May 1, 1997

Thanks for taking the time to read this - it should make Ax-L's Badlands a more enjoyable experience for both you and other vigilantes. 


Contents

- Introduction
- General Tips and Melee Suggestions
- Key Landmarks/Points of Note
- Notes to Other Map Editors
- Thanks, etc.

Introduction

Welcome to Ax-L's Badlands, my first attempt at multi-melee map making. My original idea was to create a large map with various combat arenas, that was somewhat divided into "good guy/bad guy" zones, as well as easy/hard zones, a setup which should lend itself well to scalable team play (i.e. zone guidelines are somewhat flexible). It also had to be easy to navigate, and needed a few strategic points for those who really got to know it well. I think I pretty much achieved these goals; however, I'm still not quite satisfied with the entire map - I want to fix up a couple too-nasty road sections, fix the screwed up barbed-wire fence around the one house (you'll know it when you either ram it accidentally and/or get stuck in it), add some more ambience in general (especially cactus, etc., on the east end), etc. But, enough people are saying, "Get this out now!" that I'm releasing this render of the map, and will hopefully release only one more final version, probably just after Activision's D3D patch becomes available.


General Tips and Melee Suggestions

Because Ax-L's Badlands is a large map, it's most suitable for at least three to four players (otherwise it might take some effort to track down your opponent), and is excellent for various forms of team play with up to eight players. Use the landmarks listed in the next section to help you navigate the map. You'll find that it's really pretty easy to get around once you know the key points. During beta testing we often found ourselves shouting out (via chat mode) various locations, to which all players would subsequently rush and conduct a brutal melee (e.g. "Lakebed!" "Oilfields!" "The Pit!" etc.).

If you're into team play, I designed the map around a "Drug Dealers vs. Cops" scenario. The dealers typically own the west side of the map (the fort and airstrip being their base of operations), and the cops have to defend the east end of the map (sheriff's station, school, housing, etc.). Each part of the map has a number of "blow-away" components, and there is a slight bias in terrain - the west/dealer side is a bit tougher.

As far as cars and recommended vehicle setups, my main advice to you is to think about your chassis. The Badlands can be brutal. A good driver can get around with very little chassis damage, but once you get off-road, you better keep your eyes open. Size of car really doesn't seem to matter much, but I do think the schoolbus is probably the toughest ride to use out here (mostly because of its crappy handling). You might want to consider adding curb feelers and/or mud flaps, especially with smaller cars.


Key Landmarks/Points of Note

I'll try to list most of the useful key landmarks in this section. If you get to know these areas well, you will find that even though Ax-L's Badlands is a large map, it is pretty easy to know right where you are by observing what's around you.

The Crossroads: This is roughly the center of the Badlands. You should see a billboard and a wreck on each side of a road that I like to refer to as the "west road." This makes definition of the other three roads simple. This is probably the easiest place to start from to get to any other area on the map.

The "T:" If you take the north road from the crossroads, you'll hit a "T" junction that is at the north edge of the map. Turn left here (i.e. west), and you'll cross a large bridge and then hit one of the two regen bunkers. Turn right and you'll pass an offramp and gas station, and eventually (it's a LONG way) hit the other regen bunker. The idea here is to provide easy-to-find, but not necessarily easy-to-reach, regen bunkers. The bridge can be taken out by mortars/clusters, requiring a more difficult, alternate route to the west regen bunker (this also leaves a deadly pit where the bridge was). The east regen run is just plain long and straight - easy pickins for a good missile man or anyone else that likes to take out crippled vehicles on their way to the bunker.

Spawning Points: A full eight spawning points are available, spread pretty evenly throughout the map. Also note that your car is generally facing the correct direction to head into the map whenever it spawns (maybe not exactly, but you better have SOME sense of direction before you enter the Badlands....). An interesting note: Several beta testers noticed that you often spawn at the point nearest your last death. We're not sure if all maps have the same characteristic, but it seems pretty obvious in the Badlands. It's nice with this big of a map, because you generally don't have to spend much time to hunt down the creeper that just killed you. Keeps the combat tight and constant.

The Fort: Located toward the west end of the map, this is like a drug dealer's palace nestled in the hills. The kingpin has a nice large "front yard" and mesa (that you can use to jump INTO the fort), and a low-speed access road to his airstrip. Also, there's a nice vista on a little hill just off the airstrip. And, yes, the roads at the junction of the west road and the fort turnoff are quite nasty; look around a bit - you might just find a really smooth alternate way up or around....

The Sheriff's Station: This is basically the main counterpart to the fort, and is accessed by either taking a trail that breaks north off the east road, or by simply staying on the east road until it loops back around (past the school). Yeah, it's a little crooked next to the road, something I'll work in fixing in the final release. The Sheriff is responsible for protecting the homesteads scattered through the eastern hills, the school, the oilfields, etc.

The School: Located toward the far end of the east road, there's really not much to be said about the school. I hated school as a youth, how 'bout you? Doesn't it feel good to blast those portable classrooms off to the side? This is another of the areas that can be defended by the "good guys" in a team melee.

