Bridge First Phase is Obnoxious

(Tanker_Ray) #1

Since playing this game until level 48, I really have to state the fact that Bridge has the most Defender biased first phase than any other map.

On the other side, Bridge third phase is also easiest stage for Attackers so I thought this was for balance.

But really, Bridge first phase is literally SO HARD.(If both teams are at the same skill level.)

Once you repair the EV, it’s ok after that because of forward spawn, but I get so much high score whenever I played on Defender, won everytime on that stage, before even Attackers repair their EV.

I know there are two main strategies for Attackers,

  1. Rush through first floor as fast as possible with fast female mercs and engineers, before Defenders build their defense lines, clear all the other Defenders coming back for defense, and repair the EV quick with any engineer before they respawn.

  2. You sneak to the right side building, flank through Bridge Defender spawn route, and perform a sneaky repair so that you can carry your team to second phase without spilling blood.

But this still seems unfair unless Attacker enters second phase.

first strategy does work many times, bit still way too dangerous, because first floor is place full of First-Blood prediction explosives. AuRahino combo? doesn’t even have to say a word.

second strategy is the most stable one, but the flanking route is too dangerous, because Defenders keep respawn and pass that route. Furthermore, high skilled players will soon notice that EV’s yellow repair bar is rising. They’ll soon come to kill you afterwards. Also, enemy Recons always stay at that red van, so you have to take down those guys first before you sneak in.

I’ve won, and lost also too many times even before Attackers could repair their EV.

Second phase is very balanced, as there are plenty of flanking routes to barricade room or just destroying it by explosives.

But this first phase is just perfect bullshxt for Attackers.

If I killed many of those Defenders, I usually get 2000 scores at the beginning but almost whole bunch of Defenders get the same score like me including the long-defense bonus even they’ve done a little, while other Attackers get around 1000, worse team mates gets under 1000.

Too many strong points for Defenders, and too limited routes to flank.

(bontsa) #2

Overall I think many of the current DB maps suffer from this same limitation. Imagine Chapel 1st and escort 2nd spawn (spawn shield doesnt hold on for fully crossing the road if I remember correct), Underground as whole and so forth. It’s very well seen in Bridge too, in my opinion only Dome is bringing some variety finally to this flanklessness and straight-forward style of maps. Yet it’s 1st objective is horrifying, it can be fixed and then we have a nice map with different areas to hold / push equally.

I can’t wait to see these rumoured Dockyards and such to test out and see if maps are going to right direction. If my memory serves me right, theres also extended version of Bridge, I wouldn’t be surprised we’d get to test out these older versions of the current maps at some points. Maybe adding bits and parts of those could help with the lack of flanks.

(Tanker_Ray) #3

Chapel 1st and escort 2nd spawn

Yeah this part, and Trainyard third phase too. Respawn point is way too far away.

But I’ve never seen any maps that are unbalanced as Bridge before.

People seems to hate Dome, but I really do think DB’s map need various routes.

There is so many mercs that are good at narrow spaces like Fragger, Stoker, Rhino, Aura, etc.

May be this is also the reason why Recon is also hard to play except Chapel, and open fields of TrainYard.

(Dawnlazy) #4

I’d open up the whole roof on the green area near the EV so that fire support mercs can flush defenders out of there.

(bontsa) #5

Oo this’d be interesting idea. Would it make it too easy for competent teams to break through I wonder though? Maybe if most far-back of the green area would be still covered, it’d prevent from being too obnoxiously set right next to EV but keep a fall-back area for Defenders.

(Mr-Penguin) #6

If anything, the EV’s starting area should move out onto the street so those common camping places on the green area would be less effective.

(wolvie) #7

This game is supposed to be team based. Objectives where your forced to work as a team are good for he game. Making objectives strictly easy for pubs games kill the games competitive potential (I know it isn’t directly related , but I’m a big supporter of playing competitvely).

(Tanker_Ray) #8

Game should be competetive =/= map should be hard.

I never said Bridge Attacker’s first phase has to be ‘strictly easy’.

The fact that DB is team based game has nothing to do with map balance.

Of course my team’s team work has to be better than Defender’s team work to win, BUT what I have to mention is, I had so many hard times with winning as Attacker EVEN WITH DECENT, or TEAMWORK THAN DEFENDER.

That is absolutely unfair. How can you always assure that Defenders will always have worse team work than my Attackers right?

(Tanker_Ray) #9

Like the Alphas back then.

I mean, why do we need to fix our damn EV that’s located right inside enemy’s base??

Chapel’s first phase is much more reasonable than this damn Bridge.

I wonder why CDA isn’t even trying to blow up the whole EV first.

So instead, I thought about the competing idea.

CDA and Jackal both trying to repair the neutral EV in the middle, how about this?

(solace_) #10

Like the Alphas back then.

I mean, why do we need to fix our damn EV that’s located right inside enemy’s base??

Chapel’s first phase is much more reasonable than this damn Bridge.

I wonder why CDA isn’t even trying to blow up the whole EV first.

So instead, I thought about the competing idea.

CDA and Jackal both trying to repair the neutral EV in the middle, how about this?

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that would certainly make a great tug-of-war game mode.

(Drac0rion) #11

Chokepoints are bad, mmmkay?
Chokepoints are exactly why Dome design is the best in my opinion, just too big for only 5vs5-8vs8.
Also the spawns are bad, but that’s for nearly all the maps.

But the solution I would love to see the most, is make the EV start on the street next to the attackers spawn(like Fuel Dump start in ET), would make the whole first part of the map actually see some play and just put a destroyable barricade, maybe under the first bridge so just an airstrike wouldn’t destroy it straight away. Because right now it’s just much more beneficial for defenders to camp the EV and hold the attackers in chokepoints.
Assuming the teams are somewhat balanced, it should just be a lot more smoother transition from first objective to second barricade. As of now, with about equally balanced teams, the spawns still favor defenders a lot more.