This is the standard setter. The layout is simple, but extremely functional. A central tower with four elevators around the edges makes up the hill, and two alcoves in the outside walls provide both sniper positions and locations from which to storm the hill. Access to the hill is available from any of these points, but requires time (the elevators) or skill (the alcoves). A well-placed rocket from the alcoves will clear the hill, but firing it places the attacker in a vulnerable position from the hill-holder.
An intense balance between weapon power and hill time affords the player two possibilites during start. The position and height of the hill make it diffcult to leave it, adding another element to the play.
This map takes Everyone's Mortal one step further. Essentially, it's the same layout, but now the alcoves are filled with water, with a very strong current. This means they're usable as water cannons... and attackers can fly over the hill, firing as they go, clearing the way for their return. Well-placed launches can reach the opposite alcove, providing a rubberband-like effect. Additionally, alcoves have been added lower down on the outside wall. The hill cannot be reached from these, but they provide nice sniping positions for both the hill and any flyers...Created by Ben Matasar, released February 3, 1996.
This level is huge in size, but small in polygon number, making it quite playable with any size group on any machine. The multiple levels, and myriad level-changing facilities (elevators, stairs, teleporters, simple drop-offs) make this a fantastic map for both KOH and KTMWTB play. The hill, a tall unmoving platform in the center of the map, is accessible from at least five different points, making defense non-trivial. On the other hand, it's rather large, and distant from most vantage points, aiding the King in his quest to remain alive and on the hill.Although there is a 2x recharger, it's very exposed, and further, sitting behind a crusher... if you're recharging when your opponent gets within range of the activation switch, prepare to regenerate.
Secrets are everywhere in this map. Some you'll find by accident while playing, some your team will find by opening the map with a map editor, and some you'll miss altogether. None are critical to gameplay, but all confer some advantage to the discoverer.
Great texture choices, fantastic lighting, and superb use of sound round out this very playable map.
Created by Randall Shaw, released June 28, 1996.
This is a simple arena, released very early in the life of Marathon 2. It consists of a large, central arena and a ring of sewage-filled passages around the outside. This is the type of map Bungie should have released with the M2 demo... it plays wonderfully as a KOH map.Created by NeoN, released January 30, 1996.
Incubus is a four-level cylindrical arena, with the hill, as expected, in the center. Travel between the levels is accomodated by teleporters and extremely responsive elevators, but access to the hill is available from only one direction-up. The feature that makes this map unique is the defensible nature of the hill-there are walls that rise to block incoming shots if the king steps towards the edge. In theory, this means that a two player game with a skillful king could be very lopsided. However, in practice, it is quite difficult to guard from multiple shots at once, and for those of us lesser beings, the walls have a tendency to hamper egress from the hill (which balances out the advantage they give nicely). Overall, this is a fast-paced, hard-to-catch-your-breath level that should keep the adrenaline flowing nicely.Created by Borzz, released September 14, 1996.
This is one of the most playable KOH maps ever made. The beauty of this map is that access to the hill is a two-step process, and attacker and defender are necessarily head-to-head during the attempt. There is no way to attack the hill without coming into the direct line of fire of the current king, but once on the hill, you are forced to protect your title from attacks in any of four directions, at multiple vertical levels... Run-of-the-mill weapons are abundant, as is ammo, but the bigger weapons require a bit more work (and time)-each player must decide if the tradeoff is worth it to him.Created by Laurent Stanevich, released April 7, 1996.
Beautiful to look at, and extremely well balanced, this map plays nicely with larger groups. The hill is protected, to some degree, by a low wall and a roof... but what acts as cover is just as good at trapping players in a killing zone. The heavy artillery has to be dived for at the bottom of sewage-filled wells in the outer ring, which leads to the time/firepower tradeoff that makes good KOH levels so much fun. Small ornamental touches add to the atmosphere of this level, without taking away from flow or game speed.Created by Michael Coyle, released June 28, 1996.
A very dark, small level makes the bright lighting on the hill and all sniper positions doubly effective. Access to the hill can be from below (up a circular staircase around the outside, quite vulnerable) or from above (the sniper positions are close enough to jump), or from protected positions (there are several teleporters on the ground floor, and at least one leads to the hill).Created by Steve Bush, released June 30, 1996.
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