Posted in
One of the best games ever (for having it out with your friends) is Jedi Knight. A game that came out in the mid-1990's with mediocre graphics and incredibly dull, monotonous, repetitive single player---involving about three kinds of enemies: stormtroopers, greedos, and these buff triple-eyed dudes. Boooooring.
But despite the lame solo campaign, the game was customizable to the highest degree, and throughout Junior High my friends and I could spend hours on end fighting each other with all kinds of downloadable patches, mods, and new levels. You could make your guy look like Bill Clinton if you wanted to, and you could play on any number of home-made maps that people would upload. From McDonalds to High School. And the best part was that the game could be modded by amateurs, even young teenagers like us.
So, inevitably, we made some of our own levels. A few were serious but several were not. Most of my prank levels involved falling to your death sometimes from heights so high it took you as many as five or ten minutes (literally) before you died and were able to re-spawn (re-enter the game). Of course the point of that was to make it super annoying and get a good laugh.
Well it didn't take us long to make a bogus map and load it to Massassi.net, the homeland of all people who played and modded Jedi Knight. It had thousands of unique visits per day and just as many downloads you could get to change your game. Our level was appropriately titled "Nowhere to Run."
Basically I used the level editor to make the smallest space I possibly could, which happened to be a triangle. Then on each different surface (5 total) I colored them with unique textures. Each of these was ugly to look at already, but seeing them together was revolting to the eyes.
Having done that I carved out a little square at the top which implied a tunnel that, if reached, presumably lead to the rest of the level. Of course this tunnel was more like an indentation in the wall than a tunnel, and dead-ended shortly. But the player would never be able to get to the tunnel to see that it was a bluff because I gave the level maximum gravity. What that means is that should your character jump (or fall in any way) you'd die instantly. To encourage jumping I put a box next to the player that he could jump on and use as a stepping stone to reach the bogus tunnel. But, of course, a player could never jump onto the box without dying instantly.
Now, a few patches out there included gadgets like grappling hooks and jetpacks and I was worried that a player might use one of those to reach the bogus tunnel and blow the whistle that the level was a phony. However, testing these mods myself, I discovered that they did not work. The jetpacks provided no lift and the grapple hook could not reel the player in. Instead he'd just sort-of shake on the ground without moving while the grapple hook sound effect played over and over.
Then I added the coup-de-grace. I searched through the sound effects that came with the game and browsed them. From laser blasts to explosions to dialogue nothing seemed appropriate. Until I browsed the "death" sounds. One scream in particular stood out it was loud and shrill and would probably kill a dog. (In the normal game it happens when a player falls off a cliff, and only plays once.) I added this sound effect to my level with the condition that as long as the player was in that triangle (which he could never leave) the screaming noise would play over and over forever.
So if you downloaded this level you'd find an ugly triangle box (and I mean REALLY ugly), with barely enough room to wiggle, and hear a repeating screaming noise at maximum volume. And should you try to jump you die immediately and respawn.
So ... pretty much the worst level ever made. Now, unfortunately for us, Massassi Temple (the people who host all the custom Jedi Knight files for download) required every new submission to include two screenshots of their level. Because we couldn't risk letting them see what our level really looked like, we used someone else's levels to take these screenshots. But we didn't want them to recognize the screenshots as another level so we made them unclear as possible. Like standing next to a wall and taking a snapshot. I don't have the pictures any more but they must have looked something like this.
and
Terrible. Just terrible.
After we uploaded it in our level description we made up some BS about how we were representing some company called LanceCORPS that had professionally made this level. We then tried to defend it using ridiculous arguments that became progressively inane. Eventually, though, Massassi saw through our baloney and posted this message. (Thanks to internet archive we found it again).
This was posted as top-story news on the front page.
No Where to Run Level Deleted
08/14/02
The JK MP level No Where to Run has been deleted. The level was a prank. It was a simple triangle, that killed you as soon as you entered, and then trapped you with an eternal screaming sound. The author posted baloney about a "new theoretical style of game play," scientific research, a "corporation" behind the making of the level, and masqueraded as someone else in order to praise his level and rate it a ten.
