Re: dod_aleutian
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 10:47 am
As for alpha's post, I think a big problem is that mapmakers don't understand some simple aspects of map design. Lennon is a pretty shitty map, in my opinion, entirely because it has poorly designed spawn areas that mean once you cap well, you can hold the other team in spawn pretty easily. It makes the entire mid/long section of the map like half as important as well, even though the clear design of the map is to have all of these areas be similarly important (mid has a flag and helps to control well and long). If you control the double windows, and well, you have a huge advantage on the map. If the spawns were not so easily campable, then you'd see long and mid be just as important as well. Everyone loves lennon, but it's not a good map. It could be a great map if well was just a little bit further from the spawns and there was a better designed exit from axis spawn. Like if you could look off a ramp and see the underpass or blue door to make spawn camping less desirable and flanking long more desirable.
Aleutian is shitty because the flags are placed in dumb locations. Look at well-designed maps like Anzio and Harrington. Why are there 2-man caps on that map and where are they located? Well, they're there because they are in areas constantly battled for control by both teams. If you win a battle there, you cap the flag and get points. Since it's an important part of the map to control, the flag is harder to cap and gives 2 points. Well IS ONLY IMPORTANT ON ALEUTIAN BECAUSE OF THE 2-MAN CAP. The 2-man cap doesn't indicate it's an important part of the map, it forces it to be an important part of the map. That is BAD DESIGN. It is probably actually a good strategy on Aleutian to hold safe areas behind well and throw break grenades without ever fighting for the flag until you can spawn-camp and flank from the other 2 routes because everyone sends too many players to well. In theory, you should be sending 2 players to the long routes, but there's only 1 flag there and it's very difficult to get, so why would you send an extra player to the opposite side of the map from the 2 point flag in hopes of maybe being able to cap a flag that is visible from the other team's spawn? Again, letting flags determine map strategy instead of reflecting map control is BAD DESIGN.
Please keep this in mind when designing maps. Flags should reflect a team's ability to control the map, not determine the important areas of the map. If your map doesn't naturally have important areas that teams want to battle to control, then your map is poorly designed.
Aleutian is shitty because the flags are placed in dumb locations. Look at well-designed maps like Anzio and Harrington. Why are there 2-man caps on that map and where are they located? Well, they're there because they are in areas constantly battled for control by both teams. If you win a battle there, you cap the flag and get points. Since it's an important part of the map to control, the flag is harder to cap and gives 2 points. Well IS ONLY IMPORTANT ON ALEUTIAN BECAUSE OF THE 2-MAN CAP. The 2-man cap doesn't indicate it's an important part of the map, it forces it to be an important part of the map. That is BAD DESIGN. It is probably actually a good strategy on Aleutian to hold safe areas behind well and throw break grenades without ever fighting for the flag until you can spawn-camp and flank from the other 2 routes because everyone sends too many players to well. In theory, you should be sending 2 players to the long routes, but there's only 1 flag there and it's very difficult to get, so why would you send an extra player to the opposite side of the map from the 2 point flag in hopes of maybe being able to cap a flag that is visible from the other team's spawn? Again, letting flags determine map strategy instead of reflecting map control is BAD DESIGN.
Please keep this in mind when designing maps. Flags should reflect a team's ability to control the map, not determine the important areas of the map. If your map doesn't naturally have important areas that teams want to battle to control, then your map is poorly designed.
