear way at first and after (regrading the central room and the access through keys) more unlinear. Weapons give is progressive sothat you need to really take care to enemies and the ways you use each weapons...This time I had not that much problems finding the secrets places which is also from the 'old school' approach. The fights where pretty well balance and most of the time easy to predict when they should be more challenging but even in this way the last battle was a real nightmere....The way the gameplay was balanced was perfectly fitting to my way of playing and it was therefore a pure playtime delight
In conclusion: this release should really encourage everybody to try to handle some mapping experience, the author come back after 7 year and a short immersing time  to produce a enjoyable challenging experience in a well crafted environment it's certainly not perfect but in the way the author used his skill he did it in a remarkzble manner.


 Statistics on normal skill:   playtime 33' 03''    secrets 6/8     kills 133/136 

Playtime: 40 minutes

Rating: A B C D E (88%)

Arkot_Catlekeep for RTCW

***New***

Level name: Arkot_Catlekeep

Author: Arkot 24 (Reedited by Vicpas)

Release date: 04 June 2006

Size: 10 165 ko

Number of maps: 1

website: None


alternative download:


Author's Desciption

This map is my first work in single player maps . This was made in about 3 month's time on and off and was created to learn more about single player mapping


Review :

Design: Regarding this one the way is was design looks more like an early stage of mapping, it's more a collection of squared rooms put together with the needed stuff with just here and there some different touch and especially the wood stair to access the second floor. Most of the action take place indoor with some outdoor view, general layout and architecure even if I might be consider as basic, provides all we would like to find from brakable objects to secret places, lighting is also good so that on an average level everything is nice several content where still for me above average and especially the intro objective map (sadly not in english) and the small cutscene when you activate the access to the storage area.

Gameplay: is well balanced all items and enemies are waiting for you where they should be, to progression is quite free and not to oriented (different way of progression until the last objective exit). So finally the gameplay is well put together with the design to provide an enjoyable experience more base on an action fighting than on a action thinking and looking.objective being also mostly evident to find and do.

In conclusion: A well balanced expeirence map correctly related between gameplay and design, don't except any 'waouw' while you progress but in the otherway you won't get bored while playing this one.

Playtime: 40 minutes



Rating: A B C D E (72%)

OPOF for RTCW

***New***

Level name: OPOF

Author: Jakub 'Thompson' Poniatowski

Release date: 4 August 2004


Size: 1 027 ko

Number of maps: 1


website: Author's profile


filefront download: here

Story

None

Review :

Design: it's a quite short release with starting  in a kind of inside place of a Castle were some german and stuffs are waiting for you after that you need to find an entrance to the Cave and secret operating center the  interconnection isn't perhaps that good and the starting place look a little to boxy and without any surounding view even if detail and realism is well used. the switch to the lower part is a bit ectic  but what follow even if a little repetitive is well done the attention to the wine cave, the meeting room and all breakable stuffs and secrets really put in advance the real volonty from the author to do it's best

Gameplay: quite short...some tiny challenge in the outside area and after it become more obvious excpet what you really need to do so go into each corner to find some secret and activating system, after you will need to travel a little to find the exit witch will done finished with the status page.

In conclusion: I really think the author wanted to make something more important but certainly trough lack of time just release a short but well done RTCW experience...sadly it's too short and the was really a lot of potential.

Playtime: 10 minutes



Rating: A B C D E (68%)

new poll and info

So I have started a new poll...just wanted to know how you came here

In addition I Have add a new feature perhaps up to date (is it still?)that allow you to follow this blog update more easily, but if you use a reader with RSSfeed I don't think it's highly usefull, except for me to share some other small information that doesn't really need A blog update.

Breakfast at twilight for Quake 1

***New***

Name: Breafast at Twilight

Author: Peter 'Hrimfaxi' Sörensen

Release date: 12 September 2007

Size: 4 856 ko

Number of maps: 1+ 1start map

website: None


download:
from quaddicated

Additionnal pack required :
quoth is necessary to play correctly this one...and a bunch of recent releases

Story

Not really - just shoot anything!
Review :

Design:  In one word : Wonderfull !!! and shine directly through the statring map where you can choose your skill.
The Place is quite huge and will provide a large area that need to be discover by accessing key protected area, the fact that you sometime can seen trough windows balcony and other view what is awaiting you is well crafted.

The outdoor and indoor scene are well put together to make you admire the places you are going to travel through, architecture and use of textures really creation some intense visual moment, lightning is also well provided. The skybox is perfectly fitting the theme and name of the map...Visually everything looks really great some more sound or background atmosphere would even add a more immersive feeling but this would only be a tiny touch.

