History[]
rp_downtown_v2 is a map that was commonly used in DarkRP servers for the game Garry's Mod. It was created by a mapper called ThePro and is widely considered one of the most recognizable and iconic roleplay maps within the game. The map is set in a bustling downtown area and includes numerous features such as hotel areas, a town square, a sewer system, houses, and storefronts. The map's designed with rather small streets, making it less popular with Roleplay servers that include player-ownable vehicles.
In 2009, rp_downtown_v2 was confirmed to be the most popular roleplay map in Garry's Mod due to its realistic and detailed design, which allowed players to immerse themselves in a believable downtown environment. The map's various features also allowed for a wide range of roleplaying possibilities and scenarios.
However, since 2009, there have been many iterations of this map, which have been more popular with the newer DarkRP community. Some of these newer maps include updated graphics, improved layout and more advanced scripting. Even though the map is not as common to find on a server as it once was, it still leaves its legacy in the successor versions to the map, especially the town center and neighboring roads.
Despite its age, rp_downtown_v2 remains an important and influential map in the Garry's Mod community. Its realistic design and attention to detail have set the standard for roleplay maps in the game and have inspired many other mappers to create similar maps. Even though it is not as popular as it once was, it is still remembered fondly by those who played it and leaves a lasting legacy in the Garry's Mod community.
Locations[]
The map is medium-sized, but has many different areas and buildings to interact with. There are about 14 different buildings normally available, divided into several different locales. These can be divided into 3 categories: Residence, Warehouses, Shops.
Town Square[]
The Town Square is a public location, featuring several different buildings with ownable doors. The Main spawn is in the area, placed inside a tunnel to the back left. The back door to the Police Station also faces out to the Town Square. There is also a small alleyway that holds the entrance to an elevator leading down to the sewers and the back door to a shop next to the Police Station.
Residence[]
There are two designated living spaces overlooking the Town Square. There is also a 3 story building that partially overlooks the Town Square, but is not considered part of the area. These are:
FOTO Hotel[]
This building is a three floor building with two apartments on each the second and third floor. The apartments each come with one closet and two small windows. While being described as a hotel, the residents have no obligation to leave their homes and find a new one after a period of time and may stay as long as they like.
Apartments[]
While not having an official name, the Apartments is arguable the most populated building in the entire map, having at least one resident at any given time. The Apartments features 5 floors, 4 of which have ownable doors. The building also features an elevator, which runs from the lobby on the ground floor to roof access on the 5th floor. In the lobby, there is one door ownable. it is essentially a small closet next to the elevator with no windows or furnishings. The 1st and 2nd floors both have two apartments. One apartment has nothing in it, has two windows, and is naturally dark. The other apartment is larger, featuring 3 windows and a bathroom, a small closet, a refrigerator, and two cabinets for ownership. The third floor only has the large apartment because of the billboard that sits in front of where the small apartment would be. The 5th floor has no ownable doors.
Shops[]
There are two shops in the Town Square. They are normally coveted by Dealers of all kinds.
Garage[]
Named due to the closing garage door, the garage is shop normally used by Dealers to make secure sales. It also has a regular door that is ownable. The garage itself is small and located next to the main spawn.
FOTO Shop[]
The FOTO shop is located on the first floor of the FOTO Hotel building. It is frequently used by Dealers because of its natural security. The counter has a door above it that is ownable and pushes out. Behind the counter, there is an office-like room which contains another door allowing street access.
Police Station Row[]
The Police Station row is a street that runs by the Police station and a few shops. It is the most trafficked street, containing the Police station, some shops, and two buildings.
Police Station[]
The Police Station is the center of Roleplay Government. It contains several rooms on three floors, all ownable by the police and the mayor. The Police Station contains 4 jail cells, where people arrested by police officers will be sent automatically. The Mayor's office is located in this building. There is a front door and a back door, though both are have a second door on the other side, making it more difficult and dangerous to break in. Some servers have different versions of the Police Station, one makes it smaller, into a 5 room building on one floor. It holds 3 jailcells, only a front door, a public lobby, a counter for talking to the police, and a locker-room-like room.
Shops[]
There are 3 shops on this street. Two of them are small and normally coveted by Bartenders and dealers alike. the one closest to the Police station on the left has a back door leading to an alleyway containing an elevator and a counter. the one to the far left is small and basically an empty room. The third shop is more of a warehouse with a garage door. It is not normally used by anyone except Gun Dealers and occasionally the mob.
Buildings[]
The street has two buildings. Both are three stories tall and have windows. The first one is to the left of the Police Station, sitting on top of the shops underneath. It contains no default props and has light switches. The windows are covered be movable pieces of wood that can be owned like doors. One side of the building faces the town square, and can be used to spy on people or snipe them. This building is virtually unused, with the occasional exception of the mob. The second one is across the street from the Police Station. It has large, open windows on every floor, making access rather easy and protecting against raiders or police difficult. There is also not much space on any of the floors and the large windows make it difficult to hide anything. The only real advantage is access to the roofs of the apartments.
Rumors[]
Some sources have stated that the creator of the map, ThePro, passed away in 2011.[1][2] Due to this, there are rumors circulating about the map that have led to a sense of unease among some players. Some sources have stated that ThePro passed away in 2011 after an alleged suicide attempt. Ever since his alleged death, several players have reported strange happenings whilst playing on the map - most notably when they were alone.
A majority of the reports are of ghosts or strange black figures in the corner of one's eye, normally encountered within the map's interiors or underground areas. Others have reported sounds of people in distress around the map's underground areas, doors opening and closing at random, footsteps, echoes in the tunnels and train stations, and silhouetted people staring through windows or on rooftops.
However, these rumors have not been proven true and the creator of the map, ThePro, could still be alive. Many have also speculated ThePro has gone through a sex change operation and has changed their name since. The decompilation of the original map also disproves the existence of any dark figures. However, due to rp_downtown_v2's reputation as a popular DarkRP map, many people have stated that they feel a sense of eeriness playing on the map by themselves.
Gallery[]
