I didn’t know someone had recreated a Turok map inside Quake 3!
Seriously though — the level of detail here is spectacular. The environmental sounds, everything! It almost feels like a completely different game.
It also reminded me of the era of the old NVIDIA and ATI tech demos, with those beautiful jungle and fantasy environments. I remember demos like “NVIDIA Grass Tech Demo (GeForce 256)” and “Nature Tech Demo (ATI Radeon 8500)”.

Such a beautiful and imaginative era of graphics experimentation… ahhh.
Highly recommended map! Absolutely a must-download.
Edited 7.38 minutes after the original posting.

Version of this map with a bot's support is a greate! Very impressive map. May be in the future in the Q3A REINCARNATION 2026 map-packs series.

so cool, the map itself is great, but there are too few weapons for 12 players

@Neon_Knight : Awesome. Thanks for the great news that Sock's website is back up. The link in the review has been re-added.

The story about how how the map was made playable with bots is available at a different location: simonoc.com/pages/...p/pom_bots.html

@Tortillus: Thanks for the heads-up about the link. Looks like there has been a major change on the hosting provider.

The review link has been updated and works now - or - just use this one: sourceforge.net/pr...s/sock_pom-src/

It seems like the .map link is down, and I was hoping to see how the terrain was made as it looks very nice! If there is any way to find a dl for it I would much appreciate it.

Blood Covenant has been ported to QL. And guess what ..noone plays it, because its a ruined version of campgrounds. We play POM in a slighty upscaled version on our QL server regularly. Great map if there are many people.
Edited 43 seconds after the original posting.

@ZIN : I disagree on this being a replica in any way of Ruins of Sarnath from Quake Champions. For a start, this was released 13 years before Ruins of Sarnath.

poor man's Sarnath. bots get stuck to the walls in spearmint, high r_speeds in places.
love this map. but why, oh why, doesn't someone use these assets to build a real Sarnath replica like Blood Covenant.
watch me play it: www.youtube.com/watch

Yeah we're comparing a 10 year difference in maps and hardware here. I think a fair comparison would be any other map released before or during 2004. It would be interesting to see Simon spruce up the map to a more current standard and refine the game flow a bit... I agree with most of the criticism over gameplay.

@Tig I see the point. I haven't followed the development process of Q3 maps, so I am not aware of the dynamic nature of such expansion of possibilities, to which you suggest this map was a key cornerstone. My comment is based on the current state of the art.

16 years ago this map pushed the knowledge and bounds of the Quake 3 engine in a way that had not really been seen at this level of professional finish.

There were plenty of great maps in 2004, many with stronger gameplay too, but this one set the base line for terrains in Q3A.

A lot of the knowledge obtained during the creation of this map is still being used today. Rustgrad by Hipshot - lvlworld.com/review/id:2291 - is just one great example of what was built from, and expanded on what was learned here.

The same can be said for Lonely Planet by SmallPileOfGibs - lvlworld.com/review/id:83 - being the base line before the release of Pyramid of the Magician.

Finally tried this famous map. It is visually great, but far from being the most stunning maps ever, as some of the comments or quotes in review stated. Trees lack volume, brushes are a bit coarse, textures are not that high-quality, and if you rocket jump yourself up, things look less finished. Maybe for 2004 it was great, but the standard was greatly raised later on (for instance, this map by Hipshot, lvlworld.com/review/id:2291). (Notice I say this having little knowledge of map creation. I'm sure this is a difficult map to make and I'm not complaining. I'm just comparing).
In terms of gameplay, I find it quite average. A lot of narrow corridors, small rooms that trample mobility, teleports which don't speed things up much. The main open area is a waste. Why would you ever go up the stairs? There is nothing over there. RL could have been up there. Or MH (apparently there is one but did not find it). Or RA. I also starved for weapons. Never found the LG actually.
Edited 3.35 minutes after the original posting.

Don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said. It's one of the most critically acclaimed Quake 3 maps of all time for a very good reason. It's a visual and technical marvel even to this day, and the gameplay is quite solid too.

Best map for LAN party!

great map and bots seemed to work ok

I Love this map!!! thanks for submit the map!

Oh i must of downloaded the one before bot support Thanks for the link!.

