A.T.'s Favorite Maps

[Single Player][Multiplayer: MCA]
[Multiplayer: On-Foot][Installing Maps]
For more information and a complete list of all home-made maps, check out The Next Level.

These levels are the ones that stand out for me as the best custom levels available. My criteria are:

Gameplay: These maps have all the elements necessary to support an all-out firefight. They usually emphasize speed over style.

Design: These maps are well thought out and impressive to look at. They usually emphasize style over speed.

Just because a level isn't listed here doesn't mean I don't like playing it or even that it's bad. It's just not my favorite. These rankings are, of course, subject to change as new maps come out.

You can click on the screenshots to get a full-size (640x480) view.

Single-Player Maps

A.T.'s Choice for Gameplay and Design
The Maniac Challenge
The Maniac Challenge could be the best single-player maps by default (there's only been one other single-player map and that wasn't that good), but instead Interstate82 gives us three well-thought-out maps. Sick of playing the same old levels over and over? See if you are man (or woman) enough to take the Maniac Challenge!

Download The Maniac Challenge

Multiplayer Maps: MCA

A.T.'s Choice for Gameplay and Design
Dust and Water
Dust and Water is a pretty slick outdoor map that a lot of servers are running. The polygon count can get rather high in places on this map, which can chop things up a bit. This map has a lot of room to roam. It was one of the first custom levels released, and it is still one of the best.

More Screenshots of Dust and Water
Download Dust and Water

Honorable Mention for Design
Zentradae Base 2.1
Zentradae Base is a small MCA-oriented deathmatch level. Any more than four players or so would probably be too much. It probably could use a few more starting points.

More Screenshots of Zentradae Base
Download Zentradae Base

Multiplayer Maps: On-Foot

A.T.'s Choice for Design
Maniac Mansion 2
You're a maniac. You're in a mansion. Deathmatch fun. There's so many places to explore and so much cool stuff going on. Unfortunately, all the cool stuff comes at a price. Firefights can get bogged down a bit.

Download Maniac Mansion

A.T.'s Choice for Gameplay
Pairnoid
I assume the author meant to call this "Paranoid". At any rate, this is a quite cool, quite frenetic deathmatch level. Make sure you have version 2.1!

More Screenshots of Pairnoid
Download Pairnoid

Honorable Mention for Gameplay and Design
Pits
This is a small map in a crater for mano-a-mano action (that's one-on-one, kids). There are a couple of minor texture errors (that give the "hall of mirrors" effect). But all in all it's a very sharp looking map.

More Screenshots of Pits
Download Pits

Honorable Mention for Gameplay and Design
Red Predator Fortress
This map combines lots of open areas for lots of action and pretty cool design. The "staging area" with the red Predators is wide open, but can get a bit slow because there's so much stuff there. Make sure you have the version named Red2.

Download Red Predator Fortress

Installing and Using Maps

Just put the .DAT file in your CUSTOM folder under your SHOGO folder (e.g. in C:\Shogo\Custom). When you get on a server using the map, it will load automatically. To use the map all by yourself, choose the map under Single Player \ Custom Levels.