Terminator Salvation

Description
As you might have guessed by looking at the title, this map is based off of the latest movie in the Terminator franchise. If you haven't seen any of the Terminator movies... then I suggest you get on that. The third and fourth films are optional but you MUST watch the first two. Anyway...

The map takes place at a SkyNet facility which is adjacent to a small neighborhood. Overall I liked the design of the map in terms of both structure and atmosphere. The layout of the SkyNet facility is realistic and makes for some decent gameplay. I appreciated the amount of detail and precision that went into the object placement, which is probably one of the map's strongest features. The custom models look great and make the map feel fresh (the cars, however, look a bit like cardboard cut-outs). I question the use of the blue sky, however. Since this is supposed to be a post-apocalyptic world where mankind struggles to survive it would only make sense that the tone of the map reflect that -- therefore I think that a gray or dark sky would be better suited for the map and would help illustrate the grim atmosphere of the time period.

Gameplay is unfortunately the map's weakest feature. Firstly, the weapons cause so much damage that players can be killed with a single well-placed shot. While some may find this style of play enjoyable, others (such as myself) may find it frustrating. I understand that the author is trying to create a sense of realism, but sometimes that can hurt the gameplay. I'm all for realism but not at the expense of the gameplay. Secondly, the odds are tipped in SkyNet's favor. In fact, SkyNet already starts off the match with a higher ticket count. Even if the Resistance captures the odd Command Post (located in the center of the map) the ticket bleeding (if it's even there) doesn't do anything to hinder SkyNet's advantage. It wasn't until the Resistance captured all but one of the CP's that the match became even. Thirdly, I believe that adding a CP to the other side of the bridge would improve the gameplay by spreading out the action and utilizing more of the map.

There are some noticeable bugs, such as floating weapon icons and missing weapon sounds. These are both pretty distracting bugs so I hope they're fixed in any future versions of the map. Additionally, there are barriers that need some adjusting.

In conclusion, this is a pretty good effort for someone's first map. Does it still need a lot of work? Yes. Is it worth a try? Sure.

~Era

PS: Just for fun, I'd recommend adding some vehicles and custom music.