AS-BP2-Subrosa

Every rose has thorns, and even the most pristine worlds can hide sinister intentions.

Sub Rosa

Map Description

This scenario recreates the invasion of the Central Liandri Information compound by NEG forces. The New Earth Government discovered that the Liandri were transferring experimental weapons data through the facility, and sent an elite squad in to retrieve the research. This squad must first make their way inside the compound (with or without the use of a Hellbender). There they must open the vault, steal the Data Stick and carry it outside, where they will have another Hellbender to get the Stick to the computer terminal to transmit the weapon data to the NEG.

Objectives

Destroy the Main Gate

The attacking team starts a short distance from the compound with a small weapon loadout and a Hellbender. They must walk/drive down a short grassy road to the compund's Main Gate. Useful tactics include setting up a chain with the Link Gun's alt-fire (which can also be used to repair the Hellbender) could make this objective easier to reach, as well as snatching Rocket Launchers from fragged defenders.

The defending team spawns next to the door. They will have the better weapons, as well as an AVRiL to fight the Hellbender and a Minigun Turret on a platform on the grassy road. A jumppad kicks the defenders to this platform instantly. Although this turret is very effective against footsoldiers, it's also very weak against the Hellbender. The vehicle won't have a lot of trouble destroying the Minigun Turret, which then won't respawn.

Destroy the Front Door Controls

With the Main Gate destroyed 2 hatches will open next to the gate with Weapon Lockers and a very useful UDamage pickup. There's a courtyard behind the destroyed Main Gate with 2 Health Packs in between the large pillars. The Door Controls are on the left and right side of a small building in the back wall. Attackers can use the large pillars for cover until they have reached either one of the controls, where a few defenders will be waiting. 7 Rockets will destroy a Control, and destroying both Controls will open the door.

After the attackers completed the first objective the defending team will respawn inside the building (after dying), close to the Controls. There are 2 Minigun Turrets to use (1 near each of the controls) which overlook most of the courtyard, but not the controls itself. Its view is also partially obstructed by the large pillars, making them less effective. There's also a Shield pack and 2 sets of 4 Health Vials inside the building for the defenders to use, though it takes a few seconds to reach them.

Get the Keys from the Central Office

Another set of hatches with weapon lockers open as the Front Doors open. The main hall features a large statue and 2 stairs. The Shield Pack and 8 Health Vials will be available for the attackers at the foot of the statue, if the defenders haven't already snatched them during the previous objective. The 2 stairs lead to a short hallway with a large obstruction down the hall. The "Central Office" is just behind the obstruction. The objective's status bar takes 4 seconds to empty.

The defending team respawns a bit to the back of the building, not too far from the objective, but quite a walk from the Front Door. There's not much the team can do but to take positions as fast as possible and wait for the attackers. The only valuable item they could hope to obtain is the Shield Pack near the entranc. The key to a successful defense here is tactical positioning.

Use the Keys to open the Vault

There are now 4 more Shield Packs and 2 Weapon Lockers in the main hall for the attackers to use. Beyond the Central Office, a turn to the left and a small slope later the attackers will arrive in the room with the objective. There are 2 Locks: 1 on the left and 1 on the right. A 4-second long presence of an attacker will unlock a lock. Extra health and armor can be found in the back of the room.

These pickups are for the defending team to use. They conveniently respawn near these pickups, above the Lock room. They will reach the Shield Packs simply by jumping down. However, since both teams have plenty of Shield Packs, this gives neither team an advantage. What the defending team does have (and the attackers don't) is Health Packs.

Destroy the Data Shield

2 more hatches open in the Lock Room with more Weapon Lockers. After a few seconds the Vault will be opened and the attackers can move on to destroy the Data Shield. This Shield is in the back of the large column in the middle of the large room up ahead. The defending team will not be teleported away, so a cluttered-up fight in front of the slowly-opening Vault Door is almost inevitable. There are no extra weapons or pickups in the Vault to help either team. 20 rockets will destroy the Shield and allow the attackers to complete the next objective.

The defenders' spawnpoints are a small walk away from the Vault. That, in combination with the limited weapon loadout, puts respawning defenders at an disadvantage. Because of this it would be very wise to stock up on Shield Packs just before the previous objective is over. The attackers will open the vault quicker this way, but they may take a lot longer to destroy the Data Shield with a team or well-armoured defenders defending it.

Get the Data Stick!

With the Shield destroyed the Data Stick can now be picked up by an attacker. When one of the attackers walks over the Stick, the objective is completed. Much like in Capture The Flag, the Stick will be dropped when the carrier is fragged. Another attacker can simply pick it up again from where the carrier dropped the Stick and continue to complete the next objective.

Realign the Antenna

Now it's time to make a run with the Data Stick. There's another Hellbender waiting outside, next to the door, as well as a new Weapon Locker. There are 2 slopes on the right side. The leftmost road is quicker, but guarded by Minigun Turret on a platform (on the left of the road). The objective is on this same platform, but the attackers will have to walk around it to be able to get on it. The other path (which goes up) avoids most of that and leads straight to the objective, via a small detour over a slightly-narrow bridge. When the carrier reaches the marked area on the platform the objective is reached.

The only person who can complete the objective is the carrier of the Data Stick. When the carrier is in the Hellbender the Data Stick can be seen sticking out of its Skymine turret. FOr the first time the defending team will teleport to the Computer Terminal. A set of jumppads will kick them to either the bridge or the platform with the objective (depending on which side of the terminal the defender spawned). Also, make sure not to get too close to the attacker's spawnpoints to avoid its Sentinel's fire.

