BossVille

for Half-Life 2: Episode Two

11th August 2018

When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

You are about to fight against the meanest, smartest and cruelest bosses in Ville history.

Only the strongest will survive. Will you be one of them?

Basic Details
  • Title: BossVille
  • Filename: sdk-2013-sp-tlc18-c3-bossville.7z
  • Size : 142MB
  • Author: Jean Knapp AKA XBLAH, Rocky B, 1UpD, Mark AKA Strontvlieg, ThatsRidonkulous, Jason Gimba AKA Maki, matt71490 AKA Event Horizon, Ian Spadin AKA Idolon, Dredile
  • Date Released: 11 August 2018

Download Options

Download version 1.1 to your HDD [162MB]

THIS VERSION CURRENTLY CAN NOT BE USED WITH GAUGE. SORRY

1.1 Patch

Download the 1.1 patch to your HDD [4.87MB]
Simply copy the folders into your sdk-2013-sp-tlc18-c3-bossville folder and say “Yes” to overwrite the files.

Manual Installation Instructions
  • Make sure you have the “Upcoming” branch of the Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer installed in Steam and run at least once. (Properties – Betas – select “upcoming” from the dropdown list).
  • Copy the “sdk-2013-sp-tlc18-c3-bossville” folder into your “SourceMods” folder.
  • Restart or start Steam.
  • RTSL.TLC18.C3.BossVille should now be listed in your “Library” tab.

Reviewing

If you decide to use the Per-Map Opinion Images, please either watch the video below or use the file below:

BossVille-Review-Template.txt

Thank you.

Theme Details

We’ve all been there – reaching the end of a game or chapter and having to face the BOSS. Usually, it’s a single all-powerful enemy. Well, almost all-powerful – inevitably after enough dancing around each other, you find its weak spot and exploit it. Hooray! Not really – it’s totally expected, uninteresting, and clichéd.

For this challenge, we would like you to take the idea of a final battle and breathe new life into the scenario. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

We don’t want you to necessarily focus on a single enemy, although you can have that kind of boss if you want. But you’re also allowed to have multiple boss enemies, or one big bad boss with other minions helping. Imagine a pair of bosses working against you and maybe even each other.

Even though this challenge is called BossVille, you don’t have to make a boss fight. We really like the hectic finale in Episode 2, where you had to fend off striders and hunters while driving all over the place. We want to encourage clever twists on the classic boss fight – and we’re definitely keeping an open mind as to what’s acceptable in BossVille. All we’re looking for is a great finale, boss fight or not!

Make the encounter interesting! Perhaps the boss fight has several phases – where the boss changes its attack patterns, or its behavior, or the environment. Maybe you encounter the same enemy multiple times throughout the map, setting him up as the Big Bad and leading up to a great finale fight. Maybe we have to outwit the enemy instead of fighting them?

The core concept of a climactic finale is the key here. Use a single boss in ways we’ve never seen, or come up with your own intriguing final faceoff!

Full details can be found on the BossVille challenge announcement page.

Deadline

The deadline for submission was 11pm GMT Monday 23rd July 2018

Entries

Listed as they are displayed in the mod itself:

  • Death Whisper by Jean Knapp AKA XBLAH
  • Hit Squad by Rocky B
  • Mindflayer by 1UpD
  • Downtown Arena by Mark AKA Strontvlieg
  • Deviant by ThatsRidonkulous
  • Magnetism by Jason Gimba AKA Maki
  • The Creator by matt71490 AKA Event Horizon
  • BONUS: Cat and Mouse by Ian Spadin AKA Idolon
  • BONUS: A Day in the Crab Lab by Dredile

The order of the maps was generated via random.org
Bonus maps always go last.

Winner and Points

Remember, the judges scoring is based on the final map submitted BEFORE the deadline. The actual released versions of maps and therefore the ones you played, may differ significantly from those initially submitted.

Here are the top three places.

  1. Winner: Deviant by ThatsRidonkulous: 96 Points
  2. Second: Magnetism by Maki: 78 Points
  3. Third: Mindflayer by 1UpD: 76 Points

Note: One of the five judges was unable to score this challenge due to personal circumstances. The sums of the scores from the remaining judges have been scaled to be equivalent to 5 judges, so the numbers are comparable to the other Lambda Cup challenge scores.

Full details of all the points can be found on The Lambda Cup 2018 Public Points Spreadsheet.

Judges

Phillip, Don, Dan, and Crowbar are the judges for this challenge.
Abraham had to drop out at the last moment.
All scores will be adjusted by 1.25 to try to match the points of the other challenges.

Community Poll

Please consider the theme when voting.

Considering the theme, which are your top 3 entries for BossVille?

  • The Creator by matt71490 AKA Event Horizon (3%, 6 Votes)
  • Magnetism by Jason Gimba AKA Maki (23%, 45 Votes)
  • Deviant by ThatsRidonkulous (33%, 66 Votes)
  • Downtown Arena by Mark AKA Strontvlieg (14%, 28 Votes)
  • Mind Flayer by 1UpD (15%, 29 Votes)
  • Hit Squad by Rocky B (3%, 6 Votes)
  • Death Whisper by Jean Knapp AKA XBLAH (10%, 20 Votes)

Total Voters: 94

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More About The Lambda Cup 2018

The Lambda Cup 2018 consists of five mapping challenges, each with a different theme.
Entrants will receive points for each challenge they enter.
At the end of the event, the best 3 points totals from the challenges they entered will be added together for each entrant.
These totals will decide who wins the Grand Prizes.
This means that entrants do NOT have to enter each and every contest to win the grand prize but they will need to have entered at least 3 challenges to have a chance of winning the grand prizes.
For more details visit the Lambda Cup homepage.

Release Versions
  • 0.9 – Developers’ and Judges’ Version. First versions of maps. Version used to judge the entries.
  • 1.0 – THIS RELEASE. The Creator, Hit Squad and Mindflayer have been updated. Bonus maps were added.

Screenshots and Panoramics

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers and with the exception of the bonus maps, all screenshots were taken with the Judges’ and Entrants’ version.

Death Whisper by Jean Knapp AKA XBLAH

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
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Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Hit Squad by RockyB

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Mindflayer by 1UpD

WARNING: The screenshots and panoramics contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Downtown Arena by Mark AKA Strontvlieg

WARNING: The screenshots and panoramic images contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
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Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Deviant by ThatsRidonkulous

WARNING: The screenshots and panoramic images contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
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Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Magnetism by Jason Gimba AKA Maki

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
The Creator by matt71490 AKA Event Horizon

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
BONUS: Cat and Mouse by Ian Spadin AKA Idolon

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
A Day in the Crab Lab by Dredile

WARNING: The screenshots and panoramic contain spoilers.

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Reader Recommendations
Avoid It!
Think Twice
Maybe
Play It Later
Play It Now!

