The first thing you think when entering the map is "Trident!", as well you should. Yes, the looming, forbooding fortress from the well-known Siege map is the base used by both teams.
And the similarities don't stop there. The Siege map was all about taking a series of objectives and then fighting to defend them, while still pressing on, and Fort Zenith does the same, only in a CTF environment.
First comes the base. The Trident building is impressive enough as-is, but Kitiara has added both eye-candy and functionality. There are smoke emitters at all the right places, showing up at grates and such, and giving the feeling of a live building. There are crates lying stacked in a corner, with an inventory nearby giving the appearance of a work room. And last but not least there's a teleporter, with a floating hologram, which surprisingly blends in with the base.
Mention of the teleporter leads me to the functionality of the map. Both teams have V-Pads set off and to the left of their bases. These are the ones from Magmatic, with a ForceField protecting the entrance, an inventory and the V-Station protected as well. This is, in my opinion, a more eye-friendly way of protecting from bombers than the "shield", a large piece of something (usually Forcefield or plug) over the VPad itself. Connecting the VPad and the interior of the main base is the teleport. Just step on, and in a quick moment, you are at your destination. Perfect for HO looking to get onboard a Havoc, or a Shriker scrambling to intercept a bomber.
Included in the function of the base is the power setup. There is a generator powering everything in your base: turrets, sensors.. everything. This generator is protected by a lone forcefield.. watch out! If the ForceField's generator is knocked out, best be careful, or face your base without power. A team of camping Heavy Offense could prove deadly with this setup.
The Midfield is something that is likely to come into play with many people on this map. With the base layout as such (more on that in a second), each team will probably be looking to establish some sort of "forward post". With Base++ and the MPB teleporter, this would be even more of an issue. The hills are layed out such that while there are many places to hide from the footsoldier's eyes, a roving scout in a Shrike should be able to spot approaches, and give the opposition a chance to intercept. MPB guard is a must, and the strike team had better be on their toes!
The flag is situated on the rampart, where the switch was in the Siege map Trident. The defense consists of 3 base turrets, right, center and left. This is the only quirk I found in the map. With a Missile turret on the higher levels, and the lower turrets outfitted with AA, Mortar and Elf, any person trying to cap was due for a rude surprise. In fact, capping was downright near-impossible!
This is where the teamwork again comes into required play. Without help either distracting the turrets' attention, or pysically destroying them, your team is likely never to see a flag returned to score. Couple this with the generator setup, and the possibilities of tactics abound.
Overall, a blast to play, and I can only imagine what it would be like with around 15v15. Playability is lower than it could be, due to the turret placement, but the eyecandy, the base, and the general atmosphere make for an incredible detail level. Balance is slanted towards the defense a bit, but with coordinated offense, it can be overcome, with a little difficulty. The item placement is killer. Inventories are right where you need them, when you need them. The turrets are placed at effective possitions. The sensors have nice sweeps of the playing field. And the bases are set in the hills such that they are accessable, without being too open. The mechanics, namely: "Teamwork" are present and obvious.
Give this map a shot if you enjoy large-scale, coordinated gameplay, or if you just want room to roam and lone it. There's plenty to do, and enough objectives to keep you busy for a long while.