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GMD Verdict  

Review of Planet Gloom
"Best version to date, lots of improvements."
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Map Name   Planet Gloom (planetgloom-c.bsp)
Map Author   Sul
Web page   Click here.
Download   planetgloom-c.zip (0.44mb)
 
Reviewer   Cataclaw
Reviewed on   Mon Aug 20 15:06:56 2001
This map earns the GMD Seal of Approval!

This review is specifically for planetlgloom-C, but i will cover the whole map and not just the changes in Sul's latest update to the map.

Planetgloom is a mission map, and the 'missions' for both teams are fairly straightforward. The spiders have taken over a small planet and have settled in a cavern. The humans, of course, have been sent in to exterminate them. Their dropship has landed on top of a rocky cliff and through a special laser beacon, grunts and troops from a ship in orbit can teleport to the dropship on the planet's surface. The human object is simple: Wipe out the aliens. The spiders, already daunted with the task of staying alive, have to destroy the laser beacon that is permitting human forces to keep fueling the invasion. While the concept is fantastic, the problems start with the gameplay...

Screenshot


The biggest problem in Planetgloom before the update was the spam. Grunts drop down from their ship and just spam the entrance of the cavern with bullets, hatchies dropping like flies. A couple of minutes later, the spam changes form, it's now grenade spam. This is where it gets depressing... Fortunately, Sul's latest update provides a more useful back-door for the spiders, which reduces the spam in the main entrance.

Also helping the spiders is a more useful cavern under their starting location as well as a vertical "slime lift". Once filled entirely with slime, the cavern now has room to build in and less slime. The exit is no longer one-way, which means the humans can get in and do some damage from behind. The spiders may have two fronts to fight on, but it's still an improvement over PG-b. Did i mention the slime in the cavern actually heals the spiders? This a huge advantage for the spiders and big step forward in giving them a fighting chance on this map.

Screenshot


So far, the changes in this update are good, but one just doesn't make sense.. the humans get two fantastic little "platforms" hovering just next to their dropship. How this is possible, i don't know. (maybe little magnets?) Their usefulness is obvious. Exterms jetpack up to the platforms and just wait for a drone to hop onto the dropship and *zap* reduces to a pile of drone gibblets. With camping exterms on the platforms, it can be next to impossible to reach the beacon as a spider.

Helping the humans is the improved back-door entrance to the spider cavern. While spamming the main entrance is previous versions was *sigh* effective, the improved back way provides alternatives and a second front to wage war upon.

Overall, i must say this is the most balanced version of planetgloom yet. The spiders have a high-tech cavern with a "slime elevator" and healing slime, and the humans get platforms and a second way in. Good job, Sul!


User comments:
It still is a frag-fest (tm) - Satannum
Dont like this map, even after the changes, too many spammers ! - [BBG]Devil
Boo! It's ok.. - Xenoid
Besides the fact the water heals the aliens, it is a spam map, silly Sul. - Rangner
nice n` small hardcore-fragfest map - carnifex
Worst map ever along with r1wrecked. - Tobiash

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Average rating for Planet Gloom: 5.2/10

Rate-O-Map™

Total: 37 ratings
 
Textures
Cube Cube Cube

Comment: Textures and brushwork are great. The visuals are quite tasty, as you would expect from a Sul Map(tm).

Layout
Cube Cube

Comment: While version C of planet gloom was generally a step forward, some issues remain, see the review text for a closer look. Generally speaking, the layout is good, it's quite functional but there are some gameplay problems tied to it..

Creativity
Cube Cube Cube Cube

Comment: Mission maps are usually quite different than most kill-the-spawn maps and provide a different kind of gloomy experience, and planet gloom is no exception. A lot of creativity went into this map, and it turned out well :)

Overall
Cube Cube Cube

Comment: Overall, Planetgloom-C is a worthy update, although there are still things to work out.
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