FragTastic: The map should support bots, the download links (lvl, MHGaming) both point to the right version (pom_bots.zip) of the map. I also have a download link on my site as well if you are still unsure of the correct version. (www.simonoc.com/pa...q3/pom_bots.htm)

SW12: The map title is based on the actual temple (Pyramid of the Magician) I have further information on my website (www.simonoc.com/pa...q3/pom_pref.htm) which explains the source of the title.

Excellent map 10/10 but with no bot support 9.5/10.

It would have been cool if you could enter the pyramid. Also I still don't understand the title.

Not bad, but you have to make more rooms for in the pyramid.

IDK how or why but I seem to remember seeing this map on UrbanTerror. Weird...
Anyways great map.

NICE!!

gr8 map love the
stairs

great map!

Let's make this one have 50 comments and thus a new reward, the map's worth it!

This map is so painstakingly detailed and lovingly crafted as to make the top of my list of the all time best Quake3 mapping efforts. I believe that many of those who enjoy Quake3 so much like the fact that we can escape this imperfect world and enter a domain where we have so much more control in our world of alternate reality. This realm of The Pyramid of the Magician is so precisely believable and simultaneously entertaining in its complexity and scope, that it can be, in my humble opinion, the consummate example of what mappers may aspire to, as long as they seek not only their own goals, but that of those who will benefit from, and relish in, the experience of the domain that they give birth to. We should realize, of course, that every map author is an artist, as such, and should be treated with respect. The motive of every artist is unique and not all desire to create a map expressly for the enjoyment of those who employ it. However, it is nonetheless a great benefit to those of us who seek to gaze upon, and revel in, a world created by those who are diligent enough to care to seek perfection and satiate the gamers’ ceaseless appetite. Thank you SOCK for going to the added trouble of adding bot support and making this map reach its full potential.

Very beautiful map. Game play around those long steps doesn't quite seem to work for me and that would be its only failing.

PoM demonstrates that idTech3 is still one of the best game engines avaliable.

Good brush using :) that's a art-made map :)

Is this the best map that has ever been made for q3? =D I'm thinking it is.

this map is phenomenal, it's the best i've ever seen in the whole 7 years i've played q3.

Amazing! Thank you for the info zorius!
And a big THANK YOU! to Sock!

One of the best Quake 3 maps now a bit better. Uber :D
Its realy fun to play again some rounds with bots.
10/10

At last!!!

The bot support arrived!
The map was quite fun even without bots, because its one of the most beautiful maps ever created for Quake3. But now... I never thought it will be possible. But here it is! I just tried it with bots, and I found it very enjoying to play, thanks mate for making it possible for us!

Rookie, the only door which opens is the one at the top of the steps of the temple.

There is a door in the smaller temple. Can that door be opened? I know you can open the main door in the main temple.

chris23, the trigger for the door at the top of the stairs is in the same arena as the temple itself. (FFA is regen, 1v1 is MH.) Once the doors have been triggered they stay open till the end of the game.

What is the trigger for openning the door the top of the temple? I once found it open, and found a chamber with regen, but don't know what I did to open it. Any help?

Great map!

Holy god! It's an awesome map, Sock! I always knew, You are a great author (not just your maps, your textures are also masterpieces), but this map... it's your creed.

So now, that Raven software sucked You in (or out from this world?), your real life just begins... Congratulations, You deserved this opportunity, I wish You the best!

PS: I saw that You were in Hungary, and You made beautiful picures here. Here, of course, because I'm hungarian! I was glad to see that You visited our little country, but I was sad, that I missed to meet with one of the biggest quake authors... :-/

All I can say is OH MY GOD... It Rorks!!!

My hero! ;)

Great map, sock.
Never seen such beautiful terrain with q3-techs.
Atmosphere and sound-environment is breath-taking.
I love these organic places.
Thought about a similar map years ago. There are some really interesting monuments of sunken cultures in India.
I also enjoyed your fantastic terrain-tutorial and thinking about a new map with it.
Congratz and great job

MopAn

Gj sock, already told you plenty of times it's good, even without a bunny. ;)

Wartex: Go to www.simonoc.com/

sock, where can I get the map source? I'm saying if you RJ in the middle of the pyramid staircase, you can see over the top of the wall which is not textured and it looks ugly.

Warrex: Im glad you so contructive with your feedback. The map was designed with no RG and the sky was left high so people could have fun with RJ. As far as Im aware there are no places you can RJ up to, so it does not offer any game play advantage. If you feel the map is so bad I suggest you download the open source and create your own version.

n1n31nchn3rd: Once again thank you for the positive feedback and additional spam link to your site.

