Today at DailyNade’ we are kicking off a new regular feature: “Map Focus.” Every few weeks a pro will detail your favorite map, including locations, strategy, movement tips and effective pre-grenade spots! Without further ado, here’s the first map selected: Casa.

Pleased to Meet You, My Name is Casa

Back when I first started playing I recognized Casa as the Spanish word for “home” and have since considered it my “home” map. Recently, however, I’ve been told by other players that Casa is modeled after the city “Casablanca” in Morocco or based on the old movie “Casablanca.” I know I am not alone in considering Casa a “home” map though, as it is one of the most beloved maps in the Urban Terror Community.

Originally this article was only going to focus on Team Survivor for the sake of simplicity (and because I don’t often play bomb or CTF). However, after doing some “research” (playing the game!), I decided that it would be a travesty to not include at least some information about CTF and Bomb mode in this article, such as flag locations and bomb sites. For the most part, though, this guide will be from a Team Survivor Perspective. Below I will outline Spawn Areas, the different areas of the map, movement around the map, sniper areas and pre-nade spots. I’ll also throw in some fun tips (like spots that glitch) and strategies.

Prepare Yourself

First of all, Casa is a map that doesn’t especially lend itself to using any particular weapon. This is in contrast to other maps such as Riyadh (where SR-8 rules). Therefore my recommendation for gear/load-out is simple: a Kevlar, Helmet, and whatever you feel the most comfortable with as your primary weapon. Secondly, a good player will usually make it a priority to know the different areas of a map. Casa is no exception, and since it is a map commonly in rotation in nearly all servers there is no excuse not to learn the locations. There is no better place to start than spawn locations.

When looking at the Casa Spawn diagram (below), you will notice that almost half of the map is out of play during a Team Survivor match. This makes the map considerably smaller and cuts down on hiding spots for a faster game. You may also notice that it is possible for a Red player to spawn all the way near the trees at Patio Courtyard and a Blue player can spawn all the way at the end of the Covered Passage.

Ok, Show me the Locations Already!

Before writing this article Casa seemed like a small map to me. After I started writing, however, I realized that Casa is huge! I’ve split the map into two parts to make referring to the picture easier. Below are some general notes about some of the areas of the map.

1. Old Alley: Old Alley (also sometimes called Red Spawn) is usually where Red players will start on the map. This area is generally “safe” for Red, as it takes a lot of effort for the Blue team to push up Ally Timbers or through the Patio Courtyard.
2. Patio Courtyard: Patio courtyard is one of the best defensible positions for the Red team. This is because players can “cover” one another from several angles (for example: a player at narrow can be covered by a second man on the patio by the trees, and the bridge can be covered from narrow). If this area is rushed by an opposing team, however, the only exits are to Fountain Courtyard or back to Old Alley (this is only true in Team Survivor as in CTF or Bomb one can exit by Wood Piles or 27’s Tunnel).
3. Alley Timbers: Alley Timbers is one of the least defensible locations on the map, and is a deathtrap. It is not wise to linger in this area too long because a player can be killed from Market and from Old Alley (Red Spawn), with no place to escape.
   
4. Bridge: Technically called “Main Alley Square, I named this “Bridge” to fit on the diagram. Bridge is another deathtrap, similar to Alley Timbers because hanging out in the middle leaves a player open to attack from above, behind (via Fountain Courtyard), and from the front. That is not to say “don’t go through Bridge,” because if done correctly, one can travel unharmed through this area and surprise the enemy. One can sometimes also effectively hide in the corner underneath the bridge. Typically, however, it is wise not to linger in this area too long.
5. Patio Courtyard (Middle): This is still technically part of Patio Courtyard, but deserves a section on its own because it is a deathtrap. Middle can be a throughway to rush, but what usually happens is that it funnels slow players to snipers at either end (from Covered Passage or from Patio Courtyard). Note that if done correctly one can surprise rushing enemies by hiding around the corner on either side of Middle.
6. Narrow Hallway: Narrow hallway is another deathtrap. This is because on both sides one is likely to encounter a sniper. Take notice of the balcony overlooking the Fountain Courtyard, as this is a good place to take aim towards Market and Bridge (assuming you pay attention and avoid being flanked from behind). This is also good place to pull the pin on a grenade, and throw towards the Patio Courtyard.
   
