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Map review: Retrophobopolis
on Monday, August 17, 2009 :: by soh-lokirulez @ 9:41 AM
1291 Views :: 0 Comments :: Map Reviews

This is a map review by SolidFake. Learn about the rating system and rules for map reviews before you read!

retrophobopolis

Details

author: cr!zis (alias kiki)
website: http://warsow-esport.net/
name: retrophobopolis
filesize: 1,63 Mb
wsw version: 0.5
gametypes: duel
players: 1vs1
size: small
includes items: yes
includes custom textures: no
includes custom sounds: no
includes custom models: no

Screenshots

Download

Mirror 1: retrophobopolis
Mirror 2: retrophobopolis

Servers

Check http://warsow-esport.net/ for more up-to-date servers.
fuckingfrogs servers

Description

Ahoi again, I'm here with a new review about cr!zis new map with the though name Retrophobopolis. I already made a review of cr!zis first map, smoothfun, and this is now his third. He recently released it for Warsow 0.5, so this is the first review which handles of a new released map. Too much talking, let's better start now.

Retrophobopolis is a duel map which consists out of two main floors. The higher one contains a round flow with a door in the middle which let's a player shorten his way.
This floor has a lot of height changes, which are made with small stairs. The lower one however doesn't have a round flow, contains also some height changes, but is nearly everytime connected with the higher floor which creates a nice connectivity and through the many height changes it is never too open. You can come from the lower stage to the higher via jumppads, many ramps, a teleporter and some ddj jumps. The megahealth resides on a platform mounted on a wall which is also the highest point in the map.

The best thing of this map are the trick possibilities, this map let me remember of good old wdm1 duel times. The megahealth platform e.g. can only be reached by tricks, either you take the ramp in the wall nearby, or you do a dj at the edge and a walljump, or a ddj and a wj from the stairs, a gb shot from the jumppad or you just get enough speed to reach the platform with a single wj. There also some other nice tricks, like a ddj with a wj from the strong plasma to the rl. To be honest, I can't really say much about the brushwork, as it seems pretty perfect! Now to the items. As already said, the mh area is really nice, but noobs will do pretty hard getting it. The ra is also in a good risky place and exactly at the opposite site of the mh which works pretty good. There's only one yellow armor but there is also a ga and lots of shards. What I'm missing a bit is a 50 health, instead of that he placed a lot of 25 healts which is not really a good alternative imo.

The map includes nearly every weapon with strong ammo (except mg) and an additional rl and an additional rg which is maybe a bit lot for a duel map. This keeps you constantly running through the whole map, there won't be much points when you are stopping. After a nice duel against poschi I can say that is a good thing, the map has an awesome speed. The room with the ya is be pretty well visited, and provides a too good equipment with rl&ammo, ya, rg and a 25 health. Also the other rl should be farer away from this room, as rl is with lg the most important weapon in this map. The performance is very good for a duel map, never got over 5000 tris and nearly no fps drops. Bots are included too but pretty senseless, as they can't reach mh and are constantly standing in the edge with the 2 armor shards where the gl is.

Now let's talk about the design. I've seen only two curves but the overall brushwork is very adorable. There aren't just plain walls, he made trims nearly everywhere.
There's no special brushwork but it looks pretty good, e.g. the pretty doorframes or the beams above the lava. Most edges are cutted which shows that the author laboured.
Lamps are set into the wall or are at the ceiling and big beam like blocks are at the top. Nothing special in the brushwork, but solid enough to satisfy the eye.
Also Warsow models got used in the map and are set good. The textures are choosen pretty well which gives the map a individual style. The dark brown walls fit well with the grey floors and trims and the orange moving lines add a bit diversity in this. Instead of his first map the author used now a lot more textures which gladdens the eye, also a well fitting skybox got choosen. He also added light beams which but he forgot to add them to the model lamps too. The orange signs at the wall behind the gl are looking a bit out of place as the white lines at the ceiling of the ya room. The map is in a more dark way lit, some rooms are brighter and others darker.
I hoped for some red from the lava in the lower floor but I got disappointed. The lighting is mainly white, only the orange lines are emittin a bit light but far too less. Nethertheless all lights contain proper sources. All in all you say that the name Retrophobopolis fits the design pretty well.

Results

Cr!zis did his homework and made a really nice duel map with a very good layout. The item placement could be a bit better and a few more tricks could be there, but the map has an awesome speed and a very nice layout. That map probably got me back at playing duels! The Design is basic but pretty solid and far from ugly.
I hope that this duel map will be played often in the future and I hope that cr!zis will release more maps. A very good duel map which really deserves the gameplay award!