The Layout – Map Labs #17

for Half-Life 2: Episode Two

3rd September 2023

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In the mold of Crossfire, which had a huge turnout of authors using the classic deathmatch map as a basis for their own maps, comes this challenge. The Layout asked mappers to select one of 11 popular multiplayer maps from over the years to form the backbone of a new single player map.

So here’s The Layout, with 9 new takes based on classic map layouts!

As always, if you’re interested in learning more about Map Labs and maybe even participate in their upcoming challenges, visit the Map Labs Discord.

Basic Details
  • Title: The Layout
  • Filename: sdk-2013-sp-mlc-thelayout.7z
  • Size : 744 MB
  • Author: shoes, beefbacon, Sensethenn, rojahel, Friendly Russian, Attack Slug, roman_memes, Alivebyte!, Alexandra ‘Maestra Fénix’ Bravo
  • Date Released: 24 February 2022

Download Options

Download to your HD [744 MB]

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 thelayout, mapbase_shared, mapbase_hl2, and mapbase_episodic folders into your SourceMods folder.
  • Restart or start Steam.
  • The Layout should now be listed in your Library tab.

Reviewing

If you decide to use the Per-Map Opinion Images, feel free to use the file below as a template:

The-Layout-Review-Template.txt

Entries

Listed as they are displayed in the mod itself:
Yellow = winning maps and recommended maps

Ravenholm Reconnaissance Squad by shoes [Avalanche]
Ravenstone by beefbacon (bonus map) [Avalanche]
PastTense by Sensethenn [Sugarcane]
Fallout Valley by rojahel [Mountain Lab]
R.E.V.C.E.T.P. by Friendly Russian [Train]
Sluiceworks by Attack Slug – 1st Place [Gasworks]
Opposing Force, Too by roman_memes – 3rd Place [Train]
Infiltrate The Base by Alivebyte! (bonus map) [Nucleus]
Nal Sidian by Alexandra ‘Maestra Fénix’ Bravo – 2nd Place [Nucleus]

Screenshots

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.
Each map has 5 screenshots. Thanks to ArctixSnowPup for providing the screenshots!

1600 x 900

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
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!
2 recommendations, average score: 5 (out of 5), standard deviation: 0 (what's that?)
Total Downloads
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    Overall
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Meta Review Data
Statistics based on 3 comment(s) with meta review data.

Installed:
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 3 Users
Time Taken:
Average: 3 Hours, 33 Mins
Shortest: 3 Hours by Hec
Longest: 4 Hours, 40 Mins by Stef
Total Time Played: 10 Hours, 40 Mins
Categories (?)
Half-Life 2: Ep2 HL2-EP2 Mods Mapbase Play SDK 2013
Tags (?)
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6 Comments

  1. Wesp5

    Finally some great maps! Sluiceworks was fine, besides one buggy door, but I also loved the one where you played a Vortigaunt and the one where you played a magician in a Dark Messiah setting.

    Reply
  2. dougjp

    I couldn’t agree more! I’m trying to figure what MapLabs did to help this challenge turn out different, with so many maps being complete with details along with decent length gameplay. More time given to complete the challenge perhaps?

    Quite a few of these maps are excellent too. In fact Revenholm Reconnaissance Squad is, IMO, a “Its Wow”- a PF. And close to that are FOUR other maps, R.E.V.C.E.T.P, Sluiceworks. Opposing Force, too, and Nal Sidian. That’s a majority of the maps, which is amazing!

    Reply
  3. Hec
    Personal Favourite

    This time I was reflecting on the quality of the entries and I confirmed that the fewer entries you have, are more likely that the quality on them is the better.

    And I guess this is precisely the case in this map lab. Because in this edition, we have just some awesome, and I dare to say classic entries. I also think the layout concept, that is, base the map in some classic MP arenas is possibly the key to the success. As well as having pretty talented authors of course.

    Ravenholm Reconnaissance Squad by Shoes [Avalanche]

    It is great!

    This map was kind of confusing at first as you are in a very open map so it is actually up to you which path to take and follow to complete it. But, once you get you have to carefully fetch for the batteries and escape I think you are going to make it. The environment in this map was amazing too as it feels like a purist Ravenholm zombie map.

    Ravenstone by beefbacon (bonus map) [Avalanche]

    It is WOW!

    Man! This was truly great, the whole feeling is that this is a different game from HL2, so the author is truly a genius for exploiting the advantages of the source engine this way. Overall my whole feeling about this entry is that I would love to play a full game with more and more maps like this, enemies are just amazing, the Grav Gun dynamic is right on your hands, and the environmental combat is just pretty sweet! and that whole aura of pirate-magic retriever atmosphere on the map is delightful, this truly is an instant classic, and I can only hope the developer dares to make this one a full-scale game with so many more maps someday.

    PastTense by Sensethenn [Sugarcane]

    It is great!

    I have never enjoyed a combat arena so much as this one before. The layout was great as you can combat and plan your battle in many ways possible, but I think the key on this one was to battle from the bottom up. The Combine tries to get you of course, but you have plenty of room to run across the map and escape their strikes, and also many cool places to ambush, this one felt like a realistic close infantry combat mission so yeah it felt great to play.

