So it's out, I've already decked out my Spartan in Mark V and steampunk weaponry, it is glorious.
The Pit is actually a lot more colorful than I expected, at least they've added some really nice accents to it--while it's definitely less vibrant, it's also less drab, if that makes any sense.
Ricochet seems to me like a group of people got together and discussed how much they liked oddball and CTF, but were frustrated by how often games would end with low scoring or tied. So like Americans tired of soccer, they invented American football, complete with slightly nonsensical point structuring. But it works.
Haven't yet had a chance to play on the new map, hoping that at least the concept of environmental hazards and interactive features makes a bigger return in the future and this is the harbinger.