================================================================
Title                   : Tropical Disturbance
Version                 : 413
Release Date            : April 25, 2000
Filename                : CTF-TropicalDisturbance.unr
Author(s)               : Rick Miller (aka "RedShirtSlacker")
Email Address           : sinder@cardina.net
Web Page                : http://members.xoom.com/cinder
Description             : Capture the Flag
Other levels by author  : None published or submitted.
Additional Credits to   : All the great people in the Gameslink
                          IRC!

================================================================
--- Play Information ---
Game                    : Unreal Tournament
Level Name              : CTF-TropicalDisturbance
Single Player           : No
Cooperative             : N/A
Deathmatch              : N/A
Dark Match              : N/A
Difficulty Settings     : N/A
New Sounds              : No
New Graphics            : No
NewUnrealScript         : No
External DLLs           : No
Known bugs              : Bots lack a "desire" to go all the way
                          to the other base when commanded to
                          take the flag.  I have no remedy for
                          this.  Online and LAN play is flawless
                          though.

--- Construction ---
Editor(s) used          : UnrealED, TerraEdit, TexAlign
Base                    : New Level
Construction Time       : Roughly 2 weeks.  I had done research on
                          a similar design by creating a level with
                          the same basic principles on a smaller 
                          scale previously, then it took me about 
                          a week to pound out the geometry.  It 
                          took about 4 days to get the lighting 
                          right.  Botpathing took only 2.

--- Beta Testers ---
My brother, who even though has a measly K6-300, somehow managed to 
keep a playable framerate on this monster.

Installation
------------
Unzip the contents of CTF-TropicalDisturbance.zip to your 
UnrealTournament\Maps directory.  Run directly by double clicking
on the icon or from within the game.

Author's Notes
--------------

This is my first submitted/published map that I've done.  I have
made others, yet I never submitted them for review, I only made
them for my brother and I to play on our LAN.

I was inspired to create this level after reading a post on the
now defunct "BetaMaps" site which asked for large scale outdoor
levels, something the poster felt was lacking in the Unreal 
community.  I combined this with inspiration from a Tribes level
called Raindance to come up with the idea.

Here is the premise, 2 islands, 2 warring factions, one bridge,
and you're surrounded by a tropical sea.  Once you have battled 
your way across, make it to the top of the enemy base and hop a 
transporter to the underground lava cavern where you'll find the 
flagroom.Admire the scenery if you wish, but death comes under 
the tropical sun.

There are basically only two ways to get to the opposing base,
take the fortified bridgeway or get your feet wet and swim it.
Either way is equally long.

I tried my best to make this map true to a scale which I believed
to be realistic.  I had to compromise on the volcanos though, in 
real life they are miles across.  You could make an entire level 
just from a lava field.  Think of these as "baby volcanos" like an 
emerging Hawaiian island.

It was also difficult to get the skybox to mesh with the horizon 
of the level.  I did as best I could to "make the 2 seas match up" 
so to speak.  And with the lighting, I tried making an array of 
spotlights with large radii & cones to simulate parallel lighting
from one source, instead of the usual Zone lighting.  I think it 
produces better shadows and a more "sunny" appearance with this 
method.

One thing I was unable to do was include a sun or some form of
lense flare in the skybox.  It just wouldn't show up wither way
(a sheet or light), so I just made what you see in the level
currently.

I hope you enjoy this.  If you have any comments or feedback, I
would love to hear from you.  This has been a real learning
experience so far and I appreciate any critiques/advice you may
have. (C;

Copyright / Permissions
-----------------------
This level is copyrighted by Rick Miller (c) 2000 and is
intellectual property of the respective author.

Authors may use this level as a base to build additional levels
with my permission.

You are NOT allowed to commercially exploit this level, i.e. put 
it on a CD or any other electronic medium that is sold for money 
without my explicit permission!  This INCLUDES any form of 
electronic media distribution or any electronic archive (such 
as FTP.CDROM.COM).

You MAY however distribute this level through any electronic 
network (internet, FIDO, local BBS etc.), for non-profit 
purposes provided you include this file and leave the archive 
intact.
