Synopsis
| IF you like open-area 3D dogfighting, this is the place to go. |
| IF you like open-area 3D dogfighting, this is the place to go. |
| "Sek is cool. He likes fusion. I didn't know Zostorrer was Sekmu's home. I hadn't even taken a look at the level before we started, which was dumb, but it was a good game. I actually got ahead 4-2, then he caught up and it was even for a bit. The layout was easy. The problem was getting to the missiles when they respawned. He was good at that; I was not. We had a great fusion match. 10 of my 16 kills on him were with fusion (and 2 suicides = 14 score). I had more control of the match when it was fusion dogfighting. Then the turd switched up on me and hid with an arsenal of smart missiles. :) I gave him a "go long" in the big room: one-shot kill. The glory of the fusion fights were short-lived, though. He showed me there was more to that level than dogging. Once he started ratting and being sneaky, I was unprepared. He had VERY good timing in the tight areas. He had five really good "eat it with whipped cream and a cherry on top" smart missile kills. He definitely stuck it to me that game. I mean, for crying out loud, I opened the reactor door and flew smack into two fireballs for a suicide! I'm sure that was entertaining from his end, as he collected some free missiles and orbs. I had never before done anything as stupid as being killed by the reactor in a match. But I feel I did well against him. He gave me a nice compliment: "Hey man you have a really good fusion." Made me all warm and fuzzy. Any fusion compliment makes me glow. Purple." :-) |
-LordDeath
| "I've played a lot of matches with B4, and one of them was in his D1 home level, Zostorrer. This is a cool "underground" level that not many seem to know about. It's almost pure dogfight, and without those spreaders to harass you, it's a very fun level. We spent almost the whole game fighting in the uppermost room, which is the smallest of the three. I used fusion almost exclusively. He smacked me back a few times, but had difficulty. I used my "Fusion" pilot for this match (I love the redunancy of the opponent seeing the message "Fusion killed you" after each death. hehe) and I even had course to use my infamous macro, after he missed about 8 fusion shots in a row: "Yours wasn't made in atLANta!" He said something really witty in reply, I forget exactly what, but I got killed because I was laughing, I remember that part. B4 did really well at 3D dodging. I had much more success hitting him in the tighter areas than I did in the huge room or in the vertical room. I caught him in tunnels a couple times: but he killed me with a concussion once because I got too aggressive trying to hit him with the vulcan. I know he was proud of his performance this game because he scored more on me than he ever had before, and was celebrating this out loud. I think B4 might one day be invited to the First Tier, if he can just take his performance to the next level and improve his mental game a bit more." |
-Sirian
| "Most people think of me as some sort of running spread-only player, mostly from long matchs in Eris. When I agreed to play Zostorrer (no spread, large 3D environment) he was very excited, because not only was it his home, but it included all the elements that I dislike. Early in the match I was getting killed by trying to charge him out of that room with the energy on two sides and a tunnel down the middle. Since my weapons had spewed in there, I kept trying to hammer in there. It didn't work, I just ate plasma several times. I then figured that maybe I should go explore the level. To my surprise, I found a few other fusions lying around the level. I was able to regain my other weapons in there by waiting him out, and slinging a few sausages. The rest of the game moved along at a good pace, with dogging and some stand offs. I'll admit he won a good portion of the dogfight only encounters, but as soon as elements like halls and energy centers were thrown in, I was able to get some kills by mixing it up or outsmarting him. I managed to eat a smart on a few occasions. He times many of his attacks well on that level, and it can be embarrasing to take two smarts to the nose in a row. If you play B4 on Zostorrer, be prepared to have to either dogfight well, or have an excellent day strategically. He was winning 8-7 until I was able to figure out how to play him in his home. This has been my only encounter ever on Zostorrer, and I'm proud to say I was able to pull this match out." |
-Birdseye
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IDL 's IRC Channel Operator, fathom, is a huge fan of the Descent Dogfight, particularly in D1. So it is no surprise that he would produce a level that features just that. Zostorrer is laid out the way fathom likes to play: straight up, no gimmicks. There are three large rooms, each with a distinctly different shape and feel. Two of the rooms are connected via an opening in the wall, and both are connected to the third, largest room via tunnels. This creates a loop, with two ways in and out of each room. |
| Yet while the design is simple, it is also elegant: rich with subtleties that an experienced player can use to his advantage over the newcomer. The reactor is located behind the level's only door, tucked away with the exit in a spot that, while mostly out of the way, does effect gameplay in interesting ways. There are two energy bays, both located "between" rooms. Energy is readily accessible, and dogfights typically end only when either someone has run low on energy or a participant has died. |  |
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This level contains no spreadfires, and that is one of its greatest appeals: it offers a change of pace from the typical battlefield. If you want to test your D1 dogfighting mettle minus the spreader, this is the place to go. There are two plasmas, two fusion, and two sets of quads. The lighting is excellent, and there are just enough tunnel elements to require players to be tunnel-savvy. There is a pack of homing missiles, and this level in particular is conducive to extreme spawning of them and the smarts. For those wanting to play without homers, Zostorrer NH is available. Overall rating for this level: 8 |
| Level Name | DF | TR | TM | TP | EB | GM | 3D | WF | CR | LV | ST | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zostorrer | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 8 |
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