[QUOTE=Kurushi;365251]Yeah true, I was a bit drunk when I posted that and got carried away 
But I know for a fact (not opinion ;)) that there isnāt one bad map in Brink andā¦ well to a seasoned gamer and mapper, SD know how to design maps properly. Take it or leave it ;)[/QUOTE]
I think the maps in Brink are gorgeous. There could be waves, but that would take a LOT of programming.
I absolutely agree with the Original Posterās criticisms of the Lab level. Whilst beautiful (same with FT), itās a really shallow, tactically limited, linear map. Methinks it needs a bit of a redesign.
Since the thread title includes āproblemsāā¦
ā¦hopefully the new ālighting schemeā for Resort is an accident and will be fixed in a future patch; I ran a verify game cache (PC/Steam) just in case I had some corrupt files, but no dice. The Resort map used to be a brightly lit map (particularly the second stage after the detonation near the helicopter is completed) but now itās incredibly dull to the point of being downright dark in some places - completely kills the mood. 
As for Labs and Founders Tower - loving them; like the original maps, you need to spend a fair bit of time looking around and exploring various paths before you can fully appreciate the options available to you as a player. The more time you spend exploring, the more paths/options you discoverā¦
Thereās a ring thatās around the Ark, specifically to act as a wave breakā¦ waves would mess things up pretty badly!
Iām not sure if weāve released any images with it in, thoughā¦
[QUOTE=Nexolate;364768]You canāt, itās fixed at a certain height. Brinkās maps arenāt the kind that would reasonably permit that kind of freedom (compare to Bad Company 2ās maps, for example).
Regards,
Nexo[/QUOTE]
But you can go up stairs and ramps with the UAVā¦just in case that helps.
[QUOTE=Exedore;365559]Thereās a ring thatās around the Ark, specifically to act as a wave breakā¦ waves would mess things up pretty badly!
Iām not sure if weāve released any images with it in, thoughā¦[/QUOTE]
Ahh what a great statement, made me really laugh 
PR in its best shape 
Iām kind of in the smae Camp of itās Cool as long as itās free, but once they add any monetary price (cash or points) then itās completely not worth anything more than iād say $3 or so. And even then thatās pushing it for me. The only thing i like from the new costumes was the Sad punk gear on the upper torso (shirt and Jacket) as well as the goggles, but thatās just personal preference. The new abilities were cool and i like the Bayonett as well. Over all, i like it, but not enough to pay for it.
Ok so I think Iāve tried the maps enough now to be able to adequately sum up my thoughts and feelings.
Foundersā Tower:
When I read the original description ātakes the battle for the Ark to dizzying heightsā, I originally thought itād be office battles with vast windows overlooking the Ark. What we did get was very nice, though I feel that some of the corridors are incredibly narrow. At times I end up having to wait behind my teammates because the halls between areas are just so cramped! Lots of excellent SMART usage though, itās a veritable playground of possibilities.
Labs:
I find the initial area to be a little small. Again lots of corridor fighting and most of the action takes place right next to the bomb sites. That being said the vertical aspect of the fighting is an excellent design decision. Really emphasises getting the high ground to cover objectives. Likewise in the second area, plenty of overwatch positions and this time there are plenty of alternate routes to flank with. Lots of areas to get the drop on your opponents which is great.
UAV:
Like most people, Iād be lying if I said I wasnāt a little dissapointed that more vertical freedom wasnāt given with the flight mode. That being said the device is functional and is nice to throw out every now and then. The explosion is a nice bonus if you get pushed off an area (so long as you can find where to aim from your spawn to initiate control).
Napalm Grenade:
An excellent addition for cutting off your opponents and the real lethality boost this game needed. Thereās nothing Iām more scared of in the game now than the wall of flames this ability creates. Very useful when defending specific areas (such as the Arkoral sample in Labs).
Pyro Mine:
Similar comments to the Napalm Grenade. Love it, really makes me consider my options when faced with it and it makes an absolute amazing defensive system when used in areas players have to backtrack from. Anyone seen what happens when you put this on the door to the CCity vaccine sample? Absolute chaos!
Field Regen Unit:
Although not quite as impressive as the other abilities this one still ends up being good in my book. Once again, very nice on defense as you can set it up out of direct line of fire for teammates to quickly boost themselves between battles. I greatly prefer it over Metabolism considering how many supplies that one takes to effectively aid your team.
Tactical Scanner:
Honestly Iād say this was the low point of the DLC. I understand that coming up with a universal ability thatās not too overpowered is a bit difficult but this one in particular didnāt quite reach the bill. Donāt get me wrong, itās nice to be able to see what opponents are packing before engaging but the timing is so short and there are much more worthwhile abilities you can spend this level credit on.
Bayonets:
I always find myself pushing people over in Brink, either in direct combat or when ambushing them. Though itās never been that valid a tactic until the addition of Bayonets. Fantastic addition that really aids in getting someone out of your face quickly. My only regret is that I canāt mount it on my beloved Mossington for ultimate CQB dominance.
Weapon Shields:
When I finally understood exactly how these worked I have to admit I was a little dissapointed. Donāt get me wrong, the fact they completely block bullets is nice but the area covered is so small that it hardly warrants the massive hit in equip speed when using them. Personally I donāt like this much as the minimal defense this attachment provides is vastly superceded by the combat effectiveness of the other attachments.
