The Hall Of Fame

Map Name: Merlin
Author: Peter Manson
DOWNLOAD

Reviewed by: Vengeance

Hopefully, nobody reading this needs an introduction to who Peter Manson is. Peter released his first map, Ender's Game in 1999 (I think) and has been churning them out ever since (this being his 18th map!). During this time, he has developed a unique style and many trademarks (such as the teleporters, jump pads etc). Peter describes Merlin as "a cross between Fling, and Eden, but has turned out quite different to my original ideas." This description is pretty much dead on. It combines the fast, dynamic gameplay of levels such as Twin and Fling with the realistic settings of Eden and Plateau.

Merlin contains all of the normal elements required for it to be considered a good level. It contains some brilliant realistic terrain and very imaginative architecture. There are a great variety of lighting effects, and the various areas are lit appropriately. The r_speeds are mostly kept to a reasonable level, they tend to shoot up a bit in places (but not much considering the size of the areas), but the map should still run smoothly on most machines. Texturing is very good and helps to create a reasonably consistent theme (although I'm not sure how to describe the theme). Also, there's some very nice ambient sounds (I especially like the heart-beat sound when you use the Xen-style health charger). Finally, weapons are placed around generously and appropriately. Thankfully, the Hornetgun has been emitted.

The level's main achievement is it's pace. For such a large map, Merlin plays at a very fast pace. This is thanks to some of the Peter Manson trademarks such as jump-pads and teleporters. When you first load up the level, it can seem very daunting to navigate around. But once you learn where the teleporters are, you can get round amazingly quick. One of the ways Peter has achieved this is through use of 'The Rustmill Effect (TM)'. Anyone unfamiliar with Rustmill should go
here and download it immediately. The things that set Merlin (and many of Peter's other maps) apart from the rest of the bunch is his use of entities. Unlike many mappers, Peter utilizes a large amount of the effects Half-Life has to offer. Many levels these days seem very static and lifeless. Peter's levels succeed due to their great sense of motion, not to mention another element lacking from many levels. Character. It's often little touches that really bring a level to life. Finally, Merlin makes good use of the concept of vertical connectivity. More level authors should realise that mapping takes place it three dimensions and not two. Take a look at this level if you want a good example.

Overall, Merlin is a great example of what Half-Life has to offer if you take the time to experiment. It really stands out from the crowd because Peter hasn't gone for what other people want it a map. He made something he enjoyed making (he even stated this in his readme). Ask a lot of the people who've been mapping longest. Make something that YOU want to see made and the results will be much better. Hopefully, one day there will be more mappers like Peter Manson and we'll have a much richer variety of levels to play.

S.W.

Main Page