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Quake Expo 2008 Articles by Tronyn (August 2008)
Day 6 Article: Top 10 Elder World Maps. 08/20/2008.
Introduction.
If Quake presents a linear descent from prsent-day human civilization into ancient, cryptic, bizarre hells (or maybe just madness), The Elder World is the logical termination point. The Netherworld was eerie and unsettling yes, but The Elder World is far weirder. It's vaguely like a Piranesi woodcut, a self-contained dark hell of medieval architecture with no apparent _purpose_. Or it could be envisioned as Lovecraftian hell, incredibly ancient ruins that predate the entire human race, sinister decaying monoliths in an inexplicable realm of cosmic darkness. Maps like "The Tower of Despair" and "The Elder God Shrine" take the intricate dark lighting of the Netherworld and cast it over strange and inexplicable decaying stone architecture, giving a strong snse of weird atmosphere. The episode as a whole is not perfectly realized; while it finishes fairly strongly with the bizarre blue hell "Azure Agony," it falters with "The Pain Maze" which introduces too many architecture themes to remain coherent.
The Elder World might be the way it is because the episode was a sort of "dumping ground" for id for maps that didn't make sense or fit anywhere else; (perhaps they thought most players wouldn't get that far) certainly we must credit much of Quake's greatness to things id could not possibly have intended, like internal conflict of design direction, competing influences on the art style, and that limited palette. However, it turned out to be a tantalizing look at a world even weirder and creepier than The Netherworld. Because of its uneven style (it doesn't have its own distinct texture set like the base theme, the wizard theme, adn the runic theme all have) and its difficult-to-define nature, The Elder World has seen the fewest imitations by third party mappers. Therefore, I am opening up the definition of what qualifies as "Elder World" more than I'd like, to include "Anything that represents a vision of hell that is not a Runic map." This opens up the definition to include themes that are more like "Dante-style Hell" as opposed to Lovecraftian hell.
10. The Palace of Fear by ijed (based on e4m4 by id)
"The Palace of Hate," was a bit of a curiosity in that it used the "Gloom Keep" textures, but it ultimately managed to fit
in with the rest of "The Elder World" by its self-enclosed, indoor nature, dark lighting, and sense of purposeless
malevolence. "The Palace of Fear," ijed's quoth remake, is an improvement in every way. The architecture is tidier, the
texturing cleaner, the lighting more interesting. All the map's elements are present, some improved, and the Quoth enemies
make the map a better challenge. The original's weird, brooding atmosphere (it was a good Elder World map, though by far
not the best) is presented well through the filter of modern design, and with Quoth you can hardly go wrong.
Theme: id Elder World
Similar To: e4m4
Size: Medium
Difficulty: Medium
9. 5Rivers: Five Rivers Land by JPL
This is really one map split into three. It is more or less a direct attempt to replicate the Hell level (lol, ONE LEVEL)
from Doom3. In this it is fairly successful, so that like all Q1SP maps based on Doom3, it ports over the strengths as well
as the faults. The painful linearity of Doom3 is mostly replicated, as well as its painfully indoor nature (in most places).
However, the moving bridge is a really cool recreation, and some of the textures are great. The rockwork is also really good.
The finale features a very evil looking statue, and the atmosphere is added to throughout by evil laughter which is perhaps
over the top. This is definitely a powerful vision of Hell, the Doom3 version, but I am probably not alone in thinking that
the Doom 1 vision of hell was far more compelling than Doom 3's meagre attempts. However, the map is well worth checking out,
as it is the only instance of this distinc theme in Quake, and its Quoth-monsters finale is great fun.
Theme: Doom3 Hell
Similar To: Doom 3
Size: Large
Difficulty: Medium
8. He Falls Like Lucifer by Kell
One of Kell's strangest maps, this void map gives perhaps the best sense of a true VOID of any map in Quake. The map is not
floating in space, or floating in darkness, in fact it doesn't even give the sense of floating at all. Somehow it seems like
it is in a different plane or reality, that as Lovecraft says obeys laws of physics that we don't even understand. The
strange darkness and towers of books make this seem like an inexplicable library kept by someone, something or even no one,
for some unknowable purpose. The gameplay is of course effective throughout using Quoth monsters, but it's really the
ambience that makes this map. In this map you will find yourself asking (as you should in the Quakiest maps), "Why does this
place exist? And why are there tortured bodies in it?"
Theme: Fodrian Library
Similar To: Contract Revoked
Size: Medium
Difficulty: Medium
7. ne_marb: Crescendo of Dreams by Necros
This incredibly cool map by Necros is the most successful attempt to reproduce the atmosphere of Doom 1 in Quake.
The map uses Doom's green marble textures, an elegantly evil set, and is set in a series of courtyards and halls, sometimes
filled with odd machinery, to convey the sense of an unknown and dangerous place. But the strength of the map really comes
at its conclusion, a gigantic fortress front with many pillars, and a waterfall of blood, and some excellent combat against
gaunts. Great Doom-style atmosphere throughout, great design.
