System Zeta v2: Unearthed

By: JJ3672

Download Here:
http://www.bungie.net/forums/posts.aspx?h3fileid=42089853

'Operation instructions: Destroy pallets, take gravlift, turn and deposit gravlift into slot, let chaos ensue. 2-10 players.'

Changes since v1

Whole back area with crooked geo-merged boxes removed, interlocked curved wall now added which reduces map to about half its former size.
Ghosts and ghost ramps removed, map is now too small to support vehicles.
Truck loading zone, turret platform, and fence wall ramps added to complement the curved wall and provide cover/aesthetics.
Rock outcropping in center (w/ needler) has been removed and replaced with a cleaner interlocked structure, now including a ramp to the top of observation tower B for a different style of entrance.
Tunnel entrance to main maintenance tunnels has been removed, and a geo-merged double box now provides cover (and plasma) around the attacker spawn.
The number of weapons on top of the mechanism has been reduced from 6 to 3 (and the number of fusion coils has been reduced from 12 to 5) to accommodate the smaller map. Now only a sniper, laser, and sword (and the ever-deadly traffic cone) will be littered around the map upon activation.
No fancy title? Sorry, you can blame the 20 pic limit for that. However, the post itself is simpler and more coherent (hopefully).

Backstory

The UNSC has been doing weapons testing in the southwest corner of New Mexico for over 10 years, and the area has been reduced to a series of smoldering craters from megaton bomb testing. However, a recent underground scan of the area conducted by the government has shown significant traces of oil in the region reserved for the UNSC for military exercises. Given the current oil crisis, the government immediately expressed interest in a drilling operation in this area, forcing the military to relocate their testing grounds.

While moving the equipment and facilities about 100 miles east, the UNSC stumbled upon a rocky pass previously unnoticed by desert explorers. What they found upon venturing through the pass was astounding: a series of mysterious mechanisms constructed by an ancient culture. Carbon dating showed that the structures were built over eight millennia ago, but the technology used in their construction is on par with today’s standards, perhaps even more advanced than current technology.

Each mechanism was tagged with a codename, and a massive operation was conducted to unearth all of the structures and move them out of the harsh desert conditions and into a secret research facility just outside of Albuquerque. Almost a third of the National Guard was called upon to help with the excavation and transport of the ancient mechanisms. A combined effort of almost two thousand workers allowed the operation to be completed in just under a month.

Once all thirteen mechanisms were moved into separate buildings in the research complex, numerous structures were constructed near and around the ancient devices to aid with research, including observation towers, maintenance tunnels, and supply docks.

System Zeta is just the sixth out of thirteen discovered mechanisms. These discoveries are worth an innumerably large amount of money and lives, so the area has been given top security protection. Any unauthorized personnel caught within a 500 foot radius of the mechanism will be shot on sight. Tread carefully.

Map Description

Here’s a crude overhead view of the map via the Foundry Designer, I will explain the labels as I get to the actual map pics (anything bold in the post is a label on this diagram). Boo @ MSPaint for making everything blurry. Remember that the dimension of height doesn’t exist here:

And now on to the good stuff: pics & explanations…

Here is the Mechanism and Control Room. The Mechanism consists of four parts (as illustrated by the bulleted points below) and is completely inaccessible to players:

At top right: the tower-top with the shield doors, fusion coils, and weapons (resting atop a fence wall)
At mid-right: the interlocked boxes (leading down to ground level) below the fence wall, where the positioned gravlift lifts fusion coils up towards the underside of the aforementioned fence wall
At bottom right (blocked by the Main Maintenance Tunnels): the interlocked fence walls and fence box at ground level which prevent player access and house the system’s power source (an aesthetic configuration of custom powerups)
Beneath Control Room: the plasma propulsion system which quickly pushes the gravlift into place

The Control Room is a rectangular structure at mid-left with the pallets and bridge-roof. It is accessible to players and is where the Mechanism is activated from. A death teleporter prevents players from entering the Mechanism below but allows gravlifts to safely pass through.

For more information on the Mechanism and Control Room, look at the operating instructions section below.

Here’s one of the completely redesigned areas of the map. The mechanism and maintenance tunnels split the map down the middle, so there are two distinct sides of the map (can’t see one from the other). This side of the map contains the two observation towers and the V-structure which holds the Needler (interlocked staircases, equidistant from both teams’ spawns). A Carbine and pair of Plasmas also reside in the area around the needler. The double box ramp leads to Observation Tower B(shown at top left).

