Rictus: A fixed or unnatural grimace or grin, as in horror or death. (World English Dictionary) Rictus is a compact Batball map themed after The Joker. The map has two separate levels; the center of the lower level has considerably more cover and hiding places, but is also shielded from drop down attacks (mostly). The outer lower level provides less cover, but can be dropped on more easily than the lower center. It does provide some benefits for thugs, however. The ridges rising out of the floor present more of a mobility problem for Batman than for them, since Batman's increased jump height means that he'll typically be forced to jump high in the air to clear a small bump. There are ways around this, of course, but it's something Batman needs to plan for to avoid a surprise. Speaking of surprises, there are mines around the outer edge. Not strictly where anyone would step on them, but they can provide some entertaining encounters if used strategically. The top level is somewhat open, but certainly has cover; it's vulnerable to attacks from above and below, but is arguably the best vantage point from experience in testing. There are grapple nodes on this map, marked by the energy swords behind glass. It should be noted now, the swords are completely unobtainable. The active teleporter field is a rectangular prism immediately on top of the struts the swords point to. If Batman jumps on top of one of the nodes, he is transported to one of the three upper platforms at random. From there he can drop back down to the stage or "line launch" across to a different platform by taking the ziplines located between the railings on the ceiling. Rictus REQUIRES Batball to be played, which is explained in this thread: http://www.forgehub.com/forum/reach-gametypes/137372-batball.html Rictus has been extensively tested with 3-5 players, and no gameplay issues have been detected. Thanks for checking out the map and for any constructive feedback.
I like the use of banks with the capture plate. Of all of the pretty uses of pieces on the map, that one stands out the most. Good job on this!
I would have to agree. You have used those banks in a way the I have never them used I am really impressed. But overall I think this map looks a bit crowded and there Is I big possibility Of there being FR lag because the glass and the block usage. I might download this and give it a look. Nice map though
Thanks for the feedback. The lower center can seem a bit claustrophobic, but that was by design to force very close range encounters. As for FR loss, in all of the testing (and it has been tested thoroughly since around April of 2011) we never noticed any, despite having as many as three of the max recommended five players on one xbox- though if after playing on the map you discover some, please let me know and I'll see what I can do to fix it.
This map is gorgeous, and Batball here is an absolute fast-paced blast. There is so much to do on each floor (including the third "grapple" floor for Batman). There don't seem to be any framerate issues at all on my end.