Theme: Doom 1 Hell
Similar To: Doom 1
Size: Medium
Difficulty: High
6. CZG07c: Push Underground by CZG
The final map in CZG's decisive map pack Insomnia is the map that brought Q3 to Quake 1, inspiring several maps by Necros and
Kinn among others. This map, with its large open courtyards, curvy architecture, and detailed waterfalls of blood, has a
really intense hellish atmosphere throughout. The sense of hostility is very great. The architecture, texturing and lighting
is flawless. At the time, it was one of the largest Q1SP maps, although it has since been surpassed in scale by quite a few
levels. "Push Underground" is a map of historic importance - it brought in a major modern Q1SP theme, and influenced the
effort to build larger and larger maps.
Theme: Hellish Castle
Similar To: Quake3
Size: Medium
Difficulty: High
5. Marcher: The Marcher Fortress by Kinn
While The Marcher Fortress is undoubtedly the best Q1SP yet made, it is not the best Elder World map yet made, mostly because
it is too bright/outdoors, and above all too functional, to truly exude the dark inexplicable ambience of the Elder World.
However, it is still very morbid and strange - it is CLEARLY not on earth, but in some hell-dimension. The title may give
a clue - the fortress may be on the Marches between two warring powers, one of which is decidedly evil. Much has been said
about the map as an unparalleled artistic and technical achievement, which it most certainly is, but its atmosphere is also
great. It just is not the very best in that one category.
Theme: Hellish Castle
Similar To: CZG07c
Size: Huge
Difficulty: High
4. Breakfast at Twilight by Hrimfaxi
This is one of the best maps of recent years, or any year for that matter. It might even be the best Q1SP since The Marcher
Fortress. Based on map scraps by Kell and Drew, Hrimfaxi put together a massive, vertical, outdoor citadel map, in Kell's
always-cool texture set. The map does lack, to an extent, the "inexplicability" of the Elder World, but it does take place
on Fodrian, the library-planet Kell introduced us to in Contract Revoked, and Fodrian as a whole does apparently include some
open-sky areas (as opposed to indoor dungeons and libraries), and the setting is of course, always cryptic and weird (suiting
the Elder World theme well). This massive complex seems like it could be the library-fortress of some great wizard (in the
Lovecraftian sense), and the sense of upward progression and exploration throughout the map is second to none. It's one of
the best examples of indoor-outdoor correspondence in Q1SP, and as with most of Hrimfaxi's excellent maps, the vertical
element makes the map seem dangerous, giving it a sense of vast empty spaces. Lots of secrets, tough Quoth gameplay, and
a great finale make this map a true classic.
Theme: Fodrian City
Similar To: Contract Revoked
Size: Large
Difficulty: High
3. Red777 by Kell
This is basically the only map by Kell where he himself takes the Fodrian theme into "city" territory in terms of design.
Not, of course, functional houses and villages and so forth, but rather the strange staircases, courtyards and towers of some
ancient civilization far from earth. Previous Kell maps in the Fodrian theme, including all of Contract Revoked, and
"And Wear A Golden Sorrow" from The Lost Chapters were all indoors, although there was some thematic variety (lava, water,
platforms, etc) - only "He Falls Like Lucifer" made an exception in depicting a sort of "void-dungeon" rather than an
indoor dungeon. All of those maps were of course excellent, but adding in "city" elements here makes this map exceed all
of them. Quoth's gaunts are well used and seem particularly appropriate in this setting. The map as a whole is beautifully
designed throughout and provides a constant challenge.
Theme: Fodrian City
Similar To: Contract Revoked
Size: Medium
Difficulty: Hard
2. Warpc: Sealed City by ijed
This massive map uses some Contract Revoked textures, and some from other sources. The design is curvy and on a monolithic
scale throughout, with very dark lighting and sparse detail. The result of this, is the impression of an enormous city built
by some race of forgotten giants, now infested with all sorts of evil beings. There are amazing sections remniscent of the
original Doom, but the theme as a whole is incredibly Quakey. Although many of the other maps on this list are better in
any given spot in terms of visuals, the sheer scale and brooding atmosphere of "Sealed City" give it a very high place among
the dark and creepy maps of The Elder World.
Theme: Monolithic city
Similar To: Contract Revoked
Size: Huge
Difficulty: High
1. Koohoo: The Castle of Koohoo by Vondur
This ingenius map presents a very sinister, spooky realm of ruins, sewers and swamps. The map uses converted Heretic 2
textures, which in the Quake palette come out as very dingy and dark. This makes the map as a whole seem very cold and damp,
and a great looping wind sound adds to this impression. Huge green and gray stone blocks are built up into a "castle" that
resembles earthly castles in no way; the large, winding, exploratory layout means that the player has much time to take in
the creepy atmosphere. While the "Contract Revoked" theme is very arcane and bizarre, the Koohoo theme comes out ahead in
terms of Elder World ambience (imagine a cross between the two!). While there is a story, the map feels like somewhere where
humans are completely out of place - and that is a great atmospheric accomplishment. Warm, little mammalian things obviously
have no place in this monolithic realm of oozing stone. It's very Lovecraftian, a little more water and it could be the
throne of Chthulhu himself (or perhaps Dagon).
Theme: Ancient slimy ruins
Similar To: Chthulu!
Size: Large
Difficulty: Medium
1. Castle of Koohoo
2. Sealed City
3. Red777
4. Breakfast at Twilight
5. The Marcher Fortress
6. Push Underground
7. Crescendo of Dreams
8. He Falls Like Lucifer
9. Five Rivers Land (3)
10. The Palace of Fear