Epsilon v1.6

DOWNLOAD EPSILON V1.6

SEE VIDEO WALKTHROUGH OF EPSILON

Note: Not a professional video, just a simple fly-through of the map.

Introduction

A project I began in Halo: Reach, Epsilon is finally complete. Originally inspired by Zealot and Element, this map has evolved much from where it began on Reach - hardly a trace of either inspiration can be seen on the final version. A symmetrical layout promoting highly competitive play, Epsilon forces teams to control either neutral end of the map in both Slayer and Flag due to their powerful height advantages and weapon spawns. Epsilon features lines of sight that enable teams to partake in both long range and close range battles, making team shot and communication necessary for truly epic results: a strong point in the map's competitive focus. The game play is fast and exciting, and teams are constantly striving for control of either (or both) neutral sides of the map.

Weapons

Sniper - x1 - 2 extra clips - 120 sec - Top Gold
Rocket Launcher - x1 - 1 extra clip - 180 sec - Top Green
DMR - x1 - 2 extra clips - 30 sec - Bottom Green
Covenant Carbine - x2 - Bottom of Red + Blue "Spiral"
Pistol - x2 - Top of Red + Blue "Spiral"

Screenshots

Overviews.

Top Gold, snipe spawn.

Top Green, rocket spawn.

Blue base, shows basement that leads up to spiral.

Blue flag, shows the entrance to blue spawn / blue "windows" (hallway on right).

Team spawns.

Path from spawns to green.

Jump up from bottom spiral to gold/red bridge.

Thoughts on Gameplay

When playing Epsilon, there are only two major spawn areas. The most common spawn is the bottom of the spirals / "basement". The other spawn area is on the initial spawns, or in that vicinity. The quick jump from bottom spiral to gold bridge allows players who spawn bottom to get ahead and make a quick push for gold control (and shame on the opposing team if they don't have it already).

From my experience on the map, the best set up on Flag is to have a good sniper on Top Gold (sniping, obviously), someone with covering fire on Top Green (nabbing those rockets wouldn't hurt either), another player freely traversing the map, and one player set out to run the flag. If the sniper is good enough, they can prevent pushes from the spiral (especially if the opposing players are unaware of the tactical jump) and pushes from the initial spawn area. If the players spawning bottom spiral decide to avoid the sniper and instead push through the bottom of the map, the free roaming player, the flag runner, and the player holding Top Green can communicate this and work out some sort of team shot. After this setup is attained, running the flag Top Gold is the safest and most efficient route to capture.

Although the quickest flag route to capture would be to take it straight through the bottom of the map, because the major spawn system is located in the basement, that flag run is almost completely obsolete.

Win or lose, Epsilon features game play that is fast pace and exciting, making for a fun yet competitive map.