laborem habes facere

A large, convoluted map, with a central, raised hill surrounded by a lava moat, and lots and lots of side passages to play with. Tons of secrets... teleporters that take you to the hill (in a roundabout way), an invincibility, little things that'll keep you busy for a while. Beware: there's a switch that puts up barriers around the hill for over 30 seconds... the only way in is via teleporters (while the barriers are up), and the only way out is by dying. An ill-timed switch can really tip the balance in a KOTH game...

February 25, 1999

Brotherhood of Harmonious Fists 1.0

A tiny arena, nice to look at, deadly to be in. In the words of the author, "a real all-punching instant death trip." No weapons, no baddies (well, except for the occasional fighter), and it's set with the Rebellion flag... so you're down to minimal health when you start. Designed for 4+ players (remember, it's tiny!). If you're lucky, you'll be near the center when the rare 2x canister or alien weapon appears. (Then the death rates really go up.)

February 28, 1999

Gladiators 3 1.0

A huge circular arena, with several surrounding corridors. Elevators connect levels, and the odd jug or MOAH keep you busy if you're having trouble finding your friends in all this room. Lots of little alcoves to hide in and ambush folks from... but it's so big that if you pick too good a hiding place, you may never get the chance to actually ambush anyone. Plenty of ammo.

February 28, 1999

Bob Bites Back

An open shallow pool with several simple corridors around it. Hallway space is tight, so if you're out of ammo, you're dead. Carnage rates should be high, especially with aliens on...

Compass 1.0

A small circular arena, with a raised hill accessible only by 5D tunnels or spnkr-jumping. Weapons and ammo are plentiful, flow is quite nice, cover is even available. Don't worry, though... it's small enough that carnage will be quite high with anything over 3 players.

March 5, 1999

Racetrack

It doesn't get much simpler than this. A big figure-8 racetrack, with lots of baddies, and lots of stuff to kill 'em. (And your friends, of course.) All starting positions are in a row, so you could play this one as a real race... first one across the finish line wins. (Mario Andretti never had to worry about being shotgunned from behind...)

Lotus 1.1

A pretty complicated map, but easy to get around. It's set up sort of in the shape of a lotus flower (hence the name), with big weapons available only inside small guardpost-like rooms with forcefields on the door. Lots of secrets, with teleporters to get you quickly to the hill, entire secret areas, and little touches everywhere. Great for team KOTH.

March 7, 1999

Ode to a Rocket Launcher 1.0

A large, symmetrical map that penalizes you for moving around. Fastest way from one side to the other is via a pfhorslime pooter, but it can be worth it. Watch the crushing doors... and keep an eye out for the odd enforcer. Reminds me in places of a few M1 levels... but I think it's just a feeling, not anything concrete.

March 7, 1999

A Breakfast Cafe in Vienna, Austria v1.0

A huge, sprawling level, with just about every possible environment. No matter what sort of battlefield you normally prefer, you should be able to find it here...

April 3, 1999