DEADBOLT News

Hey everyone!

The mapping week has ended, and forth comes the speedrunning week!

As per our plan, we've chosen three maps that best suit the event's theme, and the line-up is this:

- "Small Time Hydra" by Classic_Cheese18
- "Decomposition" by Tabu
- "Welcome to the club buddy" by Kenshi

Let's have a quick overview:

[h2]Small Time Hydra[/h2]



Small Time Hydra is easily one of the most impressive of the bunch. It fits the entirety of the camera space, and poses quite a variety of ways to be completed. With vents that cover the entire building and enemies that appear seemingly out of nowhere ("Hydra" is there for a reason), it's jam packed with elements that allow for all sorts of routes. Destroy the phylacteries, kill Stela and flee. Can you beat our record of 29 seconds? ːhoopterː

[h2]Decomposition[/h2]



Decomposition is mostly focused on finding your way around the level, almost feeling like an elaborate puzzle. Find your way to the 6 bottles that are scattered around the level, kill the bartender and exit via a level transition on the right. Mind the dancing crowds!

[h2]Welcome to the club buddy[/h2]



Well, it sure is a title. Anyway, this level is more akin to the standard levels of DEADBOLT, with some zombies here and there, an environment full of decor and even some backup! Usage of vents and lighting is greatly advised, since there is almost no way to go anywhere without alerting your enemies. Kill Puff, destroy the totems, cheese the backup if you know how and, you guessed it, escape the premises.

We'd like to clear up some things before we begin:

• The submission must be in a video format, as mentioned in the previous blogpost. If you're concerned about your strategy/route being "stolen", you can submit the run directly to @JAG or @Square_Rabbit on the Discord server instead of sending the video in #contest-submissions. Otherwise, the runs go into the aforementioned channel.
  
• Much like individual level runs, the runs in this event are RTA: timing starts when the player is spawned, and ends when the scoreboard pops up. For one, this means that you can die as many times as you'd like without quitting to menu again and again.
  
• All starting loadouts are allowed.
  
• The map creators are not allowed to speedrun their own maps, but they're free to have a go at the others' maps.
  
• One player can run any amount of maps, be it just one or even all three, if they have the endurance to do so.

If you still have further questions, we'll be happy to answer them! Otherwise, go and push yourself to your absolute limit. We will see you up ahead.

Hey everyone!

So, wow, four years of DEADBOLT. It’s hard to believe that the game was released that long ago, despite the fact that a lot of stuff has happened. The 2017 workshop activity spike and all the crazy maps that came with it, the MotW revival, all the discussions and memes. Words cannot describe mine and hopoo’s gratitude for everyone’s support of the game over the years, and the efforts to keep the community as lively as possible.

Of course, we can’t celebrate the occasion with just a regular blogpost. This year, we’ve decided to combine the efforts of mapmakers with the efforts of another dedicated part of the community – speedrunners! They strive to beat the game in the fastest time possible, learning everything about the mechanics and perfecting their routes, and we think it’s about time for custom maps to get the same treatment. That’s why we’ve decided to host…

[h2]The DEADBOLT Speedmapping Event![/h2]
Here’s how it’ll go down:

• During the first week, from March 16th to March 22nd, mapmakers will be tasked with doing what they do best. Story is irrelevant here – instead focus on interesting gameplay and variety. The more alternate routes and methods to complete the level, the better, but don’t forget about general fairness and enjoyability. After all, these levels will be played over and over again. It's best to submit your map to the dedicated Discord channel, but if you want to enter, all you need to do is include [SC] in the map's title. We’ll pick the three best maps (judged by us, of course) and go from there.
  
  
• The second week, from March 23rd to March 29th, is all about speedrunning. Players will have to find the fastest routes for the three selected maps. Anyone can participate, and you can run all three if you want to. You’ll have to record your runs and submit them to the dedicated channel in the DEADBOLT Discord Server [link]. Your times will be judged from the scoreboard at the end of the level, so be sure to include that in the recording, too.
  
  
• In the end, there’ll be two categories of winners – the three best maps, and the fastest run on each map. The winners will be awarded with a prize of their choosing – either a DEADBOLT Steam Key to gift to a friend, or a DEADBOLT soundtrack code.

And… that’s about it! If you have any questions, you can always ask in the comments, or use the Discord server to contact the moderator.

Once again, thanks for your support over the years, and we can’t wait to see what kind of maps and strategies everyone can come up with!

Hey everyone!

The festive season has passed, decorations are coming down, and everyone’s getting back into their usual routines. And that includes us reviewing maps! And after experiencing the unusual, whacky nature of some of the modern DEADBOLT workshop maps, we thought we’d go back to a more classic, vanilla-style map. And that’s what we’re covering today – Totem Blaze by PlausibleSoul!



It’s quite simple in nature. Burning totems is nothing new to most reapers, but this map is heavily focused on stealth. You’re outmanned, outgunned, and confined to claustrophobic rooms that don’t leave you much space, you’ll have to plan out your route and avoid all the enemies so that you can burn the totems without being killed.



Or, if you’re feeling stubborn, you could try a full-on frontal assault of the base.



