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Title                   : The Erida Facility
Version                 : 1.0.1
Release Date            : October 2000
Filename                : CTF-Erida.zip
Author                  : Brett "freakscene" Walker
Email Address           : brett@brettwalker.net
Web Page                : http://www.brettwalker.net
Description             : A fairly large CTF map with two symmetrical industrial-themed bases, connected by overground trains.

Other levels by author  : DM-FSCrypt (released like two weeks after Unreal's release, I don't recommend it!)
Additional Credits to   : Epic MegaGames, the SkaarjCorps team (esp. Tacosalad and Nemesis for custom flag banners I used, and Andrew for the custom train mover), the beta-testers (Corren|DFB, LoserMan|DFB, Archer|DFB, WarSong|DFB, Bonzai, bRuiner, QSilver), and those who actually help in #unrealed and #unrealscript
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--- Play Information ---
Game                    : Unreal Tournament
Gametype                : Capture the Flag
Level Name              : CTF-Erida
New Sounds              : No
New Graphics            : Yes
New Music:		: No
Known bugs              : minor BSP errors here and there, but nothing that affects gameplay. 

--- Construction ---
Editor(s) used          : UnrealEd 2
Base                    : from scratch
Construction Time       : over the course of two years...but basically 3-4 months


Background
----------
Early in the first Human-Skaarj war, the Humans were greatly outclassed and slaughtered in great numbers by the relentless Skaarj attacks. The remaining human forces barely escaped into the mountains to set up a base of operations, where certain trace elements masked them from the Skaarj sensors. There they built the Erida Facility, a research station designed to develop deadly biogenic weapons to counterattack with, based on knowledge obtained from a crashed Skaarj research vessel.  They named it Erida (pronounced "er E da") after the ancient Greek goddess of Hate, for the rage that the slaughter by the Skaarj forces drove them to. "Hate entered into the battle, small at first, but as she strode forward, she grew and grew, until her head reached the heavens. She cast down bitterness and vile hatred on both armies as she moved through the fighting. Sister and companion of the brutal war god, Ares, her wrath is unyielding."  -The Iliad 4.440.  Certainly, the resort to biogenic weapons were proof that the human forces had crossed over the line of every interstellar treaty and into dark vengeance and hatred.

Now.. much later, the Liandri Corporation has rediscovered this abandoned site and found it a perfect setting for Capture the Flag matches.  And Erida rises her grim head once again on this facility.


Author's Notes
--------------
This was originally a map designed for the Unreal TC SkaarjCorps (back in 1998), but when the main coder GreenMarine was hired to Epic, that project faded away.  I decided it had a lot of promise as a CTF map, but I ended up redoing at least 80% of the architecture, as well as retexturing and relighting almost the whole thing.

Bot play:  I've worked REALLY hard trying to get these guys, girls and cows to present a competitive game, which wasn't easy given the multi-keyframe movers I used for the trains.  If you see the bots jump at the walls, they are trying to reach the train that isn't there yet.  I can't do anything about it..it's a "flaw" of the bot AI that they don't wait for the keyframe near to the LiftExit.  They also will often wait for a train while another train is already there..another flaw in the bot AI - once they start waiting for a mover, they won't switch.

Weapons/powerups notes:  I left out the Redeemer because I felt it would compromise the unique gameplay of the moving trains (enabling you to "catch up" too easily).  I left out the Megahealth because I wanted more teamwork required to get the flag back to base..and to sort of compensate for the quickness of the trains.  I think there's more than adequate protection and health there to make a successful flag run.  And there's no Jumpboots because it would make it too easy to hide on the roof with the flag.

Known issues: Don't jump in the train while they're travelling on the long straightaways.  They go too fast for the collision detection to keep up with (as well as UT's physics engine not continuing momentum in this case), and you'll fall out of the train.  Yeah, I could make the trains slower, but it would make it easy for translocators to catch up and nullify the reason for having the trains in the first place.  You can walk around, just don't jump.

If you have any comments on this level, e-mail me at: brett@brettwalker.net



Installation
------------
Unzip and place the CTF-Erida.unr file into the Maps directory and the SkaarjCorps.u file into the System directory, which are both inside your Unreal Tournament directory. Type in "open <mapname>" to run the map. Alternatively, double-click the map, or start a practice session and select the map from the menu.

Copyright / Permissions
-----------------------
This level is copyrighted by Brett Walker (freakscene) 2000.

Authors may NOT use this level as a base to build additional levels.

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!

You MAY distribute this .zip for free through any electronic network (internet,
FIDO, local BBS etc.), provided you include this file and leave the archive
intact.

----------------------
Unreal Tournament (c)1999 Epic Megagames, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  Distributed by
GT Software, Inc. under license.  Unreal Tournament and the Unreal Tournament logo are registered
trademarks of Epic Megagames, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are
properties of their respective owners.