Wrath of Vandora -- League Edition
Public Release #2 · May 17, 2002

Title:

Wrath of Vandora -- League Edition

Filename(s):

CTF-Vandora-LE101.unr
ElfPack01.u
Spire2.umx

Version:

1.01

Author:

Michael Darnell, aka Larathiel the Death Elf

E-Mail:

Larathiel@ogl.org

Website:

Avalon: Isle of the Unreal

Other Work:

Arctic Glacier LE
Elven Princess FCommando skin
Facing Worlds LE
Infested LE
Maelstrom LE
November CE v1.05
Orbital LE
Rime Isle
Terra LE

Installation:

Everyone

Simply extract the zip file into your UT folder and all the files will be placed into their proper directories. For a manual install, place the files into the following folders:

CTF-Vandora-LE101.unr -> UT\Maps

Spire2.umx -> UT\Music

ElfPack01.u -> UT\System

Construction Notes:

Editors

Built using UnrealEd 2.0 (436), MeshMaker, Photoshop6 and ModPlug Tracker.

New Textures

To eliminate file clutter, all new textures are included within the map's MyLevel package. Most of the textures are based off of existing UT textures that I updated or expanded upon to suit my needs.

New Music

Spire2 is actually a movement of the 2nd track of the theme from the Sunspire level in Unreal1. Since this was within a larger track (the rest of which didn't fit the theme I was going for) I used the ModPlug Tracker to adjust the sequence and remove the undesired portions.

New Decorations

ElfPack.u contains a number of new decoration meshes that were created using MeshMaker. These include the banners, tarydium crystals, tapestries, torches, flames, lanterns and lily pad and cobweb panels used in the map. Several additional meshes that I ended up not needing are also including several assorted pillars and panels of varying shapes and sizes.

Construction Time

Way too long, but well worth it. ;-)

Description:

Atop the peak of a mist-shrouded volcano, ancient Nali savants raised two mighty temples to the goddess Vandora to appease her wrath so that she would no longer rain down fire upon their cities and villages. Centuries later, Liandri discovered the now quieted volcano and decided it would make a dramatic backdrop for some of their highest-level competitions. With meticulous care not often seen by such a ruthless company, the temples were refurbished and the terrain resculpted to make it perfectly balanced for their purposes. Now the time for the clash of the best of the best is at hand and Liandri is ready to recoup the great expenses they have lavished on their latest arena!

Concept & Implementation:

Shortly after finishing my last map, Rime Isle, I decided that I wanted to make a smaller map that would be better suited for clan-based competition. Since I had already successfully experimented with an asymmetrical yet balanced map, I decided to take the opposite route this time and make a completely symmetrical map so that choice of team colors would have no bearing on the outcome of the match.

During the process of making this map, there were a great number of debates taking place in the North American clan community about the legitimacy of "cheese" tactics such as the piston + jump boot move and the ability to use the centerview (CV) command built into UT as a means to get easier headshots. Since my philosophy as a league admin for the Online Gaming League is to never make a rule that cannot be enforced by the game settings or is blatantly obvious when infracted, I wanted to demonstrate how thoughtful level design could cope with concerns such as cheese and CV...

Temples:

The temples to Vandora were the the original purpose of this map and they were inspired by a cross between the gothic cathedrals of old Europe and the Sydney Opera House. Even before I had any inkling of what I wanted to do with the rest of the map, I had a burning vision of how these temples should look and flow and precious little has changed since I originally designed them.

Why did I choose Vandora? Simply because of the awe and sense of immersion I felt in Unreal1 the first time I came across her mural. I have seen numerous maps where this texture was used wantonly or as an afterthought and it always bothered me that someone else could be so careless with something that held such memorable moments in gaming for me. I felt this would be a great way to build a sort of monument to that memory. :-)

The map's title is derived from the wrath the players will feel when they allow their flag to be captured for the first time -- a little trick that should help to ensure the 1st cap of the game does not turn into an automatic 2-cap relay. Other tricks players can enjoy employ wall glides on the inner banister and outside buttresses to gain a Z-axis advantage over opponents. Daring flag carriers can also attempt lift-jumps to reach the front window which should allow even the instagib players to get some hangtime! Lastly, the powerup placements are designed so that a team who simply tries to camp the flag will suffer having their own items used against them. A dynamic defense is critical.

