Glad you asked. While vacationing in England, I was fortunate to pick up some interesting terms used by the English. For instance, the traffic circles we found were referred to as "roundabouts."
"Allright, carry on." (English accent, please.)
While driving through England, we encountered a strange breed of roundabout. Now, the usual roundabouts are small raised portions of the road, similar to a pitcher's mound in size and height. This particular roundabout had a monstrous roundabout at the center, surrounded by several secondary roundabouts (approximately seven of them) of the everyday flavor. Naturally, this made driving especially difficult (not to mention the fact that we were forced to drive on the wrong side of the road). After laughing at this peculiarity, we drove directly toward the proper exit, paying no heed to those stupid pitcher's mounds. Apparently, that's what everybody does. It's just too confusing otherwise. Later that day, some locals referred to the intersection as "the magic roundabout."
"Dammit Jeremy, this is a Marathon level, not a traffic circle!"
Yeah, yeah, I know. But if you'll notice, the level is shaped in a circle (in a roundabout way) with several smaller circles at each corner connecting the larger rooms.
"Fine. What's so magic about it?"
Well, if you haven't already played this level, you will be pleased/dismayed to learn that it involves a bit of 5D space. That magic enough for you?
"Sure. I still think you're full of it. Couldn't you have thought of a better name?"
No.
"Then let's finish this Read Me."
Fine. I figure I had better give an overview of the layout of this level. There are two large green rooms connected by a central passageway. Two large orange rooms are connected in the same manner. They are all at the same level of elevation, but the connecting passageways overlap in 5D space. Furthermore, the corners of each of the four rooms overlap in 5D space. This is especially evident from the sniper ledges that open into each room (gee, wonder how you get up there?). Small loops connect each room at the corner, and two other loops connect the two central passageways. Don't worry, it'll make more sense when you see it. Just make sure to check your map often; it'll help you understand the layout.
"So, how do you get up there?"
Not telling. It shouldn't be too hard to find. If you get squeamish when you don't know about all the secrets in a level, you can always open up the level with a map editor.
To use this map, simply rename your original map file something other than "Map" (i.e. "Bungie" or "Original") and then put the new map file in your Marathon folder. Start Marathon as usual, and you're ready to play! You can play on a network with up to eight people, or you can click on "Begin New Game" to practice solo.
I've attempted to make this map as polished and bug-free as possible. However, I have not had an opportunity to test it thoroughly on a network or on a variety of computers. If there are any problems that you have found, feel free to let me know at afn02635@afn.org (preferred) or JeremyC743@aol.com. Also, I'd love some feedback or suggestions for this level or for future creations. Is it too big? Too small? Too stupid? Too cool? Send me a note! Got a cool movie? I'd love to see...
Don't forget to check out my previous Marathon levels, both of which can be found at ftp://ftp.amug.org/incoming or Claude Errera's Marathon Maps page at http://www.ese.ogi.edu/pub/entertainment/marathon/maps. They can also be found on AOL in the MGM New Scenarios Files folder.
+ The Man-Trap
+ Stop the Press!
A few helpful hints:
+ Take a few solo runs to learn the layout of the level. Although it may seem impossibly confusing at first, it will seem simple once you have played a few games.
+ This level can be very colorful in certain places such as the green rooms. When you pick a color for your marine, pick one that blends in with the backgrounds.
+ Check the corners of each of the large rooms carefully; it is easy to miss Spankers in the green rooms.
+ Use the 5D Space to your advantage; if an opponent is chasing you, run around the corner into another passageway. It can be very disorienting, especially for someone who is trying to chase you.
+ Turn out the lights when using sniper ledges (you'll be less conspicuous), but turn them back on when you leave. Next time you see the lights dim, you may be able to figure out where the missile that just killed you came from. :-)
This map was created using Pfhorte 1.0d19 and Mia1.0b18. Thanks to Steve Israelson and Dan Walkowski for their wonderful map editors, and, of course, to Bungie for creating this spectacular game. I make no guarantees as to the performance of this map on any particular computer. I assume no responsibility for any damage to the user or the user's computer as a result of the use of this map. In other words, use this map at your own risk. This map may be distributed freely as long as this unaltered Read Me is included.
