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Showing posts with the label Mad Jonesy

Apache Battle 3 - Dunkelschwamm

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       Apache Battle 3 is the third and final part (remake?) or the Apache Battle series. This version boasts a canyon, multi-story spawn area, and a turret that is actually useful. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 1999 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Apache Battle 3 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 24, 2022 | 3067 characters      Apache Battle 3 is the third in an unnecessarily long line of maps which repeatedly ask the question: is fighting a seemingly neverending onslaught of apaches with clunky mounted turrets while woefully underequipped fun? I say unnecessarily long line because it seems each map comes to the same answer: eh, not particularly.      Like the previous maps, Apache Battle starts with the players in a base where they can grant themselves some limited equipment and stock up on HEV before facing the apache hell which awaits outside. This map has the most interesting take on the spawn base, though, as instead of being a real

Apache Battle 3 - GrandmasterJ

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      Apache Battle 3 is the third and final part (remake?) or the Apache Battle series. This version boasts a canyon, multi-story spawn area, and a turret that is actually useful. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 1999 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Apache Battle 3 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 24, 2022 | 2349 characters      The Apache Battle maps are the same concept, killing respawning apache helicopters in an arena. The arena is somewhat similar between maps with this version having the most complex arena. There is a chasm in the middle, a narrow intact bridge and a broken wide bridge are the only ways across. On the other side is a platform with a missile turret on it, this is almost mandatory to have any chance against the apache.      The spawn area has been expanded but still has pretty much the same supplies as the first two maps, grenades, shotguns and shells, and HEV. The HEV is immensely useful but the shotgun is no help agai

Apache Battle 2 - Dunkelschwamm

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      Apache Battle 2 is a slightly improved version of Apache Battle. The arena has been revamped, there are weapons now that still aren't very useful, and the helicopters don't respawn forever. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Apache Battle 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 23, 2022 | 1688 characters      Apache Battle 2 is like Apache Battle 1, but with a few seemingly minor changes that make a lot of difference.      The map revolves around battling apaches using meager ammo, prompting mad sprints across a mostly coverless battlefield to a huge mounted gun to target the apaches. All the while, grunts harass with grenades and superior firepower.      This differs from the previous map by giving the player grenades, shotguns, a teleporter to a useless ridge that they must jump off of, and better HEV chargers than last time. This buys it some points, but I think the HEV is largely wasted on the

Apache Battle 2 - GrandmasterJ

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      Apache Battle 2 is a slightly improved version of Apache Battle. The arena has been revamped, there are weapons now that still aren't very useful, and the helicopters don't respawn forever. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 2000 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Apache Battle 2 (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 23, 2022 | 2446 characters      I played Apache Battle right before playing this one and I thought it was terrible. The sequel was an official map way back in the Sven Co-op 1.3 release so I thought it would be much improved. Instead, it has only marginally improved.      My major complaint about the first map is the lack of weapons to deal with the threats, this is a trend that continues in the officially released sequel. There are grenades in the spawn area, a shotgun on the roof and in full view of the eponymous Apache, and some HEV chargers on the wall in addition to the HEV batteries. There is one box of shotgun shells

Apache Battle - Dunkelschwamm

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       Apache Battle is an arena map where players are expected to take down an Apache Helicopter. There is nothing else to the map, take down the helicopter and another appears, forever. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 1999 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Apache Battle (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 23, 2022 | 1978 characters      Apache Battle is one of those earliest maps that remind you that there was a point in time where every aspect of Half-Life was extremely novel. Players spawn in a room which gives basic equipment. If there's meant to be some extra weaponry given, it no longer is. The player gets a pistol clip and is jutted into the a world of respawning grunts and apaches. The goal seems to be to run across the battlefield using sheer numbers and the trickle-fed HEV batteries to survive gunfire from the apaches to reach a large mounted gun which is then used by the players to engage the apaches in a game of attrition. Whom

Apache Battle - GrandmasterJ

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      Apache Battle is an arena map where players are expected to take down an Apache Helicopter.  There is nothing else to the map, take down the helicopter and another appears, forever. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 1999 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Apache Battle (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 23, 2022 | 1798 characters      This map is an arena map where players fight Apache helicopters. This is not an uncommon idea but this particular execution felt incredibly lacking. I don't know if there is a missing .cfg file or if the original mapper intended for the players to only have the pistol to defend ourselves, but it sucked.      The map layout is simple, players start in a room with enough HEV batteries to fill up one player, good luck to everybody else. There are some unbreakable boxes in a corner and a ladder up to the roof and an even higher point with nothing on it and no cover. Two doors on buttons lead outside. Outside is

Dock Battle - Dunkelschwamm

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       Dock Battle is a very early map with a very common gameplay type of the era, neverending swarms of enemies. Unlike similar maps this one does not have a safe place for players to spawn. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 1999 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Dock Battle (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | April 16, 2022 | 3363 characters      Dock Battle is a horde style map that is shaped like two boats and a dock, and features an unmanned mounted gun that constantly fires on players. I had wondered if I need to go up and confront it, and felt this suspicion confirmed with the discovery of a gauss gun. The gauss gun jump is disabled, however, so our plan fell short. Indeed, this is a map about being shot by never-ending enemies.      The map, as mentioned previously, is shaped like two boats and a dock, which was likely very novel in 1999 when this map came out. Honestly, even in the year 2022, the concept of battling on multiple boats feels ho

Dock Battle - GrandmasterJ

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      Dock Battle is a very early map with a very common gameplay type of the era, neverending swarms of enemies. Unlike similar maps this one does not have a safe place for players to spawn. SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 1999 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Dock Battle (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | April 16, 2022 | 4601 characters      Dock Battle is a map with a simple blocky dock jam packed full of enemies. Both humans and aliens constantly respawn all over the place fighting each other but also not forgetting to attack the players as well. When the map first started I was standing in full view of an mounted gun which started shredding me with the motd still up. The map description says something like the map could be played with your eyes closed, when the gameplay is neverending chaos and combat then yeah I guess you can totally play with your eyes closed.      The map doesn't start off well, getting immediately attacked before you c

Garg Football - Dunkelschwamm

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       There really isn't much of anything for players to do but watch baby gargs play football. They do play it, they play slow and stupid, but they are still actually playing the game, its amazing! SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 2003 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Garg Football (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | March 5, 2022 | 2006 characters      Garg Football is a map that asks not what a good Half-Life or Sven Co-op level could be, but what MORE could be done with the mechanics and tools provided by these devkits? The answer is obvious: gambling on big beefy aliens playing footie.      Two gargs bat around a "ball" with their tremendous feets and two goalies attempt to also kick the "ball" and their positioning via clever clipping makes their kicks look aimed and intentional. Whenever the ball passes through the goal post a scoreboard is updated to reflect the point.      If I recall correctly (and I probably don

Garg Football - GrandmasterJ

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      There really isn't much of anything for players to do but watch baby gargs play football. They do play it, they play slow and stupid, but they are still actually playing the game, its amazing! SCMapDB page Author: Mad Jonesy Date of final release: 2003 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Garg Football (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | March 5, 2022 | 2316 characters      Garg football is a fun and charming game of football, the soccer kind of football, between two two-garg teams. It's amazing how well it works. It's definitely not perfect, but the gargs do try to kick the ball and more often than not, it goes towards the goal. The gargs do have a tendency to kick the ball as soon as they run up to it, usually towards their own goal and in one instance a garg in my server did score a goal for the opposing team, but they also have an equal chance of running past the ball and coming at it from the correct direction. The fact that it worked at all amazes me. T