Terrain:

While the bases were inspired, it took me a bit longer to come up with the theme for the rest of the map. Since midfield is my favorite position (and a midfield defensible against cheese is hard to find), I wanted to make something special. At long last, after playing two of my favorite CTF maps, Twin Valley and Esprit de Corp, I decided to try and combine and improve upon their midfield styles. In Twin Valley, it very easy for a player to get up on the cliffs -- cliffs that are very expansive and time-consuming to scan for enemies. Also, a flag carrier can take them all the way home with little risk. If there is one constant theme I stuck to, it is that advantages must be balanced by risk and/or cost the player precious time. It is still possible for a player to get on the mountains in this map, but they are more distant and less expansive than in Twin Valley. Furthermore, the number of access points are much more limited with most of them requiring powerups to reach. The central gorge also demands either great risk to hurdle or injury to descend.

Another design consideration was that all paths should meet in the center of the map. This way, it becomes practical even necessary to have a midfield presence since the most powerful weapons (and the best anti-cheese stance) can be gained there. Unlike on Lavagiant, I decided to ramp-up the terrain toward the center of the map. This way, players executing cheese would not have as much hangtime and would funnel themselves toward the enemy's midfielders. Once again, the central lava pit helps to provide a substantial risk for players who decide to take to the sky.

The Big O:

Drawing some elements from CTF-Esprit and naming it after one of my favorite anime' series, The Big O encompasses the upper portion of The Pit providing a route that is free of hazard zones, yet heavily traveled by the enemy. Just as the iron arches and window cutouts in The Pit allow players to change up their route from low back to high, the elevators, balconies and missing ceiling tiles help to add further dynamics to what might have been a rather static and predictable part of the map. Windows are positioned such that observant midfielders can observe all the most frequently traveled paths which should be an important edge to help them head off attackers.

There are many other Easter Eggs, trick moves and shortcuts throughout the rest of the map but I want to leave you to find some of these things on your own. My parting hint is that you needn't waste a charge of your jumpboots if you walk while performing the jump. You'll only leap 3 feet instead of 4 though so be certain to take that into consideration.

Have fun!
 

—	Larathiel the Death Elf
	UT CTF & Senior Weapons Admin, OGL Map Consultant to OGL & ProUnreal

Version History:

Following are the changes that differentiate Wrath of Vandora League Edition from the original:

v1.01

• Replaced decorations with regular geometry. Although UT can render a mesh faster than a regular brush when a lot of decorations are used in a level they really put a crunch on the CPU. It appears to be due to the fact that decorations are visible actors or "Sprites" and must undergo replication that this lags the framerates on some PCs. Halving the number of visible actors by removing the steam on the acid and eliminating the custom decorations I created really helped a LOT.
• Rebuilt the terrain using a single subtractive brush rather than numerous additive brushes. The map is also now a good deal shorter which improves the pacing and helps equalize the length of the lower and main flag routes. This also served to eliminate the BSP error that was visible from high up in the center of the map looking down at the lava.
• Made the mountain ridge more accessible. While it was possible to use the mountains as a flag route before, bots could not access it and it was still very difficult for humans. The bots can now use the ridge and there is also a pair of accelerator jumps that can be used to cross the central chasm.
• Reduced polygon counts throughout the map. Rounded pillars were replaced by square ones and stairways were replaced with ramps, I made better use of semisolids and used some other techniques to reduce the number of polygon cuts in the center of the map.
• Better Zoning. Performance was improved somewhat by breaking up The Big O into several zones (this also made applying the location strings there easier).
• More health and ammo has been added.
• Weapon and spawn placements improved. The spawn points are now further forward and the starting weapons are in more intuitive locations. Additionally, each team now has a single spawn point in the central balconies. By one balcony is the previously missing pulse gun and by the other is the ripper.
• Powerup placements have changed. The shieldbelt now hovers in mid air between the accelerator jumps atop the cliffs. The redeemer is on the lower bridge and the superhealth kegs are behind the domes. Armor has been moved to the cliff-side tower of each base and the jumpboots are now in the mountain-side towers. Thighpads are now near the acid lake underground.