10 recommendations, average score: 4.6 (out of 5), standard deviation: 0.44 (what's that?)
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Meta Review Data
Statistics based on 8 comment(s) with meta review data.

Installed:
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 8 Users

Time Taken:
Average: 2 Hours, 45 Mins
Shortest: 1 Hours, 15 Mins by crowbar
Longest: 4 Hours by Winterman
Total Time Played: 21 Hours, 59 Mins
If you believe this release is missing important tags, please suggest them in a comment?
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Phillip says Play It!Personal FavouritePlay It Now!Maybe?Personal FavouritePlay It Now!Play It Now!Play It LaterPlay It Now!Play It Later

20 Comments

  1. Phillip says Play It!

    Obviously, the following review contains spoilers.

    As you can see, I have added 2 playthrough videos for each of the official entries. I feel that commentary for the first playthough can be helpful for the mapper and maybe other interested developers. The playtime for each mod is based on my first playthrough.

    When we discussed this theme, we were worried it would include lots of Strider, Gunship and Combine helicopter entries. We tried hard to word the theme to allow and encourage developers to imagine other concepts and on the whole, I think they did that.

    There is a variety of map styles, each with their own interesting aspects.

    If you prefer, here is my video review:

    Death Whisper by Jean Knapp AKA XBLAH
    It is good

    Initially, I wasn’t very impressed with this entry. I didn’t like the idea of a horror boss, but the more I played it, the more I got into it. My problem was the slowness of the build up and the general interaction. I like the actual boss, but felt it was implemented with too little interaction with the player.

    Not being able to attack or defend seems to go against the idea of a fun boss. Of course, you can attack eventually but the time between meeting it and fighting it is too long, compared to the time you actually fight it – if that makes sense.

    This was a clever idea and with some changes it might have been much more fun, but I fear that it lacks replay value.

    I recognize that the author told a self-contained little story adn I appreciate that.

    All in all, a fun map to play once but not very challenging.

    Playtime: 15 minutes

    Hit Squad by Rocky B
    It is bad

    Myaybe I missed somethign here but at no point did I feel I was fighting a boss. The levels were bland and empty, in one case there was a dev texture and a door way that was too wide for the door. The combat was always “in your face” and provided very little fun or variety. I joked on the first video that this would win ZigZagVille as that is all I seemed to do.

    The ramps were way to steep, yes, that’s important to me because SP levels need to feel like real places. I didn’t feel the transition between areas was smooth enough and the whole thing felt empty. Some sections within the Combine structure were well built but they were an exception rather than the rule.

    I quite liked that the author tried to tell a story with the traitors etc but I am not sure what that story was.

    As can be seen from my first playthrough, it’s possible to break the map by not going through the forcefield when the author expects you to.

    One last thing, if your companion dies you have to restart the map and I’m not too unhappy with that but it would have been nice to have been told.

    All in all, this has potential for a stand alone map but as an entry for a Boss-themed mapping challenge it is not very good.

    Playtime: 17 minutes

    Mind Flayer by 1UpD
    It is WOW!

    HOLY HEADCRABS FREEMAN! What a map. It’s actually set in simply environments but it’s the gameplay that set it apart. The very first part is the only thing I want to criticise. I would have had Alyx and the player sliding down a ice-covered ramp and finding themselves in the main area.

    It’s hard to write a review that doesn’t give away too much, but maybe it’s not that important because it’s the final battle that really blows you away. Each section allows for a variety of different combat strategies and playing styles.

    The level slowly builds up tension and then takes an unexpected twist, which I obviously won’t spoil.

    As mention, it’s all about creating the tension for the final battle, which doe not disappoint. Everything was used really well and I thoroughly enjoyed playing it, although I do admit to being a little apprehensive about my second playthrough. To be honest, I didn’t want to do it because I often feel that the emotion of the first time can never be recreated and I will just be left disappointed.

    All in all, one of the best mapping challenge maps I have played for a very long time.

    Playtime: 19 minutes

    Downtown Arena by Mark AKA Strontvlieg
    It is good

    I definitely recognized the area from this map as having been sued in other Mark’s work. I wonder if it could somehow be joined together. In general, I’m not against people re-using their work but if players start to recognize it immediately, then it’s time for a change.

    The levels builds up quite nicely and you eventually face a boss, well three really. My problem is that I felt excited about any of the bosses. It was just a standard progression from one to another to another.

    After I had won I didn’t feel satisfied, just relieved it was over. The mounted gun is never really used to its best and the enemies come from such a narrow path it’s no fun to use.

    I was hoping the boss to be the skeleton seen right near the beginning but alas it wasn’t.

    All in all, a fairly fun level to play but considering the theme was “Boss”, I believe that not enough effort was put into that aspect of the gameplay. it felt almost as if the mapper didn’t have any ideas and so just put 3 typical boss enemies in the map.

    Playtime: 18 minutes

    Deviant by ThatsRidonkulous
    It is WOW!

    I’m not totally convinced that the starting style was the way to go. yes, it’s a cool way to introduce the setting and contrast between the later sections, but I would have appreciated “escaping” sooner. I’m not sure how I feel about the dev textures, because I love them but do they have a place in a WOW map?

    The author communicated with the player very well and the actual gameplay, besides the initial first few minutes, was really well done. In some ways, the build up to the boss was slightly too long, but judging that must be so hard.

    I suppose I am nitpicking now, but when I finished I really did have a sense of achievement at winning, which it what all good Boss battles should have.

    In my 1st playthrough I mentioned how this entry reminded me of the very clever entry from the RunThinkShootLiveVille mapping challenge called RunThinkShoot by Nicole Brauer AKA VoEC. the mix between dev and real textures. Out of all the maps I have played so far, this is the one I look forward to replaying.

    To sum up, this is a fantastic entry. it’s clever, well-planned and fun to play.

    Playtime: 30 minutes

    Magnetism by Jason Gimba AKA Maki
    It is great!

    As usual this is a very inventive, well-thought out and fun to play map. The premise is clear, it looks pretty good, although considering the limits of the area, it’s fairly plain. The gameplay is really well done and as part of perhaps a longer , varied setting section, this could have been amazing.

    The standard voice lines are used really well and the whole thing is simple but effective.

    Not my favourite entry, but I have little doubt this was made in a very short period of time.

    To sum up, another great map from Jason who always manages to creative something inventive. You will surely enjoy this.

    Playtime: 6 minutes

    The Creator by matt71490 AKA Event Horizon
    It is good

    There’s a lot of creativity in this map but my problem lies with wanting serious maps rather than this sort. Under the right circumstances and themes, this would be fine.

    I love the crossover with another entry, that was a great touch and never been done before I think.

