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Showing posts with the label TruckStopSantaClaus

Barnacle Course - Dunkelschwamm

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       I don't see a lot of maps really use the barnacle to it's full potential, so I was very excited when I saw this map. Then I read the map description, it is abandoned because the author didn't think it was fun, oh well. SCMapDB page Author: TruckStopSantaClaus Date of final release: 2020 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barnacle Course (originally posted on SCMapDB) by dunkelschwamm | September 17, 2022 | 2768 characters      Barnacle Course is an unfinished obstacle course map based around the Barnacle. It was supposedly unfinished because the author did not believe the concept was proving to be fun.      The map is themed like the Half-Life Black Mesa Hazard Course, but with a bit more flare with their use of burning lava in their barnacle test course. Along there way there's some fleshy growths with sideways xen grass which is a lot of fun. None of it really adds up to a good feeling whole, but everything is fine as individual s...

Barnacle Course - GrandmasterJ

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      I don't see a lot of maps really use the barnacle to it's full potential, so I was very excited when I saw this map. Then I read the map description, it is abandoned because the author didn't think it was fun, oh well. SCMapDB page Author: TruckStopSantaClaus Date of final release: 2020 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Barnacle Course (originally posted on SCMapDB) by GrandmasterJ | September 17, 2022 | 2818 characters      This map was abandoned due to the author not thinking it was very fun. That is not a very promising sign and after playing the map I have to agree.      The whole map is set up around the barnacle, pretty obvious from the name of the map. The map is pretty standard wide Black Mesa hallways with barnacle grapple points, the first 'puzzles' of the map are just barnacling to platforms in lava down a hallway. The most difficult parts are the vertical sections because if you barnacle straight up then chances are you will ...

Arctic Mission - Dunkelschwamm

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       Arctic Mission is a fun little romp through things that can vaguely be described as 'Arctic'. It is short and sweet with fun combat in interesting locations. SCMapDB page Author: TruckStopSantaClaus Date of final release: 2019 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Arctic Mission (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | June 5, 2022 | 4478 characters      Arctic Mission is a map by TruckStopSantaClaus. It's action-centric, with players marching gun muzzles forward through aliens and soldiers, room after room. It covers a few different environments throughout, but a lot of it gives military complex vibes after an initial outdoor area with lots of snowy evergreen and some cavernous bits.      All of this is done with some moody lighting which I think creates a pleasing atmosphere, and also plays up an interesting theme I see throughout: you begin outdoors at a normal residential home which is bright and pleasing within, the...

Arctic Mission - GrandmasterJ

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      Arctic Mission is a fun little romp through things that can vaguely be described as 'Arctic'. It is short and sweet with fun combat in interesting locations. SCMapDB page Author: TruckStopSantaClaus Date of final release: 2019 Maps in package: 1 Map review of Arctic Mission (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | June 5, 2022 | 4278 characters      I feel like if there wasn't already two maps called Arctic Escape then this map would also be called Arctic Escape. The map starts off with players around a campfire (that does hurt if you stand on it) and the story is that we have to escape this terrible place and go home. Unlike the other Arctic Maps this doesn't take place in some remote research outpost in the middle of nowhere, there are some nice looking houses in an environment I would call alpine if it had more trees.      The map definitely has that blocky goldsrc charm to it. The map is divided up into the first half ...

High Rise - Dunkelschwamm

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      High Rise is a map that takes place in a high rise of all places. Both aliens and humans (terrorists going off the map description) have invaded the tower and it is up to you to clear them out. SCMapDB page Author: TruckStopSantaClaus Date of final release: 2020 Maps in package: 1 Map review of High Rise (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by dunkelschwamm | November 28, 2021 | 1499 characters      There's not much I have to say about high-rise because, to be completely honest, I feel like I forgot most of the map shortly after playing it. There are some neat bits of brushwork here and there, especially a stationery fighter jet at the beginning of the map. I felt the map had odd invisible wall placement that made movement that seemed intuitive impossible. For the most part it felt painfully vanilla.      One aspect that I appreciated about this map was that there were moving spawn points to keep respawning players close to the action. ...

High Rise - GrandmasterJ

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    High Rise is a map that takes place in a high rise of all places. Both aliens and humans (terrorists going off the map description) have invaded the tower and it is up to you to clear them out. SCMapDB page Author: TruckStopSantaClaus Date of final release: 2020 Maps in package: 1 Map review of High Rise (originally posted on SCMapDB)  by GrandmasterJ | November 28, 2021 | 814 characters      This is a fairly fun straightforward map. I don't really have a lot to say about it, nothing stands out as particularly good and I don't remember anything bringing down my experience of the map. It's a very average map.      New weapons are in good locations, there is ammo scattered around, and the spawn updates as you progress. These are very nice quality of life inclusions that keep the map feeling fun.      If you like straightforward maps where you kill a lot of things there are worse maps you could be playing. Pros: Solid straight...