The Farm: You can reach the farm by either taking the south road to its end, or by locating a trail that heads south from the school. If you take the south road, there's some nice vistas from various high hilltops near the breakaway left turn/guardrail signs (and don't blame me if you take these out early and start flying off this corner). The old barn's a great place to back into with lots of front-mounted weaponry - particularly Dr. Radars or Aim-Neins. Simply back in, turn off the engine and track your hapless foes (F5 view is nice for this). Once they pass in front of the barn door, just let your trigger finger have a little fun....

The Lakebed: Take the south road down toward the southwest corner of the map. You know you're either in or near the lakebed if you see pine trees around you. Probably one of my favorite places to fight - kind of like a big kidney-shaped pool, with some treacherous terrain inside. There are lumps, bumps, dips, ledges and rocks (mostly on the bumps, and they're really bad for your chassis). I suggest you set your Graphics Options Terrain Detail (not Resolution) on to high, at least when you're in the lakebed - it really adds to the experience to see the vegetation here, as opposed to the dry dirt that covers most of the rest of the Badlands. Try parking behind a tree on a ledge and turning off your engine - I've surprised a couple of opponents this way with a turret-based ambush attack. Also note that there are a few collapsible huts around the rim of the lakebed, although I haven't been able to place them too effectively - they more often than not turn into suicide launches....

The Oilfields: Simple, but fun. There's a bunch of oil pumps here, and an office building, together making for a nice scenic fight, especially during a dueling handgun finish (but be careful - watch your driving so you don't ram a pump). Can be used as an area with objects to be protected by the forces of good during team play.

The Pit: Located at the end of the west road, past the turnoff to the fort, your first clue that you shouldn't be here is the solid roadblock at the end of the line. Okay, so you gently edge past this and notice three burning wrecks at the base - still don't get the idea that this is a really dangerous place to mess around? Drop on in - if you survive that, you're doing better than most! Now try fighting - fire is effective here, and you better have some hill-climbing power too, if you want any kind of agility down here (don't forget to use your brakes, too). Best way out is to travel laterally to the north, until it's easier to get up a hill. Ambush suggestion: Park just under the lip, with your engine on. A newbie will fly up the road tracking you on radar, dodge the roadblock, and nine times out of ten flip to a brutal death by entering the pit too fast.


Notes to Other Map Editors

First, let me say that Ax-L's Badlands is a beast when it comes time to render - 24 grid squares in all. The main/drivable part spans four grid squares east to west, and two grid squares north to south; however, I am also using the twelve surrounding grid squares to provide a solid border that keeps players on the map and decreases "see-throughs" at the map's edges (probably won't need to worry about this as much after the D3D patch arrives (hint, hint, Activision....). I've also found that this technique allows me to create scenic, and potentially drivable, river-valleys in these bordering grid squares - a nice graphical effect when you're on a high vista point in the drivable area that overlooks the border grid squares. I have yet to implement one of these river-valleys because I'm still tweaking with how to make them look perfect; but they will come....

Also of note is that this is a "release" render of the map - which Activision warns against doing because it takes so damn long to complete. I was lucky enough to be out of town for a couple of days, so I figured I'd try this option out - I think you can see a bit of difference in the "smoothness" of the features of the map, and better object detail, etc. I have no idea of exactly how long it took to render the full 24 grid squares on my Pentium 133, but it was less than two-and-a-half days....

A few people have asked if I would provide the I76 file for Ax-L's Badlands. The main reason I haven't provided this "source code" is to keep a little bit of ownership of the map, and really more just to reduce multiple variants of the map appearing, making for confusing multi-melee setup. As mentioned in the introduction, I'm trying to keep it to only two official releases - this one, and a final one after the D3D patch is finished by Activision (I figure that'll make another "release" render really worthwhile). If you're really curious and want a copy of the I76 file, e-mail me at firehrse@silcom.com and we can discuss it....


Thanks, etc.

I almost didn't want to do this section, 'cause I KNOW I'm gonna leave somebody out. In looking back through my scraps of paper with various e-mail addresses and handles, I seem to have misplaced/mixed up a few. So, with that said, I'll do the best I can to list the fine vigilantes who took a few trips through the Badlands with me during its development, and if I forgot you, please e-mail my sorry ass at firehrse@silcom.com and I'll make sure you're listed in the final release. So, without further ado....

Podaar: Here's one I COULDN'T forget. He's spent more hours in the Badlands than anybody, and knows most of its tricks (i.e. if you see his green Pony out there, ya better run....). Thanks for the support, comments, etc., and HELP ME KEEP THE BADLANDS SAFE!!!

MADD MAXX, Bozzer and VNB: If Podaar's the sheriff, these guys would be great deputies. Each has given and received their fair share of lead in Ax-L's Badlands, and if you decide to visit, I'm sure they'll pump some up your ass too!

The Ones I Forgot: Hopefully not too many, and my apologies again for my bungling with my notes. E-mail me to get your righteous credit and title - I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP GIVEN ON MAKING THIS MAP!!!

		-- Ax-L