Almighty: thanks man :D

n1n31nchn3rd: Do not post ads here. If I see another one, I'll removed it. BTW, there is a beta section on ..::LvL - lvlworld.com/beta.php

Ummm... Punk, I don't know why you're angry over my review and challenging me. I simply stated I don't care for "height-based" maps in general and that it was too small/narrow. What's the beef, yo?

The last thing I want to do is toss in a plug in someone else's review section but nineinchnerd.tripod.com I should post some here cause I need testers and comments!

Watrex: The map source file is available to the public. Anyone can edit it :] You can grab it from here: lvl.sourceforge.net/lvl-ogsl.php

Tig, if you have his email, can you please ask him either to texture top of the walls or add a brush that will limit the jump height?

Looks kinda nice. I like jungle-type maps. However, I can't stand this "height-based" thing going on. It's small, narrow, and too many ups and downs which was your intent but I personally can't stand it.

Great map Sock, you own! Very nice terrain tutorial too.

Its not a wall hack. In quake 3 when you are close to sky texture you can see other side of wall. Map needs a player clip so the player doesnt go up that far.

great map for me.

The lvlworld download is fixed. We updated some stuff on the server and it looks like it broke the file permission. Anyway, its fixed now.

This map BLOWS as MAP. Map is supposed to be playable. If you rocketjump on it, you can "wallhack" and see the rest of the level over the top - this a noob mistake for this calss of mapmaker. I hope he fixes it. There is no railgun. It is beautiful as a texture/brushwork, but the gameplay sucks because of bad weapon placement, missing railgun and wallhack. Things like that bury nice maps as soon as they are released.

Thanks Sock :

Figured this out just afrter posting previous topic. (Was too lazy to look at your homepage first).

Got the map.

E X E L L E N T !

Have no LAN buddy now for test gameplay, - just walked around - The map is stunning!
It's beautiful!

Thanks for such work, Sock!

I tried to make such idea/architecture/lost feeling/atmosphere, etc in my "Skytown" map - but you're win :)

This is incredible.
Thanx again.

Anton, I have an extra mirror link on my site.
www.planetquake.co.../q3maps/pom.htm

Can't download!
Here what loads up, instead of download:
"Warning: Unknown: failed to open stream: Permission denied in Unknown on line 0
I don't want to use fileplanet because it sux.
Can anybody give me a direct link, please?
Screenshot/review says that this is exellent map. so let me try it out, PLEASE!

Rule of thumb...If unitool says it's insane, then you have to download it. :)

WOW Awesome hay Sock wanna come landscape my yard hehe...good jod i love it. :-)

Thank you very much everyone for all your comments. If you are interested in more feedback before downloading this map, please check this thread : www.celephais.net/...view_thread.php

If anyone wants to test out the map online with some friends, it is available on the PQ bunker server.

www.planetquake.co...er/servers.html

Pop by the PQ channel and ask for the password etc. You will need the latest ver. of OSP and PunkBuster installed.

Yay for sock! Good job my friend! :D

Damn...just...damn. That's the prettiest Q3 map I've ever seen!

Holy crap! Wanna come work here at GMI? Hehe.

No seriously...e-mail me!
lda_lake-=AT=-hotmail-=DOT=-com

holy crap! That looks insane. Downloading now.

"There is no bot file included (therefore bots do not play this level). "

Seems like Mr Foklore missed half the review ;-)

Great map BTW :P

cannot get bots to load w/this map

antone else having this problem?

You really did a great job with the map sock.Terrain was built beautiful.Hope you keep this kinda work coming.

good job socky!

i haven't downloaded the map yet, but i sure will. it looks so awesome indeed. going so far is just amazing.
just felt like saying a big HI!

nunuk - sparth

Forgot to vote! here ya go

WOW I have been playing q3 for over 2 years now and this is by far the best map i have even seen! GOD DAM!

Yo I havent even gone in this map i'm dling it now but excellent job!

And don't forget to check out Sock's excellent terrain article: www.planetquake.co.../terrain1_1.htm

This map really shows that Q3 can do decent out-doors maps, and making good terrain is possible. Not only that, the map is still very fun to play. Download now. Brilliant job, Sock.