    Fallout Valley by rojahel [Mountain Lab]

    It is bad

    I’m kind of sorry to say this, but I think this was the only bad entry in the entire game. It doesn’t mean the concept or layout was bad, because it was a great idea indeed, but having to cross that toxic river full of annoying zombies was a big pain in the butt, so that part where you have to cross that river, is utterly anti-climatic and very harmful to the player that once you reach the other side of the map and then you get to that control room in which you, again, find another obnoxious hindrance like these 4 f*cking turrets to get the sh*t out of you is like a big middle finger to the player, I know in there you have to input a number on the door keypad so it is manageable, but this whole entry feels just very anti-climatic in the middle of other great maps, sorry.

    R.E.V.C.E.T.P. by Friendly Russian [Train]

    It is okay

    I liked the concept of the combat training simulation in this one, but I just loathed the orange textures… I think that aesthetic detail could have made a great difference in this map as the other elements, combat, and the train layout map, were well done.

    Sluiceworks by Attack Slug – 1st Place [Gasworks]

    It is WOW!

    This was a greatly deserved winner, and I can only think that Attack Slug only improves and improves as he faces each map-lab after another, so yeah in this time he delivers a beautiful map. The textures and environment kind of remind me of those great HALO 2 maps where you face the covenant, is amazing to think this is a kind of environmental puzzle map, and despite some (including me) usually hate puzzle games, find this entry just great, a truly art work that I can only hope the developer mingle together one day in one big mod release.

    Opposing Force, Too by roman_memes – 3rd Place [Train]

    It is great!

    This was a beautiful tribute to Opposing Force, the map was greatly done, and despite it being an MP layout Roman achieves a great Single Player exciting combat journey, so congratulations for that well-deserved 3rd place.

    Infiltrate The Base by Alivebyte! (bonus map) [Nucleus]

    It is okay

    This was a nice little story to give context to a huge FPS arena, so good for that. The combat was nice but felt overall kind of plain as you just battle the CMB terrorists with that classic and kind of boring HL2 SMG and once you finish them all you end the map, so yeah: complex story, simple gameplay.

    Nal Sidian by Alexandra ‘Maestra Fénix’ Bravo – 2nd Place [Nucleus]

    It is WOW!

    I just loved this one and just blew my mind off. Reminds me a lot of the classic POV HL1 mod as you play as a friendly Vortie, the whole combat dynamic of the Vortie is greatly done in this entry, and the layout of the map is great, is a well-deserved 2nd place, and a truly instant classic, can’t wait to play its sequel in “A Place on the West”

    So yeah that’s it. a great map-lab, full of exciting fun entries to just enjoy.

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    3 Hours
    Reply
  4. Stef
    Personal Favourite

    The layout is certainly a great ‘map lab’, there are no dispaointing entries in this one, in the other hand there is a bouch of excellent one that keeps me playing them in a day

    Ravenholm Reconnaissance Squad by shoes
    It is great!

    Playtime: 90 minutes

    The design and the layout were great, typically Ravenholm, I really like the way you progress and that you need to think about how to reach certain places
    the different power increase and the ‘more resistant monster with reward was also a good idea, for my own I had only some issue to realy find my way sothat it took me a bounch of time to progress
    Finally for the end ride I could not escape the van.
    Definitly close to be a personal favorite

    Ravenstone by beefbacon
    It is WOW!

    Playtime: 25 minutes

    Design layout ambience everything was from high quality, It make me taught though the layout,to the game Thief, except that you didn’t need to progress without being seen I really great experience would have give this one the second place

    PastTense by Sensethenn
    It is good

    Playtime: 55 minutes

    A kind of old hangar where you need to fight back combine that just one to eliminate you, this was quite a classic layout design and added somekind of enemy spawning till a certain moment.

    Its just some fight to stay alive no really thinking just pure gameplay, for my own I found it a little hard and to challenging
    but it was still a good enjoyable map

    Fallout Valley by rojahel
    It is okay

    Playtime: 15 minutes

    design was well balance but without any highlight it wasn’t clear what to do except to eliminate the enemies. The interconnection between place was also a little confusing.
    All in all it wasn’t a bad release I just hope for something more structured

    R.E.V.C.E.T.P. by Friendly Russian
    It is okay

    Playtime: 25 minutes

    the way this map was design was a little suprising but fit to the virtuality of the experience except the lack to the layout the gameplay experience was quite satifying and gave me in term of combat a good experience enhance but some small puzzle that fit correctly to the gameplay

    Sluiceworks by Attack Slug
    It is WOW!

    Playtime: 10 minutes

    This was a little short experience but really well imersive through its gameplay and visual I really great experience would have put this one the first place

    Opposing Force, Too by roman_memes
    It is good

    Playtime: 10 minutes

    A sort of trooper experience well design with some new stuff. In term of layout it was well construct and gave me a good fun experience for 10min the ending was
    also well fiting

    Infiltrate The Base by Alivebyte!
    It is okay

    Playtime: 9 minutes

    The start was really great with and entry seems that really immersie you into the game after if was just a kind of arena map that make the experience sad regarding the start

    Nal Sidian by Alexandra “Maestra Fénix” Bravo
    It is WOW!

    Playtime: 37 minutes

    playing this one, as a vortigaunt was also a great experience the way is power was manage to play through the map was excellent, like the dynamic and the gameplay A really imersive experience even if the general design was quite classic, would have put this one on the third place

    Summary

    I had really a great fun and some exciting moment playing this map lab, it’s highly recommanded through gaming experience that can also create some great visual memories with some really high qualities entry

    Installed:
    Manually
    Difficulty Played At:
    Medium
    Playtime:
    4 Hours, 40 Minutes
    Reply
  5. Stef

    I need some help to get my review post, I think it when to the trash 🙁

    Reply
    1. Unq

      Got it (finally).

      Reply

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