Folks, pranks will not be tolerated. Abusers will have their files deleted and be banned.
But though the level was deleted, we managed to retrieve the first page of user comments. RavageX is us (we borrowed this from a prominent modder named SavageX) and some of our dummy accounts (which we used to inflate the ratings and award our level high marks) apparently included ReAcToR and SnipeHunter among several others.
Here is that page.
Posted By: Comment:
THRAWN_18 Posted: 08/10/02 23:34 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No rating (wont d/l it, cant remember the last MP level I downloaded).
Anyhoo, those pictures are kind of...blank. The second one could be Canyon Oasis or Battleground Jedi. Just a thought for other level makers, put some effort into screen shots.
Admin Only: Delete
Plasma Man Posted: 08/10/02 23:38 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And your name sounds very very close to SavageX.
Admin Only: Delete
RazielNok Posted: 08/11/02 11:04 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hypo-what?
Admin Only: Delete
RavageX Posted: 08/11/02 23:05 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't let the poor screenshots or lack of downloads discourage you from trying this level. In explanation our team had an embarrassing blunder when a staff member submitted the screenshots we did not wish to submit. Cdr. Scorch took these photos in the game as a humorous joke which turned into a horrible mistake. Though these screenshots are legitimate parts of this level they are not our best work, please udnertand. Though due to time issues and events in individuals lives for the time being we'll have to leave the pictures as is. WIth that aside I choose to address one more issue. (Level Cosmetics) The texturing and sound are not jokes they are actually scientifically designed to stimulate specific natural human emotions which have been proven to heighten one's gaming ability. Also the unique size/shape of the level is designed to keep you in near constant combat with your opponent(s) It's a new idea only tested by a rare few so far but it explores a unique and rich science which is, in my opinion, a fantastic new angle for 3d editing. There. I beleive I have addressed all questions now I only hope you will give our team the same chance you give may of the others here and we can both mutually benefit from this exchange. I encourage you to post your comments as well to aid us in future level creations.
Regards,
LanceCORP
Admin Only: Delete
ReAcToR Posted: 08/11/02 23:05 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I give it a 10. There is only one way to describe this masterpiece, and that is 1-3-3-7. Not since Yoda's House has there been such a great level. Truly a turning point in JK editing. This level will be remembered by all for years to come.
Admin Only: Delete
Raiden_Zer0 Posted: 08/12/02 01:43 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you say so.
It didn't strike me as interesting at all.
Admin Only: Delete
RavageX Posted: 08/12/02 11:57 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raiden_Zer0,
That can be easily explained. Please do not be offended by this comment but I must point out that the untrained eye could easily over-look this level as insignificant. However there are those out there of whom we wish to reach that will see the scientific complexity and the radiant beauty that shimmers from this level. I must admit I have already noted a few things I would like to change for future versions but this is still a breakthrough in Jedi Knight technology.
Regards,
LanceCORP
Admin Only: Delete
RavageX Posted: 08/12/02 12:01 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plasma Man,
We've been operating under the name "RavageX" for years, probably our division had our name before your renowned "SavageX" began his career. LanceCORP has done intense work in 3D editing in different software since before Jedi kNight came out. However we find we can be the most productive per capita over time using the program known as JED. So recently we have started a wing inside the corporation to deal completely with Jedi Knight. I hope that explains the uncanny similarity.
