DMF Clanbase

thirty-megabyte download? To be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, this is an awesome map, but about a third of it is completely unnecessary. You'll understand what I mean in a bit. Until then, on with the review! The DMF Clanbase (version two, in case you care) is a veritable monstrosity, and it has it all when it comes to detail. So much, in fact, that it would be almost impossible for me to even attempt to give you all an idea of everything it has -- in detail, that is -- without making the review so incredibly long that the FilesNetwork server would collapse from the upload. Instead, you'll get a little rundown of the kind of things you can expect, in a nifty little list I've created because I'm too lazy to work the list into some sort of cohesive sentence: [list][*]Spawn room / hangar, replete with Slave I, X-Wings, Delta-Wings, astromechs, and even spawn tubes[*]Canyon river area with trees, great fighting spots, and a two-way monorail that runs its length, in case you need to get to the...[*]Two separate bars, one not-so-classy with a pool table and an easy atmosphere, the other more so with flashing lights, secluded booths, and a very New York Nightlife feel[*]A grand hall area with a pretty spinning globe that serves no purpose whatsoever except to be pretty and spinning[*]Two separate duel training areas with varied layouts for various skillsets[*]A swimming pool and heated spa for those times when you just need to relax in water... in a game... or something[*]A pair of jail cells designed just to make those with the keys feel important[*]A security camera network designed for security... on a map... in a game...[*]A network of underground tunnels that can transport you anywhere on the map, but that take just as long to travel by as the normal routes[*]And last, but certainly not least, row after row after row of offices, tailor-customized for the occupants.[/list]Now, I ask you: why in the world is a FULL THIRD of the map dedicated to OFFICE SPACE? The map's already so freaking huge that if JK2 supported 100-man servers, you'd see another player every ten minutes or so. Everyone has their own office, so if everyone in the clan sits in their own offices, they never get to see each other. What's the point? Yes, I can understand the novelty of being able to say "This is my office." The question remains, is it really worth it to waste ten megabytes on rooms that will never be used except to make the occupants feel a little more secure about themselves? Now, as far as the map goes, in general, it rocks. It's one of the best RP-style maps I've seen in a long time. If you're into using JK2 as a GUI IRC, a la There, then it will suit you just fine, if not more than fine. If not, your gaming experiences will be confined to two duel pads and anywhere else that you can scrounge into a battlefield. We've all played the Jedi Council map by GriffinClaw, right? That thing's riddled with offices too (although less so than this one), and they are NEVER used. Two entire levels of the main structure in this map are devoted to office doorways and office space. They're cool, but they aren't worth the ten megs that it took to pull them and all their furnishings (custom paintings = more textures = bigger map filesize) together. The Bottom Line: This is an awesome map. It's an RP-player's dream. It's also about ten megabytes too big, and is really designed for use by the clan members themselves, not by the public; there's simply not enough here, gameplay-wise, to keep folks interested. It's all novelty. If you can stand the minute-long wait it takes to load up the map each time you want to play, and if you can bother with the obscene download size, then jump at this map, because what it does well, it does very, very well (if you can't follow that train of thought, don't try, because I can't follow it myself, and I wrote it). If you're a hardcore FFA player with a craving desire for a new battleground, this one's not for you; it's a tiny soccer ball in a package a mile long. Ahh, I love analogies. Bot Support: YES New Music: YES New Textures: YES Game Types: FFA - Dan "ViperEye" Tennant [ORIGINAL REVIEW FOR V1 BELOW] [quote]The main room of the DMF clan map is like an art gallery - that is, if you can stretch your imagination enough to consider a portrait of Homer Simpson fine art. ;) The DMF Jedi's Inn is a cozy place to grab a shot of Bespin Brandy and a bite to eat. Then upstairs are quite a few rooms that seem to be the offices of the clan leaders. Each room has a little bit of the owner's personality in them that makes them unique. There are also a few places to duel outside. While this map is well-designed and it seems the author didn't forget a thing - he must've forgotten those whose puters can't handle such a detailed map. =/ My fps was constantly at 15 fps, and even dropped to 5! EEP! Then again, my computer sucks. ;) In spite of my low fps, I liked this map. There was a lot of work put into a lot of details. Could be a great map for some RPing, even. Bot Support: No New Textures: Yes Game Types: FFA ~AmosMagee[/quote]
First off, let me get this out of the way: it's a thirty-megabyte map. Ponder that thought. I can wait. Done? Good. Now, ask yourself, why in the world would anyone create a map that's a