Q3DM7: Temple of Retribution

Q3DM7 is a Holy Hell themed large map designed for 6-10 players, and 10th map of the campaign of Quake III Arena. Many large areas, divided by covers or high positions and tied with long corridors; it's one of the most suitable and well known Team Deathmatch maps in Q3A.

The Map
Map consist of large halls and tall, wide corridors. Main courtyard have 3 different exit gates, 2 of them leading to large halls at the wings, middle one leading to a smaller yard connecting both sides of the map with a brim pavement.

It's almost impossible to cluster fire someone unless they're unaware. Map is focused at long range fights at large areas. Tall gates and bold pillars give anyone plenty of space to dodge and take cover from incoming fire.

First map to include an environmental hazard that is hot lava, at its very core. Have a theme of a gothic cathedral at its structure, which is accompanied by light of molten hot lava, bone filled furnaces and gas lamps seeping and winking at gladiators fighting around it. Deeper into the map, gladiators witness gravels, brimstone and rocks covering a hidden dungeon's surface beyond the jade-granite corridors.

Weapons

 * Railgun: At the end of the above-lava catwalk in the middle of the center area, infront of bounce pad.
 * Rocket Launcher: 2 different spawns in this map. One at the end of the gravel yard with pillars on top stair pathway, right across the main courtyard, binding Plasma Gun hall with Shotgun area. Another one is at the top of a catwalk in a large area with tall windows, by the right gate looking at the Rail-Quad spawn. Anyone who wants to reach Shotgun area from center must pass by there.
 * Plasma Gun: By looking at the Rail-Quad spawns, it's to the left gate in a large hall. Leading down brimstone hall, RL spawn area at the very next room. Also underground mirrored gate leads the player at the front of PG spawn.
 * Shotgun: On top of a bounce pad area, ties both Rocket Launcher spawn areas.

Goodies

 * Quad Damage: Edge of the center courtyard, infront of burning furnace. Placed above Railgun at the end of bounce pad landing.
 * Personal Teleporter: At the end of a high catwalk near the Rocket Launcher spawn.
 * Heavy Armor: In the dungeon reached by a button trigger placed at the end of Rocket Launcher catwalk, across the Personal Teleporter spawn.
 * Megahealth: Behind the mirroring gate at the below room of Quad-Rail catwalk at the center area. Have default 35 seconds respawn time, that means plenty of chance to time MH over and over again.
 * Light Armor: A few spawns like Rocket Launcher. Beneath catwalk at the center courtyard, just before hidden corridor near the lava and another just as you take the right gate from the PG hall and last one is by the Shotgun spawn on top of bounce pad. Each of them have default 25 seconds respawn time.
 * Armor Shards: Along the small ledge near the stair path at the Rocket Launcher hall, leading to Shotgun room.
 * 5 Health: Looking at the stairs below, 3 of them lined at the left side of the Plasma Gun hall. Ahead leads to the center area.
 * 25-50 Health: You can find plenty of health globes at any corner you can think of in this map. If you can evade and move on, then you can recover really quickly. Small ledge near the lava, corridors leading to the center, Shotgun platform, Rocket Launcher catwalk and at the end of Plasma Gun stairs have 1-2 yellow globes or at least 1 gold globe.

Noticeable

 * First map to include button triggers. At the end of the high catwalk in the Rocket Launcher room, you will see a green flashing button on the wall. If you push it by walking closer, the gridded trapdoor near the stairs will open to the dungeon for a small period.
 * First map to include hidden spots and shortcuts to goodies. Below the highend of the Rail-Quad room catwalk there's a small corridor hidden beneath, leads to a mirroring teleporter.
 * First map to introduce hot lava as environmental hazard.

Strategy
Since failing Megahealth will put you in a rather distant position from armor pickups in a crowded match, try to time the Light Armors first and try to grab Personal Teleporter to get out. If you don't wanna take a longer way after grabbing an important item, try PT.

Heavy Armor dungeon will lead you at the skirts of Rocket Launcher hall, where you can backtrack to the center area to grab Megahealth by dropping below. After grabbing Megahealth, teleporter will send you at the PG hall, take the right exit and follow RL pavement to grab more armor pickups on your way. Getting past RL hall and Shotgun room, you can finally reach Heavy Armor dungeon through RL catwalk button trigger.

If none of these are your options time Quad Damage by taking left exit to the main area after visiting PG hall via MH teleporter. After grabbing Quad Damage, tap Personal Teleporter to catch unaware players by listening to gunfire. Machine Gun, Shotgun or Rocket Launcher are strong weapons for area control with Quad. Since map is too large, you may struggle to find a target after taking Quad Damage as anyone upon hearing that announce will not flow to center area face forward.

Map is based upon long range fights and due to that, pre-firing with any missile weapon generally puts the player in a disadvantage rather than an upperhand. Map consists many different large areas, courtyards and vast space to evade and ignore any incoming missiles. When this is the state of gameflow, positioning (behind cover or on top of ramps/stairs) or at least watching the target movement before firing a projectile weaponry for long range accuracy becomes crucial.

Rocket Launcher catwalk have a good overview of the area, staying at steps or hugging the columns carrying the catwalk, may allow you to evade gunfire until it's safe to climb. High pavement RL hall is filled with large stone pillars by the PG stairs that you can evade gunfire as well. Until you jump down from top of stairs in a really narrow corner at a wrong time, you should be fine. Corners at that hall must be used as a cover against anyone coming from center area only; as anyone at the higher ground or following the RL path would toast you.

Railgun porch at main courtyard has a nice view, as long as you position yourself by the rear stairs and behind gargoyle statues. Also Shotgun spawn can be purposed as a sniper porch as well, going down taking a shot then getting back up with a bounce pad is not hard.

Only choke point of this map is appear to be around the Shotgun area, both gates see lots of blasts from each side; housing the RL spawns just ahead. Also the gate just across the Railgun, gets lots of traffic going around. Anyone on a restock route most likely pass by from there to check Megahealth. If you can't time the items despite trying, you may need to clear that choke fire by passing through the center area and take them by behind or lure the fight from Rocket Launcher hall to Plasma Gun stairs so anyone coming out from MH will be in for a small surprise next time.

Trivia

 * This was one of the four maps included in the original Quake 3 demo. Others being Q3DM1, Q3DM17 and Q3TOURNEY2.
 * One of the most popular maps in official demo before full release.
 * Bug: In Q3A and also in Quake Live, some bots still have no idea where Megahealth or Heavy Armor resides. Most of the time they stall and stand still around them. Neither move, nor enter the corridor to teleporter room or keep standing around the dungeon trapdoor.