Vortex Rikers

Map stub
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If you're looking for the ship of the same name, you might want to check UMS Vortex Rikers.

Overview

Strategy

Gallery

Vortex Rikers
Author	Cliff Bleszinski
Music	"Vortex Rikers" by Alexander Brandon
Game	Unreal
Gametype	Single player
Platform	PC
Map filename	Vortex2.unr

Vortex Rikers is the first map of the single-player mode of Unreal.

Map description

The map seen from the top-down view.

The map marks the beginning of the series. As a prisoner, your transport ship was enroute to a prison moon. Some unknown gravitational source pulls the vessel to the mysterious planet. You awaken to find the rest of the ship dead and your cell gate deactivated. You are free from your prison; however you must find a weapon, some ammo, and some health while trying to find a way off the ship.

Weapons and pickups

Weapons

• Easy
• Medium
• Hard
• Unreal
• Coop

Weapon	Count	Location
Dispersion Pistol	W: 1	Weapon: Near a broken computer, on the Skaarj trail.
Automag	A: 2	Ammo: Over some ledges in the main control room.

Weapon	Count	Location
Dispersion Pistol	W: 1	Weapon: Near a broken computer, on the Skaarj trail.
Automag	A: 2	Ammo: Over some ledges in the main control room.

Weapon	Count	Location
Dispersion Pistol	W: 1	Weapon: Near a broken computer, on the Skaarj trail.
Automag	A: 2	Ammo: Over some ledges in the main control room.

Weapon	Count	Location
Dispersion Pistol	W: 1	Weapon: Near a broken computer, on the Skaarj trail.
Automag	A: 2	Ammo: Over some ledges in the main control room.

Weapon	Count	Location

Pickups

• Easy
• Medium
• Hard
• Unreal
• Coop

Pickup	Count	Location
Health
Bandages	1	At one of the prison toilets.
Health Pack	7	1x Upper prison floor, at one of the cells. 1x Fan room, behind a breakable glass. 1x slippery floor cargo bay. 1x Main control room, near a lift. 1x Medical bay, near the computer. 2x Restricted area, in front of a glass.
Armor
Kevlar Suit	1	In the slippery floor cargo bay.
Inventory
Flare	1	Upper prison floor, in one of the broken cells.

Pickup	Count	Location
Health
Bandages	1	At one of the prison toilets.
Health Pack	7	1x Upper prison floor, at one of the cells. 1x Fan room, behind a breakable glass. 1x slippery floor cargo bay. 1x Main control room, near a lift. 1x Medical bay, near the computer. 2x Restricted area, in front of a glass.
Armor
Kevlar Suit	1	In the slippery floor cargo bay.
Inventory
Flare	1	Upper prison floor, in one of the broken cells.

Pickup	Count	Location
Health
Bandages	1	At one of the prison toilets.
Health Pack	5	1x Fan room, behind a breakable glass. 1x slippery floor cargo bay. 1x Medical bay, near the computer. 2x Restricted area, in front of a glass.
Armor
Kevlar Suit	1	In the slippery floor cargo bay.
Inventory
Flare	1	Upper prison floor, in one of the broken cells.

Pickup	Count	Location
Health
Bandages	1	At one of the prison toilets.
Health Pack	5	1x Fan room, behind a breakable glass. 1x slippery floor cargo bay. 1x Medical bay, near the computer. 2x Restricted area, in front of a glass.
Armor
Kevlar Suit	1	In the slippery floor cargo bay.
Inventory
Flare	1	Upper prison floor, in one of the broken cells.
Universal Translator	1	Upper prison floor, right next to the lift.

{

Pickup	Count	Location

Monsters

• Easy
• Medium
• Hard
• Unreal
• Coop

Monster	Count	Location
Monsters
Skaarj Warrior	2	1x Duct to Main Bridge, escaping. 1x Passage to Lift Area, also escaping.

Monster	Count	Location
Monsters
Skaarj Warrior	2	1x Duct to Main Bridge, escaping. 1x Passage to Lift Area, also escaping.

Monster	Count	Location
Monsters
Skaarj Warrior	2	1x Duct to Main Bridge, escaping. 1x Passage to Lift Area, also escaping.

Monster	Count	Location
Monsters
Skaarj Warrior	2	1x Duct to Main Bridge, escaping. 1x Passage to Lift Area, also escaping.