    The actual boss fight was not very interesting and in some ways the weakest part of the map. I have no issue with dev textures and abstraction but the map felt more like a collection of ideas and effects rather than a flowing , well-planned whole.

    All in all, I didn’t hate this map but I didn’t love it either. I suppose this comes down to personal taste and this one didn’t suit mine.

    Playtime: 11 minutes

    BONUS: Cat and Mouse by Ian Spadin AKA Idolon
    It is great!

    If you watch my 1st playthrough video, you will see how excited I get when I first understood what I had to do and how the gameplay mechanic worked. It was simple, clever and fun. Up to a point. Recording a 1st playthrough is always strange as there is a feeling of responsibility to the viewer. it’s hard to explain to those that haven’t done it themselves. I was getting more and more worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it and watching somebody die and fail is no fun, except perhaps for the developer themselves when the mod is being tested.

    Anyway…I felt the developer got the difficult just right and the planning must have been a nightmare.

    Of course, I can suggest changes (an occasional vertical stage and a switch of enemy type mid-way through perhaps) but at its core this is a really interesting idea and the implementation worked really well.

    It’s a twist on the idea of a boss and you need thought and skill to win.

    In conclusion, this was fun to play albeit a little frustrating but any easier and I might not have felt so good at beating it. I am pretty sure most will enjoy playing this.

    Playtime: 30 minutes

    BONUS: A Day in the Crab Lab by Dredile
    It is great!

    Oh Boy! Who doesn’t love a twist? Well, some people but screw them. The map starts with some average voice acting and after the twist becomes excellent. The script and the voice work perfectly together. I won’t spoil the “story” but suffice to say it’s probably not what you expect.

    The gameplay was fun, although I feel there is a problem with the instructions given as they can easily be missed.

    There is a nice build up to the boss battle and this was fine, although the actual gameplay is less rewarding than the interaction.

    Like the other bonus map in this mod, the concept used in this map, could so easily have been the core concept of a much larger mod.

    All in all, a great map but is let down by the actually gameplay. Wait, I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just saying that it doesn’t reach the heights of the other aspect of the map. I’m sure you will love it!
    Playtime: 15 minutes

    Summary

    Overall, I felt this was a very successful theme and challenge.

    It’s always nice to see a variety of entry styles, even if I didn’t enjoy all of them. A theme which has no variety is either a bad theme or has been described badly.

    The entries here are generally fun to play and make a chance from the normal short map you will play.

    I’m glad I don’t have to pick a winner any more. I would struggle between Mind Flayer and Deviant. Both offered a very cool interpretation of the theme and provide ample gameplay.

    The two bonus entries are great and offered something completely different.

    If you don’t love at least a few of these maps I will be very surpised.

    All in all, I thought this was a wonderful set on maps and have no hesitation in recomminding you play this mod.

    1. Hec

      Gosh, Phillip! I understand you can be diplomatic with the Creator entry. And you absolutely are in your right to recommend it as Good! But come on! It was just horrible. And I hope the author can mod better than this. I am also no one to ask for a veto on any kind of entry, but I think if you let these silly entries to be part of your RTSL competitions then the quality of them can drop quite bad.

  2. Well, BossVille is here. I’ll admit there was a bit of expectations of lots of regular NPC boss fights, but was pleasantly surprised by this. There were some really good entries in here, so let’s get started.

    Death Whisper
    It is good

    Our first entry, and one of the only horror-themed entries of the set. Stalkers really aren’t that scary to me, but i’ll admit the atmosphere was great and the exploring was fairly good. The puzzle with requiring you to throw stuff into a damaged wall was a nice touch and good use of physics.

    Not really much else to say about it. It was a decent entry, and a unique kind of finale for HL, and perfect for the horror theming.

    Hit Squad
    It is okay

    Probably the weakest entry out of the bunch, but that’s actually saying a lot, because this wasn’t really that bad. Boring, yes, but not bad. You and a Rebel attempt to hunt down an Elite, and surprise, the rebel was a traitor.

    T really wasn’t a “boss” to this map, or the feeling of a finale, so it was quite disappointing in that manner, and thus doesn’t fit the competition well. Otherwise, it’s solid although buggy (elevator kept going up randomly), kinda was guessing the traitor thing from the start though.

    Mind Flayer
    It is great!

    I was hoping there would be an Advisor entry in this set, and this one did not disappoint whatsoever.

    The use of hallucinations, the return of the Mertz Module and Mechacrab, tons of nice reskins for enemies, and just some generally good mapping made for a great experience and the last fight can get pretty intense.

    A very good entry, although somewhat lacking visually in my eyes, it makes more than up for it in function.

    Downtown Arena
    It is good

    Not a bad entry from Stront, though a touch generic, especially considering some of the other entries. A simple scaling loop-around that has you going from puzzling, to avoids snipers, and then to general combat.

    It’s not bad at all, but the final fights with the Heli/Gunship were just a bit boring. Could’ve used some extra danger or flair.

    Deviant
    It is WOW!

    Now this far exceeded any expectations the menu picture gave me, and more than solidified it as one of the best entries we’ve seen so far this Lambda Cup.

    It’s start gave me vibes of Liberation V2 from an older contest. But then it kept going and going and just damn, this was good. I won’t spoil much, but you should really, really play it, and it lives up to both the finale and boss themes of this competition.

    Magnetism
    It is great!

    An incredibly novel concept executed in a simple and to the point manner. It’s a straight boss fight against a madman Metrocop in a crane, so you can feel the mighty power of OSHA Violations yourself. The into bit was a great callback, although the fight itself could’ve used a little more to it.

    Overall, it was a good experience though, and didn’t overstay it’s welcome.

    The Creator
    It is okay

    A map similar in concept to Deviant, though a bit more humorous and silly. The callback to Deviant is a first, although I think this stands next to Hit Squad as one of the weakest entries.

    It’s obviously a joke entry, though at least there was a bit of effort, unlike a certain other trollish map from GravityGunVille2.

    Bonus: Cat & Mouse
    It is good

    An interesting concept which essentially boils down to a positioning puzzle. Not bad, though, and a unique “boss” not seen elsewhere in the challenge.

    Not much more to say about it, it’s that straightforward, and that’s where it’s problem lies.

    The mechanics of the map aren’t explained well, and they really don’t do much to mix it up, and this combined with the sort of trial and error nature of the map makes me have to lower my rating somewhat.

    Bonus: A Day in the Crab Lab
    It is great!

    Another more humorous entry, and a far higher quality one at that. It’s a bit like a cheesy self-aware action movie, to sum it up.

    Featuring a Mechacrab sidekick, you delve into the depths of a Combine facility and destroy it’s leader. In terms of gameplay, it gets kinda boring at the “boss”, but the crab kept my attention.

    Also, luckily they don’t make the mistake many make with voice-acted maps, as I can actually clearly hear the other person over the fighting.

