Hey shuzo,

first of all, I want to motivate everyone to build new ctf maps. I have a deal with the sauerworld boss raffael that he is writing posts for every new/good/ playable/competetive ctf map! Also I swear that I will try everything to bring your map into mix games and clanwars. Furthermore, I will talk to Obstriegel to bring them even on public server! Ask editors and fraggers to support your plan! Sense the hype and further it even more! This is a chance! Maybe the last one...?

But now to the map: I won't write a feedback here because I have already accompanied you through the last weeks and complained about everything I could find. But seriously, Im very proud and thankful that you tried everything to visualize my idea of a new competitive ctf map. I will give you 10/10 for your effort/strain and ofc because you are a good friend of mine and because I hope to get the chance to give you more work in future. :)

I'm not giving a feedback but I want to explain the gameplay idea behind this map. First of all, we wanted to build a map with a well-known scheme which nearly every popular map is using. Let's call it the „W-sheme“ for now. Both base are placed on an upper position. So they are easier to defend and it is not too difficult to cover the flag. The higher middle of the map have a camper platform which is very popular with most of the fraggers. You can compare it with the middle camper platform on haste, forge, reissen, mercury or authentic. They can be used for camping the enemy base or just to get an overview of the map.The connection path between base and middle are lower thats why it looks like a „W“.

The middle is subdivided into 3 levels. The overhead level will be mostly used for the attack. A higher position always give you an advantage in fights because it is easier to hit with most weapons, particularly with the rocket launcher. Also, it is easier to leave the level in case the player wants to flee from an enemy or just want to cover the current flagholder who is running another way.
The both other two level will be mostly used for sneaky attacks or fast flagruns. With „w,a,s,d“ you can walk from one to another place.... I'm joking but I think that is enough explanation for the present.

Another motto behind this map was „keep it easy“ and this is funny because the first impression of most players who joined the sq-crib server was „this map is HUUUGE“ and they are not completely wrong. The map is bigger than forge, reissen, forgotten, dust2 or redemption and it also has more levels than most of the just named maps but it is also much thinner. This map gives you many opportunities due to lot of stairs and holes and this makes „fusion“ more complex than other maps. So I agree 100% with you if the first impression is a shock and I guess not everyone will like it just from the beginning. But I also have to say that this map is not bigger than authentic, turbulence or mercury....a flagrun took around 10 sec with weapon help you can do it in under 7 (Jawer tested it out). So give the map a chance if you don't like it from the the first.

But well, most of the feedback were very positive so let's come to an end:

Fusion is a long, thin, simple but very clever ctf map. We tested the maps like 10 times in different ctf-modes and with 3on3 or 4on4 so we know that the map is absolutley playable with no dead ends, no needless ways or nerve-racking lava suiciding possibilites.

Kind regarts

Gangler

Well, great map, I was often online while it was made. :)

I like the theme, usage of Lunaran's textures, and especially fusing them with that soft dirt and lava. Flow is good, many RL/GL jumps are possible, and more importantly they are fun & rewarding. I think I noticed that you guys faked light reflection of metallic surfaces, since Cube Engine doesn't do that by default... With usually 2-3 lights and a spotlight near every light source. Great job if so, because lighting looks outstanding.

Now, few thing I think they could be improved, only from mappers perspective, since I suck at fragging. Clipping is a bit overdone, I think that in bases there are surfaces that look jumpable, but you can walk through them. Not trims, but wall details and lamps on walls... If it looks at least a bit jumpable, make it so, it helps us flagrunners (1 area of fragging in which I don't suck). Also, no waypoints for us (probably only me) who have crappy internet, and often play CTF and FFA games with bots... I can make waypoints, I did that for Oddworld (2007) and Access (2008), but it would be cool to have them with map. Lastly, and don't consider this as real point, base bridges can have some details under them, THO, you fall in lava if you're there :d That's all.

So, map is great, only thing missing are waypoints, and maybe that clipping, if you really want crazy flagruns there... :)
Still, 10/10, because we have to bring mapping community alive again. Making a map is a lot of work! :D

Promoted as starred content due community and admins.

I'll review it another time.

Time for review...

