[OpenArena] Under Working: what should have been and wasn't

Due to the lack of competitive maps for OpenArena, I set out to create something to fill that void (a void which, IMHO, was finally filled with pulchr's excellent pul1duel-oa, released in 0.8.8). That something was am_underworks. The idea is simple: a multi-tiered map with just the basic weaponry in places where its placement makes sense from a competitive point of view. Because it's meant to be played in clan games and the like, I went to clan forums and sites in order to gather people for testing. In the process, I've learnt another lesson: be careful with the feedback you're gathering, as you may not be able to please everybody.

The first released version was am_underworks. I was inspired by Unreal Tournament 2004's DM-Compressed map, with those platforms standing over the arena in the upper floor. Eventually I wasn't satisfied with the map. So a redesign went into place, with this original version fading into dummy out territory in 0.8.8.

This redesign was called am_underworks2. Visually it has nothing of the genericness of the first version. Instead, the map took place in the entrance area of a facility, and had four distinguishable areas: a warehouse, a generator, the sewers surrounding the generator, and the main yard; due to this the map was an instant pick for Domination and Elimination games. Helping the theme were textures and models nicked from Nexuiz. The earlier versions had some houses in it, which were later cut and turned into the pillars the map has in the released 0.8.5 and 0.8.8 versions. I still have some of these earlier versions with those small houses, but I have to find them someday. After some negative post-release feedback and the feeling that the map wasn't going to perform as I expected, I've made some changes for the 0.8.8 version of underworks2. Namely, there's finally a connection between the generator area and the sewers, a pillar was added to the warehouse area, and the cage containing the generator was opened, with a hole going into the sewers. Not to mention the improved lighting.

For the older versions pack, I took both underworks and underworks2, fixed some bugs (including a VERY notorious one in underworks1 where spectators couldn't move out of the starting position) and added several missing stuff and additional support. Still, as much as I love the last incarnation of underworks2, I can't help but think that the map could have been planned better before release, with extra emphasis on vertical fighting. So, for the moment, here are some places where you can check the series:

• am_underworks (0.8.8)
• am_underworks2 (0.8.8)
• Supports: Free for All, Last Man Standing, Team Deathmatch, Elimination and Domination.
• 085am_underworks
• Supports: Free for All, Tournament, Team Deathmatch, Last Man Standing.
• 085am_underworks2
• Supports: Free for All, Tournament, Last Man Standing, Team Deathmatch, Elimination and Domination.
• am_underworks2-oa3
• Supports: Free for All, Last Man Standing, Team Deathmatch, Elimination, Domination and Possession.

If you have Nexuiz or Xonotic installed, you may want to check out the adaptation of that map for that game in the form of am_workingnex. It has an additional level reachable either by teleporter or laserjumping.

Have fun!