7. Market: In a Team Survivor match, Market is usually a safe area for Blue team to try and defend. In bomb and CTF, however, Blue has more effective defensible areas (for example, Orchard View). Market is defensible because Alley Timbers and Bridge funnel players into narrow doorways, and New Alley can easily be watched. There are also many angles that allow players to defend one another in a similar manner to Patio Courtyard.
8. Fountain Courtyard: Fountain courtyard is not an easily defensible location; it is, however, significantly safer than Narrow or Alley Timbers. Keep in mind when playing from here that Fountain Courtyard has the most number of entryways and exits of any location on the map.
9. New Alley and Covered Passage: These two locations are often combined because sometimes they are called simply “Blue Spawn.” Covered Passageway offers a good vantage point to snipe players approaching from the middle. There are also some very good places where players rarely look in this area, making it a fine place to camp (In Team Survivor) if low on life. It is harder to hold than Market, as there are fewer exits, but it may be safer than Fountain Courtyard.

Now, a full map for context:

So Many Deathtraps, What Will I Do?

As mentioned in the location section, in a Team Survivor game there are four deathtraps: Narrow, Middle, Bridge, and Alley Timbers. To avoid being killed in these places, one needs to focus on movement. Generally on Casa there are two strategies: “Hold and Exterminate Stragglers,” or “Rush and Flank”. In both cases knowing common routes is beneficial. Nearly all of the most common routes are to help a player navigate (or defend) a deathtrap.

I would bet that most deaths on Casa occur at a deathtrap. If true, then one can significantly improve his or her game by avoiding (or utilizing effective movement in) those sections. Below is a map with numbered routes that I will explain and consider. Note that the movement map in this article is focused on Team Survivor. For the record, I consider Blue to have a rushing advantage and Red to have a defense advantage. I’ve colorized the routes to indicate for which side they are best applied.

1. Blue Spawn to Fountain: This is the most common way players exit Blue spawn. As Tarquin explained in his article “Dominate the market with Your SR-8,” most of the time Market will be empty: “…there’s a good chance (on public servers) nobody’s playing in Market anyway…”. It is important to note that this route is the way most players will take upon spawning (especially players of lesser skill). Further, if this route is performed properly, a player can slide all the way to the middle (even with Kevlar) and surprise the enemy at Patio Courtyard. Good strategy is to syncronize a rush into Patio Courtyard from multiple angles (from narrow, bridge, or market). If Blue team can plan a syncronized attack, then this jump is dangerous to the Red team indeed (even if it’s a pretty standard route).
2. Back Jump to Middle of Narrow: This is a quick back jump and a slight turn to the right to arrive at Narrow Hallway without grabbing. It is a quick way to escape Fountain Courtyard, to prepare a pre-nade for Narrow, or to flank an enemy that you saw at Patio Courtyard.
3. Fountain Wall-Jump to Bridge: This is an effective jump as one can use it to retreat or attack. If done properly a player can continue this jump and slide all the way to the end of the Bridge and continue into Old Alley. A player can also shorten up this jump and go from Fountain Courtyard to Market without spending a significant amount of time at Bridge (one of the deathtraps).
4. The Famous Market Jump: Almost every player should know about this jump by now, even if he or she can’t perform it reliably. It bestows upon the player a significant advantage – that of being able to quickly travel from one end of the map to another (and a quick passage through Alley Timbers). The hardest part of this route is sliding from the end of market to the end of Ally Timbers. It is worth learning.
5. Narrow to Patio to Bridge: This is an effective jump when trying to retreat, flank, or when trying to help defend against an incoming attack at bridge. A player jumps from the edge of Narrow to Patio Courtyard and finishes by sliding towards Alley Timbers.
6. Simple Jump from Patio to Narrow: One can perform this jump to arrive at the Narrow stairs without grabbing. This jump provides an opportunity for an injured player to hide in the relatively safe covered area of the Patio Courtyard and still have an exit opportunity.
7. Bridge to Covered part of Patio Courtyard: Both jumps 7 and 8 start from the same place. This means that a player could end (very quickly) at the opposite ends of the map from the same starting point. One starts by doing three wall jumps in the walkway from Bridge to Patio Courtyard and a slide to the covered part of Patio. This is helpful when fleeing, or when first spawning as a way to arrive at Narrow faster.
8. Red Bridge Jump: This jump can be done with one wall-jump or two. It allows a player to sprint through the bridge “deathtrap” and flank an enemy at Fountain Courtyard.
9. Red Market Jump: This is likely the hardest (or second hardest) jump on the list. It takes a player from Alley Timbers to Blue Spawn in a very quick fashion. The quick travel, if done correctly, will help a player attack campers at Blue spawn. This jump also can help one flank enemies in Fountain Courtyard from behind.