v1.00 - January 15 2002

• Original version of CTF-Vandora

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank:

• RedBeard the Pirate:  He is my fellow map consultant at ProUnreal and still one of the most knowledgeable UEd experts walking. His help as my lead tester was invaluable in getting the bots to work as well as they do and his determined fussiness and keen eyes uncovered and allowed me to fix a number of problems I might have over looked.

• Rachel Cordone, the Angel Mapper:  As skilled as I am in architecture Rachel, is as inventive in her exceptional use of triggers, movers and other tricks that I might have never thought of. We've each learned a get deal about UEd's capabilities from each other as our skill sets seem the perfect complements for the other's. I look forward to working with her on future projects with the new engine.

• Dave Ewing from Digital Extremes:  For his prompt reply and excellent recommendations on the level's finishing touches. It's also nice hearing how you have improved from a pro such as him.

• Chris 'Plutonic' Blundell:  Another pro with great advice. Considering that I have long regarded his indoor/outdoor map CTF-Conquest as one of the best examples of outdoor terrain and cool base architecture, I was very pleased to know he thought so highly of mine. :-)

• Mychaeel:  Without his awesome MeshMaker utility for UnrealEd I would not have had the capability to make any of the highly detailed decorations I used in this level. On top of that he provided a great deal of timely assistance to me when I encountered technical difficulties -- a great guy who has rendered a great service to our mapping community!

• KORE, The L33test Llamas Around:  Special thanks go to my clanmates in Kore including CageRage (my biggest fan who would have seen me release this 3 months ago even without all the polish), Tantrum (whose "yo momma" jokes never ceased to keep me laughing), Rasta (whose passion for the game makes an effort like this worthwhile), PcViper (whose online radio station "The Pit" helped both to keep me rockin and to name the center of the map), Nomad (for putting up with the many uploads and downloads all this has placed on his server), FlyingMonkey (for showing how Z-axis is meant to be played), EnemyFC and Twitchz0r (for knowing enough about UEd to sympathize with me when I needed it), Cobra (for dedicating so much of his time and money to ensure we have a server to play this on) and CyberD and Monk (because I know you are gonna like it :-D ).

• Thanks also go out to the members of Clan Scourge, my fellow OGL admins esp. Count Brass, Caine and MooMilk, and all the guys at ProUnreal, UnrealOps and Unreal Addicted whose enthusiasm for and critical insight into Unreal Tournament's gameplay helped to give me the direction I needed in my design considerations. I hope that all of you like what I've done.

Copyright / Permission:

This level is copyright 2002, by Michael 'Larathiel the Death Elf' Darnell

Authors may NOT use this level as a base to build additional levels without explicit permission from the Original Author.

You are NOT allowed to commercially exploit this level, i.e. put it on a CD or any other electronic medium that is sold for money without my explicit permission!

You MAY distribute this level through any electronic network (internet (web/ftp), FIDO, local BBS etc.), provided you include this file and leave the archive intact.

UNREAL (c)1998 Epic Megagames, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by GT Interactive Software, Inc. under license. UNREAL and the UNREAL logo are registered trademarks of Epic Megagames, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

UNREAL TOURNAMENT (c)1999 Epic Megagames, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by GT Interactive Software, Inc. under license. UNREAL TOURNAMENT and the UNREAL TOURNAMENT logo are registered trademarks of Epic Megagames, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Cast in the name of God, YE NOT GUILTY!