MEMENTOMORI
A LEVEL BY Karash



IDL Residents
Sekmu

Notable Former Residents
dramu, Karash, LordDeath


Synopsis
MEMENTOMORI is one of those rare jewels of a level where all your flying skills must come into play. It has open areas, tight ones, dead-ends, and 3D elements. Knowledge of the level helps here, as does patience and planning.




vs. Sekmu
"Out of all the games that have EVER been played in Mori, Sek and I have logged probably half of them. He basically had my moves down pat after a while. I felt that I wasn't the dominating player on it any more, so I moved to a more dominating level for me. Mori games between Sek and I were chess matches in the regards of knowing your opponent and his moves. Since we both knew exactly how to play Mori, we always knew what each other was doing. It was like playing your ghost, and I didn't like living in a haunted home, so I decided to move. :) Mori is about stalking; Elegies 1 is about tempo. I still think Mori is one of the best "underground" levels to date, tho. It takes a high amount of level knowledge and mobility to play it well."

-Karash

vs. Karash
"When Karash completely put the smack down on me in Mori, I marked him as my next goal... to take him in his own level. We played many, many a game in that level, and he helped shape my skill to what it has become in there. When I finally beat him... it was a long, hard road. As Mori had become my favorite level, I had learned it quite well. I had already been seeing my score grow ever closer to a winning game, even to the point of coming out ahead at the beginning of several games. Since that match, though, we haven't played it much, to my dissappointment. I guess it's easier to go knocking on someone else's door, than to get them to knock on yours." ;]

-Sekmu

vs. LordDeath
"I picked LD up at the bus stop that day. Poor kid forgot his bookbag, too. Once Professor Gauss left the building (no ammo left - hehe) it was time for Mrs. Plasma's class. Then on to the next period, where Dr. Helix had lessons for all the kiddies. Mr. Homer taught for a while, and Professor Stalker took his turn. Miss Mercury assigned plenty of homework, and my good buddy LD went home a much smarter, and more dangerous, Pyro Pilot than when the day began. I drove him home from PTMC High, dropped him off, waved goodbye and told him I would see him next time. That kid's gonna be a UT when he graduates, mark my words." -- And sure enough, he did get invited up to the First Tier not long after this match. :)

-Sirian

vs. Sekmu - Rematch
"We started the game on Kali, but we had to quit 4-2 for him because my connection was so horrid. My modem connection at home is unplayable since I live in rural Oklahoma. Good thing was that we were getting together for a LAN fest with dramu and fathom that weekend...so it was no problem. First thing we do once we get the network hooked up is start our match again...where he got another kill on me quickly. I finally realized something. My stick had worn out...not broke...but not responding as crisply as it once did (it was the hat...always is). GOOD THING again that Sekmu had brought up two *brand new* Sidewinders that he found and bought...with the hopes of selling them to us. Well I paid my $35 for one and we started again...5-2 him. I got hot. In fact...I thought the score was going to be much worse than it was. At one point it was 12-7 (a 10-2 kill run). Then he finally climbed back, but by then it was too late...it was sealed. And the best part was: I wouldn't have been able to do it without ALL HIS HELP! LOL! I plugged in that new joystick...it was like a wet dream. "Thx Sek...next time ;-)"

-Karash




THIS is one of the most demanding levels ever created. Designed by gauss master Karash while he was on a P100, Mori has a weapon mix and layout tailor-made for Karash's style and preferences from that era. The main engagement area is the ring around the center column, and the odd shapes and angles make for a difficult dogfighting experience. There are five energy bays clustered at the top of the level, all of them tucked at the end of long one-way tunnels, where you will be easily dispatched if caught. This level has almost as many tricks of the trade as Kaotix, which, among levels widely played, is probably the most difficult to master. If you are new to Mori and playing someone who is at home here, you have two chances of winning: slim and none.

With only two sets of weapons and two burners, recovering your items after a death can be a harrowing experience. Getting caught and killed at the top of the center tower is tantamount to losing the entire match, unless your opponent is either careless, extremely low on shields, or shows you mercy. Getting caught in the outer bays can be almost as bad. With energy so difficult to come by, a gauss player has even more advantage than usual over a player who fights with energy weapons, and this is by deliberate design. So use gauss, or suffer the fate of the damned.

Mori is almost symmetrical. There are few signs to indicate which of the four sides you are on, and the few that are there are extremely subtle. The ammo racks, the gauss and the 25k of ammo are in the reactor room, at one outside end of the level. The energy weapons are in the center column, and the burners and homers are in the chamber surrounding the base of that column. You cannot allow your opponent to reach BOTH of these sites before you do or you are going to be disadvantaged from the outset. Mori is a missile farm, with plenty of all the primary missile types available except for flash. The missiles tend to respawn at the top of various columns, but going for them can mean your end if your opponent catches you. Guarding the weapon cache is expected here, so be prepared to fight for items after you die, and take no shame in smashing your opponent as he tries to gather up the remains of his previous Pyro.

This level was designed to be a chess match, and you can be certain that an experienced opponent will rape you again and again with every bad move you make. Overall rating: 9

D1 Mori
Mementomori in D1 plays a lot different than the original. Without gauss and mercs, ammo racks and afterburners, the fury of most engagements gives way to the classic D1 dogfight. Homing missiles abound, so expect them to play a large role in games here. Fusion is king in the halls of Mori D1, so if your opponent is skilled in use of the purple, you are in for an uphill struggle. Stalking is still the key to success in this version, and the traps are just as deadly as in D2, so make sure you know the level well before playing matches here.

There are two vulcans in the reactor room, where the gauss cannons are in the original. You would be well advised to make sure you reach either the fusion or the vulcans before your opponent, because if he gets both he will start with a strong advantage. LH and NH versions of Mori for D1 are now available. Overall Rating for D1 Mementomori: 8


-Ratings-
Level NameDFTRTMTPEBGM3DWFCRLVSTOverallSpecial
Mementomori9949337748109EGL
D1 Mori9939337837986


Rating Categories
Dogfight Factor - Tunnel Rat Factor - Tempo - Traps - Energy Bay Availability
Gimmickry - 3D Elements - Weapon Factor - Coping With Runners
Lighting/Visibility - Stealth - Overall Level Rating - Special Factors


For a detailed explanation of the IDL War Journal Level Rating System, click here.



| Back to the IDL War Journal |