Version B3 Updates:

• Added one-way doors to the first ramp (for time extent purposes).

• Added a larger basement area, instead of a straight shot.

• Added Sniper areas to each of the building’s towers.

Testing really helped get this map underway. When the map was quick, nobody ever stayed alive long enough to see the point rise. It was a blast to play, but the fun was over too quickly. The changes I’ve made to the most recent version of the map should help stop short battle times and hopefully contribute to the overall enjoyment of the map. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Link: arena_gizah_b3.bsp | TF2MAPS.net Thread

This is the effect FUN-GINEERS have on people.

(arena_gizah_b1 release soon!)

Day 3 To-Do list:

• Have the point rise and activate.

• Add sand and pyramid entrance to the bottom of the map.

• Skybox with rolling dunes (Skybox is there, just not finished).

• Finish spawn rooms.

• (NEW) Finish Detailing.

• (NEW) Add environmental audio.

• (NEW) Some light fixes.

• (NEW) Add the two other pyramids and 3 tombs.

All that after only a few days. Hopefully I’ll get some playtesting in this weekend so I can get some real feedback.

Link: arena_gizah_a1.bsp | TF2MAPS.net Thread

Arena_Pyramid takes place on top of a half finished pyramid during break time. The capture point rises from the the center of the map after 40 seconds (to be tested) making the tunnels below a deathtrap.

So far I have the basic layout set up with some aesthetic touches. Now the To-Do list:

• Have the point rise and activate.

• Add sand and pyramid entrance to the bottom of the map.

• Skybox with rolling dunes (i hope).

• Finish spawn rooms.

There are probably a few other things I need to do, I’ll add them later if I remember.

Currently working on an Egypt themed arena map for tf2. Screenshots will follow soon. Stay tuned.

I’ve been trying my hand at recording my TF2 matches with Fraps. So far it’s been pretty cool, except I cant get it to record sound correctly. But whatever, that’s not a huge deal. Here’s a pretty funny 7 second clip from a match today: As a heavy, I was able to punch this poor engineer before he could teleport to safety.

This is proof that melee is freakin’ awesome. Sorry [HK]Jen!

Today me and Andi went into downtown Ipswich to walk around and take photos since it was so nice out. Clear skies and a temperature above 60, It was a nice change from rainy and cold. Then we made pineapple banana smoothies. Another good day.

I forgot to mention the other day that I’m pretty sure I found a new server for Andrew and I, but I cant remember the name of it right now. It has a lot of funny people playing and they play all sorts of fun maps (official & custom). I’m at Andi’s at the moment, so I’ll go into greater detail tomorrow when I get home.

EDIT: The server is called ATF Humpaholics Anonymous and the IP is 69.61.8.37:27015.

With nobody playing on the TF2 Newbies server this morning, I decided to server hop. The first server I joined was located across the ocean, but I didn’t even notice until my air blast seemed to be delayed by 3 seconds. My ping: 430. The next few servers had fake player counts (I guess VALVe’s system is still working through the crap). After that I decided to join a server I had joined yesterday called Jiggy’s Funhouse. Jiggy’s server is a bit different than most: you gain experience points for each kill or capture to upgrade your character. Yes, it’s as wierd as it sounds.

I talked to Android on AIM briefly last night about how unbearable the people there were the last time I played, but I was curious about the game play. So I joined again today and the only thing I can say about my whole experience with the leveling system is that it makes the game horribly unbalanced. Characters get special powers (force fields, flying) and extra lives (spawn instantly where you died) and it just makes the whole game confusing. I do have to say that the system is coded really well. Everything works without a hitch and I have to give the author props for that.

So anyway, I got bored of bothering with RED being over-powered and joined the second Jiggy’s Funhouse server. There I found 3 guys running around Mach 4 with just their melee weapons. I joined BLU as a soldier and jumped into battle with only my shovel in hand. Long story short, Heavy’s punch really hard.

I went Heavy, punched a few RED’s and captued the intelegence. It was a blast! I had so much fun. Mach 4 is a small map too, which makes it great for close encounters. The four of us played a whole round of that and decided to keep the melee going (luckily an admin was there to switch maps for us) and we moved to another CTF map. While on the new map, a few more players joined us in our fun. At this point we had a 4 vs. 4 game going. Then the round ended and everyone was still having a great time with melee, so the admin changed the map to Turbine. This is when it got really fun.

4 more people joined us. 6 vs. 6. Everyone was cooperating with the melee-only gameplay, and we actually had a real game with no guns. It was amazing. Players’ limp ragdolls were flyng as heavy’s performed their taunts, scouts tried to maneuver themselves to the intelligence without getting an Ubersaw in the face and the entire map was just alive with battle. It was probably the most fun i’ve had in this game. It makes me sad to think that it might not happen again, seeing as how the only thing keeping the guns out was the honor system.

I also wanted to say that the 3 guys that played the entire 3 maps were awesome. -=|JFH|=-Vilkata, e4tango and Ire. Thanks for showing me a whole new side of TF2 and that proving there is a way to stop CTF turtleing.