And here’s the other completely redesigned side. Note the smoothly interlocked curve that acts as the level barrier. The fence wall ramp at bottom left contains a BR and is symmetrical with an identical ramp on the other teams’ side. The box from which the truck is protruding is the Supply Dock (the truck is actually sort of interlocked with the box). The slanted bridge structure is the Turret Tunnel, with a Machine Gun Turret (obviously) and two Frags on top, and a Power Drain hanging underneath.

Attackers spawn in the area at bottom right, behind the geo-merged double box on which sits a pair of Plasmas and a Plasma Pistol. The structure with the open double boxes and doors at mid-left is the Main Maintenance Tunnels (try throwing nades through the cracks in the roof to flush out those pesky campers). In the tunnels one can find two Firebombs and an Overshield (you’ll have to wait 3 minutes, though).

Defenders spawn in the area at mid-left. At mid-right is the entrance to the Auxiliary Maintenance Tunnel, which houses a Camo (after 3 minutes). Two Plasmas sit on the fence wall above the tunnel, and just out of sight off the right side of the screen is a stack of interlocked doors (front of the Mechanism) against which rests a pair of SMG’s.

Main Maintenance Tunnels at right, Observation Tower A at left. This structure provides both cover and weapons to players. It contains a Mauler, BR, pair of Frags, and Regenerator. It is one of the few areas of the map that hasn’t been changed since v1.

A view from the inside of Observation Tower B. This structure is taller and more spacious than A, but it is vulnerable to attack from above (via the double box ramp) and has a weaker piece of equipment (a Flare in place of A’s regenerator, it also contains a Mauler, BR, and pair of Frags just like A).

Operating Instructions

Want to learn how the Mechanism works? Well, you’ve come to the right place…

Step One: Destroy the pallets…

Step Two: Walk into the Control Room and pick up gravlift…

Step Three: Do a 180 and throw the gravlift where the blinking light indicates (do not walk down there yourself, this will lead to death, you have been warned)…

This pic shows a successful activation of the Mechanism, the result of the previous three steps. As soon as you throw the gravlift, walk out of the control room and look up to watch where the sniper, laser, and sword land…

In this case, the sniper literally landed on top of me, don’t expect this to happen every time, testing has proved that weapons (and cone) will land in random locations.

This should clear up any prior confusion.

Lists

Weapons:

1 Needler, r=60, c=2
2 Maulers, r=60, c=1
1 Machine Gun Turret, r=180
4 BR’s, r=30, c=2
1 Carbine, r=30, c=2
2 SMG’s, r=30, c=2
1 Plasma Pistol, r=30

Grenades:

6 Frags, r=10
6 Plasmas, r=10
2 Firebombs, r=30

Equipment:

1 Power Drain, r=60
1 Regenerator, r=60
1 Flare, r=60

Powerups:

1 Camo, r=180 (does not spawn at start)
1 Overshield, r=180 (does not spawn at start)

Associated w/ Mechanism:

1 Sniper, r=120
1 Splazer, r=120
1 Energy Sword, r=120
1 Extremely Deadly Traffic Cone, r=30
1 Gravlift, r=60
7 Fusion Coils, r=60
4 Custom Powerups (aesthetic)

Gametypes:

Slayer
CTF - attackers' flag spawn and return is at entrance to Main Maintenance Tunnels, defenders' flag spawn and return is above Auxiliary Maintenance Tunnel
Assault - bomb spawns are on fence wall ramp [w/ BR] near spawn for both teams, bomb plants are in each team’s Observation Tower
Neutral Bomb - bomb spawns in Turret Tunnel, bomb plants are in each team’s Observation Tower
Territories - T1 is around Turret Tunnel, T2+3 are in each team’s Observation Tower

Miscellaneous Pics

That green guy thought he was sneaky with the Camo…

Me dropping through the roof into the Main Maintenance Tunnels in a futile attempt to assassinate the sword carrier…

Looking from Observation Tower B through a geo-merged fence box at someone getting stuck on the other side…

No turret for you…

One of the flag spawns is attached to the Mechanism’s aesthetic power source (yes, that does mean that you can’t get those custom powerups) at the entrance to the Main Maintenance Tunnels…

How much scope was involved here? Not very much at all…

Not fearing the pink mist led to his demise…

Download Here:
http://www.bungie.net/forums/posts.aspx?h3fileid=42089853

Take the time to comment/rate/DL, and don’t forget to look at my other maps if you haven’t already seen them (links in sig).

If you DL’d v1, keep in mind that v2 is totally different and 5x better, so it is definitely worth your time to DL and check out the new version.

If you want to get a game going, PM me or message me on XBL (GT: JJ3672). Thanks for your time and feedback.