More fun than I've had in quake for a long time. The atmosphere was great, the gameplay was pretty spot on, the difficulty levels seemed very well done (nice and easy in tourist mode, nice and evil on nightmare!).

Great stuff. I hope you find the energy and the motivation to fix up the second half some time. 

One of the best levels since a while ago.
I really hope Nike's going to change his mind about the second part :>
Gonna try the level for the 4th time now, i need to get all the secrets :) 

that also have Nehahra installed, can get the fog to work by adding
-nehahra on the command line and then run this script file from the console: http://user.tninet.se/~xir870k/joefog.cfg

Put the script file in the fmb_bgd directory and run it with exec joefog.cfg after you've loaded the map. You may have to run it again after loading a saved game. To mimic the Fitz fog, you can try increasing density to 0.04. The fog might help those who think the map is too dark. 

The FMB brand remains strong in the SPQ1 world. Here's some comments:

- I like well used darkness in Quake, this had pockets of darkness to build a strong mood. Where you needed light, there was light.

- Nice crawling layout with a mix of wide open spaces and dingy low corridors and spiral staircases.

- Good use of Daikatana textures. I agree that CDA and this would fit nicely in a themed episode.

- Very nice secrets, I have found 8 and I know where the prize is for two others. I'm not sure if the one is missing a button since I see a pocket in a wall and can find no other means to open it.

- I played on Hard and found it fair - I died a few times yes, but there were no cheese deaths.

- Good use of old and new foes.

- I kept the music playing.

- Really no faults other then some potential shortcuts to the GK and one could perhaps take an alternate route by jumping through the small passage way at the bottom of the square lava well with the spiral ramps. Not sure if this is really a problem - I returned to the expected route.

- I hope to find the other 4 secrets without cheating if I can.

Overall, we needed a map like this - we're starving! This is true Quake goodness. 

Like Spirit said, Linux recognizes upper and lower case in filenames etc.

Thus Pak0.pak, PAK0.PAK and pak0.pak are different files! It's preferable to just use lowercase.

Linux users who need to lowercase file names can use this script (just copy and paste):

#!/bin/bash
for filename in *
do
fname=`basename $filename`
n=`echo $fname | tr A-Z a-z`
if [ $fname != $n ]
then
mv $fname $n
fi
done
exit 0

Save it as a text file and name it "lowercase". Don't forget to run "chmod +x lowercase" to make it executable.

Go into the folder where you need to lowercase stuff and just run the script from there.

works like a charm. 

everything that has been said already, really. I only played in "tourist mode" because my old laptop was struggling to cope. I'm not too keen on these textures, especially the lava.

The lighting looks like Day of the Lords. Which is a good thing. :-)

Now what was the intended route again? 

Note that some of the music files are requested from the bsp with mixed case, so you can't just lowercase everything. 

I roamed and wandered in full frenzy. This map must be carved on the fronton of Quake Heritage for posterity! Perfect lighting and texturing (no worry about misalignments or lack of polish here), dark gothic ambiance, low rusted ceilings, thick walls and narrow loopholes. Earthquakes. I felt like 'being there' all the time. The scale is wisely crafted in human proportion. As you progress through the map the whole thing feels more like an episode. The no turning back ending casts an ultimate menace. Monsters choice is great (special mention for Baby Chthons, Rocket Ogres, Vorelings, rare Zombies ;) and Vermis location). I really enjoyed the big BKey arena! Long time not had such a space to stretch the fight and run under rocket trails! Cool music too. I'm big fan of Hexen II! On/off buttons are just top class.

My best run so far, second one (I'm in the middle of the 4th one right now ;)):

92:38
7/12
126/128

About routes. Again, well done job here. You can always finish the map (from what I tried). Beware though, some choices lead to be trapped. Less ammo, lack of weapons and above all, you're trapped in a part of the map. Your only way to escape is to solve a secret! I must admit this was the thrill of it all! I searched for about an hour, thinking "Come on, there must be a way out... It's an FMB map after all!".

I mostly used AguiRe's engine. In Fitzquake I ended up on the extending ledge in the lava stairwell, not being able to pick the YArmor!!

CDA and FBM-bdg are undoubtly siblings. I hope you both MW and JPL will help yourselves for the last map/episode!

From the bottom of my Quake heart, thank you Mike! 

Great map. I am not a mapper. I am a player. I think if someone takes the time to make a map you should play it. Some are better than others. I did not see anything wrong with this map.
When I try to make a map it turns out to just be boxes. Something this forum really criticizes. No imagination I guess.
Quite unusal I didn't see anyone pick this map apart.
Like others I hope you finish map 2 and give it to us but if not thanks for this one.
I think it is amazing what you did with just a few brushes and for me the music was a nice touch.
BTW I played it in regular glquake 1.13b. Think my puter is to old for fitzquake or my video card or something. 

awesome atmosphere mike, I liked the music too. Really good stuff all around, I have no idea why you put all those warnings/disclaimers in the readme, this is a very high quality map.

Add me to the list of people who would very much like to see part 2. even if it only plays in one or two engines. 

uij[ 

fgfuv8kg9 

Great job Mike! I'm really hoping you can muster up the willpower to finish your second half... Even if you don't, this is seriously radical. 

I finally got a chance to play this weekend. Very fun atmospheric map! Genuinely spooky in spots with some of the Hellknight placements! It was difficult, but overall well-balanced and survivable if played cautiously (for those of you that didn't get the opportunity to die in the lava, there's a really cool new sound as you lie there dead, contemplating your fate!).

I enjoyed the killable Chthons, and the other varied and well-placed enemies.

