Birds fly. Sun shines. And brother? Brutes shoot people.

10/12/2007 - "Alshar2" by VerMoorD

Each week a single map is discussed here in detail.

Moderators: Semfry, Sat42, Jigoku, UB_

User avatar Ultimate Weasel
Skaarj Assassin Skaarj Assassin
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Location: Kidnapped by robots.

Subject:

Post Posted: 14 Dec 2007, 20:11

Uuugh.

I need to d/l some more classics, another map I haven't played... :(

User avatar Darkon
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Subject:

Post Posted: 14 Dec 2007, 20:33

Ultimate Weasel wrote:Uuugh.

I need to d/l some more classics, another map I haven't played... :(


:( Image
Never trust a Dutchman in a tulip fight.

User avatar Mister_Prophet
Red Nemesis Leader Red Nemesis Leader
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Joined: 11 Nov 2007, 23:30
Location: Lost in Oraghar

Subject:

Post Posted: 14 Dec 2007, 20:36

I played this ages ago. I mean like, ages. If my memory serves me correctly, didn't a lot of the scripted events not work so well? I remember a Brute sequence where he breaks down a wall but couldn't get to you....or maybe I'm just remembering badly.

One thing I do remember is the Torture room. That left a lasting impression.

User avatar Hellscrag
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Location: In a random access memory of dreams

Subject:

Post Posted: 14 Dec 2007, 20:48

redeye wrote:They are just animated mesh, no AI, just deco.As far as I know.


Yes. To get technical, crucified Nali are actually a Carcass class!
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Life is what you make of it.

User avatar Mister_Prophet
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Subject:

Post Posted: 14 Dec 2007, 20:54

I make an amendment to my last comment, after watching the video I don't recall any faulty scripted scenes. I am teh confuse.

User avatar Semfry
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Subject:

Post Posted: 14 Dec 2007, 21:18

Video done, no commentary as I wasn't in the mood (yeah...).

While it's quite unimpressive now (although the architecture has its moments), this pack is definitely very good for one made just after the game's release, quite ahead of it time even, in terms of what else was coming out then.

The main problem Valley of Alshar has is the vague progression, as it's quite easy to miss a switch or doorway and get stuck for some time. As others mentioned the lighting is a weak point too.

All the different ways the Nali are being tortured is a nice touch :) .

User avatar Mick.B
Banned Banned
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Joined: 11 Nov 2007, 22:48

Subject:

Post Posted: 14 Dec 2007, 21:20

Btw that beep you can hear is probably a bug caused by newest versions, I think when ran on early versions it is not there.

EDIT: You forgot one thing: a translator you didn't summon. You missed some messages, lol.

UB_
Nali Priest Nali Priest
Posts: 7960
Joined: 11 Nov 2007, 21:00

Subject:

Post Posted: 15 Dec 2007, 21:59

I actually had to see MMAN's video to remember this map. The framerate near the end was pretty annoying though. Thanks anyway.

This was the first map I played from Alshar's pack. The first, because the real first one didn't work for me, until a certain point.
Dudes, this map has various problems.

First of all, its main concept, what you have to do in it. The usual "go to a place, Skaarj Berserker comes out from a door, first time hearing SETI's 2nd songsection (and in a really good way, like it was done in Morose), kill the Skaarj, go in his red room, press the lever, a door unlocks, go to this door, another Skaarj Berserker comes out, usual story, press the lever, ending door unlocks". That's how it goes, once you finally know where to go.

The dungeon is pretty much like a maze, full of doors; everything is filled with an atmosphere which is very close to the Unreal one. SETI is pretty right for this kind of environment, where "evil" is around (prisons, Slith, and dead Nali).
Talking about dead Nali (or decorations), I had to see in the editor how to open the hidden secret passage near the prison cells. We know Unreal is a magical world (in various Map Packs), but no one can think that gibbing Nali carcasses would open a wall. Obviously this doesn't count for those mad guys like me that want to see meat pieces everywhere :wink: (yep, MMAN in that video was pretty hardcore, feel it when he shoots in those small openings on the walls leading to the Slith chamber).

Build-wise, the map is good and gives the right atmosphere. The lighting needs serious work because it looks like an UT3 map without post-processing stuff. It's white everywhere, and I hope the author realizes that the Ancient.utx pack isn't anything Greek-themed :P
Ok, we had red and blue in the respective red and blue chamber with Skaarj Berserkers and levers. And awesome SETI's second songsection (it was the first time I heard it). Still a 3/4 on the lighting anyway, while texturing was pretty nice as well.
I should ignore the bsp error under those wooden bridges in the Slith chamber, but guess lots of people go everywhere. Nah, at least you still live through it.

About the gameplay... simple as hell. The usual Krall running and shooting while you strafe like a godlike bot and let them eat DP bolts, and some Gasbags, who one of them protects an Eightball over a rock found in a lava pool. Later on this...
Then we have swimmer's favourite friends: Slith. They do nothing because you can just not enter their chamber and kill them before they even exit it. Would be better if both Slith were put in the corners, near the room's entrance.
The Skaarj Warrior fights were the tougher, for the main reason of the dungeon being so cramped (look the one near the prison cells... One wrong step and you're cornered. But that isn't really common once you know how to use Tazer shots or retreat in the previous area. For the latter, you have to deal with a second Skaarj Warrior coming from the lift). Being untouchable here isn't something easy.
The other Skaarj fights were pretty easy, especially the Berserker ones because the area around was large and they were generally predictable.
Of course, no one will know why the last Skaarj Warrior threats you instead of attacking altogheter :o
And then, more Krall in cramped environments... In conclusion, simple gameplay, you just kill what moves in the room you're in.

The map's beginning was pretty cool, not to mention the lava lake. My main gripe of some of the older map packs is the weird position of the weapons.
An Eightball has been put on the rock in the middle of the lava for the sake of making the hazard dangerous in some way. How the hell the Eightball appeared here? Well, can't say anything more about this since Eightballs are known for their awesome placements (see Chizra and Ceremony 8) ).

Lone Kevlar Suit on a random platform FTW. It's nice to see how today placements make more sense.
Also, no living Nali in the map, but died ones that need to be gibbed.

It's a nice map of course, but nothing like the other two in terms of atmosphere and general uniqueness. The first one had some cool scripted sequences, the last one's fight speak for itself in a way, etc...

That's all I have to say... I just forgot this map before seeing the video.
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