Updraft Created by Dax Recommended Players: 2 Required Gametype: Smackdown We open the Forge Hub 1v1 Smackdown with a map many of you should be familiar with. Our winner of the Smackdown forge contest is Dax, with his map Updraft. Working tirelessly over the past few weeks, Dax has modified his original submission to further improve the pacing of the map and the gameplay in general. For players participating in the 1v1 Smackdown Tournament, you have one week to practice on Updraft until the start of the first round, on Monday 3rd September. Updraft, at its core, is an inverse symmetrical map. While it's often asymmetrical maps that are the focus in 1v1 matches, Updraft aims to prove why symmetrical maps definitely have their place as well. Designed like a corkscrew, Updraft's two sides spiral upward around two central, crossing pathways. To supplement this, two outer pathways always ascend and allow access to this inner corkscrew in multiple areas, allowing for many a time when players furiously jump and dodge to cut in front of the other and gain the higher ground. With a varied weapon selection, you have to remain attentive lest you be surprised by a grenade launcher, spiker rifle or at the very worst the Custom OS. Gameplay isn't all Updraft offers though, as a good map must also have a good atmosphere. Dax has done an excellent job creating a consistent color theme throughout the map, while also making use of exterior windows for player orientation. Updraft is a map where players have little time adjusting to the new space, but also don't lack for orientation cues or leave feeling bored. Updraft is a testament to what the community can achieve and we of the staff are very thankful for it. Congratulations Dax! Download Updraft Smackdown Rules Smackdown FAQ
Meh... It wasn't my favorite out of the five, but it will do. Looking forward to training on it though. I need a sparing buddy. Any volunteers? EDIT: Also, I thought the tourney maps weren't being auto-featured, or is this one the only one that will be because it's community made?
Featuring the maps is the best way to distribute and expose them while they will be coinciding with the round announcements. We were also extremely pleased by the quality of multiple of the community submissions and did not believe it would be fair to not feature deserving maps just because they were made for a tournament. Regular features will continue on Fridays throughout the tournament to retain variety.
@Paints: this is the round 1 map, there will be a map per round. This is not necessarily the only community map included, just the winner of the contest.
That's cool. Gratz to Dax.. BTW, the link in the post to Dax's profile is broken for me. Is it messed up for everyone?
I Lol'd... Anyway, Dax, this looks pretty great to be honest. I haven't really been following Smackdown, so I can't really say how it plays but I trust it'll be a great opening map just like Premise was for Throwdown. Congrats!
This is a feature? Bring back the mini games. At least those were well made. This map reminds me of that scene in the movie The Labyrinth. The one with David Bowie. Because everything looked the same, the girl couldn't find the doorway in the hall. This map is an eye sore of a similar manner.
Fair enough. I'm all for the tourney maps being featured if they should be featured. The problem with the last tournament though was that a couple maps with incredibly sub-par gameplay were featured but they were featured for the sake of the tournament. And I understand that featuring the map is a good way to distribute the map, but when Shad0w mentioned (or did he?) that tourney maps wouldn't be auto-featured I assumed that a new way to distribute the maps would be devised.
@Proximo Cause practically everyone else finds absolutely nothing wrong with the map. I played on it the other day and it was perfectly fine. Also, it's in the Smackdown tournament. It has nothing to do with minigames. That's why LD thought you were trolling. As for "why no Angst", Angst is broken by enhanced radar. It's supposed to be played with no radar.
I know I've already expressed my gratitude to some of the staff via joyful spinning and AR fire up to the sky, but I want to say thanks again to everyone in the community who helped and gave feedback to make this map what it is today. It's gone through some pretty big changes and I could not have done it without you guys. Having just joined the site a few months back, I never thought I'd get a feature with the talent a lot of these forgers have, so I'm very grateful
I still need to hear why Angst is broken by enhanced radar. It plays better without a radar, yes. But I have yet to hear from the mods how a map can play better using enhanced radar.