That is all I can provide for tips about movement. These are usual jumps and routes, and even though a few were likely left out, knowing them (either from a rushing stand point, or a defensive stand point) will improve your game. Next I will outline some effective sniping positions, pre-nade spots and notable positions.

Fun Stuff: Glitches

There are a few glitches on Casa. Thanks to UrT player Cynicism, here’s a demo of some of them. In case you can’t tell, the first glitch is that you will lemming if you jump at the window the wrong way.

On a Snipe Hunt

Sniping on Casa is much more common than one would think. All three areas in the middle of the map (Market, Fountain, and Narrow) will be rife with sniper crossfire in a competitive match. Luckily, both red and blue have effective sniping positions.

Red:

1. Sniping Market from Alley Timbers: This was pretty well demonstrated by Tarquin in his article. One can Snipe through the fence at Old Alley all the way to Market. It is a good sniping position because a player can attack incoming enemies from head on and, if needed, escape well in advance to Patio Courtyard.

1. Patio Courtyard Sniper’s Nest: If done correctly, one can hide behind the tree in Patio Courtyard to effectively kill players exiting and entering from Narrow Hallway. This position is difficult to flank, but it is also difficult to retreat from the Sniper’s Nest.
2. Red Narrow Hallway: This is a standard spot. Usually at the beginning of a Team Survivor match there is a race between to secure this spot and Blue spot 3. A skilled player in this spot can effectively closing off a point of entry into Patio Courtyard.

Blue

1. Position at Spawn Corner: This position allows a Blue player to effectively eliminate any Red from entering through Patio Courtyard’s Middle. It also provides a good escape plan, via market. If a player is faced with a 1 vs. many situation, this position allows a player to “use the corner” to their advantage and hear oncoming enemies from behind while protecting the front.
2. New Alley Sniper’s Corner: This position provides some of the benefits of Blue 4, but with an easier escape route. One can defend most of the market from here, but cannot fully see enemies approaching from Alley Timbers.
3. Blue Narrow Hallway: This position allows a Blue player to protect the Narrow Hallway and to watch Bridge. It is similar to the Red Narrow Hallway position.
4. Market Sniper’s Nest: This area allows a sniper to attack all the way into Old Alley. Combined with jump number 4 this position can be very deadly.

Nade’ in Your Pocket, or are you Just Happy to See Me?

In this section, I have outlined four of the most effective pre-nade’ spots on Casa. You may have noticed that they are all on the Red side. This is because I find Blue side to be more spread out and harder to effectively pre-nade. If you haven’t done so, check out Engine’s how-to on using grenades, as most of his examples are on Casa. On the diagram below, grenade spots are defined by “G”, and notable spots are defined by “N.”

