[OotR] Jedi Enclave

Description
"A new Jedi Enclave map?" Yeah. "Any ported textures?" Nope. "Do you think my pet Aardvark is cute?" Firstly, WTF?, and secondly, penguins are better. :)

Don't have [i]too[/i] high expectations of this map, it's still a beta and as such still needs some reworking and fixing. Okelydokely readerinos, with that little disclaimer aside, let's dive in.

I'll start by commenting on the architecture. In the way of layout, the map is very similar to KotOR (there are a few minor differences, and some things left out. The brushwork is overall very good, however there are problems here too. First, there are rips in many places which need patching up. Secondly, there was one place where I could see right through the map and down into the skybox; either the rooftop should be textured, or a clip layer inserted to prevent people from jumping high enough to see through the caulk. Third, there were quite a few small gaps between objects where there shouldn't be. Hovering plantpots, anyone?

The texturing, overall, fits well. I mean, that [i]is[/i] how the place was supposed to look. The textures themselves are kinda flat and cartoony, and by that I don't mean cel-shaded; while it still looks good, depth and shadowing on textures works WONDERS for creating a beautiful atmosphere. There was some z-fighting and sparklies, mostly near the Ebon Hawk, but on the whole texturing is fine and mostly error-free.

Lighting is almost exactly what you'd expect, and accurate to KotOR. It's bland, but the author can hardly be faulted for that thanks to the accuracy. While personally I think the Aurora Engine should be told to go... uh, do nasty things... when making recreations, it's sufficient. You can clearly tell where the author has used light entities - might want to try adjusting that, and maybe rely more on shader lights than entity lights.

Gameflow is heavily compromised thanks to the layout. Ways to circumvent this are plentiful without editing the layout, such as ventilation shafts, hidden passages, etc etc. Anything which improves circulation can only greatly improve the gameflow of a map - dead-ends are bad for gameplay, and even though this is probably intended as an RP map, it never hurts to appeal to a wider audience. Which is also why I deem the lack of powerups and items a negative. (Although oddly the Force Boon powerup (which really needs taking out of the game and replacing with something worthwhile) is placed in the map. This is the only time in my immediate memory where I've seen an author use this powerup.)

Overall, it's an excellent map for RPs, despite it's BETA status, and with a few subtle and non-intrusive modifications by the author, it can also appeal to the FFA crowd. While the map is slightly too similar to the Aurora Engine for it's own good (enhancement is always a good thing), it works well and is a good remake of the Jedi Enclave. Definitely one for KotOR fans, although if you like maps which maximise gameplay over eye candy, this one's a mixed bag.

Worth a download, if for nothing other than the amusement of kneecapping C3P0 with saber throw because he keeps opening that damn door.

~ Kouen
[i]"You don't know what your power has done to me, I wanna know if I'll heal in time..."[/i]

[b]Bot Support:[/b] Nein
[b]Custom Music:[/b] There's an MP3 in the pk3, so I assume so. I didn't hear it in-game because I was listening to Silvertide... >_>
[b]Custom Textures:[/b] Yes
[b]Custom Models:[/b] Is the sky blue? There's your answer. ;)

[b]Gametypes:[/b]
Free For All
Team Free For All