HoloSphere

Description
Here is [b]HoloSphere[/b], a holomatch map from [b]LocutusOfBorg_[/b]. This is quite possibly one of the best holomatch maps I have ever seen, and certainly the most unique. Rather than the traditional Red Base / Blue Base set-up, the map is designed so that one team plays as Federation invaders, and the opposing team plays as Borg defenders. The setting is a Borg sphere that reminds me of EF2's initial SP mission. The object of the invading team is to reach the core of the Sphere which contains... you guessed it... a vinculum, and below it, a massive detpack. 'Using' this detpack sets off a thirty second countdown to the Sphere's destruction, and this is where it gets really interesting: when the countdown begins, the Borg Queen appears on massive holographic screens and she is not happy. The attacking team must retreat back to a shuttlecraft (that is waiting a safe distance away in space) before detonation. Finding some transport pattern enhancers in a Borg corridor and activating all three will beam you (and anyone inside the field) to the shuttle, where at the conclusion of the countdown, the Sphere will explode and you will be auto-piloted to safety. Pretty neat, huh? Of course, at any time during the mission, you can beam to this shuttle and take advantage of its powerups, or even co-ordinate your teammates from it's consoles.

The big surprise once you have destroyed the Borg Sphere? The enviroment around you fades into holodeck gridlines with a door you can step through to reach a bizare deck of a Federation starship, complete with crew cabin, cargo bay (with working transporters) and a relaxation space. Fancy playing the Borg mission again? Just walk back to the holodeck and wait for the program to reload. And again, as with the map's other sections, at a certain spot in a Borg wall, you can 'call' the arch and step into the corridor at any time during the mission to collect powerups (including an interesting use of the replicator in the cabin).

This entire HM experience smacks of SP, which is no bad thing in my opinion. It makes the whole thing a lot more interesting and it is obvious that a huge amount of effort has been put into this file (Look at the readme for more information on the features). The only problems with this map are some blocky mapping and lack of bot support, although I doubt the latter would be practical here.

I both endorse and recommend download of this file. Now.

Seriously.

~ Luke20 (The Tenth Doctor)