1. Alley Timbers Rushing Pre-Nade: This area is effective for a player who is rushing, or to prevent rushes. Also interesting to note is that one can bounce a grenade off of the wall from a relative safe spot within market, (without exposing himself to fire from old alley) and still get damage pretty far into Alley Timbers. Overall, this is one of the better places to send a pre-nade flying.
2. Market to Bridge Pre-Nade: This is a good place to send a pre-nade for both teams. Red would nade’ this position to slow an oncoming attack from Fountain or Market, and Blue could throw nades from this spot prior to rushing.
3. Narrow Hallway Hiding Place Pre-Nade: Blue can send a pre-nade flying at this location to injure or kill a Red sniper. This would allow the Blue team to rush in on Patio Courtyard.
4. Suicide Nade at Sniper’s nest: If a sniper is sitting behind the tree at Patio Courtyard, one can pre-nade this position from Alley Timbers/Bridge or from Middle (Suicide Nade’). That’ll take care of the sniper problem.
   

Notable Spots

1. Red Healing Corner: This is likely the safest place for Red players to heal each other so it is commonly used for that! Take advantage of the protection (Red team) or (Blue team) try to surprise distracted opponents. This can be done easily by listening for healing noises at Patio Courtyard.
2. Red Healing Corner 2: This position is not particularly safe for healing, but many players do so anyway after being shot from the bridge.
3. Covered Area of Patio Courtyard: This is a good hiding place, so always check it for enemies. If you do not, then expect to be unpleasantly surprised.
4. Patio Courtyard/Narrow Hallway Spot Check: Check out this area, as similar to N3, it is sometimes used to surprise enemies coming from Bridge.
5. Fountain Courtyard Bench: A good place to sip Espresso and enjoy a sunny afternoon. Also, to cover the Middle, watch the break in Narrow Hallway, and hear oncoming enemies from Bridge.
6. My Most Favorite Spot to Camp when Low on Health: No one checks these areas. Often you can watch an enemy run by, then head-shot them from behind. It’s my favorite thing to do when low on health.

Conclusion

So, that is it for the Map Focus for Casa. I hope none of you are disappointed that CTF and Bomb modes weren’t discussed in-depth for this article. However, Casa is a great map and I hope that those who read this article gained some new-found appreciation and learned some new tricks.

Finally, I’d like plug the opportunity to help the DailyNade’ in future Map Focus articles. You will get the opportunity to “research” and write about your favorite map.

When considering a typical First Person Shooter game, most would agree that fast-paced, weapons-based combat from the (first-person) perspective of being in the game is the norm. Such is the case with Unreal Tournament, Quake, and the Call of Duty series. Urban Terror certainly captures that type of action, but there are features that make it unique among others. One such feature is the distinctive movement players can use in game: wall-jumps, slides, climbs, and successive jumping to gain speed (circle jumping, bunny hopping, and strafe jumping). Apart from making the standard game faster and more interesting, jumping in Urban Terror has become a game in-and-of itself. Jump map training is even set to become an official game mode in Urban Terror 4.2. In this article, I hope to introduce jump maps by outlining the benefits of playing them, describe some of noob friendly maps, take those jumps to the field, consider harder jump maps, and finally proffer some links.

Why Play Jump Maps?

There are many reasons to play jump maps, but below I’ve outlined a few that convinced me to start playing them.
1. Practice: playing jump maps offers practice in moving quickly around maps, doing wall jumps, and in getting to unique places on standard maps. Playing jump maps also can help one learn how to enter a room in unique ways – surprising the enemy. I personally started playing jump maps after getting blind sighted by players who moved significantly faster around the map.

