Of Legions v1.3

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[FONT=&quot]Of Legions[/FONT]

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Of Legions is a free roam infection map set within the small confines of the caves of Forgeworld. The asymmetric structure contains a great deal of rooms, walkways, and even trick jumps. Though despite the compelling design, gameplay can quickly become monotonous with a large enough group of survivors.

The slow gameplay present in Of Legions can be most directly attributed to the lack of movement from the survivors. Humans spawn in front of a ramp, and following the natural tendency of players to seek higher ground, tend to make their way up the incline which subsequently leads to a lengthy bridge. More often than not, this is where the movement ceases. This area provides a reasonable view of about half the map and only has two entrances. Granted, a zombie can jump to this area from a nearby walkway, but the attempt can be easily halted by an observant survivor checking their motion tracker. That is not the only downside to the use of default infection; the absence of a custom gametype provides a spectrum of armor abilities for the humans to choose from. This exacerbates the issue of camping on the aforementioned bridge. Any zombie lucky enough to draw close can be denied of the kill by a human quick enough to activate armor lock. Provided that there is a reasonably sized group, the other humans will quickly gun down the infected as soon as the sword meets the armor-locking survivor.

However, that is not to say that the map is completely lacking in the enjoyment department. Should a human decide to stray from the safety of the bridge, they will find themselves in a completely new environment – An environment where camping is an exceedingly ineffective. It isn’t uncommon for a human to see the glow of a zombie’s sword before the creature itself. Though this is no blessing; the map’s design of tight corners and height variation means that noting the eerie light will give the human no advantage. More accurately, it can be seen as a precursor to death as opposed to an affirmation of survival.

There is also a certain satisfaction in the infecting of a human. Although, the root of this satisfaction is directly related to the difficulty that is typically present in killing a survivor. A zombie that is stopped short four times in a row will undoubtedly be content with finally killing something on the fifth attempt.

Once about half of the initial human population is infected, the game becomes much more entertaining. No longer are the survivors on the lookout for a single zombie, but instead for a multitude of potential threats. At this point the bulk of the proceedings will ultimately favor the more talented group.

In short, the lack of movement is what ultimately leads to the tedious and repetitive gameplay. Many maps offersuperior weapons in far off locations to encourage movement among survivors; Since Of Legions has no weaponry placed, it typically results in humans camping in the safest place possible until a zombie gets lucky enough to finally kill a human. Alternatively, a human may become uninterested from the camping, or perhaps they may wish to explore the map, and increase their chances of death by deviating from the bridge. Once another head is added to the zombie count, entertainment increases substantially. However, the entertainment of a game should not have to rely on such sporadic incidents.

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The replayability of an infection map is directly correlated to the balance between the combating species. A map plagued by camping and spawn-killing is not likely to be played often. While Of Legions does suffer from both of these issues, it is not an omnipresent problem.

As mentioned earlier, the only reasonable spot to camp on the map is the center bridge. This area is highly exploited in every game, and due to its vantage point, the bridge can be used for spawn-killing the infected. While the humans are on the bridge, the infected will primarily spawn in two areas: near the human spawn and near the opposite end of the map. Due to the fact that this bridge runs from the human spawn to the opposite end of the map, spawn-killing can happen on occasion. Since the humans are given a headshot capable weapon as a sidearm, the magnum, and infected are instantly killed by a headshot, this is a simple possibility to take advantage of. This exploitative location gives rise to the interminable cycle that begins with humans killing the lone zombie innumerable times, and concludes with lethargic zombies overrunning the lone human. However, there are ways to combat this issue. The solutions may require a great deal of time and effort, but they are present, meaning the issue is not a game-breaking feature.



Since it is default infection, humans are given shotguns and magnums while infected are given swords and evade. At medium range, a single infected and lone human are on an even playing field. However, with the human tendency to group up, this occurrence is incredibly rare, meaning that the balance is heavily tilted in the humans favor. Several humans camping on a relatively long walkway with armor lock, shotguns, and magnums is more than enough to combat a zombie or two.

The humans’ armor lock may well be the largest grievance for infected players. A zombie who believes that a kill is a sure thing can become easily frustrated by a survivor who uses this armor ability. The evade armor ability is hardly a condolence due to the fact that the player will often roll past or over the enemy due to the maps design.

As the round wears on, a human will inevitably fall. Typically this is the result of a human leaving the area, though occasionally a zombie’s prowess will elicit this result. With each new infected, the gameplay becomes more and more balanced, eventually reaching the sweet spot with half of the players on each side. At this point, the infected can ambush the humans and use the trick jumps. The humans are forced to communicate and use teamwork to survive. Once the balance is even, Of Legions is the perfect embodiment of the ideal infection experience.