    Overall, a cheesy and good experience.

    1. Oh, and forget to mention my rankings. First place goes to Deviant, Second to Mind Flayer, Third to Magnetism.

      Overall, this was a great competition, and i’m really interested to see what’s next.

  3. Personal Favourite

    Boss fights has always been my favorite gameplay element, and this Ville delivers! I had so much fun playing this.

    Death Whisper
    It is good

    This map impressed me in some ways. The atmosphere and build up rightfully deserves a praise, they are the highlight of this map. The map could use some more lightning, it was very hard to see and waiting for the lightning to strike stalls the gameplay down a lot. While the boss itself is a supernatural Stalker, despite its scream and itself being so overused in Half-Life 2 horror, I find that the author made an effort to make him scary. I respect that.

    The chase sequence is the highlight, it was very tense and I had “Terror Meter” from Amnesia playing in my head. It was amazing. But the floor that collapsing can stop you in the track, it can crush you and it probably will on your first run. It feels like a cheap death.

    The “battle” itself is quite of a letdown, probably because the Stalker somehow has The Advisor’s level of psychokinesis. I felt like it could have been a proper battle, a proper stand for the protagonist.

    Hit Squad
    It is okay

    I’d say it’s bad, but I can’t say it’s that bad to deserve a “Bad” score. The pacing was alright and I also like that the creator tries to build an Elite as a villain. It has some glaring bad parts, of course. I hate the fact that my buddy isn’t invincible, so I have to babysit him. And except for being a traitor, he isn’t that much important.

    While the combat was solid, the format is barely different. 99% of the Soldiers carries SMG, only one carries a Pulse Rifle. It would be good if more AR2 and Shotgun Soldiers were added to spice up variety. Not to mention the distance between their entrance and the player during the holdout sections are small.

    For the boss himself, it couldn’t hold a candle to his buildup. He’s barely any challenge at all. You don’t even fight him.

    Mind Flayer
    It is WOW!

    Holy Jesus! 1UpD, what a huge comeback! This one really gives me Epistle 3 vibe too! While you may find the areas being very big and empty, later you will know why it is that.

    The hallucinations were well done, it’s perfect! It reminds me of Dead Space! The “shadow enemies” were icing on the cake, especially shadow Gordon. The final battle was pure fun, although it could use some ammo supplies. I was down to the Pistol when I was shooting the Advisor.

    1UpD, I must say this is one spectacular work. You magnificent bastard.

    Downtown Arena
    It is great!

    This entry is pretty much the better version of a certain entry in TeleportVille. The progression of the level was good and nice. Even though I really wished I could see the battle outside at the beginning if I was quick enough.

    I really like the area, it’s very detailed. The map’s destruction was very, very good.

    I also like the bosses, even though they are pretty much typical boss NPCs from Half-Life 2. Would be a WOW if they were something new. Nice work!

    Deviant
    It is WOW!

    Looks like Mind Flayer has got itself a competitor! This one is absolutely fantastic! I applaud the creator’s style of using the dev textures, it fits very well with the story. It also, yes, reminds me of a certain entry from LiberationVille.

    The horror aspect about the “Creator” is well done, very good. The fight in the storage room was solid and the fight in “DevLand” was excellent.

    The fight with the Creator itself is very fun, seeing its swapping its weapons as the fight progresses made it challenging. The fight reminds me of GLaDOS and Wheatley in some ways. The map’s inspiration from Portal is obvious. Ridonkulous, I still like your entry of ToxicVille to this day and this entry is gorgeous. Well done!

    But despite all of the praises, no the map is still not fun for me.

    Magnetism
    It is great!

    From the start we can see Maki’s distinct trait in his maps, letting the player see what lies up ahead before reaching it.

    While the boss himself doesn’t have a buildup, he was still fun to fight against. He feels like a psychopath boss from Dead Rising series. The wild magnetism of the magnet led to a very chaotic running from the violent barrage of containers. The method to fight him was easy to understand too.

    The map is still great, despite being outdone by Deviant and Mind Flayer so far. I also hope the OSHA won’t complain about this.

    Creator
    It is bad

    Matt, please, this is not funny. I know that you want to make a joke map but this is not much of a suitable theme for it. I couldn’t even hear dialogues of the Creepy Face that may be funny clearly because they were quiet.

    I see that he has put some elements of an entry from CromulentVille in. The NPC room was quite chaotic and that’s pretty much the only part that I like. The reference to Deviant was meh. The Spook Room was very unnecessary, why is there a door that leads you to fall of the map?

    The boss was just….there, no buildup, no fanfare. It’s possible to being unable to complete the map if you miss the Gravity Gun in the NPC room. I stood there unloading lead into Matt’s avatar for like 5 minutes.

    Cat and Mouse
    It is good

    Not much of a trial-and-error fan, but I tried my best. The mechanics of the maze is simple, but it should be introduced before facing the Zombie. It took me a while to understand, but once you know how it works you basically control the game.

    The constant erratic voice of the Zombie works really well in making the situation tense.

    I don’t find the conclusion that satisfying though. I personally would be more satisfied if I shoot the Zombie myself instead of a cut to black.

    A Day in the Crab Lab
    It is great!

    While the intro was solid, you can’t compare to what comes immediately after. Your companion, a MechaCrab, was so unexpected with very fitting voice had me dying of laughter to the point that I had to reload the checkpoint to listen to him.

    The voice acting quality was superb, it was very loud and clear! The voice actors were also perfect matches for their roles too.

    For the boss himself, I felt disappointed. I was promised a big, bad boss, for Breen’s sake! It was an OK finale, I felt like the combat was locked to AR2, Revolver and Pistol only. I don’t think my Shotty and Crossbow got any love or a moment to shine at all. I also wished I had more rooms to move around.

    It was an honor to serve along your side, Private.

    Conclusion

    It was a very successful Ville. The best one so far. Most of the maps were absolutely entertaining. And here comes the results. For my ranking, Mind Flayer got an absolute number ONE, followed extremely closely by Deviant as number TWO, and Magnetism as Number Three. Honourable mentions to bonus maps. See you next Ville!

  4. BossVille has been updated to version 1.1.

    Full details, including a brand new file and a patch can be found in the main post.

    if you have already played the mod, you don’t need to play the update. it’s really only the inclusion of the Multiverse Learning Center map.

  5. asterixer

    Ok, the last Entry doesnt work on Linux.

  6. Roy
    Play It Now!

    I wasn’t sure what to expect except for hard, fast and fun combat.

    Death Whisper by Jean Knapp AKA XBLAH
    It is okay

    Dark and spooky. My crowbar disappeared in the kitchen and I had to reload the previous save. Then it went into slow motion. Stopped then.

    Hit Squad by Rocky B
    It is okay

    Some good combat and good puzzles, but most of the time I was waiting for the boss battle. I never did find it.