Regards,
LanceCORP
Admin Only: Delete
SnipeHunter Posted: 08/12/02 18:20 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brilliant , simply brilliant . LanceCORP has truly uncovered a new age in level editing .This fantastic level brings multiplayer deathmatch to a new level . The texturing alone provides enough "eye candy" to send your mind into a mental state of paradise while your frags accumulate .The music , if you will , in the backround creates an appropriate mood for death match not usually found in other levels .Not only are the conceptual devices used in making this level amazing in it of themselves , but the level design provides an unforgetable multiplayer experience . In addition to these wonderful qualities and characterists there lies a subtle quality that makes this level truly unique. The previously mentioned characteristics are not stand alone entities (although they could have been).They blend together to create this unique,fantasic,elegant multiplayer experience/level. They blend together so well that this quality alone sets this level high upon a pedistle radiating its glorified excellence against others .Never has such a level stood out so prominent as this ( against other levels).After one is done playing this level they left with a refreshing state of celestial ecstacy . Bravo LanceCORP , bravo and amen.
Admin Only: Delete
RavageX Posted: 08/13/02 00:13 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SnipeHunter,
I must thank you on behalf of my staff for your sincere compliment and a few chuckles. You see we almost need to hire you on to be part of our sales and advertisment comitee. I thank you for your passionate remark, and must compliment you on your vivid use of imagery. I appreciate what you have written and am glad to discover your keen eye has found all that we've worked hard to place deep into our design. Please continue to coment on what you are and are not satisfied with and I hope others will as well.
Regards,
LanceCORP
Admin Only: Delete
fabianoag Posted: 08/13/02 05:34 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This level i fun.
Because you really have no where to run.
I was just wondering what mod you were using in screenshot 1.
The HUD looks kinda strange.
Admin Only: Delete
Yodacrunchies Posted: 08/13/02 11:50 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
] Loquacious Hyperbole = Much Laughter [
"LanceCORP"? Please direct me to your corporate website!
Please post some better screenshots! At the moment, the two current are nothing special and certainly do nothing to buoy your highfalutin verbiage
Rating: At the moment - n/a
Admin Only: Delete
RavageX Posted: 08/13/02 11:54 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yodacrunchies,
Please refer to former comments for an explanation regarding the screenshots. Also we removed our site from search engines and took it down for the time being. The reason is classified but it was a corporate decision, though I'm head in 3d editing that division is rather small compared to many of the others. Thank you for your interest however and if you wish I can inform you when the site is back up.
Regards,
LanceCORP
Admin Only: Delete
gReEn-ish Posted: 08/13/02 13:26 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hold on just a minute here... You spent how long on this level? You're a group of how many people? You've been working for how many years? It seems to me you spent a total of 5 minutes on this particular level. Its only merits (be they merits at all) is that no surface has the same material, and that you found an exceptionally annoying wav to repeat. Actually, quite a few of the other jkl's in your gob seem more interesting than this level, namely the one named battleroom, the series of levels beginning with 'space', and the barnish-shaped levels. Forgive me for looking in there, but after trying your level, I had to open it up in jed to see if I had missed something. Alas, I had not. I am deeply saddened to say that a level worse than the dflt box has been made and submitted to Massassi.
Admin Only: Delete
RavageX Posted: 08/13/02 16:33 Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
gReEn-ish ,
LanceCORP has been around around for several years.We are not (as you have suggested) limited to level editing for simple games. Surely an entire corperation could not survive on profitless level design .In regards to your "5 minutes" statement , LanceCORP spent a good amount of time to develope the level design techniques and concepts that make this level what it is.However the actual building of the level architecture took no time at all .The level design devices used in making this level were based around a single concept or goal , if you will . That goal was to provide a player with the "ultimate" multiplayer deathmatch experience.We , LanceCORP , did extensive research to find what qualities and charcteristics of a particulare level bring a player closer to that goal.I am sorry that you did not find the level at all interesting , however this may be due to the fact that you haven't actually played the level with a few other players .You only examined the level alone and thus missed the entire purpose of the level . The concept of hypethetical perpetual action simply becomes absurd and meaningless when applied to one single person .If you have in fact played the level with a few other players the I am sorry that you did not find the level satisfactory.Although , on the other hand if you have only played the level solo I encourage you to play the level with others . You won't regret it . Sincerely , LanceCORP
Admin Only: Delete
