15/12/2008 - "ISV-Kran Deck 4" by Myscha

[Hellscrag]

Map Title: ISV-Kran Deck 4
Author: Myscha the Sled Dog
From: Unreal
Filename: isvkran4.unr
Video Playthrough: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=izmM64NMxSI



Synopsis: The player gains access to the crashed Terran vessel ISV-Kran, where he learns of the fate of the crew and discovers that the ship is infested with Skaarj.

EDIT by Jethro:
This MOTW will be opened for two weeks (this one and Christmas one) as there's no MOTW in the Christmas week.

EDIT by Scrag:
I came onto this thread to make exactly that edit, only to find that you beat me to it, Jethro!

[Jethro]

Really interesting entry to the ISV-Kran section. I mean the atmosphere of the beginning of this level is really cool. You see al the crew slaughtered, translator logs indicate the heroic stand the crew made, but there's no sight of the Skaarj around. Really, really memorable!

[Mister_Prophet]

The first time I played I remember trying to position myself for the drop into that floor vent where you get the razorjack. And when I finally hopped down I hit my head on something and bounced right into the hazard.

[Punisher]

This level reminds me of Brute force mission 14, the one you have to kill that Mctavish guy, the last level you fight the Black hand/Red hand. That platform Mctavish in on is similar to the first area of the Level.

[TheIronKnuckle]

on my first playthrough i was too scared to exit the blue corridor you start the map in, i kept thinking that an ambush was imminent. I was inching forward unreal unit by unreal unit......

[Frieza]

This is usually the point that I take a break when having a playthrough to Unreal (that is, when I play from Vortex onwards in one sitting). In the overall Unreal experience I'm actually not that fond of ISV-Kran and usually pretty happy to get it over with. But I think the levels are nicely pulled of and the music is just amazing. In the overall ISV-Kran experience I'd rank Deck 4 second, with Decks 2 and 3 first and Deck 1 in third place (yeah, shoot me).

[Hellscrag]

In the overall ISV-Kran experience I'd rank Deck 4 second, with Decks 2 and 3 first and Deck 1 in third place (yeah, shoot me).

That's completely backwards IMO.

I agree, though, that Deck 4 is the "middle" map in quality terms. It has the storyline stuff, the creepy ducting and a fair amount of combat.

[UB_]

Too much ISV-Kran discussion nowadays.

Just your colourful, generic human-made starship infested by aliens (Skaarj). The ISV-Kran section has been always my least favourite, fortunately there's ISV-Deck 1 which makes up for it.

Gameplay is average. An easy Skaarj slaughterfest in environments that don't make them dangerous. They always dodge into a wall and end up eating Eightballs.

I can't feel any atmosphere here. Dead bodies, okay, I've seen them too much now. Who's the culprit? A group of Skaarj, awesome and original!!!1
The ambient music doesn't help as well, but the way how the second songsection starts (and that happens two times here) is really great, probably the best moments the map has to offer.

I ended up wasting more time jumping on that bridge in the slime area (and why that bridge is found in that position?) than fighting the waves of Skaarj Scouts. At least give us the Assassins, as they fit more in tactical ambushes.

Inside the vent shafts you hear also some Pupae sounds. Would have been cool if the Pupae would have been introduced here instead of the Sunspire.
You finally get the RazorJack here, which is rather overpowered against the Skaarj if you learn how to use it in the right way. 2much Headshots!

I find this map only enjoyable for beating some Skaarj with the Eightball, otherwise it would have been as fail as ISV-Kran 3&2 (my least favourite map in the game). ISV-Deck 1 crushes these like nothing; probably, it was made after them, when Myscha had more experience at mapping in Unreal

[TheIronKnuckle]

lol, it's funny because i consider you quite the unreal fanboy, but then i look at how ruthlessly you can tear apart an unreal map and shake my head with laughter.

(Oh, don't take that post personally or anything BTW. I meant it in good spirits)

[UB_]

Criticizing is my way to go. I can't go on at saying that everything in Unreal is awesome.
Just like Hellscrag does with the Mothership

[Punisher]

This map me with 7B's version, I thought you started at where you usaully start in that version. But since 7B's version has you starting in a Newly constructed area of the ship, and since I havent played the game in a while and been playing 7B for like 3 weeks and no Unreal I'll be even more .

[Mister_Prophet]

This map me with 7B's version, I thought you started at where you usaully start in that version. But since 7B's version has you starting in a Newly constructed area of the ship, and since I havent played the game in a while and been playing 7B for like 3 weeks and no Unreal I'll be even more .

7B has you traverse the Kran decks in reverse, although Deck 4 is barely seen at the end of "Rogue". You basically walk through it.

We also retconned Unreal by introducing a fifth deck

[Punisher]

This map me with 7B's version, I thought you started at where you usaully start in that version. But since 7B's version has you starting in a Newly constructed area of the ship, and since I havent played the game in a while and been playing 7B for like 3 weeks and no Unreal I'll be even more .

7B has you traverse the Kran decks in reverse, although Deck 4 is barely seen at the end of "Rogue". You basically walk through it.

We also retconned Unreal by introducing a fifth deck

Oh yeah, your right. Even though in 7B you reverse most of P849's routes, you see unseen areas of those routes. Just like the First level you fight Pirates, unseen areas or newly constructed ones are seen.

[zbreaker]

For me it's always been just a chore to get through the ISV-KRAN levels and back to NaPali

[TheIronKnuckle]

For me it's always been just a chore to get through the ISV-KRAN levels and back to NaPali

well said sir! QFT!