    Mind Flayer by 1UpD
    It is WOW!

    Now this was a great mod. The layout was great. New ideas. And a great Boss finish.

    Downtown Arena by Mark AKA Strontvlieg
    It is great!

    Nice layout. I liked seeing the bosses causing damage when they went down. The bodies dropping from the bird was a nice touch.

    The main con was the sniper. He was really, really hard to beat. After that the combat was fun.

    Deviant by ThatsRidonkulous
    It is good

    At first I though Dr. Breen was the Boss. I did enjoy taking a crowbar to him. After the Gun Boss in the square room, I never did figure out where to go next. All in all it as fun.

    Magnetism by Jason Gimba AKA Maki
    It is good

    A good idea, but it was over when I thought a Bigger Boss Battle should begin, but then again no one has tried to kill me that way before!

    The Creator by matt71490 AKA Event Horizon
    It is okay

    Interesting, good music at the end. Does map corruption, shutting down mean it is over?

    BONUS: Cat and Mouse by Ian Spadin AKA Idolon
    It is bad

    It was cat and mouse, but not really a boss fight to me.

    BONUS: A Day in the Crab Lab by Dredile
    It is WOW!

    Lots of fun. A good boss fight and new friend.

    Summary

    Three of the maps were really good.
    Mind Flayer by 1UpD
    BONUS: A Day in the Crab Lab by Dredil
    Downtown Arena by Mark AKA Strontvlieg

    The rest of the maps I think needed more time.

    This was a very good ville pack and I will play it again.

  7. This isn’t going to be a review or anything, but I think that the people who played my map deserve an explanation as to why this was even in this challenge to begin with. Long story short, this was originally my idea for CromulentVille that got scrapped because of time, and I wanted to one day use it again for something. After deciding to use it in this challenge, I did as much as I could to make the map a bit more “serious” for the competition but I see now that I probably didn’t change enough. My goal was for the map to have a tone more similar to “Deviant” but it ended up being more of a joke map. If you are interested in the development of this map or why I made some of the decisions that I did, I uploaded a development commentary video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54eq3cqaUak It’s pretty bad quality, but I think it serves its purpose well enough.

    1. Roy

      I don’t know what is harder, reading what people say about your work or commenting on someone else’s work when you care about other people’s feelings. I can tell you worked hard on it.

    2. Hec

      Dude!!! Come on!!! I mean! Seriously. Come on!!! If you actually invest your time in modding some weird and nonsense map like the ones you have done previously. Then You can get serious about it and mod it something better than the silly ones you have done! I guess you are a competent mapper so please don’t deliver those faulty and obnoxious maps in further entries. You are and you can do better than that.

  8. I’m very surprised by the voting. To each his own, I guess, I’ll state my opinion anyway.

    To me it was a clear battle between Mind Player and Downtown, I rated both 9 out of 10. Deviant was close behind, some added comedy and new stuff being the attraction there but not much else. Hit Squad and Crab Lab 7 out of 10. Then rest were 2 or 3 out of 10. I’d rate the mod overall ‘It’s Good or It’s OK’ because of the law of averages. Somewhat disappointing but there were those gems.

    Not enough words to technically qualify to cast a vote, as is my usual. Others have said some of what I thought, no point in repeating.

  9. Maybe?

    Am I spoiled by CoastVille? Like GravityGunVille I found this Ville to be quite disappointing. Where did all the authors from CoastVille go? Some of them are still here, but even those didn’t deliver, but more about that in the individual reviews.

    The entries in this Ville didn’t deliver what I was hoping for. A map that focuses on one big boss enemy from start to finish and in lots of different ways. The only maps that did that didn’t have “traditional” boss enemies though, but more like gimmicky/meta bosses (like the creator of the map being the boss).

    I don’t know if my expectations were unrealistic, but whatever the case, I’m dissapointed.

    Death Whisper

    One of the best entries in this Ville, because it actually does what the Ville wanted the authors to do. Focus on one boss for the entire map. Of course that alone isn’t enough to make this a good entry, but some of the other entries don’t even fullfill that.

    The entry has a good atmosphere and makes good use of sounds and effects. Unforunately the architecture and geometry is really bland and clunky. For a compact map like this that is set in a mansion I would expect a much more detailed enviroment. The map can cover that up a little because of how dark it is, but sometimes it was too dark.

    It wasn’t always clear what I’m supposed to do, the map forces you to try every door and explore the whole enviroment. The final escape sequence did stress me for the right amount, but it was a little too punishing. The map isn’t that long, it’s compact, and that would have been completely fine if it wasn’t so underdetailed and it feels unpolished.

    Hit Squad

    I didn’t enjoy this entry. The enviroment doesn’t look good or interesting, because the architecture is bland, the rooms are clunky, the textures aren’t chosen well and the lighting isn’t natural. A big part of this entry doesn’t have anything to do with the boss or contribute to the theme in some other way (by at least hinting towards the boss or building up to it). The boss itself, when it is finally revealed, is very unspectacular and honestly just boring.

    This entry would benefit from trimming everything unnecessary that doesn’t contribute to the theme, and instead polishing the areas that actually contribute to the theme and make those more interesting and/or exciting.

    Mindflayer

    The day has come. An entry by 1upD that I actually enjoyed from start to finish. The entry definitly has problems, but it is also definitly one of the best entries in this Ville, maybe the best. The biggest problem of the map is how dark it was and that every area uses the same dark blue combine textures. It made it really hard to see enemies, especially the mechacrabs which are blue themselves and sometimes hidden in corners. That quickly can become frustrating, because the mechacrabs are much more powerful and faster than normal headcrabs.

    The enviroment was just dark and monotone, it was also really empty and clunky. I think the author could have trimmed some sections of the map and focused more time on polishing other areas. I didn’t like the cubes that you could use with the gravity gun, because they felt so out of place and arbitrary. I also didn’t like the boss fight area at first, because when you enter it for the first time it’s just a big area that you are forced to explore completely before continuing (you don’t want to miss anything obviously). This could have been implementing more elegantly.

    Also the author doesn’t know how to implement music, because the music was affected by DSP effects (by the enviroment, like normal sound effects). This was especially apparent in the final fight where the music had a big echo on it, which made it actually quite annoying.

    Other than these problems though I really enjoyed the map. It has good enough pacing, it does build up to the boss in a solid way and the boss itself is implementing well. There are some neat ideas after the boss is active. I especially like how Alyx was suddenly gone. The transparent enemies were really hard to see in the dark enviroment and I’m not sure if it’s just me but it felt like they have more health than normal. At some sections there were way too many enemies, I was wondering if they spawn infinitly.

