Elite Force Maps
New Maps
Mini Base Neo
A remake of my very first map. In truth, it's so heavily overhauled it's more of an all-new map, just one that started with a similar design prompt as the original. It's small, exposed, has two paths up to the flag, and uses the spyglass/voy2 aesthetic.
I tried to make a map that could host a more genuine competitive match than the gimmicky chaos of the original. It's larger, but still small and exposed enough that you would want small teams, perhaps three or four players on each side.
It lacks the fine details of my last two maps, but I think it has a better sense of proportion and scale. I made this map in NetRadiant-custom, and its UV tool was a godsend, and inspired me to take great care with texture coordinates.
Many of my previous maps were overly symmetrical. The bases would mirror each other, of course, but the bases themselves also tended to be left-right symmetrical. In this map, however, the two paths up to the flag take very different routes, which makes for more varied gameplay and interesting choices.
Old Maps
Volcano Base DX
A year after Mars Base, I came back with a remake of Volcano Base. I think this was surely my pinnacle map of the era. Volcano Base was my most enjoyable map, and this remake really improved on the aesthetics.
This map was where my Elite Force journey ended, for decades.
Mars Base
I think I would say the layout is a bit too room-and-corridor here, but after a year my detailing skills were really showing improvement. The map could've used a lot more color, though.
Defense System and Sacred Ground
A second map pack, this one consisting of two maps.
Defense System, like Takeout, also had turrets. They weren't any better here. The layout is plain and uninteresting, but the hallways had some nice detailing, and were a clear progression in my skills.
Sacred Ground was an outdoor terrain map, inspired by the terrain maps in Quake III Team Arena. I hadn't fully worked out the techniques when I built it, so it lacks things like an alpha-blended material for the terrain. Also, bot support doesn't work on it, so I've never actually played a match on this map.
Takeout
A collaboration between a clan member and myself. He drew the layout, and I built it out. I definitely made it too small.
This map was also the beginning of a brief, unfortunate trend where I liked putting automatic turrets in maps. They were pointless, and just added a few moments of annoyance at the beginning of matches.
Pathways, Volcano Base, Mining Facility, and Mini Base DX
Four maps in a single map pack!
For Pathways, I wanted to mash together the official maps Spyglass and Beta Station (perhaps better known as ctf_voy2). It succeeded, if in a ham-fisted way. The spyglass portion just kind of sits on top of the voy2 portion. It doesn't do anything interesting with the voy2 foundation.
Volcano Base, and its later remake, I think is the best map of the era. It was a mashup of Geothermal and Faceoff, and I think it succeeds at it. Two enclosed bases over a caldera, connected by winding pathways.
I think Mining Facility had potential, but was underdeveloped. I like the idea of central bunkers that can serve both offensively and defensively, depending on who is in them and which way they're looking.
Mini Base DX was my first remake of a previous map. Despite being developed only a few months later, it's much more polished than the original. Still too cramped to have a real game, though.
Mini Cube
When I made this map, I got the idea in my head to make very small maps be my gimmick. Thankfully, I outgrew that phase after this.
Not only is this map cramped in general, but the two bases each have a single, narrow hallway as their only exit. Unlike my first map, I don't think this is fun even as a chaotic party map.
Mini Base
My very first map!
This map is very small and exposed. It can be a little fun for a few minutes of chaos, but don't plan on playing any real competitive games on it.
I barely knew what I was doing when making it. I hadn't even learned how to properly make slopes yet. I used the rotate tool on rectangular blocks, and the ramps fit poorly as a result.