SOTOMac Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 (edited) NMM's - IG DownTown Map Mod. A Map and Mission Mod by - Nishi of NMM Gun Works. Reviewed by SOTOMac. Download File Size : 5.6Mb. Mod Type : This is a Custom Map and Mission Pack based on geographical representations from the Delta Force and Ranger Operations carried out in Mogadishu, and glamorised by the Hollywood Movie - "BlackHawk Down". The Included Mission can be played in both SP, and MP Mode. Introduction. I recently Downloaded and Installed this Map/Mission Mod in great anticipation of the opportunity to go into a "Mog-Like" enviroment, and give a Warlord's Militia Forces a piece of My Mind. The following review is My Impression of this Map Mod, and It's features. Originality - 8 out of 10. I've been waiting for someone to come out with a Mission and Map Mod that tacked a touchy Issue like this in that Part of the Globe. A Big TY goes out to Nishi and NMM Gun Works for Producing this Mod. The DownTown Map and Mission is in a Word - Intense... Once You Insert on this Map You had better not stop to look around or You'll find that You've got way more enemies than You'd like to deal with at one time. I particularly liked the Use of Technicals ( Small Trucks ) used to ferry Militia around the "City" as they try to bag You and Your Team. Sounds - 10 out of 10. All areas of this Map behave sound-wise as they should. Echoes reverberate off the Walls of the Buildings as You send Rounds down Side Streets, and out Windows and Doorframes. Textures - 5 out of 10. Textures used in this Map Mod really deserve no mention other than they've been treated very well by Nishi in reference to rendering a Version of a Mogadishu-Like City as realistically as possible in "GR" with the current Tools available. Trigger Zones - 5 out of 10. This unfortunately is an Area that I had some Issues with in Nishi's "IG DownTown Map Mod". Now It may be the fact that I have a 56K Connection, but even with a DSL Host and only 3 People in the Game ( Including the Host ) w/ this particular Mod enabled - The Mission Lagged horribly as Enemies Spawned onto the Map @ INSERT. I'm not sure if this Map Mod is so Intensive that It needs to Load first, and then Load the Tangos but the Online effect on users of this Map Mod with anything other than a great connection ( BroadBand / Cable / DSL ) is to say the Least - An exercise in Frustration... Trigger Zones that were seemingly created with care as the Map Loads, Quickly degenerate into pure chaos as You and Your Team move around the Map clearing out the Militia Forces. Now - Please let Me explain. As You and Your Team move around the Map clearing out Enemy Forces - You often go past totally empty buildings with no Tangos AT ALL in them. As You go down Streets past areas such as those described above - Enemy Forces will actually Spawn onto the Map so that You can see Them arrive. This usually happens directly behind You or in front of You and usually results in You and Your Team's Death. This was and still is unbelievably Frustrating as You attempt to clear the city and restore Calm. While the Spawning or Sudden appearance of Tangos is a very realistic portrayal of this SITU, As It went down - The scripting of these events in the Mission could've perhaps been done where New Enemies would spawn onto the Map in previously described Empty buildings and Rooms. This would of course be better than having Enemies appear like They were beaming in from a Star Trek episode. This - IMO - Would have been a much better way to handle the masses of Militia coming to the Fight as You and Your Team attempt to restore Order. Features - 6 out of 10. This Map is a Breathtaking representation of a Somali Town and It's drenched in a mood of General Disrepair and Neglect to the Infrastructure around You and Your Team as You INSERT. The Helo INSERT in the SP Mission is a Nice touch INSERTING You in the Central Courtyard of the Map. .50 Cal. Machine Guns are posted in some areas of the Map should You need extra Firepower to keep the Militia Forces at bay. 3D Geometry - 5 out of 10. This Map has some Geometry Issues in that as You Enter and Exit Rooms and Buildings in some Locations on the Map - You're catapulted into Whiteouts in which You can see absolutely nothing but White all around You. When this happens the only way to escape is to have a good knowledge of the Map's layout. Also - The only way to restore Normal Vision if You don't have a good knowledge of the layout is to retrace Your Steps back to where You'd originally lost Your Vision. Additionally - There are some Corners and Edges of the Buildings that You can get seriously Hooked on, and those areas should be avoided at all costs. Overall Impression. My Overall Impression of this Map Mod is that I like it despite It's Flaws. While the 3D Geometry, and Trigger Zone Issues are sizeable and could push alot of Descriminating Users away, It is definately worth the DL if You are willing to put up with these Flaws and Issues. I can't help feeling that Nishi must have rushed this Mod out as He generally does much more Flush work than this. While this Map is really an achievement in it's Creation - I just feel that If He'd given it perhaps another Week or two, This Map Mod would have been that much better. I also feel that if Nishi was having trouble getting the Scripting the way He wanted it - He should have canvassed for a Scripter to do it for Him ( Jack ? RightHand ? ). No offense to Nishi and the Scripting Skills evident in this Mod - But - With better Mission Scripting this Mod would have absolutely SMOKED... Overal Score. This Map Mod earned a Points Total of 39 out of 60, which translates to a 65.5 % Approval Rating from this Reviewer. A Big Thanks goes out to Nishi and NMM Gun Works for doing the required Hard Work, and getting this Mod out to a Community that has been waiting to go back into the "Desert" for awhile... >--< Respectfully, Edited September 16, 2005 by GiWeDa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggressor Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 (edited) Mac, Having played the mission, I must agree that your review was objective and fair. The whiteouts were really distracting and caused me to abort quite a few times, also there are spaces in between the buildings which one can see through but not enter or shoot through. I must say that I really enjoyed playing the mission on this map, it was very challenging and really tests your tactics and your ability to quickly familiarize yourself with the environment and to find cover, FAST I would like to thank Nishi and NMM Gun Works for creating this map & mission. Aggressor Edited March 14, 2003 by Aggressor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conman Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Playing that mission, with NMM Gunworks activated, and using the Delta and Ranger skin is just insane. Top Notch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexsis Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Im glad to see this map is starting to get some attention; I made a post here and post everyday at the Ubi game lobby beggin people to download and install this map. I want to play it online with everybody else; so many good maps out there but nobody in multiplayer seem to have them. Ossetian woodlands is a perfect 10 but I find a lot of people online who never heard of it !