Sanctum of the Fallen
Created by The Abhorrent

The Story

In eons past, the Forerunners used the Halos to exterminate all sentient life in the galaxy in a final attempt to defeat the nigh-unstoppable Flood. A terrible sacrifice to even consider, but ultimately necessary. Even though the Forerunners sought to repopulate the galaxy afterwards, the innocent lives lost in the event were innumerable. It was their fateful decision which damned so many, and as justice for the unforgivable crime they were about to commit they denied themselves the chance to be reborn anew. However, they knew there was always a possibility that the Flood could somehow escape complete destruction; and some things.... should never be forgotten. The Forerunners needed to build something to remind all who are yet to come of the looming threat, and to inform them of all that was lost.

Floating above the Forge World region of Installation 07, the Forerunners built the Sanctum of the Fallen; a floating temple to honour all the lives lost in their attempt to destroy the Flood -- a monument to the unwitting sacrifice of countless innocents.

The Map

Sanctum of the Fallen was originally envisioned as an Infection-only map, a labyrinthe complex of criss-crossing pathways, numerous levels to go up and down, and several varied areas. However, I saw that it had a lot more potential; it could be far more than a map limited to a single gametype. As such, I it turned into my first multi-purpose competitive map. Just about every gametype is possible on the map, with the only exceptions being all variants of Invasion (too complicated to implement) and Race (no room for vehicles).

The asthetic design of the map is intended to give the player the sense that they are within a truly massive structure by showing that the place does indeed go quite a distance up. The multiple layers of the map don't in the way of eachother too much, allowing the player to see just how many levels there are. The "entrance" of the Sanctum, or rather the highest level of the map on the red side, turned out very well and a gives you one heck of a view of Forge World.

The layout is very complete and (as already mentioned) mult-layered. There are countless ways to get around the map, especially if you're willing to do a little bit of platforming; jumping up, down, and across the various parts of the map can get you to quite a few locations that you didn't think were meant to be traversable. However, there is (or at least should be) multiple ways to reach every single point on the map. The varied layouts of the many areas of the map provide a good mix of close-quarters & long-distance combat, and the complex layout provides players with the ever-present option to try attacking from a different position.

I like to call my general map design to be "the thinking man's map", and that is in full effect here. The map isn't a maze which you can easily get lost in, but thoughtless movement can and will result in you going in circles. You should always be thinking about where you're going, how you're going to get there, and what are the different options for getting around.

Weapons On Map

Human Weapons:
x1 Rocket Launcher - 180 second respawn, 1 spare clip
x2 Shotguns - 120 second respawn, 1 spare clip
x1 Grenade Launcher - 120 second respawn, 4 spare clips
x3 DMRs - 90 second respawn, 2 spare clips
x1 Assault Rifle - 90 second respawn, 2 spare clips
x1 Magnum - 90 second respawn, 2 spare clips
x3 Frag Grenades - 45 second respawn (placed as singles on map)

Covenant Weapons:
x1 Fuel Rod Gun - 180 second respawn, one spare clip
x2 Concussion Rifles - 120 second respawn, 1 spare clip
x1 Gravity Hammer - 180 second respawn
x1 Energy Sword - 180 second respawn
x2 Needle Rifles - 90 second respawn, 2 spare clips
x2 Plasma Repeaters - 90 second respawn
x1 Plasma Pistol - 90 second respawn
x1 Spiker - 90 second respawn, 2 spare clips
x7 Plasma Grenades - 45 second respawn (also placed as singles)

Other Items:
x1 Drop Shield - 150 second respawn
x2 Health Packs - 150 second respawn

Images

A view of the "Red Base", where you'll find their flag.

A view of the "Blue Base", or at least where you may find the blue flag.

A long-distance shot of the whole structure's exterior.
Taken from v0.1, changes have been made since (mostly on the top level).

Another long-distance shot, focusing on the top of the structure on the blue side.
Taken from v0.2, with most of the top-level changes done.

The area which could roughly be called the "centre" of the structure.
Many of the neutral objectives will be found in here.

View of the central mid-level area.

View of the lowest level on the blue side.

A view of the mid-level area on the blue side with the high ceilings.
The Infection-only SFX seen in the shot didn't make it into the final version (budget constraints).

Thanks to the Testers' Guild for their feedback on the map.

For everyone else, have fun in the Sanctum of the Fallen.