2. Connectivity: playing a jump map does not rely on others for “hits,” and is thus much more enjoyable with a less than ideal internet connection. As long as the connection is steady, players can still beat a map with a 400+ ping. This is great if one has internet connectivity issues, or wants to waste some time without an internet connection. If you’re at an airport that does not offer free wireless internet, Urban Terror jump maps can be a lot more fun and engaging that solitaire or minesweeper. Just start up a server and have at it!
3. As a Change-Up: when loud gunshots and high energy head-shot blasting has become stale, jump maps offer something new. Many skilled players find jump maps to be relaxing as they can be played with the sound off and one can go AFK without feeling tethered to the computer. Also, some jump maps offer players a way to fly around the map in a manner that can be compared to riding on a rollercoaster (some maps even include loops!). Don’t expect to get this feeling when you’re starting off, however, as many newcomers experience frustration at first.
4. Camaraderie: many jump map servers have their own Mumble, TeamSpeak, or Ventrillo servers and this offers a way to meet new players within the community. Jump maps are also great for team building within the context of clans because players can have casual conversations with each other without the pressure of shooting one another. Often times this results in something akin to friendship and skilled players often race each other to the finish line. Players will sometimes even go back to heal each other, and “team jump” maps exist. Finally, players in jump maps are usually nice to each other – they say hello, ask locations, and remember each other from day to day. That is not to say that everyone is nice (one such example is the player that accuses everyone else of blocking), but overwhelmingly playing on jump maps is an enjoyable social experience.

While the above list may not be exhaustive, I find them to be the main reasons why I play jump maps. Your reason may be that it is a good way to introduce a FPS game to a squeamish significant other (in that it does not require killing others). Others may have different reasons, but for the typical Urban Terrorist, those reasons will be the main rationale for playing jump maps. The next section introduces some noob friendly maps.

Where Do I Start?

As mentioned in the introduction, Urban Terror includes some very interesting methods of movement. Some within the Urban Terror community have picked up that fact and utilized the (now) open source tool GtkRadiant (a map creator/level editor) to design new and unique third-party maps. Check it out
yourself and you may one day be able to create your own maps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GtkRadiant.
While many maps focus on traditional game modes (Team Deathmatch, Team Survivor), a plethora of  map makers have focused specifically on making maps that you can “jump.” This is a new concept in most FPS games, as you are not competing against other players but rather the map maker. This section
will outline some of the most noob friendly maps.

1. Uberjumps: Uberjumps is the quintessential noob friendly jump map. This map features over 20 jumps, each with a reasonably progressive skill level. The upside of this is that it slowly eases players into more difficult jumps. For example, the first jump starts off with three relatively easy wall jumps and by
the time players reach one of the later jumps (one that also requires three wall jumps and climbing a ladder) they will have acquired the skills needed to be successful. Finally, while not the most beautiful map, Uberjumps is fun to look at while playing as it gives the appearance of jumping high above the
earth. Beware the “s-curve” jump near the end, as it causes you to lemming. The map name is “ut4_uberjumps_beta3.pk3.”

2. Wootjumps: Wootjumps is also one of the most noob friendly maps. This map features over three “rooms” of jumps, with progressive difficulty that many players prefer over Uberjumps. This is because the progression of difficulty is smoother in wootjumps. I personally feel, however, that Uberjumps is more aesthetically pleasing and therefore more fun to play. Don’t forget to try and find the secret (tip: it’s in the first room).  The map name is “ut4_wootjumps_v3.pk3.”
3. Dutcherjumps: Dutcherjumps is one of the shortest jump maps and one of the easiest. It does offer oodles of fun for its size with funky techno music and an icy slide as the last jump. It has nothing too difficult and it is not the prettiest but it is fun. The map name is “ut4_dutcherjumps_b1v3.pk3.”
4. Jumpcamp: This map, it seems, was designed with the noob in mind. Though it is incredibly easy (up until the “jump exam”), it even comes with a “noob training area.” The map maker also posts the current record holder’s times with the locations, and promises to update the map should someone beat that record. According to the map, the current record for completing the whole map is around 3 minutes. Don’t expect as a beginner to even come close to that time, however, as I have seen some spend over 75 minutes just getting to the last jump. The name of this map is “ut4_jumpcamp_v2.pk3.”

5. Walljumps: While not spectacular in visuals or even that innovative in jumps, this map earns a place as it is short and friendly for noobs to finish. It mostly consists of (as its name implies) walljumps. The name of the map is “ut4_walljumps.pk3.”