The map itself feels good to walk around, take some shots and deal some to your opponents.
The balance of playerstarts and pickups seems perfectly also.

The ambience of the map feels it wants to be somewhat natural, yet it's not really like that.
So perhaps the industrial setting is over-dominating this. Is it bad? Nah, just some personal preference I guess.

As it's inspired by Reissen and Forge, I wonder; why not dropping the whole lava-material (or at least replace it for some polluted water)? It feels out of place in the map as it's not really part of the theme. There's no actual reason the lava is exists (other than people causing a quick death, but so does the end of the map or some polluted water).

The map could use some sounds near moving chains, belts and vents to make them feel more real. If you really want to keep the lava, then add at least some sounds and particles also.
Adding a fog 1000 would make the map appear somewhat more dusty (yet not interfering gameplay). Same for a fogdome actually.

Somehow, there are some clipping errors in the ceiling of the map (in the base of the red side).
There are certain trims noclipped (on platforms, but also on ceilings), while others aren't. Same counts for a wall near the flag and a playerstart; feels somewhat awkward.

Also a texture-error of a light inside a pit is visible (on the blue side). But what am I nitpicking...

Would love to see some waypoints being added, though.

The map plays great, feels in overall just like that. I like it!

Nice map, here are my thoughts:

1) Performance: 102k wtr is not great, but not bad either, considering you chose to not keep it very square-ish. some other examples of similar maps - reissen (85k), forge (58k), haste (75k), turbulence (70k). But maybe once the map is finished you could use /genpvs, my fps isn't the greatest here. :( 7/10

2) Textures: I really love them, you did a good job with the overall aesthetic look of them, by varying it enough that I don't get lost, but not too much that it looks like chaos and random texture spam everywhere, The reissen/industrial + mountain rock theme looks really good. The only thing I would change is the lava texture or the lava itself, it just doesn't fit to me. 8/10

3) Lighting: Again, good job with the lighting, not too much light, not too little, and enough contrast yet enough uniformity keeping the brightness throughout the map similar enough to make it pretty but believable, and the color-specific lighting in the bases are not too bright or colorful either. There are a couple places that are maybe a bit dark, especially on top, but for the most part it looks very good. 9/10

4) Geometry: Well done with the geometry as well, it's not too blocky, and not too much detail either, the trim everywhere looks good, and I think it was wise to use textures for smaller detailing. I would consider maybe doing something with the rock wall by the two jumppads in the center on each side, because it looks very bland to me, but other than that I can't see anything I dislike. 9/10

5) Particles: I would maybe have not made the smokes so strong at the top, it stands out a little, but maybe I shouldn't be such an environmentalist. 8/10

6) Mapmodels: The plants and greenery were a nice touch. 10/10

7) Flow: No issues with flow that I can see, easy to get to anywhere by jumping, no frustrating small obstructions, just free movement. 10/10

8) Items: Hard to judge since ctf isn't very popular but from my impression it seems good, however I'm a little concerned at the amount of mg ammo there is, particularly with a layout like this. 8/10

9) Clipping: I would prefer if the stairs were smooth like ramps, and the flag bases could use noclip, but other than that I don't see any errors. 9/10

10) Gameplay: Although playable, sadly I did not enjoy playing this map with your intended game mode, it reminds me a lot of turbulence except more open, for ectf games I would prefer tighter, faster maps like forge, reissen, or redemption. I think in the end this map could have better use with iCTF in locked games or public, but it's just got too much openness and too many layers for me that I didn't really enjoy it. 5/10

Overall I rate this a 8/10, this is definitely a release quality map in my mind, and worthy of its starred status on here. Hope to see you make more maps in the future.

Terrain could use vscale, lavalight could be brighter, and the red/blue trim-lights could be just a tad brighter.

Some of the envmaps could have better placement

Other than that, nice map, good use of diagonal concept

Terrific layout that is just aw inspiring. Love the diagonals, the odd angles, the verticality of the map, the use of cool shapes to jump on everywhere and all that stuff. Pushing past the Quake 2 days layout design limitations and style and evolving to another level, a more modern level of map design. The details are pretty good but you can do better and would like to see you pull off a really hard theme at some point that will just blow everyone's minds. For that reason I will be giving the map a solid 9/10.