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DM-1on1-Tregeagle (UT)
MapAuthor: L.J.Paranoid
Date Reviewed: 16 October 2003
Reviewer: Thunderstrike



The Insite team has previously had the pleasure of reviewing several of L.J. Paranoid’s maps. To be precise, Homeslice has had the pleasure, although the rest of the team have made comment on them… at least those with UT still installed! When this latest submission from L.J. dropped into our in box, Homeslice was banned from reviewing it! Fortunately, I was available to lend my considerable *ahem* reviewing experience, and thus I leapt into action, resolute in my purpose and furious in my ambition. So, here we are several weeks later and I’m finally done! Still, that’s not L.J.’s fault. How does this level stack up against his previous efforts?

Granted, it’s only the second map of his that I’ve seen use them, however large, ornate beams seem to be starting to feature in L.J.’s work. Perhaps it was more due to the ancient type themes running through Tregeagle and Tiamat, which suited the large arch structures. In any case, no prizes for guessing after that little diatribe, this map has some nice large arches featuring prominently. The level features a long courtyard area, a few curved and lurching corridors and an internal, open atrium style room. Both the courtyard and atrium feature plenty of z-axis, while the corridors are wonderfully winding enabling good use of the flak cannon should you need to beat a hasty retreat to regroup. There is a large pool section on the floor of the atrium, which gives away a player’s location, and although this feature is used heavily in 1-on-1 levels it is well implemented here. There is also a small room under one of the walkways in the courtyard area, accessed through some missing boards, which was a nice touch, and this room houses the flak cannon and a corridor exit which leads into the lower floor of the atrium. There are also some open windows on the inside wall of the courtyard which give attentive players the opportunity to attempt takedowns from inside and out. A small feature inside the atrium is a blood waterfall. This is something that Homeslice loved, apparently, and whilst it is certainly well done, it seemed a little thematically inconsistent. If this were more of a gothic level and/or there were other sections that featured blood in some form or another then it would be less of an issue for me. I’m presuming that it is an attempt to give a sense that there is more to the level than the area you occupy, making players wonder where that blood is coming from, much like little vistas through windows which you cannot access, but hint at more. On the other hand L.J. might just have thought that it looked cool! Overall I found the architecture nicely detailed, replete with good use of trim so there are no nasty bare edges.

The ancient theme is maintained courtesy of both the architecture and some custom textures. These textures seem to be doing the rounds at the moment, having been present in L.J.’s collaboration with Homeslice and KaMi’s LastCrusader and LastCrusader][. As I mentioned in my review of LastCrusader, these textures are actually from Wheel Of Time, and have been used in several great levels including DM-Baal by El chicoverde, DM-1on1-Burnination by Fastbak (which I only discovered after reading KaMi’s text file, and man I was glad I did! and what is still one of my all-time favourite UT DM maps, DM-Synergy by Faceless. As you can see, Tregeagle is in good company, and fits in well with these other great levels. Of course, great textures and architecture go only so far in creating atmosphere and making the level something special. All the hard work put in here can be undone with flat or overzealous lighting. Fortunately L.J. knows his lighting! With those massive overhead beams, you just have to have some lovely shadows cast by them, and this is delivered. The level is set at night, so a bright moonlight casts the shadows. This was an excellent choice as the custom textures really just soak up that blue colour. Having said that, the level also features blue-white lights from recessed lanterns and yellow-orange lights from recessed lanterns and torches. This last point is something that I’m never really keen on. The lanterns to me indicate some source of power, as their recessed nature prohibits them from being lit by torchlight, and furthermore the colour itself (the blue-white) negates the possible use of flames for illumination. If, then, the level features such an abundance of powered lanterns, why are there still some naked torches in use for illumination? The preponderance of the lanterns indicates to me that the architecture incorporated these lanterns when the place was built. If such technology were available at the time of construction, why would torches also be used for illumination? This is my long-winded way of saying that I found the torches to be thematically inconsistent. Yes, they look cool, and had there been a lot more torchlight and less lanterns the lanterns themselves may have taken on the appearance of a retrofit. Unfortunately there are just too many lanterns for this to be the case. It’s a theme thing. There are also a few of those red light lanterns that people seem to feel the need to place in UT levels. This was a trademark of DavidM back in the day, however other level designers seeking to emulate him began using his signature, and now we see this ubiquitous use of it, no doubt with many of the level designers who haven’t been around long enough to remember, unaware of it’s significance. I don’t find the use of it attractive or purposeful, so stop it, all of you! Other than those few gripes the lighting was well executed with some nice variations in colour without appearing gaudy, good use of contrast with shadows, appealing coronas and sufficient illumination to find your way. On this last point, there is one shadow from an overhead beam in the courtyard that happens to fall on a collapsed beam that can be used to cross from one upper section to the other. This means that players and bots become almost invisible when on this beam and I found it very hard to hit a target when they were there. It’s a small thing, it depends on the angle of view and the player’s skilled use of the said shadow, but the issue exists. Some people might really like that aspect. I found it a little frustrating, but only a little.

Weapon and item placement was quite good, although I can envisage some people not being enamoured of it. Weapons rarely have their ammo next to them, but as a rule it is generally nearby which encourages movement through the map without leaving you short. Both the shield belt and body armour are up high, although the shield belt requires far more finesse to acquire. I found the ASMD rifle quite effective, particularly the combo against bots who like to wait patiently for you around a corner! The rocket launcher with it’s lock-on worked well in the courtyard area at a distance, and as ever the trusty flak in the hands of an expert (ie. me! proved lethal at short and long range. The bots also seem to favour the flak, with a liberal dose of ASMD and plasma rifle. Bots run the map well and grab the goodies, although they do seem more reluctant to travel the upper walkway in the courtyard where the body armour resides. They were a little predictable, but then in a duel situation I always find you need to increase the skill level by one or two notches for a tighter match. Still the bots aren’t shabby, however most people will enjoy duelling against an unscrupulous human opponent to really keep them on their toes. Sounds aren’t very abundant, but they are where there should be and the level features a few triggered sounds, which also aid in target acquisition. A moody custom music track from Operation Na Pali rounds out the soundscape.

This level may not be the greatest level ever made. Let’s face it, it has stiff competition and there is always someone with a different opinion! However, this level is of a very high quality and sits justifiably among those other great levels I mentioned which use similar themes and it clearly deserves a permanent place on your hard drive. Very nice architecture, good use of textures, great lighting and plenty of game play to boot, despite the author’s opinion of the level’s game play potential in the text file.

The most extensive online collection of L.J.'s maps can be found at NaliCity by clicking here.

Bottom Line: More than worth the download, this map is a keeper, plain and simple!

Score: 7.5
Average User Score: 7.5 (3 scores)