Monster	Count	Location

Trivia

• The creature seen throughout this level is a Skaarj Warrior. Though you get quick glimpses of it, you do not get to fight these enemies until the Depths of Rrajigar and thus it isn't counted as an enemy in this walkthrough.
• There is a small room between the upper floor of the engine room and the upper floor of the bridge, even though both doors are blocked and thus the player never can see it without cheats.
• The UMS Bodega Bay was another ship made by the UMS, yet that ship was built for military purposes instead of being a prison vessel.
• Levelshots for the map were added in the OldUnreal version 227j patch.

Development

• A radar screen was supposed to break by the navigator's station on the bridge, but the game never defined the condition to cause the effect.
• The seats in the bridge (and any other seats using the same model) used a stone texture.
• A grate in the crew berths is connected to a grate near the start of the vents.
• The toilets in the prison cells were converted from meshes into brushes so that the player would have a better collision with them.
• Due to the low quality of the textures the panels were mostly illegible. Thus Epic Games did not care about placement and put the texture facing any direction they wished.
• The German version of Unreal censored a great amount of the atmosphere of this level. Not only are gibs gone and screams cut (which was the same for the rest of the game) but the execution room and the Skaarj-officer fight were removed as well.

Easter eggs

Main article: Easter eggs/Unreal and RTNP

• The Vortex Rikers was named after Rikers Island, the main jail complex of New York City. This was confirmed by CliffyB himself.

Glitches

• The textures in the prison cells are cut off slightly as the texture is too big for the cell walls.
• If you do a lift jump at the right moment, it is possible to skip picking up the Translator.
• The Skaarj Warrior in the vent is not completely covered by the explosions in OpenGL.
• If you are quick enough at the part when you see the Skaarj Warrior run down the corridor, you can get the Skaarj to attack you if you are fast enough to get in his way by leaping.
• When the music loops, it is played at the wrong speed because of the faster heartbeats beforehand.
• The corridor just after the Skaarj Warrior encounter has an unaligned texture, as the Unreal Engine has difficulties aligning textures that do not intersect on a straight plane.
• The cargo lift is extremely difficult with enemy or bot pathing. As it starts at the top they have to be intelligent enough to press the switch and then wait as it lowers. To make matters worse the ramp to get onto the lift is smaller than the lift itself, causing bots or enemies that walk towards the lift to get caught in one of the side corners if they were to go in that direction. Enemies following the player usually just patrol the engine room if the player is on the cargo lift. If they successfully walk on the ramp they still have to understand to move around the crate that is at the front of the elevator to enter and exit the elevator.

Pre-Releases

1995 Beta

• The 1995 storyline described something similar to the Vortex Rikers, but the player had to open the door to the cell themselves. A closet could be found that would give the player a shotgun. To exit the ship the player would press a switch to open a large metal door that showed some light underneath it.

1998 Beta

• The 1998 beta starts with the player having 100 health only to have it brought down to the regular 12 health by an explosion inside your cell.
• The lower floor of the prison block is flooded with a thin layer of water.
• To gain access to the upper floor of the prison block the player would use a computer to the right of the elevator that would lower the elevator. It would give a message saying "Access permitted".
• There is a differently textured bridge.
• There is a regular floor in the armory instead of a reflective polished one.
• There is more gore and blood in the med lab.
• The cargo bay has a machine that looks like a telescope that opens a panel that holds the two Health Packs.
• An iron bar falls in the room before the Skaarj Warrior encounter instead of the door locking, allowing players that jump access back to the cargo bay.
• There is no door separating the engine room into two sections, only another fan.
• The button to call the cargo lift is square instead of shaped like an I.
• The cargo lift is just a ramp that raises and lowers instead of being an actual lift.
• The entrance to the chief security officer's station is completely covered by a sheet of glass.
• The button that opens the hatch in the chief security officer's station is diamond shaped instead of shaped like an I.

External links and references

• Semfry (October 26, 2015). "26/10/2015 - "Vortex Rikers" by Cliff Bleszinski". UnrealSP. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
• Jethro (January 3, 2011). "03/01/2011 - "Vortex Rikers" by Cliff Bleszinski". UnrealSP. Retrieved May 26, 2019.