Gameplay: like the design it's solid, with over 160 monsters on normal setting the battle to survive and progress will be quite hard the use of new monsters and there placement was also well done lot's of secret zone are there to provide you with some addition qwest if you are able to find them (witch wasn't my case), the surprise is just behind every corner and this will only reinforce your desire to finish the map. Battle are sometimes surprising, sometime tough, through the difficluty to move and fight back but it was the aim wasn't it? to be able to play this type of release you should be prepare through the challenge and difficult to deserve whats next

In conclusion: after several play through Peter's release I'm now a total fan of is mapping skill  that remind me from another great mapper Shaun 'Kona' Ross this one is without no doubt a must play and extremely invite you to reinstall Quake 1 for the amount of great release that still need to be revisited or/and review

 Statistics on Normal skill:   playtime 48' 40''    secrets 2/11     kills 166/166 

Playtime: 1 hour 20 minutes



Rating: A B C D E (94%)

Star scream for Quake 1

***New***

Level name: Star scream

Author: Dustin 'Ttronyn' Geeraert

Release date: 07 Mai 2003

Size: 329 ko

Number of maps: 1

website: None anymore


download:
from quaddicated

Story

None...a map oriented to be playing with all support so perfectly design for SP Coop and MP

Review :

Design: It's a short map with mostly a linear gameplay from the top to the bottom of a kind of 'space castle' Architecture is well put together and reminds me of some UT deathmatch maps, it creates a immersive highlight Castle, indoor is limited but outdoor, especially regarding the small size, is well interconnected. Lightning is put were it should be and if the use of texture is limited it give perfectly the ambiance we like.

Gameplay is wellbalanced with a design from the bottom to the top. You will need to get rid of enemies that are most of the time attacking you from above, additionnally it's quite easy if you move too much to fall down into space and die, this add a bit of challenge. It's still quite an easy map in normal mod with limited amount of enemies. All freatures are put where they needed to provide a good single play experience

In conclusion: short and enjoyable what else do we need if we want a break.


 Statistics on normal skill:   playtime 5' 27''    secrets 0/1     kills 35/35 

Playtime: 10 minutes



Rating: A B C D E (70%)

Human Error: Ep 1 Fpr Half-Life 2 Ep2

***New***

Level name: Human Error: Episode 1

Author: Half-Life Short Stories Team

Release date: 8 February 2010


Size: 334 893 ko

Number of maps: 7


website: here


download: at planetphillip

Story
Some chose to resist, others chose to collaborate; to yield to the Combine and enforce their rule and will. One such body is the Civil Protection unit, an arm of the Overwatch that maintains order in the Cities. In Human Error, become part of a small Civil Protection team that is pitted against the remains of the Xenian forces, who are making a last ditch effort to escape Earth. Utilize a variety of new tools such as controllable manhacks, and use new vehicles such as the APC.


Review :

Design: Looking back to Duke Nukem and the first age of FPS we found a lot of release that came with some new features and was called back Total Conversion... this one totally reminds me from this approach, new enemies, weapons, textures, voice acting...  It was a long time ago since I had this particular feeling playing a free release that integrates a full custom content. The story behind was perhaps not that clear (at least for me) with Andrew's girl through flashback and appearance with a little F.E.A.R. because sometimes you have some doubt about her real thaught (good or bad).
The overall design can always been critisize especially when you have a lot of custom content, people think that everything should always been from high quality especially when it seems more difficult to create some custom content that to create maps. It this way it's clear that human error never make you travel through unique location from high atmosphere like you can encounter them in the original Episode 2...Location are really from a classic bottle perhaps sometimes too dark, witch is for me part of the atmosphere but will decrease the feeling of general layout and detail, this wasn't for me disapointing because I was happy with what it was. Addition to the General layout Human error comes with a lot of new created content and this is was I really loved.
Starting with the new models from enemies to weapons to the cusomized overuse power generator, the pilotable NPC and Manhacks, the sniper rifle sadly unuse through a dedicated gameplay area and the attention to modelling of all main characters. All of them were quite well done and also gave a good turn back to half life first experience.

Gameplay: The fact you play as a combine was still perturbating and this something i don't like to, like playing as a german in a WW2 game, I think it's part of our 'the bad and the good' approach witch can sound as nonsense regarding the fact that FPS gaming is just a 'killing' game  witch is certainly not good...But all in all this 'combine team' appoach with some differents main characters add this cooperative gameplay I really like in the more recent FPS gaming experience, sadly in my appoach if you part of a combine team it's a kind of squad where the main aim is too be efficient (move and act without thinking too loud) and not to talk like if you where on a happy journey, It's sure it add a better filling than to play without any 'sound environment' but for me  it's unrealistic...
With this team apporach you will also be able to conduct the NPC (cool experience), to drive the manhack through vent and stuff, an amazing experience through the difficulty of  third dimension mouvement and also through the limited angle of view  this was really a great moment of inovative gameplay.
Even if it was sometimes challenging, also by the fact you cannot carry out all weapons but need to choose, it was also a little disapointing with the too easy end battle gameplay sometimes also went to 'what's next now?' feeling where you turn arround and after turn to external help to find what to do (happens ones) but all in all the fluidity of all those feature dropped into the game while you progress was perfrectly timed to create a not perfrect but still unique experience.
There are certainly a lot of things to improve but the challenge was put on a high live through integrating a lot of new features, trying to make a background storyline,  an interesting gampelay and give the whole first episode a good structure, even if not perfrect through voice talking, mission, combats and puzzles

In conclusion: Even if there are a lot of things that could have been done better, the fresh new content really add a woaw feeling when I encounter it sothat I defenitly consider this mod as a personal favorite and can only recommend it clearly and hope we won't wait too much for Episode two.

Playtime: 2 hours 30 minutes



Rating: A B C D E (94%)