Author: DatCrazyFoo !!

Release Date: unknown

Reviewed by: grimm [502]

Review Date: April 7th 1998

FTP: DCF3.ZIP (852k) take a look at the docs DCF3.TXT

Architectural Originality Interior Architectural detail Proper use of textures Light & Ambience	5/5 4/5 3/5 5/5
Speed & Efficiency Documentation (.txt)	4/5 4/5
Respawn position & construction Item quantity and positions Gameflow & Class Specifics My own 2 cents	3/5 4/5 4/5 4/5

TOTAL: 40/50 Very Good.

Notes: DatCrazyFoo is a fitting alias for this author. The amount of work he has dished out to create interesting architecture in this map is insane. I stood in front of those pillars in the neutral zone between both forts and just stared at them. I couldn't tell if the textures or the brushed were giving that very smooth effect. I couldn't help but feel the architecture in my own first creation is so simplistic and un-original in comparison to this one. This level immediately made me think of a barren wasteland and huge military or space installation.

The author had first contacted me, to ask if he could use one of the textures I had created for my map, to which I gladly agreed. I then asked him to keep me informed on the status of his project, considering I'm always interested in seeing some new work. He had made sure to warn me that his map had a really large number for r_speeds. From the screenshots he had sent me, I believed it. But Lo and Behold.. when running through it on my less than performant video card I got no r_speeds value exceeding 495. This being the value I got while standing in a corner of the main flag capture hall, with it's complex ceiling and view into the lower floor. I am not sure if the author had calculated his r_speeds with the proper value, I mean there are three values given in the r_speeds display, the important one I believe is the smallest of values, the one on the far right.

The documentation for this map could be worked on just a tad though. I mean it's obvious the author put a great deal of thought into it, but he forgot two things I immediately noticed: release date and instructions on directories for the .wav files. When I don't find instructions I send the files by default into the main sound directory, but these didn't work there.

I was contacted by the author, almost immediately after the release of this review, and due to my own mistake, I had not seen the line which states:

**** USE FOLDER NAMES AND EXTRACT INTO YOUR QUAKE FOLDER ****

Therefore I fixed the a few scores, which with the custom sound effects provided with this map, affected the light&ambient score! Although there should be more descriptive directory information for the wav files for those old fashion people like me, who don't use winzip, but it's dos original!

While I'm pointing out the things I didn't like, I think the map name should reflect it's full name. I mean the filename is dcf3.bsp, the text file name is dcf.txt and the map name is The Fallout War. Now there is no real rules for this sort of thing, but I do follow my own sort of un-official rule on the matter. I think it would be less confusing to just have the bsp name reflect the actual map name, and the t-file name reflect the bsp name.

The textures in this map are very dreary and monotone, but that is the whole point isn't it! Reminds me a great deal of BAM4 in that aspect, although Midori is the ultimate in crazy little map makers, and made sure to break the monotony of the textures with some variety.

But the textures in this map are still very appropriate, while the lighting was used to add a great deal of effect to the rooms. I didn't notice any ambient sounds as I was running through it, but I did notice some strobing and various dynamic lighting effects. Nice touch.

The respawn rooms in this map are placed in useful places. The large scale of this map will really be a drag for the slower classes, and I foresee a great deal of bitching on the part of these when it comes to LPB scouts doing a little NASCAR in there. The respawn room design is definitely inspired by the 2fort5 style respawn, which is a great idea. But in a map that gives you the impression of being a great deal larger (the height of the ceilings, size of the rooms and ramps) I think the author could have made the respawns a touch larger. I think he made a good descision in putting only 2 packs in the respawn, even though there may be some waiting, but any more than that, and the point of limiting the gren's to 1 of each becomes futile if one player can juice four packs at a time if the respawn is empty. The wind tunnel instead of solid door to the inner respawn is a great innovation on the original idea, this way you can see into both rooms while still stopping players or grenades from the inner sanctum.

There are a few things I would have enjoyed seeing in this map, such as in the water filled area, i couldn't help but notice the supports up top seemed to have enough space for a player. Now if only a sniper could get up there! <HINT>. All in all, this map maker has done his homework and created a really great map!

-grimm [502]

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