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Title                   : FrostBite Canyon
Version                 : 1.0
Release Date            : October 31, 2003
Filename                : CTF-FrostBite.ut2
Author               	: <<-Strider->> (stelcontar@comcast.net)
Description             :  Abandoned cold weather military training outpost.

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--- Play Information ---
Game                    : Unreal Tournament 2003
Level Name              : FrostBite Canyon
Recommended players     : 8-14
Recommended settings	: 
Single Player           : Yes.
Cooperative             : Yes, CTF.
Known bugs              : None.
Bonus packs required	: None.
Custom meshes		: Yes, a bunch.
Custom textures		: Yes, a few.
Custom utilities	: Yes, UTROTA.EXE (see below)

--- Construction ---
Editor(s) used          : UnrealED3, Photoshop 7
Construction Time       : I lost count after a couple hundred hours.

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Story
-----

FrostBite Canyon was originally a cold weather military training outpost. It has since been abandoned and acquired by Liandri Corporation. Modified for competition it quickly became the most revered venue in the sector. Rumors of a supernatural presence, the bitter cold environment, earthquakes, and dangerous inhabitants have kept all but the most intrepid competitors away.


Gameplay tips
-------------

	For a better framerate turn off coronas and set world detail to normal. Normal detail turns off the moving banners, a couple of lighting effects, some emitters, and a few other details. No coronas and normal detail give ~10% average fps increase each. 
	There are some vertical areas of terrain with a large area of ice. Two of these areas are near the very center of the map, two near the caves and two near the bases. You can dodge (dodge jump preferably) into and slide up these sides from the mounds next to them. You can slide on other areas of terrain but usually not as easily. You can also slide up to the base roof along some of the earthquake reinforcement beams around the base.
	When carrying the flag try and get higher altitude if you have a chance. The higher you are the more return paths you will have. For a quick mid area crossing, go through the center pass, dodge jump to the redeemer pillar and shield dodge/jump off it to the opposite center pass.


Notes
-----

	Construction of this map begun in January 2003. It has gone through many changes since then to optimize framerate and gameplay. I wrote a C++ program, UTROTA.EXE, to rotate the terrain heightmaps and alpha layers to ensure exact symmetry and decrease build time. It manipulates the exported heightmap or alpha layer data (as a .bmp or .tga). It has two primary modes of operation. The first, rotates the entire terrain 180 degrees. The second, rotates the terrain across a diagonal line connecting opposite corners. This utility will be released soon.


Installation
------------

Unzip the the .ut2 file and place it into the maps directories under your Unreal Tournament 2003 directory. Double-click the map, or start an instant action session and select the map from the menu. 


Copyright / Permissions
-----------------------

Authors may NOT use this level as a base to build additional levels. Authors may NOT use the custom meshes in this level without my permission. You are NOT allowed to commercially exploit this level, i.e. put it on a CD or any other electronic medium that is sold for money without my explicit permission.

You MAY distribute this level through any electronic network, provided you include this file and leave the archive intact.
