Semfry wrote:A great map in some ways (especially aesthetics), but, like many ONP maps, it's so straightforward and streamlined that it kind of sails past without making you really pay attention at all.
Svalley 2 being last week's map makes an interesting contrast. That map is far more openly flawed and less polished, and straight up bullshit in some ways, but it ends up being more memorable overall by demanding that you engage with it and keeping to a unique design vision even when that justifiably puts many people off it.
Technically, I agree with a lot of this. My personal experience from playing this map tells me that
The Lost Sanctuary of Kalishr'a: Part 1 is still better than last week's MOTW, and when you consider both parts of the sanctuary together, then for me it becomes as good as
Temple of Eelhandra for example. But this map alone is short, if impressive, and only medium in terms of difficulty. No real story progression either. Great, but not the best (and not the best of Chico's contributions to
ONP, either).
I do remember how lush it was in terms of details.
EDIT: speaking of how richly detailed the build is, I also now remember specifically how the abundance of eye candy eventually led me to be confused as to where the next passage lay and how I was supposed to proceed - that was right after the bit underwater, I missed the lever and got stuck for a few minutes wandering around before noticing it - that is something that happens rarely in
ONP!