    The final boss fight was okay, but not very creative. The Mertz module was only used in its most simple way and could have been used way more creatively. The boss lost a little of its climactic feeling after you can shoot it, because it took too long to kill it. It was tedious, and being tedious is the last thing a boss should be.

    div class=”fix”>

    Downtown Arena

    Most of this map is just a copy paste from older entries of this author. I’m really disappointing. This is the weakest map by this author for a long time. The whole introduction area is completely pointless because it doesn’t contribute to the theme in any way. In itself it also just wasn’t a good or interesting introduction, especially because it was extremely artificial in a bland enviroment.

    The big problem of this map, and that almost disqualifies it for me, is that it completely misses the point of the theme. Instead of focusing on one boss, the author uses almost all bosses available in the game, and none of them are used in any interesting way, but each are used in the most boring way possible, well, except the apc maybe, that one at least drove around a little.

    The chopper was the worst, because it kept dropping mines in completely non-sensical places.
    Before the bosses there are fights against combine soldiers that felt very random. I honestly thought they are spawning infinitely and I have to do something, because they just kept coming out of random places for no apparent reason.

    Sorry but I didn’t like this entry.

    Deviant

    Maybe it’s coincidently, but the whole introduction to this map felt like the author blatantly copied ideas from Niker107’s LiberationVille map. It IMMEDIATELY reminded me of that entries and used same ideas. The map is clearly inspired by the Stanley Parable though, just like Niker107’s LiberationVille entry, so maybe it really is a coincidence. At first I didn’t like this entry, but it grew on me.

    The sections of this entry that actually had gameplay were well made. Making the creator of the map the boss felt a little like a cop-out though, because it allows the author to do basically whatever he wants, but he didn’t do anything interesting with it, nothing I haven’t seen before. And the thing is, the map misses to make comments about certain topics. It could comment on the relationship between player and map creator, the dynamics of critics and reviews or other topics, but it doesn’t do any of that.

    Because of that the whole “meta” thing of this map felt pointless. The entry is still good, and definitly better than some of the other entries.

    Magnetism

    This is what I wanted to see. An entry that completely focuses on the boss, and an interesting boss too. There is nothing unecessary in this entry. I much prefer a small and compact entry like this over a long unpolished entry. Because of that this entry looks good and feels polished. Although I have to say that at the end it still was a little too short to be satisfying. The entry could have done a little more with the boss, maybe different phases or something. The boss itself was a cool idea and a little scary actually. In other villes this entry would be “cool, but forgettable”, in this ville its one of the best entries.

    The Creator

    Man what the hell happend to RTSL …

    BONUS: Cat and Mouse

    I didn’t know how to progress, but I can imagine where the entry is going so I stopped playing, sorry. After the disappointing entries before I just didn’t have motivation to figure out what I am supposed to do, when every mistake is punished by instant death. I’ll watch a playthrough of someone else.

    BONUS: A Day in the Crab Lab

    Okay, I laughed 🙂 Thanks. This is what I needed at the end of a disappointing Ville.
    The actual combat section at the end was boring though and way too simple.

  10. Personal Favourite

    I really liked this Ville! Some may think that giving it a PF rating is going a bit too far, but honestly, I really liked all of the entries (even The Creator to some degree), and that’s because they all had something original to offer. You’d think that with a game like Ep2 that’s out 11 years now, people would never release original maps/mods again, but after playing this Ville, I was proved wrong!

    Multiverse Learning Center

    I can’t rate this one since it’s a tutorial, but still, I thought it was fun. The new mechanics definitely seemed interesting and I liked the way you had to implement your new abilities.

    Death Whisper
    It is good

    At first, I thought I wasn’t gonna like this map, because it was more of a horror map then a boss one, but I still enjoyed it. The mapping and the lighting weren’t the best, but they weren’t terrible either. The boss element is great, and I as a fan of chase scenes, I really loved this one. I thought the ending could have been different, but honestly, I don’t really mind. This was a good entry.

    Hit Squad
    It is good

    This was another good entry. The mapping and the architecture were mostly good, but I think that sometimes the architecture was very basic and blocky. However, the rest of the map was pretty good! I really liked the fact that there was a motive/reason that kept you playing until the end, but I think that it would be better if you actually got the courtesy to kill them.

    Mind Flayer
    It is great!

    Wow, this entry was great! I especially loved the boss element of this map, which is very important in this case. At first, it seemed like a simple invade-the-fort map, but it got really interesting later on. Also, I had severe framerate issues, and I didn’t think it was because of my PC, maybe more compression was needed? (not sure though) The mapping and the lighting weren’t that good, but I really loved the combat in this map, which is very challenging, but in a good way. Overall, this was a great entry!

    Downtown Arena
    It is great!

    Another great map! This entry takes the arena format and turns it into a “boss rush” battlefield. This could have either a positive or a negative outcome, depending on whether you like the idea or not, which I did. The architecture and the lighting was great too, and the combat was nothing short of challenging, but ultimately satisfying. Definitely recommended!

    Deviant
    It is WOW!

    WOW. This entry is simply genius from its start. It’s like this map has something to tell you. I love the way the 4th wall is constantly broken and that it makes fun of how people accept criticism on the internet (or maybe that’s me). It’s also technically great; I love dev texture maps so before I even played it I thought it was going to be great, but it’s so much more than a simple dev texture map. The combat was really fun, but the boss seemed a bit chaotic to me, but maybe that’s just me. Overall, this was a FANTASTIC and clever entry to this Ville.

    Magnetism
    It is good

    There’s not a whole lot to say here, since I beat this entry in less than 5 minutes. The boss idea is interesting, but I thought that it was way too easy and that it could have something more than just throwing bombs on the crane. The mapping was decent (not that there is a lot to see) and apart from the boss fight, there is no combat. Kind of a simple entry, but interesting nonetheless.

    The Creator
    It is okay

    I kind of understand where the mapper was going with this, but I didn’t really enjoy it that much. There are a lot of great concepts, and some times you could get a chuckle out of it, but other than that, I didn’t find it to be very enjoyable. The mapping was (what I can only imagine) purposely bad and the combat is pretty much non-existant. I’m sorry, but this time, I just don’t get it.

    Cat and Mouse
    It is good

    This entry had a pretty damn good idea for a boss fight, and it reminded me a lot of Alien Isolation, but sometimes I think that it could have been done a bit better. At first, the player has no idea what to do, so you’re gonna die a lot. After that, you kind of start to understand the map, so it gets a bit easier. There is no combat in this map, and the architecture and lighting is pretty basic. Still, I really enjoyed this map.

    And last but not least…

    A Day In Crab Lab
    It is great!

    This Ville just keeps getting more and more original, even with its final entry! The idea of an NPC ally is something that’s definitely been done before, but this time, your ally even has a voice! Technically, the map is great, but nothing breathtaking. The “boss” element is good, however at first it didn’t really feel like an actual boss fight. Still, this entry is fun, funny and original!

