Aerially quite small, yet just large enough for a Kill the Man with the Ball, this level provides several simple hiding spots, all within sight and reach of the other players if they stop and look around. If you are not the hiding type, this map will work well for you too; the two pairs of adjacent platforms create an easy escape if you are carrying the ball. Simple but neat lighting, effortless textures, automatic doors and the enigmatic oxygen canisters give it its unique look, separating it from the others. From magnum to SPNKR, all the weapons are there except the shotgun, but don't expect SPNKR shoot-outs; the weapons are proportionally distributed.
Despite the level's single floor height, it provides ways for the Man with the Ball to escape using the occasional breaks in the straight corridors. Once through one of these openings, the ball carrier can drop the ball and switch to another weapon. The unique design of this level allows a collection of weapons to exist in a small area without being immediately visible to players.
This beautiful-to-look-at, easy-to-navigate map plays smoothly as a KOH map or in carnage, Every Man For Himself mode, but it's one of the few lava-containing maps that actually works well as a KTMWTB level. This is because the lava is shallow enough that the ball can't get lost in it....This level is made up of a pair of crosses, stacked on top of the other, with an open ring connecting the two at the outside. Teleporters in the center of the lower cross provide quick access to the top level, and larger ammo requires a run through the lava pools that surround the upper cross. Ambient sounds add tremendously to the overall atmosphere.
The level is large enough that groups of eight won't trip over each other, but navigable enough that smaller groups won't feel lonely. (There are very few tight, enclosed spaces, though, so if you're the type of player for whom a near miss is "good enough", you might have trouble on this level. You actually have to aim to hit what you're shooting at.)
If "Dead Players Drop Items" is checked, the lava pools can be a good place to get to if you're dying... especially if you can do it without others seeing you. (This way, it's more likely that your weapons (and the skull, if you're carrying it) will be findable when you regenerate.)
Created by Laurent Stanevich, released May 2, 1996.
This map incorporates all the best features of Thunderdome and House of Pain, Bungie's two arena levels in M2, and adds several features that make this level quite good for KTMWTB play. While its open layout makes this a less-than perfect choice for slower networks or machines, if you've got powermacs on an ethernet, and you like arena play, it doesn't get any better than this. There are many places to hide, if you're carrying the skull... but without care, most of these can turn into deathtraps as your opponents find you.There are small rooms filled with ammo in the outside ring, a la Thunderdome, and a sunken channel around the arena floor, a la HoP. There's also a lava-filled ring that you can't get out of, so don't fall in... This ring induces watchful sniping, because a careless shot with a grenade can blow you back into the pit.
There are no teleporters, but fast elevators connect the main arena to the surrounding rings, and the multiple levels allow for quick jumps to safety. There is an underground cross giving access to a goodies cache in the center, but there is no quick escape if you're being chased, requiring careful planning in order to stock up.
Overall, good weapons placement and easy flow make this level a must-have, for those with the hardware to play it.
Created by Dr. Luke Mace, released April 22, 1996.
A stunning medieval castle, Kairn Pfhortress is intricate, precise, and extremely well-designed. It feels much bigger than it is, because of all the convoluted staircases and passages, and because it uses a very limited number of textures. (This has two main effects: the entire level really feels like a castle, and it's very easy to get lost.) You are almost never in a location from which you cannot be attacked, but if your opponent sees you from a distance, it is likely that you can hide or escape because of the huge number of travel routes.Lighting is spectacular, and the eerie silence of the map actually works in its favor after you get used to it. There are no teleporters, and the few platforms are silent, making stalking your opponent a difficult game. Many of the ledges have a small lip, which is high enough to block shots from below, but low enough to jump over, making the ledges a great place to take a breather... until someone above you starts shooting.
There are no monsters on this level, but it's worth looking at solo anyway, just to admire the architecture. This is one of the best advertisements for the "Snap to Grid" feature of map editors out there...
Created by Henrik Lindqvist, released June 7, 1996.
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