Honorable Mentions:
1. Mooniejumps: Mooniejumps is a great noob starter map, though it is very long and can get frustrating. It has a decent learning curve that is fairly progressive. It is not included in the top 5 because of its length and difficulty near the end. A great map, nevertheless. The name of the map is
“ut4_mooniejumps_b3.pk3.”
2. Funnyjumps: This map is difficult, but it has a very nice “noob training area.” The training area even has lines that a beginner can follow in order to learn. It is a very fun map, with some icy jumps (like an icy half-pipe) and some interesting jumps thereafter. The first “official” jump, unfortunately for
beginners, is a noobcatcher (a jump that is very difficult for the inexperienced to complete in order to keep subsequent jumps less crowded). The name of the map is “ut4_funnyjumps.pk3.”

My first medium to hard maps:
1. Jumpskills: Many people enjoy this map. It starts off relatively easy but quickly gets difficult. Not too long and has some fun visuals (such as the jump “a poor O2 place”). The name of the map is “ut4_jumpskills_beta_2.pk3.”
2. Lizzjumps: This is a relatively long map that can infuriate noobs. But it does offer some unique jumps (“jump around” and “Toxic dump”). This map is hard to expert. The name of the map is “ut4_lizzjumps_beta1.pk3.”
That is it for the “noob” jumps. I understand that with the enormous amount of jump maps there exist more “noob” friendly maps. These maps, however, are a good place to start and are in rotation on a number of servers. Try them out, get to know some of the players and enjoy yourself. There is no shame in taking a break if you get frustrated, and remember to try not to block others. Jump maps have certain norms to follow, for example: in crowded areas, try to line up and jump when it is your turn. The next section will focus on taking what you learned back to regular maps.

You Learned How to Jump but Still Suck in Team Survivor – What Gives?

Learning jump maps does not guarantee that you will become an expert on normal maps. Here are some tips for utilizing your newly developed skills.
1. Look for platforms: In a normal map, platforms are not as obvious as in a jump map. What may appear to be scenery, however, may very well be a platform. Take, for example, the roofs of the stalls in markets found on Prague and Casa. With enough practice, one can jump from one end of the market on
Casa to the end of the timber alleyway with enough speed to surprise your foes or get away from the enemy.
2. Consider Wall Jumps: A lot of time there is only one way to get to a platform on a jump map. On a normal map, however, one can usually arrive at a location without jumping. This makes it especially easy for a sniper or foe to take aim at “usual spots” where a player will travel. For example, a sniper may
aim outside a doorway or near stairs. Utilizing your newfound jump techniques, try to gain access to platforms and areas in non-standard ways. For example, on Austria, try jumping over the wall near crossway instead of going around it. There are many examples of getting around in non-standard ways. On turnpike, for example, one can start at the back parking lot and end up near the supply yard after doing a few (accurate) wall jumps.

3. Think Speed: It is much harder to hit a moving target (most of the time), and you should be able to utilize your experience in circle jumping and bunny hopping to out-maneuver your foe. It isn’t a good idea to go running out in the open, but if you must, then travel quickly. Utilize wall jumps to further
randomize your movements. Doing quick bunny hops in the open on Riyadh, if you’re moving in a straight line, won’t help you much. But randomizing your movements may give you the advantage you need.
4. Get to Unique Camping Areas: Many players dislike campers, but it is part of the game, like it or not. Use your skills to get to higher ground (the top of the roof on Uptown, the roofs on Algiers, the tops of trees on Abbey). While you are more of a “sitting duck,” camping at these unique places may give you
the extra milliseconds needed to get the kill. I don’t recommend overusing these places, and I also recommend moving after getting 1-2 kills. In a Team Survivor match, one can be sure that your position will be given away over team speak if you are camping in a unique place such as trees.
5. Don’t Forget the Stamina: After learning how to jump and some cool techniques, don’t be afraid to try them out. Remember that the more you jump and run the louder your breathing becomes in the game. Don’t give yourself away by being too overzealous.

I Want To Do Some Harder Jumps!