This map reminds me of how the official levels are structured, in a way. They tend to have a gimmick that uniquely define them, and this level really fits into that same design. It’s a nice, chill puzzle level, and sometimes simplicity is all you ever need.



Play it now!

Hey everyone!

Happy New Year! You may have noticed our absence over the last couple of months – we took that break to recharge for new MotWs and deal with real life things. But enough about that! We decided to make the most of the New Year and organise something special just for the occasion – a New Year Themed Mapping Collab!

We figured it’d be a nice opportunity to bring the community together and celebrate this time of year, and even if we didn’t get all that many submissions, the love and dedication of the creators can be felt in each one of the ones we’ll be reviewing today.

[h2]Reincarnation of a Community[/h2]

First up on our list is “Reincarnation of a Community”, by PDF_Survivor_482 and Classic_Cheese18! (Currently titled as New Year 2020)



We consider it to be the best entry of the bunch – it’s outstanding both in gameplay and level design, but the scripting and usage of triggers is what truly makes it.

choose a question with a smaller reapo

or get spooked. hard.

Simply put, you are on a quest to assassinate all the other mapmakers in the community to ensure Cheese’s place as the best mapper of all time. You’ll be going through plenty of unique scenarios as you strive to elevate Cheese via process of elimination.



The dialogue is witty and adds some nice flair to the map, and the creators were even nice enough to present the player with two different routes towards completion – one for reapers who are up for a challenge and one for reapers who are willing to endure many deaths and memorise every trick the levels have up their sleeves. It’s got a little something for everyone.



[h2]Newbolt[/h2]

Next up is “Newbolt2020”, the very first map that its author, Tabu, has created. For a first map it’s very ambitious: different routes, massive levels, impressive visual design, and a whole lot of cutscenes.



When boiled down to the basic premise, the different “directions” that the map can take you in are essentially all arenas where you fight off waves of enemies, as well as the usual style of DEADBOLT level and whatever dialogue Tabu has come up with.



Now, this one won’t be for everyone, especially due to various flaws that differ in severity depending on your chosen route – the waves usually consist of enemies being stacked upon one another, many portions can be something of a tedious grind, and some of the jokes are sure to fly over the heads of many, being influenced by Russian internet culture. Yet I just so happen to be exactly the kind of person willing to sit through something if it looks possible, and in a weird way it feels like it was worth it in the end. And even with said drawbacks, the visuals never fail to impress. I mean, just take a look at this:



So yeah, if being confined to small arenas and pushing your way through waves of enemies sounds like something you wouldn’t mind spending your time on, then this one’s for you. And if not, then hey, whatever Tabu comes up with next may be more your style.

[h2]New Year's Wine[/h2]



And last, our final entry is “New Year’s Wine” by LittleHorn! This is a nice wind down from the crazier gameplay presented by the maps above. It’s a short linear story about our Reapo helping the Candles out by getting some wine for the New Year’s celebration. It’s pure, simple, charming, and heartwarming. And, of course, it’s got some cool fiddling with the trigger system if you look under the hood.



And there you have it. Three cool and kinda-New-Year-themed maps (they’ve all got snow in them, that’s good enough for me), with each offering something unique that delivers a great time. You can access the maps via this collection. Thanks to everyone involved for taking part in this small project. Here’s to 2020!



And before I forget, we've also got a couple of sweet artworks that cannot go unnoticed.
The first one's by

@Razakstan


And here's a little something by Classic_Cheese18, one of the members of the collab.

Hey everyone!

It seems we’re on a streak of old-but-gold maps, and today in the spotlight is “Hall of Mirrors” from kilozombie’s “Cassettes” collection – a story-heavy campaign that focuses on unique level design and psychological topics delving deep into Ibzan’s consciousness. Oh, and there's Timur as well.



Fittingly enough for the level’s name, the first section is perfectly symmetrical, aside from the enemies being warped to different heights, which will make hitting the heads more difficult. The stage itself is pretty huge, with lots of small rooms, stairwells and interconnected vents that allow for quick navigation. The guns on the shelves are a neat touch, specifically because they’re pretty tricky to get.



After clearing the warped bar, you can explore a bit to find a familiar face, or acquire an Auto Grenade Launcher if you’re agile enough. When you’re done, just jump down the basement pit as prompted.



Once you land you’ll find that the fall has stretched you out this time, which will make aiming rather confusing. Tip: trust nothing but the reticle. At least everything else is back to normal now. This is where kilozombie gets the chance to flex his environment creation skills – floating cubes and snow are all well and good for otherworldly areas, but this area goes above and beyond with its scattered rooms, tears in the background, and distorted atmosphere.



Once you rid the place of enemies undead, you’ll move to the story segment of the level by picking a safe and obtaining a cassette, a fragment of Ibzan’s shattered and distorted memory. We’re not gonna delve deep into the story here, though, so instead I’d like to bring your attention to this ridiculously large God of Life. Maybe this whole situation is just an obscure Evangelion reference.



All in all, it’s a memorable level, with added difficulty in figuring out just where to shoot the warped enemies, although it's somewhat short compared to some of the other stages in the collection. However, they’re designed just right to make the entire playthrough enjoyable.

Play it now!