Vesuvius

The idea: A map with a functioning volcano at its core.

Yeah, yeah... it's been done before. I know. But that's the great thing about this map. It doesn't just feature a volcano for the sake of having one. In this case the volcano is the map.

In a nutshell, the action plays out on three levels. You can scale the peak and witness the unpredictable fury of the unstable volcano. (Great spot for KoTH and Headhunter action)

Or, you can head inside the mountain itself...

Winding your way through the arched tunnels in the middle of the volcano, each fiery eruption will shake the walls around you, pelting your armor with tiny bits of rock and ash. (a nifty little visual effect I pulled off purely by accident.)

Moving back out into the daylight, you can work your way around the mountain, or proceed down to the bottom level.

Here, you'll find the volcanic island's secret submarine loading dock.

And what would a secret volcanic lair be without sharks with lasers attached to their heads? So they're here too. Look carefully and you can see them lurking just below the surface of the water.

The map itself is built off the coast of Paradiso, out in the waters that lie directly in the shadow of ForgeWorld's majestic waterfalls.

So there you have it. Vesuvius. A raging volcanic island lair that offers a variety of unique areas to explore and sling bullets in. My friends and I have been having a blast with it. Works really well with 4-6 people. The map is easy to navigate, but adding jetpack loadouts makes it even easier to get around. I'd recommend trying it both ways.

There's a good selection of weapons available on the map. Plenty of frag/plasma grenades, several DMRs, a shotgun, a spiker, a needler, a plasma pistol or two, a few needle rifles, and a turret. I will admit that there are also quite a few "power" weapons on the map, mainly because my friends and I really get a kick out of 'em. So you'll also find a sword, a hammer, a sniper, a rocket launcher, and a grenade launcher. It may sound like a lot of weapons, but I carefully considered their map placements to keep things fair, balanced, and most importantly, fun.

Looking forward to any comments/feedback anyone cares to offer.
More maps on the way.

-Shamrock20