Some jump maps focus on so-called “pros.” Pro maps are those that only the most skilled of jumpers can complete, and they often feature what is called a “noob-catcher” – a first jump that is nearly impossible for those with less experience to beat. The reason for this is that it prevents later (and harder) jumps from becoming overcrowded. It is in my opinion, however, that the only successful noob-catching maps are those with progressive difficulty, in that “noobs” naturally get stuck on jumps for which they can complete. It is often important to remember when doing these maps that you are not “competing” with
other players, but rather you are facing-off with the map maker. Sometimes you can “cheat” and complete a jump in a way it was not designed to do.

1. Vertigo: This is a very difficult and very long map that can take months to learn. The jump clan “.LiFT” even uses it as a baseline for membership (in that one cannot become a member until completing the map). Once completing a jump, it is not uncommon to spend several hours learning the next one. The map is very rewarding, however, as it involves unique (and high flying, high speed) jumps that are fun to perform successfully. The name of the map is “ut4_vertigo.pk3.”
2.  Don’t Get Wet: This map is possibly one of the most difficult maps that is widely circulated. Many experienced players can’t even beat the first jump. I would recommend beating all of the noob maps before even attempting this one. The name of the map is “ut4_dontgetwet_devr0.pk3.” This map is also very pretty, so once you get good enough to attempt, it is very rewarding.
3. Jupiter: This map almost made it on the noob maps because it has a very good “easy” level. There are three routes you can choose to take in the beginning of the map: easy, medium, and hard. The medium route is very difficult as is, which indicates just how “hard” the hard route is. The map is very pretty, in that it utilizes crisp lines and has an “outer space” feel. The name of the map is “ut4_jupiter_beta2.pk3.”
4. Projumps: This map is extremely difficult, and also has three routes. There is a noob training ground, a normal way, and a hard way. Many experienced players can’t even make the first jump the “normal” way. The name of the map is “ut4_projumps_b4_.pk3.”
5. Jump the Shark: This map has a particularly terrible noob-catcher and consists of around 30 jumps. Some fun locals include an MC Escher room, and you also get to jump a shark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark). The map is time consuming and difficult to beat. The name of the map is “ut4_jumptheshark_beta61.pk3.”

I know that I left quite a few “pro” maps out of this list, but there are many “very difficult” to “extremely difficult” maps out there for jumpers. This list should give you a good place to start if you wish to move on to being a “pro” jumper.

Where Can I Find More Information?

I hope that this has been an informative primer on jump maps in Urban Terror. If you would like more information, check out one of the best resources on jumping in Urban Terror: the Urban Terror jump community website – http://www.urtjumpers.com. Urban Terror Jumpers has step-by-step videos, tips, a forum, and (most importantly) offers a place to download the aforementioned maps. I would also highly recommend checking out the standard Urban Terror Forums: http://forums.urbanterror.net/ for information on mapping, jumping, and advice.

My favorite jump map server at the moment is the “wTf non-icy server.” It supports up to 16 players at once (which is high for a jump server), and wTf also has a mumble server for community chat. You can find a general listing of Jump servers at this address: http://www.urtjumpers.com/server.php

New Alley Spawn

At the beginning of the round, regardless of where you’re playing, you should be prepared for a rush. In the case of Market from New Alley side, the sniper should be wary of pushing up too close to the tents before confirming that there is no rush. If he makes that mistake he is likely to get annihilated by five opponents with no safe and quick exit out of Market. So keep yourself, at least at the beginning of the round, either at the balcony or just below the stairs to the balcony and check for a rush, and for a sniper who might be looking for an early round pick. If there is a rush, lob a nade and make an escape taking at most one or two peeks for a gay pick. Otherwise, you can either push up to the tents or play from the balcony.