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Of Legions is a completely enclosed map, making it inescapable. In addition, there is no location in Of Legions with a high enough vantage point to allow a player to see the entire map. This is absolutely vital to the map, as it insures that the infected will typically have a safe spot to spawn. On the rare occasion, as mentioned before, the infected will be spawn-killed. Hoowever this is relatively unpredictable, meaning that there is no guarantee of an instant kill for the humans.

Quite a few maps rely on the use of kill barriers or unnatural looking architecture to keep players away from certain locations, and this usually interrupts gameplay or causes a hassle for players. Of Legions is a map completely devoid of kill volumes, and therefore the players’ attention is focused more towards the game at hand than to avoiding areas.

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Of Legions capitalizes on its treacherous, ominous atmosphere. The lighting within the map is nothing short of spectacular. The naturally dark effect of the cave in conjunction with a couple of well placed lights makes the player feel as if they were just thrown deep within the depths of hell. Of Legions is far more successful than most maps in emphasizing the feel of a zombie apocalypse.

Even the maps architecture contributes to despondent ambiance. However, some of the choices used to give off the air of destruction instead look like sloppy forging. As a result of a lack of observation, or perhaps even carelessness, some of the construction simply does not add up. The most palpable example would be the broken railing along the ramp in front of the human spawn. The piece that has been broken off is at least one and a half times the size of the space allotted by the break. In addition, the window view of Forgeworld detracts from the heavy feeling of the rest of the map and does not mesh well.

Another minor fault is the lack of spawn cameras. The first round will always have a camera that shows off the wonderful look of the map, however each subsequent round will display a random portion of Forgeworld.

Part of the genius of this map is the dual purpose of some of the aesthetic pieces. A fallen rock piece may also serve as a ramp up to a certain platform, or a collapsing column may serve to break line of sight. The ability to utilize objects in this manner shows a great knowledge of map design, both in the aesthetic sense and the gameplay sense.

All and all, Of Legions is a creation that excels from its aesthetic aptitude. Despite some minor imperfections, the map looks absolutely stunning. And when it comes right down to it, how a map looks is exactly what gets it recognized.

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Many infection maps try to stress a dismal atmosphere, but few revolve the entire design around this aspect. Of Legions is successful beyond all measure in accentuating the sentiment of despair. Everything from the asymmetrical layout to the lighting truly draw the player in to the game.

The only factor that withholds the map from a perfect score in the originality section is the lack of a custom gametype. While it is not necessary to have this in a successful map, not including one means that games play similar to any other infection experience.

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Rating Multipliers

[floatleft]Enjoyment:
Balance:
Durability:
Aesthetic :
Originality:[/floatleft]5 x 3.0 = 15 out of 30
6 x 3.0 = 18 out of 30
7 x 1.5 = 10.5 out of 15
9 x 1.5 = 13.5 out of 15
9 x 1.0 = 9 out of 10

This map could be improved if there was another path up to that walkway. A custom gametype could probably help combat some balance issues as well.

Final Score



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Wow a very beautiful map and one crazy enviorment. To be honest made me think dead space while i was checking it out. Can't wait to get some people to play it. Epic design and killer ideas for even play. out of 10 i give it a 11 because you went well above a basic infection map.

 

A+ on the lighting, gives a great feel/atmosphere when your'e shooting the hell out of zombies. Anyways, it has great gameplay, since there aren't to many cheesy camping spots. Good job on the rock formations, too... and the cells.

 

I've been meaning to leave a comment on this for ages, and finally getting around to it.

I love the atmosphere you've set up on the map. It's really something that gets commonly overlooked, but can have a massive impact on immersion and the perception of how it plays. I'll repeat myself because I'm so impressed: you executed the environment wonderfully.

This actually inspired me to make an atmospheric Infection map in an apartment complex. I'll mention your name when I release it.

Great work, really.

 

Just did a feature for the map, Great map LD

"Of Legions" [HD] - Halo Reach Forge Maps (THFE) - (Ep.45) - YouTube

 

Congrats. On your success with of legions. I liked the changes you made to 1.3. Wasn't quite sure how to own **** on it for a while. I played it in a bioc lobby. It looked a bit dark at the start, but im definitely down. I'll probably be adding it to my playlist for round 3 in my hosting lobby.

 

absolutely love this map. one thing tho...

Originally Posted by CHUCK
if i was a triceratops id fight LD for mating privileges, to put it one way

WT?
this map has a genius layout too.
i really like the risk/reward for the leap of faith in pic 11?12?10? i cant count. its too sexy

 

Link To Map

 

UPDATED:2020

link of the map