Get the Data Stick!

The Data Stick is now magically teleported to the bridge where it can be picked up again. Attackers coming from the spawnpoints need to take the rightmost slope (the one leading up) to get to this bridge quickly. Like the first time: Walking over the Data Stick will make the attacker in question pick it up and complete this objective.

This is where the attackers can really rush their offense. Having an extra attacker stationary near the location of the stick while the carrier reaches the platform will shave seconds off of their time. Therefor the defending team would be wise to keep an eye on this section at all times and/or send a defender in to prepare for/ambush the attackers on the bridge. The Bio-Rifle's alt-fire can be particularly useful on this narrow bridge.

Upload Data Stick at the Computer Terminal

Now it is time to complete the mission and transfer the information from the Data Stick. This must be done in the building on the other side of the bridge. From the Antenna (where the Data Stick was) the attacker must jump over the side of the bridge (the side with the Antenna) and make a straight run for the large entrance of the Computer Terminal. Look out for the 2 Minigun Turrets on this building, which overlook roughly 90% of this route. Once the carrier made it to the computer at the back of the hall the mission is completed.

A successful defense here is based on preparation. The defenders will not be teleported for this objective, so they may end up trying to catch up to the carrier if their preparation was lacking. Suiciding could be used as a way to get the defenders close to the Minigun Turrets and the objective faster. The combination of 2 Minigun Turrets and footsoldiers wielding Flak Cannons should stall the carrier. The small slopes near the back of the room also make good ambush points, where the Bio-Rifle could come in handy.

Weapons & Pickups

Weapons

• 1x Link Gun
• 1x AVRiL
• Ammo:
  • 2x BioRifle ammo.
  • 7x Link Gun ammo.
  • 2x Rocket Launcher ammo.
• 18x Weapon Locker
  • 1x Rocket Launcher, BioRifle.
  • 1x Rocket Launcher, Minigun.
  • 2x Rocket Launcher, Link Gun, Shock Rifle.
  • 2x Rocket Launcher, Shock Rifle, Lightning Gun.
  • 1x BioRifle, Flak Cannon, Lightning Gun.
  • 1x BioRifle, Flak Cannon, Link Gun.
  • 4x BioRifle, Link Gun, Flak Cannon, Lightning Gun.
  • 2x BioRifle, Link Gun, Flak Cannon, Minigun.
  • 1x Link Gun, Shock Rifle, Lightning Gun.
  • 3x Link Gun, Lightning Gun, Minigun.

Power-ups

• 4x Health Pack

  2 in the courtyard, in between the pillars.

  2 in the Lock room, behind the obstruction in the middle.

• 9x Shield pack

  1 in the Main Hall, in front of the statue.

  4 in Main Hall (behind hatches after Objective #3)

  4 in the back of the Lock room.

• 1x UDamage

  Next to the Main Gate, behind the rightmost hatch after the Main Gate has been destroyed.

• 16x Health Vials.

Vehicles and turrets

• Attack:
  • 2x Hellbender

At the beginning, before the first objective.

Near the end, when the attackers exited the Liandri building.

• Turrets:
  • 6x Minigun Turret
  • 6x Ceiling Sentinel
  • 5x Floor Sentinel

Tips & tricks

Offensive

As mentioned before: Minigun Turrets are no match for the Hellbender. A good strategy is to let the Hellbender destroy these turrets and have a few attackers with Link Guns protect/repair the Hellbender. With the Minigun Turrets gone, footsoldiers will have a much easier time progressing through the level. The Hellbender can also destroy the turrets in the courtyard from a distance, even though the entrance to the area is mostly blocked. Inside the compound plenty of pickups and weapons can be found after objectives have been completed. The extra armor or UDamage might be worth the trip back to the first part of the level. The final 3 objectives is where most of the time can be saved using good teamwork. Having an attacker ready on the bridge to take the Data Stick, while another attacker is standing by in a Hellbender to transport him to the Computer Terminal fast, while the carrier of the first Stick reaches the 3rd-last objective could result in a very quick time and victory in the match.

Defensive

There are only a few parts in this level where the defenders have an advantage over the attackers. The AVRiL for the first objective, the Shield Pack for the 2nd and the occasional Minigun Turret is all what the defenders have in this aspect. In some parts of the level both teams will be racing to the same objective. In these cases it may be wise to press Q (by default) to teleport to the newly enabled spawnpoints instantly. This prevents the scenario where the defenders are running after the attackers, trying to catch up. This also gives defenders the time to load up the Bio-Rifles alt-fire and wait for the attackers on a tactical position, for example.

Trivia

• When the player goes to stand to the left of the pillar in the courtyard that's the closest to the leftmost Door Control, the large cannon on top of the building will rotate and shoot down an incoming dropship, which will crash just outside of the courtyard, causing a huge explosion.
• This map was originally called "Teh Demo", and was an assault on Epic headquarters to steal the Unreal Tournament 2050 demo and upload it to the internet.
• If you look really closely to the monitors in the central office, the text on the monitors with the missile and Matrix blueprints show the Unreal Tournament 2004 Patch Release Notes. Another, smaller monitor there and near the last objective where you have to send the information show UnrealEd's Script Editor with Actor class open in Windows XP.