DM-Zyklotron is large, multiple z-axis fighting arena by the first-time mapper, Dullboza. For a first-effort, this is an impressive undertaking.

You fight in big, round structure that used to be a particle accelerator, but now has been revamped for death match carnage. Because of the circular layout, the connectivity is decent, with catwalks and rounded rooms progressing outward from the centralized elevator. Iíd estimate that half of the map has a high enough poly count (300 in some places) to cause the people running the UT ëminimum requirementí systems to experience an unsettling lag.

The textures were mostly solid concrete, concrete block, and steel, with very little variance, except for some accenting here and there with yellow caution stripes. The only thing that kept this schema from being too monotonous was the lighting that illuminated the concrete in several different hues. The sunset skybox was super and contrasted well with the somewhat bland structure.

The bots used up practically all the map, with the possible exception of the beam that the ëInvisibilityí was nestled on. Jumpboots will assist you as you make the leap for the Invisibility, but the attempt is tormenting because of a deep, rocky pit that swallows fraggers whole. The author recommends a 2 to 8-player count, but this seems too low to me. I recommend 8 to 16-players considering the size of the arena.

The lighting was adequate: Several different colors improved the look of the concrete, and light fixtures with lens flares dressed the map up a bit, but nothing too extraordinary -with the possible exception of the skybox. Zoned sounds, ambient sounds, music, and lift sounds were all included and appreciated. Item placement was so-so, with ammo bunched up, and the shieldbelt too easy to grab. End of review.

For the author: Very nice first-effort! A layout such as this one will make it difficult to construct a map in a reasonable amount of time. You have so many brush lines in your way because of the geometry, so this makes it twice as hard to build anything. A different layout should help make things easier if you do decide to create another map. Also, a lot of people prefer to see the shieldbelt placed in a location where itís hard to get to. Maybe switch the belt and the pulse rifle that you have on top of the crates. Your lens flares are borderline ëtooí big. Maybe try lowering the ëdrawscaleí on them so they appear subtler.