Pandora Dawn

Nice map, I like the unique structures. Could you add a weapons list? and maybe an overview of the map from above? thanks

 

I love the amount of detail in the first picture. It really speaks well about your map. In the overview picture, I don't really like the ramp bridge. It is not that appealing to the eye. The rest of the map is great keep forging.

 

Review Hub :: Pandora Dawn

Pandora Dawn​

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It is fair to say that Pandora Dawn can provide any avid Halo player with an enjoyable competitive experience, as the creator clearly designed it for. The real treasure of Pandora Dawn's gameplay can only be achieved in Slayer gametypes. The gameplay is energetic and fast-paced, as the author has implemented a very clever design which exemplifies flow. The central tunnel which houses the energy sword partially obscures the view from each base forcing players to rely on close combat to earn points. This is one of the many features that sets Pandora Dawn aside from other quarry maps such as Asylum. For every advantage there is a hinderence, and the positioning of important features creates the illusion of a bigger map with many more choices available for players to make regarding the direction they will take on respawn.

During objective games the gameplay can seem bland and uninteresting. Scoring points is relatively easy, especially in Mult-flag or Neutral Bomb. The top floor of bases are seldom used because the path leading from flag to flag is more or less a straight line. Furthermore, players tend to stick to cover underneath the bridge and because of this many players gain a habit of rushing the bottom center of the map on respawn, creating scrappy battles that leave key control points such as the plasma turret untouched.

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Pandora Dawn's relationship between map design and weapon spawn is well utilized. The creator has made intelligent decisions regarding which weapons should be used and where they should be placed. An example of this would be the energy sword spawn. Players must walk through the medium length tunnel to earn the weapon and a central raised platform provides a clear view down the entire tunnel. The choice of the energy sword as a weapon is also well made. As a powerful close range weapon it shifts dominance to the ground floor which compliments the design of the map perfectly. This is further reinforced with the Shotgun which serves as a powerful tool of defense in objective gametypes.

The author has evaded the common mistake of placing the rocket launcher in a heightened position, however the weapon can become overpowering if carried to the elevated plasma turret spawn. On the other hand, this is balanced well with the rocket launcher spawn being in a crevice and thus, extremely susceptible to grenades.

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Pandora Dawn's durability can be split into several minor problems. However first off it should be noted that Pandora Dawn has no frame-rate issues whatsoever. Problem number one is that the map is physically escapable. If one were to simply jetpack over the sloping back wall of the Red Team's Base and walk backward, you can find yourself completely safe from any kill barriers and out of harms way from anyone in the game. The other issues are more subtle. For example spawn traps can very easily be set up as the areas next to each base provide very little cover. A crafty player wielding the Rocket launcher could very easily wipe out an entire team by exploiting this openness.

Furthermore, there are areas that can be exploited to gain a hefty advantage over the opposing team. One of which is the central tunnel. If a player manages to jump on top of this, which is not difficult, said player can gain dominance over more or less the entire ground floor of the map and the tops of both bases. The creator has ineffectively tried to combat this using cover pieces to partially obstruct view whilst on top. Other examples are the circular inclines phased against the back wall of the map. Players can gain access to the top of these via the jetpack and obtain a spectacular view of the map.

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The author has done a good job creating a consistent aesthetic scheme for the map. Every object placed has clearly been placed extreme attention to detail. The same objects make appearances in different parts of the map, generating a unique theme. The bases themselves, despite taking inspiration from maps such as Coagulation or Beaver Creek, have their own artistic features that are reflections of the author's inner creative side.

On the other hand, the central bridge is not up to the aesthetic standard of the rest of the map and almost looks like a giant ugly cuboid annoyingly obstructing view from the top of each base. However it is obvious the creator saw this as a necessity in maintaining the flow which provides the spark in Pandora Dawn's gameplay.

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Pandora Dawn provides an original layout and an enjoyable experience in a competitive game. The methods used by the author to create balance and flow are original. The creator has used clever line of sight blockers to make situations where height is no advantage. This combination of layout and weapon choice creates an overall enjoyable experience for the average gamer.

However it could be argued that Pandora Dawn is just another competitive map. Many players may find the map bland and it's objective gameplay stunted by bad objective placement and the general ease of point scoring. However the author has achieved a map that many will surely enjoy playing and deserves merit for his achievement.

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FINAL SCORES

Rating Multipliers

Enjoyment: 7 x 3.0 = 21 out of 30
Balance: 8 x 3.0 = 24 out of 30
Durability: 4 x 1.5 = 6 out of 15
Aesthetics: 6 x 1.5 = 9 out of 15
Originality: 6 x 1.0 = 6 out of 10

TOTAL = 66/100

FINAL SCORE


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This map is worth a dl. I checked the improved version, and it's definitely better than a 6.6 out of 10. I haven't played a game on it yet, but I can tell flow would work much better with the front entrance blocked. Players can easily make it on top of the base and drop down the hole. Considering the other two entries are small doorways, I would imagine the top of the base would have more action.

Note: Players can sprint jump from top base to bridge, and then on to the top of enemy base. Movement and flow on this map looks exceptional. Crysis, have you tried playing speedflag on this map yet? If I ever get a chance to play your map in customs, I recommend playing speedflag. I have a feeling it would be loads of fun.

 

Yeah, I should have made that clear. I was referring to objectives like CTF flow having much improvement with the front entrance blocked. I just think you deserved more points for durability, because those small things that were mentioned could easily be fixed. If there was an issue that required major redesigning of the map, maybe you would have deserved a 4 for durability, but that's not the case.

 

The reason he got a 4 for durability was simple. His map was escapable. Any map posted here that is possible to escape from deserves a maximum of 5/10 in my book. The other issues were minor however he has fixed it now so he would receive better scores it would be reviewed again (probably won't because we have a lot of maps to get through and reviews take time and effort to write).

"Major redesigning" would probably be 1-2/10
8-10/10 would be almost zero bad spawns perfect balance of weapons and certainly no areas that could be exploited.