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srgt Bash Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 i havn´t been able to play it yet , because THE DAM MAP MAKES THE GAME TO CRASH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Crocodile Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 When i first saw the sreenshots of Deltas landing from their Little Birds, i had to DL it. Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! The begging is very caotic, almost like the Boom missions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxship Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 An inciteful review, foxship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fr1j0l3 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 i havn´t been able to play it yet , because THE DAM MAP MAKES THE GAME TO CRASH yepp... CTD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peking_Duk Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 i havn´t been able to play it yet , because THE DAM MAP MAKES THE GAME TO CRASH bah! same happens to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grail Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Textures - 8 out of 10. Ooo, I dunno. I think that's being very, very, very generous. IMHO, the textures are what let the map down badly. With some geometry fixes, and a total rework of the textures, this map could be one of the greats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zulu9812 Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 As you as I activate this mod and press 'Accept' the game crashes to the desktop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 It's a good map. Why not make a MP-Map-Pack ? - De Dust - Swift Hatchet - Downtown - Industrial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIX Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 IMHO, and only IMHO, this is the most fun I have had with my clothes on in a long time! I have been playing this map, quite literally, for months. Ever since it came out it has basically been my mainstay. The map does have it's issues, there is no arguement there. The star trek team that gets you is cold, however if you play the map enough you can learn almost exactly how to trigger the "away team" and how not to trigger the "away team." Mac, SOTO clan and I have spent hour and hours on this map, there is no doubt that it is winner. I like the "map pack" idea, too. Somebody needs to spend some time, with NMM's permission of course, working on this mod to develop it into something more amazing than it already is. Oh, and about those Delta trooper uniforms: between having the map and the uniforms, I feel like it is 1993 again. Thanks Nishi! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOTOMac Posted March 17, 2003 Author Share Posted March 17, 2003 Well as Far as Textures go... Wasn't It supposed to look like a Dirt Bowl ? If It was, then that was accomplished. Weren't the Bldgs and Infrastructure supposed to be of a Less than Palatable nature and for the Most part Decrepid ? If it was then that was accomplished as well. >--< To those having Problems getting this Mod to run... - Uninstall the Mod or Delete it from Your Mods Folder. - Install NMM again but to a Temporary Folder. - Drag and Drop the NMM Mod into the "GR\Mods" Folder. - Restart "GR" in Mission Mode and Voila there She should be... There was an Issue with the Installer for this Mod and so that is how I overcame It Myself. Sincerely, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallow Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 (edited) I guess I may just make a few folks mad here. Personally I felt that this map wasn't polished nor finished. The textures I give a 5, that was the biggest drawback in the map. No detail textures, just tiles. inside the buildings made me dizzy with either lack of texture or the tiling on the walls I also found that you could walk through doorways and fall through stairs, in one of the back streets theres a triangle you can see through in the ground to the bottom of the sky box below the marketplace was too open, and AI could shoot through walls. What I did like was the room design, and the ability to gt onto roofs, but I noticed the distinct lack of sherman levels and shermanlevel heights. The AI didn't follow anyhwere above ground I'm just wondering if I missed the polished version and just got some half finished beta. or were you guys so desperate for a BHD map that you took what was offered? anywa my 2 cents and I don't man to sound flaming but there are far more polished maps out there with innovative ideas that deserve credit too. Edited March 18, 2003 by fallow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grail Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 (edited) Wasn't It supposed to look like a Dirt Bowl ? If It was, then that was accomplished. Sure, but in the context of the work released to the community thus far, the quality of the representation is still, IMHO, sub par. By giving it an 8, there leaves very little room to reward those mappers who spend a tremendous amount of time doing exceptional, unflawed, texture work. I should point out that I'm not arguing with you. Your review is your opinion, and you're most certainly entitled. I'm just pointing out that my opinion differs and, like Fallow, I'd have rated the textures at no more than a 5. Edited March 21, 2003 by Grail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meprolite Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 I agree. It's a very cool map but the textures are so bad that I dont really want to play it. If the textures were as good as the layout it would have been much more popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOTOMac Posted March 30, 2003 Author Share Posted March 30, 2003 Ammended. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted March 30, 2003 Share Posted March 30, 2003 We ran Downtown last night, multiplayer, and it was alot of fun. We ran most game types, including Team Assassination. We had no real problems( lagged at first game but after that it was fine we did run into some geometry issues but did not cause any major problems ). I again highly recomend this mod. I hope that with the increased interest in the mod, the modder might address some of the problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.ronin Posted March 30, 2003 Share Posted March 30, 2003 hey man thats a really great review. kudos to the makers of this mod its one of my favorites (im partial to map mods -- more so close quarter ones). i get killed real quick. still, the helo insert is a really nice touch it matches up great with the backdrop thats definitely gonna go in an upcoming flash movie. thanks for the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScornDrake Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Awsome Mod...I loved it when it first came out! I hope to see more of these type mods being made! I salute these mod makers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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