Ep2/Ep1 Mappack

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The leak to prove 2017 is the best year for beta.

The Leak

Introduction

One day, Concernedfella, or known to others as Danielmm8888, got ahold of a large pack of maps, essentially being the WC mappack for EP1 and EP2.

How did he obtain this? The current explanation is that that person gave Daniel the mappack primarily because he trusted him not to distribute it.

However, the files still found their way out. It can be divided into 4 distinct "phases", as more and more became public and different people became involved.

Early (Pre-CB) Leaks

Around early 7 PM to mid 7 PM, Concernedfella posted several map lists, showing off some of the map sources he had obtained. (Later to delete them.) During the period before Crazybubba came on, he mainly conversed with regulars in VCC about his content. He stated that he was not going to give the maps he possessed to VCC.

It was arguably his greatest mistake to make VCC aware of the maps he had.

Recovered map lists

Though he deleted most of the map lists he posted, a few were recovered before that happened. (If any of you guys have the rest of these, please add them!)

Mid (CB) Leaks

A bit after Concernedfella disclosed the map lists, Crazybubba got into voice chat, at approx. 7:30 PM. While Concernedfella was uninterested in giving the maps to the bigger community, he had apparently gave the whole archive to Crazybubba so that he could document them.

The overall community's reaction was mixed, some were fairly indifferent, though annoyed at not having the files, while reportedly others were badgering him for the files, others feeling like he has betrayed the community for not leaking them. Despite any efforts the community may have made to get the maps, Crazybubba did not give them out at this point.

They talked between each other on what could be released and what couldn't, establishing these permissions:

Okay to release Ambiguous Not okay to release
  • Screenshots
  • Videos
  • Lists of the names of the VMFs, including size
  • Heavily modified versions of the VMFs, reused in other projects
  • The original VMFs
  • Fixed (or modified) VMFs
  • Compiled versions of the VMFs

Though these limitations were significant, Crazybubba made a greater effort to disclose screenshots and explanations of the maps to the public, hoping to make up for the lack of physical files. He gave out full lists of what was in the mappack, so the community could request specific maps.

In addition to this, he made a commitment that the maps would be released at some point.[1]

"Some point" ended up being a lot sooner than expected.

Released Map Images

Pre-Late Leaks

Previously, the pickings had been slim, with the only offers of beta being pictures of the map. This was the turning point at which the maps found their way into the public.

It all started in a "inner circle" chat room, where a variety of folks, including that person, Daniel, and Crazybubba were present. As a result of the previous parts of this leak, every person knew that Daniel and Crazybubba had the maps, but still not that that person had the maps.

A key issue will soon become worse - Crazybubba knows that that person has the maps, but that person does not know that Crazybubba knows that. That person, wanting to make sure that Daniel would not distribute the files, and apparently also that he had told Crazybubba not to distribute them, asked Crazybubba to give him the maps in the inner circle's chat.

Crazybubba was rather confused, knowing that that person had the maps, and wondering why he requested them. He decided to fall back to Daniel, asking him if it was okay to release them. Daniel, perhaps misinformed of the situation, said it was okay to. Daniel had just allowed Crazybubba to post a link to the mappack in the chat.

Again, the inner circle chat is not an isolated space. Only the higher-ups of VCC have access, but this is not a full deterrent. Crazybubba then placed a link to the mappack in the chat. Obviously, the people in the chat quickly grabbed it, two of these people being Dankparrot and Bun. Dankparrot placed it on his website, and prepared to release it.

Soon enough, it would hit #general in VCC.

Late (Full) Leaks

It started off at 1:16 AM central time, with DankParrot posting "hey nerds". He then added, "let's play a game. a beyta game".

A "wheel of fortune"-esque game was began. They would use a roll command on a bot, and if there was a specific number as a response, they could get a variety of bits from the mappack:

Number 1 5 6 9
Reward Lost Coast mappack Episode 1 mappack Episode 2 mappack Everything

The first person to get a part of the mappack was Sayok6, getting the Lost Coast mappack released at 1:37 AM. The next person is Luxory, who rolled one-half. He got advisorBarnTest.vmf. Next, Bun posted borealis_interior.vmf, in response to KPSGamer rolling 7.

Shortly after, at 1:41 AM, in response to Maxx rolling a three, Dankparrot posted the link to the mappack on his server, now called "ur_buldge.7z." Three minutes later, a renamed version appeared in downloads.

For better or worse, the cat finally was out of the bag.

The Mappack

The mappack resulting from the mess of miscommunication was massive, 317 .vmf files, ranging from simple testing maps, to strange experiments, all the way to the actual map-sources of both episodes. Aside from a handful of .vmfs bearing signs of being saved in 2013, there has been practically zero modification since the episodes' release. It is, effectively, the WC mappack of the episodes.

A few of the more interesting artifacts of the mappack are listed below: (Credits to Bitrain for some of the screenshots):

VMF Directory Description Picture

episodic/maps/
ep1_intro.vmf

An early version of Episode 1's intro. Interestingly, the game was apparently called Aftermath: Episode 1 at the time of this map's creation.

Ep1 intro 1.png
Ep1 intro 2.png

episodic/maps/personal/dario/
rift_test.vmf

An interesting map done in the wasteland style, showing off a large "rift" with a single bridge over it.

Rift test 1.png
Rift test 2.png
Rift test 3.png

episodic/maps/personal/dario/
tunnel_test.vmf

A large map showing off a very early version of the Antlion Caves.

Tunnel test 1.png
Tunnel test 2.png
Tunnel test 3.png

episodic/maps/personal/gautam/ proto_snow.vmf

A very interestingly named map that tends to disappoint.

Proto snow.png

episodic/maps/personal/randyl/ training_home01.vmf

A detailed dev-textured house. It's suspected to be an import from a CAD program of some kind.

Training home01 1.png
Training home01 2.png
Training home01 3.png

episodic/maps/personal/steved/ test_kleiner_tests.vmf

A testmap where you seem to be operating a computer.

Test kleiner tests 1.png
Test kleiner tests 2.png

ep2/maps/ borealis_interior.vmf

A heavily incomplete hallway in the Borealis.

Borealis interior 2.png
Borealis interior 1.png

ep2/maps/experiments/ ep2_outland_10_remix_dark.vmf

ep2_outland_10, except the map has been changed to nighttime.

Ep2 outland 10 remix dark.png
Ep2 outland 10 remix dark 2.png

ep2/maps/experiments/ ken_resource_gathering.vmf

A very interesting test map where you appear to be collecting resources to open a gate.

Ken resource gathering 1.png
Ken resource gathering 2.png

References