  11. Play It Now!
    Death Whisper
    It is okay

    I’m not really into most horror maps as they tend to overdo it with the darkness and don’t really offer anything substantial anyhow. This map has no combat so that was the last nail in the coffin for me but it had some nice ideas and silly puzzles.

    Ultimately, it’s walking around in the DARK and I’d play something like the old Doom 3 if I wanted darkness and monsters…

    Hit Squad
    It is okay

    The start is okay if a little off, not sure why but the AI seems lacking. It’s PITA when my man dies so I got used to saving manually… I found the levels rather dull and lacking in detail and atmosphere but the battle after he escaped was okay. I half expected this to be cramped overkill but it was fine.

    The next arena battle was boring and that leads to the traitor scene which I didn’t expect!! The new Gravgun parts are superb if a little awkward to navigate or rather boring… I liked how they both ran off and the floor disabled!! A disappointing end really.

    This could have been great but I felt it didn’t gel together and was often a bit bland but they arena side of it with the two yawn battles also let it down. I’d like to see further development go into this.

    Mind Flayer
    It is okay

    Another which didn’t really do it for me but the Silent Hill like changes in perspective were superb and really well done. I liked how the resistance members turned into zombies. Superb. The battles throughout didn’t really do it for me but the later ones where nicely produced and I liked how Alice was waving in the distance to trick you.

    I got stuck in the arena room as nothing seemed to happen after defeating the antlion queen… Lots of errors in the about Ignoring Unreasonable Position… so I guess it’s a compatibility because I’m on Mac?

    Overall, not really my kinda map but I did like the reality changes into the horror scenes!

    Downtown Arena
    It is great!

    The opening scenes where superb and I loved how it all gelled together so well. The mounted gun outside must be firing blanks because it does zero damage. The sniper stage leads you through well and what’s better than blowing doors open with explosive barrels. Absolutely superb and all nicely stage with good ammo supplies etc.

    The actual boss battles are great and there’s always somewhere to hide for cover but I must admit to rolling my eyes at the final gunship with those bombs…

    But what a great little map this is and definitely the best so far!!

    Deviant
    It is WOW!

    I thought I was going to hate this!! Stupid messages, orange textureless walls/etc, and silly puzzles… But no, the humour is great and the action is superb. It works so brilliantly and then juuuuust when you think it’s over – it’s not!!

    The warehouse scenes are a joy to be in. Working out where to go and suffering those traps which pop-up or blast out of crates. Amazing place. Love it from start to end because it was entertaining and enthralling without ever being frustrating or OTT in difficulty. Perfect. Would have loved even more actually.

    That ending…
    Wow how freaky cool is this!!!!!

    Best map so far.

    Magnetism
    It is okay

    I actually liked the start and figured this something pretty cool in surroundings I love about HL2. Well, it wasn’t lol.

    Yeah I can see what the mapper is doing here and it works pretty well but it soon becomes frustrating trying to knock him outta there! Weird to see all those crates floating about though. Cool arena and something very different but not really something I’ll play again tbh.

    The Creator
    It is okay

    I couldn’t play this because it bombs me back to the desktop with an Engine Error:

    157/ – npc_fastzombie_torso: UTIL_SetModel: not precached: models/zombie/fast_torso.mdl

    Possibly extras not supported outside of PC – world?
    I’m on Mac.

    I see a lot of Okay ratings so I’ll give it that as I can’t leave it as “x”…

    Cat And Mouse
    It is bad

    I can understand why some might like this but I didn’t.
    Sorry, but definitely something I hated with a passion and not really something I’d ever chosen to play. Doesn’t “feel” HL2 to me…

    Sorry. But very frustrating and very annoying!

    A Day In Crab Lab
    It is okay

    I loved the eerie start which leads to a rather cool area. Even though some HL2 mechanics had seemingly been altered it works well and leads through to a nice corridor battle. This is all looking good!!

    However, I then get locked in a room which shows some guards rushing in. After the blast nothing happens and the guards just…do…nothing… Yup, I guess this is one of those “I’m not using a PC” moments 🙁 Shame because I’m left stranded in the room with nothing to do.

    I did noclip my way through the locked door. Killed the soldiers which did nothing and heard a few explosions, that did nothing. I could, however, play again but I noticed little vents, to small for me! Ahh that new headcrab…

    Anyhow, this leads onto an area which locks me behind a forcefield and then… nothing happens…

    What little I saw, I enjoyed.

    For me, this was a pretty average Ville as I didn’t really click with some of the ideas and styles. Just a personal preference… I was also sad to see a couple of maps incompatible with the Mac. However, what makes this Ville worth downloading for me was Downtown Arena and Deviant which are superb and bump this whole thing to a PIN
  12. Play It Now!

    Overall very enjoyable with some really fun entries to play. My thoughts on the maps are as follows:

    1 – Death Whisper: This was an interesting entry but it just felt like it was designed for a different theme. While there was a “boss” fight this entry was more focused on being spooky

    2 – Hit Squad: I liked this entry but the plot point about the traitor could have been explained to the player better. Also, I was able to kill the “boss” combine character even before the end using the gravity gun

    3 – Mind Flayer: A really good entry with interesting use of the Gravity Gun throughout. This one was 2nd place in my rankings

    4 – Downtown Arena: I struggled for a long time with this one and the solution to getting the crowbar. Eventually I got it but this soured me on the map a bit. I really liked the sniper part but the boss fights felt kind of unoriginal when compared to the other entries

    5 – Deviant: Interesting layout, pretty good combat before the boss fight, and the boss enemy was awesome. For me this was the best entry and takes first place

    6 – Magnetism: This extremely short entry had the best boss battle of all. It was incredible to look up and see the shipping containers falling all around you. Unfortunately there was no build up to this great boss battle so for me this entry took 3rd place

    7 – The Creator: Very strange, short, and lacking polish. I didn’t enjoy it

    8 – Cat and Mouse: I passed on this one as it didn’t interest me

    9 – A Day in Crab Land: Very clever plot and voice acting, but the big boss battle was a little disappointing to me. I was just trapped in a very small space shooting at other guys who were trapped in very small spaces.

    Quite fun overall. If you haven’t played these entries yet you should definitely give them a try.

  13. Play It Later

    I’ve done my best to hide important spoilers in these reviews but there are still some light spoilers that give away settings and weapons. This collection has lots of unique ideas and i’m glad to have experienced them even if I didn’t enjoy them very much.

    Death Whisper
    It is good

    A haunted house that was a bit confusing to explore, but once I escaped I had learned the layout well enough, which was good because when the boss battle starts you have a better idea of where to run. I did get stuck in the kitchen when I lost my crowbar at one point though.

