DM-Deimos

DM-Deimos

Summary

Technically intended as a combination of DM-Phobos and DM-HyperBlast, DM-Diemos is a mixed-gravity arena that takes place on an orbiting station above the planet Taryd.

Gameplay

Gameplay takes place both inside and outside the station. The gravity is substantially reduced while outside, similar to the UT 2004 versions of Phobos an HyperBlast. The gravity zones are differentiated by non-solid force-fields that are red from the outside and green from the inside.

A small shuttle allows teleport access to a distant platform which contains an Energy Turret normally found in VCTF or Warfare. The Turret is fairly powerful, and has a good view of many combat areas on the side of the station it faces. Operators can be sniped out of the Turret with the Sniper, located on the map's highest point, accessible via two zero-gravity tubes that allow players to swim up and down them. The Turret is also in range of almost every other weapon on the map, but can be devastating nonetheless. The Superhealth, and the Jump-Boots/Redeemer area are accessed by a longer version of the zero-gravity passages, one that drops down along the back (considering the Turret side the front) of the arena and ends up facing the Turret. The Jump-Boots are below the Redeemer, and must be used to access it by jumping to the ledges on the walls around it. The Big Keg-O-health is at the top of the passage, through a smaller tunnel.

The low-gravity outside means that you an easily be knocked off the station and plummet to your death if you get shot while in the air or near a ledge by a weapon with sufficient knock-back, like a Shock Rifle or Rocket Launcher. The slower, "floatier" movement makes instant-hit weaponry, like the Shock, Sniper and Stinger much more potent outside, but allows for some creative trick-jumps, like a doble-jump wall-dodge from the Body Armor tunnel to the U Damage above. Jump-Boots can also cover serious distance in low-grav. Some areas feature a darker green transparent surface, which is most prominently featured near the Shiled Belt and Rocket Launcher spawn area. These surfaces are solid to players, but non-solid to weapons-fire. Another of these surfaces appears between the Redeemer spawn platform and the Flak spawn above, allowing for attempts to deny someone access to the Redeemer, or blind hail Mary shots up into the Flak room for some lucky kills with the super weapon.

The impressive visuals, combined with the inclusion of the Turret, and the low-gravity fighting have caused some critics to decry the quality of the gameplay, but it remains fun for more casual matches, or Instant Action matches against bots.

Visuals

Diemos is visually stunning, certainly. It resembles DM-Phobos, on the surface, a roughly conical space station with a central pit and surrounding hallways, as well as lowered platforms on the left and right, but the similarity is largely superficial. It contains a few elements of DM-HyperBlast, among them the horse-shoe shaped tunnel arcing outward from the main body of the map, and the general feel of the upper low-grav areas (with the middle section bumped up and two lower areas on either side.

The station is in high orbit above Taryd, and the planet is visible when looking in the direction of the Turret. The Jumpgate looms on the other side, sporting a dark black and red palette. The sun to the right (facing the Turret) casts a strong highlight on passing asteroids.

By and large it uses the tech texture sets, and is similar to maps like DM-CarbonFire or the bases in WAR-Torlan, for example. The Necris influence is present, however, and a few Necris tentacles can be found here and there, snaking along its hull.

Story

"Izanagi's Orbital Jumpgate technology forever changed the face of interstellar life. Now, the constant traffic of trade, transport, and vacationing tourists requires the support of small orbital stations, such as this one, on the leading edge of every Jumpgate throughout the galaxy." -UT3 map description.

When Reaper reaches this map in the Campaign, he is chasing Akasha after her over-ambitious Necris invasion force was pushed back by the combined forces of the Izanagi, Axon and Liandri. While the Izanagi Corporation is happy to let the Necris go and enjoy the new territory they won from the Axon and Liandri during the conflict, Reaper rallies his team into a revenge strike against the Necris and Akasha. He fights the Necris off of the Diemos station and hijacks a shuttle which he takes through the nearby Jumpgate and into Phayder controlled space; a decision which caused the Izanagi to disavow any association with the Ronin, and a decision which will have tragic consequences down the road.

Armory

Weapons

Bio Rifle Flak Cannon Link Gun Rocket Launcher Shock Rifle Sniper Rifle Stinger Minigun

Redeemer

Armor

Body Armor (50 pts.) Shield Belt

Powerups

U Damage Big Keg-O-Health Jump Boots

--Sijik 11:03, 5 May 2008 (EDT)