We’ve beforehand coated Quake mega-mod Arcane Dimensions, which has change into a cornerstone of recent Quake mapping due to its slew of latest gameplay options, enemy varieties and weapons going an extended option to refresh the system of Id’s cyber-gothic basic with out diluting its breakneck pacing and drum-tight fight loops.
Xmas Jam: 1024^3 is the newest group undertaking to come back from the quietly industrious func_msgboard mapping neighborhood. Built utilizing Arcane Dimensions’ bag of tips, it provides 11 new ranges from 11 totally different creators, all adhering to a single restriction: the extent should match (roughly) inside a tiny house, 1024 Quake map models cubed, roughly three seconds journey time throughout.
While a lot of Arcane Dimensions’ maps are famed for his or her enormity (within the case of the ultimate map, The Forgotten Sepulcher, a brand new engine construct needed to be launched simply to allow a map of that scale and complexity), the Xmas Jam boils all of it right down to its punchiest, most concentrated type. These maps could also be tiny, however that doesn’t imply they’re going to be over in a flash, with enemy spawns and intelligent use of 3D house forcing you to loop round every playfield a number of instances earlier than the exit will current itself. While the character of every map might differ wildly, it all seems like trench warfare. Up-close, messy and panicked.
Restricted micro-mapping like it is a standard alternative amongst retro FPS modders on the whole, with the Doom neighborhood doing superb issues inside equally small areas within the likes of rf_1024. It forces each intelligent use of the instruments offered, but in addition makes each the participant and the map writer take into consideration the roles every enemy performs, and the way finest to make the most of them in a claustrophobic house. A single Quake Ogre is sort of no risk in an open chamber, with their sluggish grenades touchdown miles from the place you’re standing, however if you’re combating for strong footing, each ricocheting grenade turns into a possible deathtrap.
In order to play Xmas Jam 1024^3, you’ll in fact want Quake (literally £1 on Steam right now), the newest iteration of the Quakespasm engine (broadly adopted by the modding scene now), and each Arcane Dimensions 1.5 and the upgrade to 1.6. It’s a little bit of an uphill battle in case you’ve not obtained any of these items already put in, but it surely’s well worth the effort.