    Hit Squad
    It is bad

    Very average game-play with basic geometry, I got stuck in the force fields a few times and managed to kill the elite combine with my supercharged gravity gun (which I don’t think I was supposed to do). There is also a puzzle section that involves turning force fields on and off to pass through, but at the end of the puzzle there is another force field that cannot be turned off so I wasted a bit of time trying to figure out how to get through it.

    Mind Flayer
    It is great!

    Love the use of the new gravity gun ability in this entry! and a boss battle that uses this new mechanic that you learn throughout the level. Lots of cool visual trickery here too, although the rest of the map has some unappealing geometry.

    Downtown Arena
    It is WOW!

    My favourite entry in this pack, the puzzle at the beginning was very cool and gave me a great feeling once I finally got out. After getting the crossbow I had some great long range battles along the road. And the three stage boss battle was so exciting,especially as each of the vehicles announces itself with iconic HL2 sounds before appearing. I found the destroyed rocket crate hilarious too.

    Deviant
    It is good

    A very Stanley-Parable-esque entry that gave me a few laughs but the theme is a bit stale now. But the actual boss battle was fantastic, very impressed. But it would have been much better to have an interesting setting.

    Magnetism
    It is great!

    Very unique boss battle that gets straight into the fight. Loved the humour at the beginning and was an intense battle dodging all of the cargo while digging around for bombs.

    The Creator
    It is dire!

    It’s a bit like “Deviant” without the cool boss battle. Enough of these ironic low effort maps please. Basically no combat and the boss ended in under 5 seconds.

    Cat and Mouse
    It is great!

    A very fun puzzle with a different take on a boss battle. After I figured out how the movement worked most of the puzzles were relatively simple but enjoyable to complete. I love the sounds, and environment as well as the satisfying ending.

    A Day In Crab Lab
    It is okay

    This map had a decent amount of effort put into it but I didn’t really enjoy any of the combat or the boss fight or the talking crab. But its nice to see a unique NPC ally.

  14. Hec
    Play It Now!

    This is overall a nice competition worthy to be played. Although only very few entries had a specific “Boss” -in an old gaming fashion sense- feeling. I don’t usually write anymore each by each recommendation but this time I will.

    DEATH WHISPER
    It is great!

    This year for some strange reason I am eager for this next Halloween eve to come, so I just loved this horror entry. The boss sensation and environment is there though is kind of unique because the whole map obviously is horror oriented, and the whole horror atmosphere is always there on that spooky house. The ending felt a little bit bland but I guess the stronger point of this entry definitely is its horror environment.

    HIT SQUAD
    It is okay

    I liked the initial concept of this entry. Kill a big boss CMB Overwatch commander. Although that feels more like a topic for “Assassination-Ville” and not Boss-Ville. I think that’s the main and most weighted error in this entry. As you never really fight a boss and you kill in a very silly way at the end. Despite that, the map had a very strong CMB aesthetic, which I liked.

    Mind Flayer
    It is great!

    This one made me remember the “Epistle 3” story A LOT! The part where the Advisor controls your brain and put some very freaked up delusions in it is just great. And made me think the crafting of HL2 Ep3 it was absolutely, in technical terms, possible with this Source engine. On the other hand, I felt the use of the “Mertz Module” for the Grav Gun was too way much forced and almost unpractical in this entry. I also detested the lack of ammo and stronger weapon to fight the multiple mini-bosses at the final battle. I think the thing that really saves this entry, is that actually, you kill the CMB Advisor, which is the CMB boss for excellence, and this competition wouldn’t be the same if any CMB Advisor would’ve been used as a boss.

    DOWNTOWN ARENA
    It is good

    I think I already have played this map in some past competition for some reason. Anyways this is the most “classic” HL2 pure combat bosses, as you have to kill an APC, a Gunship and a Helicopter. I liked this one because I am that kind of HL2 urban combat gamer so this was good but not that great in a boss feeling sense.

    DEVIANT
    It is good

    Maybe this was a worthy winner and a “democratic” one as was elected by a majority of gamers. But I would have placed this one in a third place. Though I really liked the concept and the plot twist inside this entry. I felt the last boss battle was too “portalesque” or at least heavily inspired in the GLaDOS Portal boss, also the last battle and the way to eliminate this static boss was kind of confusing.

    MAGENTISM
    It is WOW!

    This was my unarguable winner. I loved the concept. The whole Alyx’s last scripted scene just fit perfect at the end of this entry. Also, the crane throwing containers at you really felt like a very realistic and intimidating abstract boss who just wants to crush you like a bug. Although the game dynamic may be predictable, as you can quite easily to avoid the Containers of you run in the perimeter of the pit, you feel really glad once you have killed that annoying metro cop throwing those menacing containers at you. This confirms Maki is just one of the best HL2 modders available in the community.

    THE CREATOR
    It is dire!

    Sorry, this ain’t my kind of mod and I just hated it. Is silly, full of stupid references and the thing which it was supposed to be the boss battle at the end was broken in purpose, which makes it very annoying. I really hope this author won’t enter the competitions anymore as he has done pure garbage in all of those in which he has entered. I really don’t mean to be rude by writing this but these are my thoughts. I guess if he can make those crappy maps then he at least can do something more serious and way too better!

    CAT AND MOUSE
    It is great!

    This was technically impressive, and as Phillip said on his video recommendation, very clever. Though I had to confess this wasn’t my kind of map neither. I just found it way too frustrating the first time I played it and only in many several attempts to pass it legit I could beat it. This reminded me of those old HL1 mods which place a very hard arse puzzle part in them so you absolutely quit the progress just because of that hectic part. I definitely have to confess I almost quit playing it. But I guess this is the kind of “think out of the box mate!” map where you have to understand not everything in HL2 is shooting CMB stuff.

    A DAY IN A CRAB LIFE
    It is WOW!

    I just loved this and it’s a pure shame its only a bonus map. Because this would have been my total winner if it could. I really like Dreadlie as I follow him on his Youtube channel about for a year ago or maybe a little bit more. He’s always a humorous-funny guy and that reflects it perfectly on his entry. The concept is solid gold mate! I loved the idea of a friendly mech-crab who helps you get a goal. The final battle felt a little bit static as you can’t actually get to the down floor and kill the boss. But that’s the point I guess. That your new funny mech-crab friend does it for you and pays the price of sacrifice :,( I also agree this could be a great base for a fantastic bigger mod, I hope Dreadlie take note of that and maybe do it a bigger mod someday. I also agree that the pace of the mech-crab didn’t let time for you to explore the map enough. But despite those minor details, this entry is pure solid gold!

    IN CONCLUSION

    This was a great competition. And possibly one of the most creative ones. Play it now.

  15. Play It Later

    Downtown Arena and EP2x13 looked and played good. The reset are forgettable.

    1. Unq

      Think you’re mixing up your Villes, Ep2x13 is from SniperVille. 🙂

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