If you decide to push up to tent (as pushing up is good preparation for rushing on your pick with a teammate who might be playing by the bridge) always check the right corner of Alley Timbers first for opposing snipers who might be trying to get fancy on their positioning. Then, you can play from a number of spots. I prefer to snipe through the narrowest crack I can see since any sniper who tries to peek from the back of Old Alley, or through the flowers is doomed by the easy shot I have on them and the bad shot they have on me. It’s also good for picking off gutsy autos who try to check Market with a few walljumps. You can also play crouched at the rightmost side just because nobody plays there and the opposing sniper is likely not to check immediately for that position.

Top of tents, looking through the crack

Right side of tents

Or, you can play from the balcony. The most common spot played is behind the flowers so that your head is barely poking out. So, often it is to your advantage to play standing up on the railing scoped in on the crack so that your the opposing sniper who will almost always check for the head-being-the-flowers should be auto-fucked by your (hopefully) decent reaction time. There is also the added advantage of being able, again, to pick automatics who might jump into timbers for a rush or to check Market for enemies. Otherwise, playing behind the flowers isn’t really a bad idea either since your head is so hard to see.

Or, if you’re really ballsy, and you have a pretty good idea the sniper you’re playing against passive, AND you know that an enemy automatic isn’t going to fly out of the corner into your face (you will probably know these things late into the game), you can push down the Timbers for a gay pick that a lot of snipers won’t attempt. Just have on your nikes if you miss, or a teammate behind you to watch your back (hopefully).

Once you get a pick at Timbers, a number of spots are likely to be open. Obviously, the guy watching timbers for the enemy is down, so that whoever is playing bridge on the other side will have to split his attention. This makes it approximately seventeen times easier to rush into Alley Timbers and Main Square Alley with your team (not that rushing Timbers against a sniper is particularly hard in the first place).

Patio/Old-Alley Spawn

If you have a good Old-Alley spawn (like, you’re the first guy who can get into the Timbers), you can try for a gay early-round pick from Timbers. Just peek through the railing for an enemy sniper. If, instead of the sniper you see a rush, run away. If your spawn was bad and you tried to go for the pick anyway, there is a small risk that the other team might be rushing into Market and they’re already on the tents mowing your butt down. If you’re quite sure that the rush won’t happen, you can usually get into Timbers for a gay pick regardless of your spawn. Just be aware that the enemy sniper might have crossed to the balcony if you have late spawn and play to the left; a shot at a guy into timbers who is too far to the right is pretty easy for anybody playing in balcony. Finally, if you find that going for the early pick keeps resulting in your death, a nice thing to do is just to jump up and down in Timbers at the beginning of the round to check out who is in Market and where they’re going.

Now, Timbers is probably the harder side to duel from, as usually you have one billion more spots to check for and the guy inside the Market has only, like, one. A good way to check for the spot the guy is playing in Market is to bait a shot off by jumping across the crack like a kangaroo while zoomed in (a nice spot to do this is back by the flower beds). You’ll see the guy if he’s playing anywhere on balcony or on the left side of the tents. And, if he shoots, you can get the jump on him by keeping your scope where you saw him, hoping that he peeks the same spot again, or by prefiring him if he doesn’t shoot and decides not to move (for some reason). If you don’t see the guy while you jump around, he’s probably pushed up looking down Timbers from the corner, a good opportunity simply to scope through the crack, and wait. The sniper might cross the crack, and you’ll know where he is. Or, the whole enemy team might cross the crack, and you’ll want to play by the back Patio hallway, try to get a pick, run away, and hope your team doesn’t die.

Or there’s a good chance (on public servers) nobody’s playing in Market anyway and you can just push down and rape everybody from the Market doorway while they wonder where they’re getting shot from (this won’t work in a match; it also won’t work against Chrillo).

If you don’t see anybody for a long time, or if you get a pick, a good idea is to rush randomly through Timbers into Market with your Super Team and get a jump on your opponent.

So that’s how I play Market (for the most part) with an SR-8. Notice that dueling with snipers doesn’t depend on aim more than it does on reaction time and positioning. Most players with just decent aim, if they’re smart, can duel the long stretches on any map since usually it just involves shooting still targets. The SR-8 can be used to overcome lots of other sticky situations! Stay tuned!