I concur with some of the comments below. This is one of the best FFA maps ever. Absolutely mesmerizing atmosphere. Lighting is so well done. Gameplay is addictive to the extreme. So much verticality. A must for every FFA player. 10/5
Edited 57 seconds after the original posting.

Wow, absolutely stunning... I accidentally downloaded the non-music version first since I didn’t read the complete bio first. Must say that I really enjoy the music theme along with the amazing engine-pushing graphics. Definitely a keeper 👌👌👌

This map reminds of two things (Star Trek-related):
1.) A frozen Holodeck simulation.
2.) A place in a temporal anomaly where time has stopped ENTIRELY!

lol i played ecstatica when i was 10

Absolutely phenomenal! The quality of work and effort into this map is tremendous! The item placement is spot on, for it seems like I always ran into the right weapon that I needed in some of the sticky situations I got into with the bots in this map. The layout and ideas of this map are mind-f*ckin'-blowing! I mean, running around a floating Spaniard's mansion, being destroyed by a devastating thunderstorm, frozen in time itself?! SICK AS HELL!

A must-have map for children of all ages.

There a very few maps that make play them again and again, and again almost every time I launch the game, and I play this map really often. Very good work here.
Edited 24 seconds after the original posting.

Looking at the screenshot AMAZING! =).

one of the best maps i ever played, i wish there were more maps like this

Breathtaking. And a good layout too.

What's goin' on. Time is stopped. How do you think. Regeneration power-up he hears isn't it?

where's quad damage in diz arena?

Just re-discovered this map here at LvL and remembered how impressed I was when I first saw it. Great work.

Maybe the best Q3 map ever created ;)

do notgive up on us make us anothermindblower pleeeassse!

I downloaded this map from a .de site a while ago it remains one ofmy favorite maps. I have played countless hours on thismap and i will continue too. I also enjoy the scorpian maps you have created they were very fun and that Dragon thing is so cool, we @ team Marlboro use this at our personal LAN parties. Thank you for your hard work and creativity. The light shadowing is so nice that i feel like im in a circa 1920s adobe temple in mexico....i fuckinglove thismap.

Eight Tentacles Up!

great map, visually and play-wise

Excellent map! very "alice" like indeed..perfect graphics wise,good gameplay..great idea that is executed with 110% care and attention

This is a great construction. eye lobe the ma yaw may the i se great. mak yo mor yaw mo fo i amire yaw ma so mak mor. he ho aw goo. jellybeans ar my fav rot re ce p. i lobe squeeds. jah ro po go doo. de ma so gre is gggggggooooooo. dhfhshbsdhbfjb. Chinese ba saw. i lobe poo.

Heh from the readme I expected this map to be "somewhat" a slideshow. Thing is, it ran pretty well on my ehm.. low end pc. Graphics card is but 32 mb, but it handled the map ok.

Still rain gives the map a special feel, very true. Nice lighting job, overall a very atmospheric map.

Def a keeper this one =-)

Man. Just had a tourney fest on this map (usually do FFA). Fantastic as well. Thought it would be too big, but I was wrong. Going to go ahead and call this my absolute favorite Q3 map, one that represents the pinnacle of Q3 goodness.

My only criticisms would be (only because one HAS to critique the things he loves):

1. The way the ground level staircase under the lightning tower interfaces at that doorway (no walk around room). Just slightly unrealistic.

And, 2. Cardigan is done making maps for us for a while. :( Fare you well, good buddy! Estatica has proved itself the Q3 crown jewel.

Wow, this gets the full 10 from me! Incredible detail, gameplay's good too. I though Scorpion was damn fine, but this is jaw-dropping :)

Very wonderful.

I love this man! I love his brain!

This is simply art!

And you should know him.. he is so humble, fine and a positive person..

This is the first custom map i've checked out in a very long time.. impressive work and very cool idea, good shader work as well.. gj

I don't understand why everyone keeps moaning about the gameplay. what's so bad about it? (seriously, I want to know)

incredibile,davvero incredibile

really good good worw,cardigan

wd with the visuals, bit of a shame about the gameplay though.

Wow. Amazing visuals. Can't wait until the day we don't have to use a gimmick like freezing time to have amazing lighting. Not that it matters, this map is great as it is. So many little details. I'm impressed.