Not much more to say that hasn't already been said. I've always very much enjoyed your maps, and if this isn't truly your last, then I look forward to your next release!

P.S. - anyone find a way to get to the hall that leads to the megahealth secret when you're in the room with the broken bridge over the lava without - a trick jump? I tried normal jumps from the ledges near the RA a number of times but couldn't make it. 

I just recorded a sloppy nightmare 100% demo, first finish time 14 minutes 24 seconds. I had to pause the game once because an antivirus update interrupted me thus making game choppy. Too bad the mini Chthons take 10 rockets each, as they took only 3 on easy skill. The way I took the last secret almost messed me up in the end. I had had several attempts where I fell to the lava. :)

The map has a very good atmosphere. New monsters and old monsters behaving differently were a nice extra. :)

I would like to coop on this map with somebody, 2-player time goes easily below 10 minutes. :)

Oh and here is the demo, I once again abused Mandel's temp directory. http://mandelmassa.net/temp/fmb_1424.dz

Try to enjoy. :) 

I improved my Nightmare 100% by 87 seconds to 12:57 a bit after the first finish demo. New route was better.

Then, this evening I suggested mwh to coop on this map and he agreed. Soon after I had planned routes for two players, sidd wanted to come in and I had to plan routes again, for three players this time.

We got a terrible 3:06 in the Easy 100%, where mwh has lots of free time and sidd runs out of rockets. The most annoying part of the map was to get to the rocket launcher secret at start. We kept falling to the lava quite many times. :)

Here are the demos then:
http://mandelmassa.net/temp/fmb_306.dz Easy 100% 3-Player
http://mandelmassa.net/temp/fmb_1257.dz Improved Nightmare 100% 

please put coop starts in. 

Chton doesnt spawn when you take GL with coop 1 setting. 

I'm up here getting some heavy doses of Colorado powder (as they say here, awesome!!) so have only just had the chance to review all the comments. I'm chuffed to bits that so many people liked the map. Thanks for taking the trouble to post.

The music seemed to get the most thumbs down, although if I do ever finish the Imp's Castle, it will (already has) have music.

The darkness also was commented on and I can only say that I like it dark. However, I am sure that there are major differences between graphics cards that affect the screen display (I use ATI Pro 9800). For example, there has been a lot of discussion about screenshots being too dark: for this map, mine were done in FitzQuake at default setting and no adjustment other than to convert to jpeg. They are just as I see it in-game. However, if your engine of choice does not support fog, it will be darker than I intended as fog does light the map a little. I only use FitzQuake for playing Quake.

I also saw the z-fighting during sidd's demo in the room where the ogres jump out of the wall. This is not happening on my system in either FitzQuake or aguiRre's development engine, so I never saw it during testing. AguiRre did warn me but I had already 'finished' the map by then.

Likewise the crash: I knew some people would jump up there so placed a trigger_once to killtarget the trigger_push, which was used to get the monsters into the Slaughter Room. I now know that some engines crash, but not FitzQuake. The error causing the crash is mug-trapped by FQ and I never spotted the error message during testing as the game was never interrupted.

Generic: jumping out of the window was one of the planned short cuts - just don't land in the lava :)

Aaron: I didn't put any screenshots on Planetquake but the ones listed above were all FitzQuake.

Spirit: that was the intention for the music - I thought it made the level more immersive and intense. But I knew it wouldn't appeal to everyone hence the on/off switch.

Ijed: I never developed the music module to include it in the save file. The reason you press twice is first time to switch it off (even though after a quickload you can't hear it) and a second time to switch it on. As I say, I never finished the module.

Ankh: great demo, sorry about the crash - even I was gutted at that point!

Sidd: nice jumps in your demo - I'm still not sure how you opened one of the secrets ;)

Neg!ke: this map is right on the limit for marksurfaces and edicts, and only just inside clipnode limit. Before I split it, marksurfaces and clipnodes were around 50k. Total brushes for the complete map were 14k: This_Onion is 6500+ and Imp�s Castle is 7500+.

Scragbait: I'm not sure about your 'pocket in the wall' but I can give you some clues if you are stuck. Also, all short cuts were intentional.

JohnXmas: I'm glad you liked the no-turning-back ending. I rather suspected most players would be so glad to have got past the Vermis that they wouldn't have turned around to see what was happening. I'm curious about you getting trapped in the map - I thought I had all short cuts covered? I have no explanation as to why you couldn't pick up the yellow armour unless you were already full up?

Now, it�s time to get back on the piss/piste � only 7days left!! 

I just went back there in FitzQ, AguirRe's and TomazQ148 and couldn't reproduce the problem. Weird...

About being trapped... mmmh yes... I think what I wrote in my previous post was more reflecting my own phantasm! Being trapped there was such a delight... 0_o ;) In fact, on my second run, I took the bottom passage underneath the stairwell. Following a shortcut in my head to reach the exit avoiding the BKey area, I found myself trapped, trying to grab the GKey! I was already playing the map since hours when I finally found my way through the floor grate! Then, I completely forgot the broken bridge route when I wrote the review... Lol!

The ambiance of your map is a sure trigger for my old addiction to puzzle games! Wish I can get more of this in Quake sometimes... 

which one? :) 

Normally in coop, picking up a weapon doesn't fire triggers like in sp. It can be changed of course, like e.g. in Quoth. 

The one by the stairs where you have to jump into it. It's trigger is miles away. 

I open it with RL after I kill scrag. The trigger takes splashdamage and opens the secret :P 

...and as such loved the light and dark of this level. The fog fit in with no problems.

If you ever decide to finish the sequel and if you need a tester, I'm compatible with your display card.