Q4 Map Overview: PHRANTIC

Published by RoME on FragArcade.com

Phrantic is one of the favorite Q4 1v1 Duel maps in play right now. It certainly lives up to the meaning of it's name with it's extremely tactical and fast paced play style as well as bringing plenty of close quarters action into the picture. Today we will take a more in depth look at PHRANTIC, citing some easy strategies that many players use, we will time the spawns of the items, and we will show you four trick jumps on this map that will give you a bit of a headstart to superiority on PHRANTIC.

Map Notes:

Here's some notes from the author of the map, Rich "swelt" Jacques.

This is my first map for Quake4. This was originally a Q3 CPMA map which I made (nodm11/cpm24). I remade it for Doom 3, where the reaction was split between people that liked it for being like a Quake map and people that didn't like it for being like a Quake map. Perhaps in Quake 4, people will just like it :) Though the layout remains basically the same, each version has been tailored to suit the game. This version is no exception.

Weapons Available:

Probably the single most important aspect of PHRANTIC is the fact that it does not have a Rail Gun. This is great for emphasizing movement, tactics and positioning on the map rather than aim.

The Rocket Launcher (RL) and Lightning Gun (LG) are definitely the weapons of choice on this map, though there is also the Grenade Launcher (GL) as well as the HyperBlaster (HB) and Shotgun (SG) available to the competitors.

Armor Available:

Armor wise there are two Yellow Armors (YA) and one Red Armor (RA) available as well as shards in three different spots on the map.

Health bubbles are few and far between on this map compared to the armor, which gives a lot of importance to the 50 Health bubble located by the bridge in the main room. For the most part the rest of the health on the map is on the middle level. There are a few 25 Health Bubbles and a few 5 Health bubbles as well.

Common Strategies:

Strategy on this map is a bit difficult. After all, how can you possibly control a map that is this small with this many resources on it? I manage to control this map through timing the items, and knowing which items are more valuable to use as bait for my opponents.

I use that RA as bait most of the time as it is locked in a secluded area. There are only three exits to the RA room, and they all go through one choke point. Sometimes I'll stand mid level facing the RA entrance, and I can get a shot off at all three exits that my opponent would use after collecting the RA. If I'm in the RA room and trying to get out, all I can do is hope that my opponent does not have this position, and make him guess which exit I am going to take.

Another strategy is put to use when I'm near the upper YA when I'm not sure of my opponent's location. Many times I will stand facing the Teleport exit and spam the exit whilst waiting for the Upper YA to spawn. One problem with this strategy is the vision of the entire level is not available to me, so frequently I'll rotate standing on the upper YA spawn or jumping over to the Teleport exit platform facing the end of the long halls toward the lower YA. This gives a much better vision of the map, and allows me great mobility for when my opponent finally shows up. I also have lots of health available mid level just below the Teleport exit that can help me if I take a hit.

Timing the items is particularly hard on this level, as spawn times are fairly low and the map does indeed get very... erm... frantic. I sat down with a stopwatch and timed the spawns for most of the items on the map. Here's a breakdown of the spawn times of most of the items (may not be perfectly accurate, but here's what I timed in seconds):

All Armor: 25s
Ammo Boxes: 36s
50 Health Bubble: 36s
All Other Heath: 30s

Trick Jumps:

There are four trick jumps that I see players use during competition on this map. All of these trick jumps are relatively easy to execute, they just take practice.

The RA Room ramp jump is by far the most valuable trick jump on this map, and is a must know for all competitive players. This jump enables you to take the back door exit from the RA room without a rocket jump. Run toward the ramp exiting the RA room, ramp jump off of it onto the exit.

The Lower YA Ramp jump is the second most important trick jump on PHRANTIC. After collecting the lower YA, jump up to the angled wall, and execute a ramp jump up to the mid level. This is a great way to increase your mobility and timing on this map.

The third trick jump really isn't that important on this map, but jumps of the same type are huge on other levels. It's just a light jump from the RA spawn to the top of the ledge next to it. The reason I point this one out is that I want to remind all aspiring Q4 dynamos to keep their eyes peeled for possible trick jumps involving lights. This one in the RA room is definitely worth learning, it may come in handy one day.

The final trick jump is one up the edge of the stairs above the lower YA spawn to the hallway leading to the upper YA. This one is also extremely important, and not as well known to most players. The players that I see execute this jump well are the ones with control of both YA's most of the time. It helps you get to the upper YA very quickly, and increases your overall speed on the map tremendously. Learn this one or you'll end up getting owned by someone who knows it.

Good PHRANTIC Demos:

fox vs. Vo0
Ztrider vs. Cooller
Cooller vs. TooGoood

What Do the Players Think?

[K9-cl0ck] Ya, PHRANTIC is probably the best map out there right now. It's like a game of chess; you really have to out-think your opponent to win, more so than all the other maps. There are numerous different ways you can go about playing it all with positive outcomes. The best part about this map is that there is no Rail, so there are lots of close quarters fights which shows who the better player is at the end.

[iTG`ReDeYe] I love PHRANTIC, simply because without the Rail it forces players to be more tactical with their approach to each kill and puts high emphasis on prediction skill and learing spawns (for quick conversion frags). As a player my least favourite thing is the Lava (simply because falling into it means almost certain death, either from the lava or from the oncoming shaft that pins you down in it.

[b|d-DaHanG]...I think phrantic is ok, not a strong opinion on it. I don't like that the enemy can have the lead, and you get SSG spawn while he's got control of the map and it's really hard to take [the lead] back.

[megablaz0r`] PHRANTIC is OK. It's not a great map, but due to the lack of 'good' maps in Quake 4 we dont have much of a choice but to play it. My favorite aspect is that it's different than all of the other maps in terms of strategy, and my least favorite is the fact that a game there can be decided pretty much by the initial spawns. On lan if you get LG first you pretty much win if you know what youre doing. BLIPTOURNEY, PHRANTIC, and THE LOST FLEET will be the first maps to go and honestly i wouldnt mind seeing GALANG gone either. It's also the only map in play right now (assuming BLIPTOURNEY gets thrown out, and MONSOON stays in) without a Rail.

Conclusion:

PHRANTIC is indeed my favorite map in most rotations right now, and it's most likely because I'm awful with the Rail Gun. Beyond that, I'm a fan of John Carmack's vision of simplicity and skill in games rather than heavy-handed, overly complex games in which the bullets don't always fly where the crosshair is pointing. PHRANTIC captures the amazing visceral experience that was always meant for the Quake franchise, speed, death, and strategy. While PHRANTIC is relatively easy to learn as a map, mastering the map will take alot of time. We will see a great evolution of gameplay on this map as seasons progress and competitions take place. Here's to more maps like PHRANTIC!