CTF-FP-Inamorata - "Once a sacred place where evil could not tread, the tranquillity of Inamorata was long replaced by the screams of slain warriors. The spirits of those warriors still haunt the sanctuary, their graves pillaged and peace a distant memory."

This is a very well designed map with plenty of neat tricks and alternate routes. This puts much more emphasis on teamwork and coordination instead of the "one guy go into their base and return our flag" strategy. A skilled flag carrier or attacker is a nightmare even for the most skilled defenses in this map. Weapon and pickup placement is decent, with plenty of ammo and health wherever you go. There are much better pickups in each of the bases than along the way, however. This gives the defense a small advantage, but a well-coordinated team can easily bypass any defense on this map and take the flag.

The main problem with this map is the middle area. A large cube can be interesting, but it just doesn't suit this map well. A large broken-down castle or a nice hilly terrain with trees and rocks would have been far more fitting. The ability to snipe a flag carrier only seconds after respawning can be a very powerful advantage, but it should be restricted to maps like FacingWorlds, where the defense has no other real choice.

All in all, the map has excellent flow with a few unique gameplay twists to keep players on their toes.

Score: 7/10



CTF-FP-Skylink - "Welcome to the Skylink-Broadcast-Station used by Liandri to display the Tournaments all around the world. Smile - you are being filmed!"

Skylink is a mixed bag. On the gameplay side, the very basic layout of the map is flawed. The three exits out of the flagroom are right next to each other, which makes defending far too easy. A single person can control the entire flagroom, which is something you never want to happen in a map. After exiting the flagroom and traversing a few large straight rooms, more large, straight rooms await you. This is a recurring theme in this map. There is rarely a chance for the flag carrier to outrun or deceive a pursuing defense, simply because of how open the central areas are. This gives the defense an enormous advantage, for they are able to simply translocate across the giant rooms and catch up to the flag carrier. When your entire team has to be covering you just to keep you alive, the layout of the map has to be seriously flawed.

Visually, the map is decent. The theme is interesting, but was executed poorly. The lighting is very bland and unexciting. A few dark areas and other methods of contrast would have helped the map look far more appealing. But, as it stands, there is just not enough to make players come back for more on this map.

Score: 5.5/10



CTF-FP-Sobek - "Sobek - the Egyptian crocodile god. Sobek symbolized the might of the Egyptian pharaohs. His cult was widespread, although the Faiyum was particularly noted as a center of his worship. This is where this temple is located. But it is no longer a place of worship..."

Anyone who has played Team Fortress will have fond memories of this map, which is based on one of the best Team Fortress maps of all time, Well. The layout of this map is excellent, with plenty of great Z-Axis variation to keep players on their toes. There are several areas that can be used to ambush an unsuspecting flag carrier, but these areas can also be used to deceive a pursuing defense. A good cover team will help win this map, and only one or two people are really needed on defense. The flagrooms are so large and open that a few guys can be sniped as soon as they enter. This puts much more emphasis on attack strategy and teamwork than defense.

On the aesthetic side of things, the map really doesn't offer anything new. The lighting and outdoor areas are fairly bland, but luckily the map makes up for it in excellent gameplay. There are a few areas that could be ironed out, but overall the map is definitely worth playing.

Score: 7.5/10



CTF-FP-SpiderCrossings - "The vastness of space. Driven by both poverty and greed, small trade vessels travel immense distances in search of rare minerals to exchange with the human corporations back on Earth. Their journey is thwart with natural dangers, most prolifically, rogue pirates trading civillians to the tournaments. The SpiderCross gasoline plant is fused into the bedrock of an un-named planet on the outerlimits of the known universe, those who stray into its dense sulphur based atmosphere search for fortune, the few that leave have found."

Wow, GI and FishThrower did an excellent job with this map. The gameplay is excellent, the visuals are excellent, and it definitely deserves to be played. The one problem with the map is the outdoor central area. A flag carrier could get stuck rather easily while attempting to go up the stairs to the upper level. Also, the visuals in this area could use some improvement. The lighting seems fairly washed out here and the terrain is fairly bland and uninteresting. However, the map is so fast-paced that players rarely have a chance to care about the visuals.

Score: 8/10



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