The Sad Punk:
Itās like you knew exactly what I wanted without me even having to say anything! Iāve always wanted more long-sleeve under shirts in the game as well as more practical body armour for the Resistance and you met both of these wishes with perfect execution. Nothing much to say, my Resistance character now sports mostly this Archetype with the Boiler Suit pants for added pouches.
The Limey:
I got pretty much what I was hoping for with this archetype though I was desperately hoping this would have long sleeves instead of short sleeves (see previous comments about The Sad Punk). Still, 90% what I wanted for this and you even added some nice equipment accessories to the pants. Good stuff.
Overall:
Honestly Iām really digging this new content. Everything at least met my expectations and has definitely helped add more variety and replay value to the game. If this is the kind of content we can expect to see from future packs then I canāt wait to hear when the next oneās coming! Thanks again for your continued support.
Regards,
Nexo
[QUOTE=Exedore;365559]Thereās a ring thatās around the Ark, specifically to act as a wave breakā¦ waves would mess things up pretty badly!
Iām not sure if weāve released any images with it in, thoughā¦[/QUOTE]
On one of the new maps there is a huge waterfall. Is that the wave break? Looks really cool. I think it is outside Founderās Tower if you are Security. Right?
ā¦ graphic / texture glitch (last mission in campaign mode => security): ā¦
ā¦ menu glitch: ā¦
ā¦ if I want to go back to the (main) menu after I finished one of the new maps in campaign mode (public), the game closes completely and I end up on my desktop, but steam is still running ā¦
ā¦ more feedback will follow after I played all the maps in free-play-mode too ā¦
Experiencing poor framerates post-DLC.
I had no trouble running all maps at 80+ fps prior to the DLC release.
Now I am getting as low as 25 fps on some maps.
Tried playing again today and the game is back at 80+ fpsā¦weird. Maybe it was the glitch where the game starts up improperly and runs slowly until you restart it.
[QUOTE=Exedore;365559]Thereās a ring thatās around the Ark, specifically to act as a wave breakā¦ waves would mess things up pretty badly!
Iām not sure if weāve released any images with it in, thoughā¦[/QUOTE]
You mean, like this?
So far I must say that I am loving these new maps.
The Founders Tower
The initial hack objective is sweet. I love the court yard area, its set up beautifully for a multi-tiered battle.
So far the only problem I have here is the bomb objective for the elevator. Yes you can attack it from two sides but it is so incredibly hard to oust even a couple of opponents from this section. That coupled with the fact that the defending team comes right up behind you from their spawn makes this a tough challenge. Though I do love a good challenge this one is a bit trying at times.
I donāt have a full grasp of the layout of the upper portion yet but it seems to be built with the lights in mind. I play mostly heavies and I get a bit bogged down trying to find my way, I think I just need to play solo for a bit and map it out.
The Lab
I dont think I fully understand the layout as of yet. The initial area is fantastic with its multiple levels though I canāt help but think that there isnāt enough for me to parkour over. Maybe because Im generally a heavy and I really only use the stairs.
The engineer objective section is pretty nice. Some good top levels for high ground fire as well as some good setups for cover from below.
The sub section is a pain on offense but there are from what I see 2 ways into the room so a good team can sneak behind the defense that will inevitably be set up with little trouble.
The Abilities
The grenade and the mine are fantastic! I love these. My only complaint is that it seems that people can run past the mine before it goes off thus saving themselves from burning, so it is best used when groups of people travel together, the first one will get by but the others are screwed.
I have not had a chance to use the other two class specific abilities yet.
The general one is useful but only after the initial battle, assuming that both parties survive. I suspect it will be most useful for the operative.
The clothing
The resistance: The headgear is nice, I am not to fond of the face paint (none of the resistance face paint is all that great IMO) the shirt is sweet (needed another long sleeve) the armor is amazing! possibly top 3 in terms of looks.
The security: The hat is meh. The Shirt is ok but should have been long sleeve. The pants are nice, I like the night stick the best
[QUOTE=Exedore;365559]Thereās a ring thatās around the Ark, specifically to act as a wave breakā¦ waves would mess things up pretty badly!
Iām not sure if weāve released any images with it in, thoughā¦[/QUOTE]
You have, you can see the wave breaks on the big map showing the ark battle progress.
Just wanted to comment on how awesome the new medic ability is. The fact that it regens battle hardened, CP buffs, and the health buff from medic is amazing. With one of these down and my teammates staying alive I only have to buff everyone one time and then they can use the regen station to regain their buff when needed. This has saved me a ton of pips and allowed for me to make easier use of other buffs, revives, frags, etc. Iām not saying I never use the health buff anymore after buffing the first time because of course I heal people, but the all encompassing regen factor on the new ability is awesome.
One small problem/visual glitch with the new ability - the field generated appears to go through floors and walls. I tried standing in the field underneath the regen unit when it was going through the floor and it would not regen my health at all. I think when I tried it through the wall it still worked.
Itās just what this game needed, short of a lobby/clan system.
BTW, I heard you can recruit AI into your fireteamā¦ this would be a good way earn extra XP and a little more support, no? How do you do this though?
