Forgotten

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Forgotten widescreen.png

Forgotten is a Booty map released on the Beta 2.0 Update. The map was largely featured in the updates' teaser trailers and artwork and as a result it's widely praised for it's presentation and new gameplay mechanics.

Stats

  • Map file: bt_forgotten (formerly pvk_forgotten)
  • Mode: Booty
  • Author: Jahhur
  • Release Date: Beta 2.0 (February 2008)
  • Theme: Ruins
  • Number of Chests: 6
  • Timer per Team: | Pirates 240 | Vikings 240 | Knights 240 |
  • Pick-ups: Food (x_), Armor (x_), and Ammo (x_)
  • Stage Hazards: death pit, torches (drain health), cliff

Overview

Forgotten, like every Booty Quest map, takes the player to the goal of taking the most treasure chests as possible to the team's base so that it's timer runs faster until it reaches zero. Unlike in it's older brother Island, Each team has one chest at the start at the round, being a total of three chests, and thirty seconds later three more chests will spawn at specific spots so that they can be gathered.

Similarly to Island, the whole map forms a triangle-like shape by using the main paths as it's lines, and like Island, there are shortcuts and platforms for the sake of adding both evasive or offensive strategies. For instance, the decaying bridge has a lower level that can be useful for ambushes, or the Knights' base which has an upper floor where the waterfall is formed, where archers can use it for an extra sight of the site.

Presentation

The map takes place at an abandoned place from an extinct empire located at a mountain range, as suggested by the map's author. In it's architecture, nature has overtaken some areas while other places are about to collapse. Endless pits are common traps in this map, so it's recommended for the clumsier players to stay away from the most dangerous areas, or even this map in general.

The Knights are located in a lower level than the Pirates and the Knights, which means that, with slightly hotter temperatures, their base transforms into a luxuriant paradise with vines decorating the rock and water falling down from the mountains. The Pirates' base is somewhat rustic, however there is plenty of space for them to protect the area, as well several objects like a stone arch which can help with the aim for Sharpshooter players. The Vikings' base is similar to the Pirates', but more composed and with a small room as an extra.

An early version of Forgotten's bridge (image via Moddb).

The transitions for each bases are unique, both in graphics and in gameplay. Between the Vikings and the Pirates' base there's the decaying bridge, the map's major landmark, built with stone and wood, continues to hold up despite the signs of chaos; since it was built under a cave the chances of surviving a fall from the bridge are nonexistent.

The Pirates have access to the Knights' base thanks to two big staircases, wide enough to throw out attacks. Being the most well preserved place in the map, there is no shortage of decoration, with torches illuminating the area and pillars supporting what remains of the building.

The Vikings' path to access the Knights' base and vice versa can be divided into two parts: the balcony and the sand path. The balcony is a wide open space where players can shield bash or kick out their foes to the cliff where it's installed, alongside a beautiful view of the mountain range. The sand path is more protected and it's access varies to whoever carries the chest placed there. There is two exits of the sand path that lead to the Knights' base.

All three additional chests are located in the transitions above mentioned.

History

Forgotten was a highly anticipated map, as well feature, in the Beta 2.0 update, since it was designed by Jahhur, famous for his custom maps for the mod by the time the original release was made available for the public, a year earlier. The most noticeable differene between Forgotten's original release and the current version are the respawn rooms. In the Beta 2.0, the Knights' spawn was located closer to their chest capture area, the Vikings' spawn isn't covered and the same can be said for the Pirates. Also worth mentioning is how the only way the Vikings could reach the Knights' area was through one single cave. In later updates, multiple paths were added above and under the waterfall for the sake of less linear gameplay; the respawn rooms were also reworked. Updates also gave more props and decoration to the map, and at the same time optimization.

Trivia

  • While the civilization of the lost empire is unknown, props and textures show hints from sumerian art and gothic architecture, meaning that it's likely to be a culture created by Jahhur himself;
  • Forgotten's geology feels innacurate. For instance, the floor in the Vikings' area and the Pirates' is partially covered with snow while the cave that leads the player to the Knights' area has sand, and the map takes place in the middle of a mountain range. That could mean one of these two things: during the map's development the Knights' area was originally made for the Pirates, hence the water theme in said area, or it's a clue for the map's backstory, implying that either a sandstorm or another natural disaster based on sand caused the disappearance of the unnamed civilization;
  • The torches, like the ones in the staricases, could immediately kill anyone who jumps over it. It was also an issue found in Cathedral's torches, and it was eventually fixed so that they only drain health rather than killing instantly the player;
  • Like many early maps, Forgotten was updated with High Dynamic Range (HDR) when the mod was moved to the then new Orange Box version of the Source Engine, also known as Source 2007. Despite the update, opening the map in Source Filmmaker the program won't recognize the HDR parameters and renders the map with no lightning at all, showing the textures on their raw form. The issue can be fixed by typing in the console the command mat_fullbright 0 and then moving the time arrow before the timeline. Also worth mentioning is the fact that, thanks to the HDR issue, Forgotten runs a lot smoother in SFM than any other PVKII map, when running on a low-end computer;