ONS-CBP2-Mirage

Title: Mirage
Author: Jake ‘Reeps’ Speer
Game: Onslaught
Volume: 1
Node Setup: Click Here

A distress call emitted from the Mirage Communications Outpost-751. Members of the staff began disappearing one by one. Search parties entered the area, soon to be vanished. This day, two teams battle for the secrets hidden within the area. Will the cause become evident, or will it soon be a Mirage...?

RaptoR: Mirage continues the desert theme of Argento and Brassed, although it offers a somewhat different gameplay experience. Visually, the author has used alpha maps on multiple axes in order to create a solid underlying theme. Base design also polished, while appearing clean and uncluttered. The bases and node structures are a perfect example of custom BSP and static meshes working in harmony. However, if there’s one thing that his map lacks in terms of its visuals it’s the “wow-factor” that we see in other CBP maps. The feeling of awe that you get from flying high above Tropica in a Raptor or looking out on Valarna from the edge of a cliff just isn’t here.

In terms of gameplay, Mirage offers a solid, fun and balanced Onslaught experience. Nodes are spaced symmetrically across the arena, with most of the action taking place around the exposed central node. This exposure means that it’s easy to get into a ‘stalemate’ situation, with control of the node changing from red to blue every few seconds. With this in mind, the author has cleverly placed the Redeemer on a platform directly above the node itself. You’ll have to work to get to it, but once there you’re rewarded with the power to put a swift end to the stalemate and claim control of the node for your team. Yet despite its solid visuals and gameplay, Mirage suffers from the same symptoms as many of the other CBP Onslaught maps - far too few vehicles given the size of the map and the average player load. With the large power core only supplying three vehicles, and the closest node only giving another two, it’s inevitable that you will, at some point, find yourself having to get to the action the old-fashioned way.

Overall, Mirage offers a high-quality experience in terms of both gameplay and visuals, perhaps best summed-up as the thinking man’s ONS map.

Zenny: Mirage uses spacing expertly. There's enough space in the map to not get claustrophobic, but it's not so spread out you feel like the gnomes on Mars are closer to the nodes then you. I really dig the way the nodes intertwine with each other via those passes between the mountains. If I had to pick, I would choose this map as the best one in the bunch.

hal: Like Tropica, Mirage seems small but conceals it better than the others by having the primary node farther from the base. Unfortunately, this clusters the middle three tightly and you can often be within site of more than one node.

I think that there is a place for small Onslaught maps, but being able to see more than one node at a time really takes away some of the value of the vehicles provided. In my opinion there is one too many nodes in this map. Luckily, the link editor will take care of that, but most servers will run on default. The super weapons and power-ups are also nicely concealed along the top paths of the map.

Raffi_B: This is the best ONS map in the first volume of the pack, in my opinion. The custom texturing and meshwork is top-notch, and the theme is consistent throughout the map. The map’s overall look resembles the look of Unreal II XMP maps, probably because author Jake ‘Reeps’ Speer spent plenty of time helping out with the XMP Community Bonus Pack. The vehicle placement is great, except for in the main base. The main base could use one flying vehicle in the center, to help make fighting back easier for the losing team. However, I see that this placement could be on purpose, forcing teammates to pile onto the Hellbender and Scorpions.