Great work Cardigan :)

.. but I've told you that before :)

Haven't been here in ages and yours' is the first I see :)

Cardigan,

as you know this map is a top drawer. Wish you all the best to further projects. It's not every day that someone get a living monument these days.

You've done it yet and it's fantastic every brush you set.

I'm with you and dream your dreams of fantasy and illusion.

All the things some mappers wanted to create.

Keep on your work

MopAn

I downloaded the map about 2 weeks ago and forgot about it, I unzipped it last night & just about got blown outta my chair! This map is a must for anyone who loves Q3. I found the game play great with the standard loadout of bots. 9/10 ;)

This map has me hooked on Q3 again. It looks and plays better than most maps from newer games, like UT2k3. Cardigan, you are extremely talented. Thanks for this fantastic map.

Very inspiring map! Great lighting, and gameplay is just a s good as the visuals.

It shouldn´t be classified as a "Space Map" however. A typical Space Map mainly consists of horizontally platforms, a constant presence of the void, open space and a lot of jump pad and acceleration pad action. Estatica is a more classical map design (with better gameplay then a railgun dominated Space Map).

Whoohoo! What a damn fine map, this "frozen in time look" is really cool! I give it a perfect 10. Cardigan, you really have good ideas. Scorpion was very good, but this one beats it.

Oh my GOD!

The looks is really stunning, especially the waterdrips that hit the water, beautiful!

I love a good FFA map, and this is top ten mapping!

To Gear: Tig gives out his FP login at the top of the main page, just use it. I find there usually is no line up for Q3 Maps, at least :-

Cardigan, man, this time I just walked around without other players or bots. I am even more blown away. Even my wife is amazed! Man, I think this is THE best level produced yet. I know I'm gushing, sorry about that. Cannot wait for the next one.

thanks for the great comments guys! I did try and balance gameplay and visuals in this map but it was hard to test gameplay because it was pretty much unplayable against bots throughout development until I fixed all the BSPC errors - which I only did at the end so I wouldn't have to repeat it (it took at least 3 days to cluster the map properly due to BSPC being full of bugs) :/

However I have learnt my lesson and have been alpha-testing my next map over at the CPMA forums, so expect a slight change of tack for my next release. :)

anyone wanting a non-FP mirror should head over to my website (planetquake.com/cardigan) and look on the maps page btw...

totally amazing you'll never forget this one.

Man, take a moment to give a mirror to download the levels, fileplanet sucks hard. 95% don't want to register an id.

It wasn't like this before. MIRRORS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please

Oh, and GREAT gameplay. What, are you other guys playing with MX's and Voodoo's? :)

This level is fantastic. Been waiting for another groundbreaker like this for a while. A definite 10. Sure to rise to the top fast. Not intended for competition? Ok, remove the quad/regen, and you're good to go! Well done!

I'm really schocked.

The idea is exellent, brushwork is exellent, effects are exellent.

10!

What I like about this the most is that the cool concept is expressed in all sorts of sublte little details - it really is a work of obsession. Unlike some 'visually oriented' maps, there's nothing gratuitous about these visuals.

It is definately more SP in feel tho - the comparisons to AMAlice are pretty valid.

If Cardigan isn't already designing SP maps professionally he should be - I'd pay real money for a whole game of this stuff.

an absolute keeper, majorly for looks.

i worked with q3map2, doodled around, but didn't know the new fx were so crispy as seen at the many many lights with the grids.

i also like the alice like telys, as brushwork in general.

but one thing will really annoy cpma players: they will bounce in random directions when hopping around, outside of the house.

9/10 for me, keep up the work!

very very nice looking, and original too. Gameplay is so-so, too many teles but hey at least it's playabale to an extent.

8/10

:)

Maybe I just had three really good games in a row, followed by a very good Tourney match. I thought the game play was very good, something not often found in a level that is visually stunning (unless it is a remake of a map like q3jdm8)

I thougth I have seen the most beautiful map over the years - I was so wrong. Then I start playing this map I was stunned. I'm out of words for this map. I never believed something so cool was possible to do with Quake III engine.

This map is excellent....nice details, shadows....''everything''!!!

But gameplay isn't something special here.....

Pretty sweet visuals - i think the theme is carried out quite well. However the gameplay is pretty average imo. DL this for looks alone, and just to wander around and look at stuff.

7/10

this map is teh win. Get it now.