This is something I wrote a while ago, and with the recent changes to the Execution maps I think that I should post it for everyone to see:
Dirty Bomb currently has 6 maps currently being used for Objective/Stopwatch modes: Trainyard, Underground, Chapel, Bridge, Terminal, and Dome; and soon: Dockyard. These maps make up all of Dirty Bomb’s competitive map pool, and are used during competitive play, however, with exception of Dome barely any work has been given to balance these maps between Jackal and CDA.
The argument can be made that since you play both sides in Stopwatch, all maps are technically “Balanced” due to the fact that both teams play both sides, and therefore both have equal opportunity to exploit spots that can give one side the advantage. I disagree. Competitive play should be about which team exhibits better teamwork, skill, and coordination, not how well a team could exploit a maps positions and layout.
The issue with Stopwatch is that winning or losing is based solely on how fast your teams can complete objectives, and if one person on the other team knows the map slightly better than the other team, and knows how to exploit it to its full potential, then he can wreak havoc on the opposing team, allowing that team to either quickly complete an objective, or easily defend said objective. This means that a slight advantage can be used to gain a big lead over the enemy team, and in a game mode like Stopwatch, where mere seconds can be the determining factor in whether a team wins or loses, this can be crucial. If a team sets a blisteringly fast time within the first half of a Stopwatch game, then the other team might feel discouraged, allowing their performance to slip, and in turn losing them the game.
This may seem like I’m making far-out excuses, but how many times have you felt discouraged or upset because you were getting destroyed by the other team, and noticed your performance drop in-game as well because of it.
I think Splash Damage should put some effort into balancing the current maps we have, in order to make them more competitively viable. Some good examples of places that need work are second objective Chapel. The second objective in my opinion is too CDA sided and could use some work. For instance, if your delivering the objective, you are immune for airstrikes, lasers, and artillery, because there is a slight overhang from the building, if SD were to remove this overhang, it could allow Jackals to use their fire support mercs to prevent the CDA from returning the objective. And while we’re on the topic of returning cover, I feel that the bridge generator should be moved slightly back in order to prevent players from being able to hide behind it, but at the same time tweaking the boxes near the site pushed slightly forward, giving more protection from CDA mercs going for picks on people running towards the bridge, and while we’re in this general area, I think that tweaking the cover on the bridge is necessary. I think more cover should be given to people running up to the bridge, but less cover be given on the bridge itself, as to make it easier to pick people off as their running across. The area around the one way drop could easily be redone to allow a better view into the delivery area, while still allowing Jackals to easily take, and hold the site.
Map balance is a tricky subject to deal with, and although some of the changes might not be well-received at first, I encourage Splash Damage to take a proactive approach to balancing and tweaking these maps, Dome is a step in the right direction, but I feel more could be done. Dome has shown that tweaking maps can provide a more engaging a fun experience due to the fact that winning is based more on skill rather than knowing how to exploit maps.
Map Balance
Holy wall of text, Batman. Please space your paragraphs, it makes them much more readable.
Also, this probably belongs under Map Discussion, not General. Thanks, @Eox
Regarding actual content, I find most stages to be reasonably balanced. Third stage Chapel (First is Repair, Second is Escort, Third is Deliver) is one of my favorite stages, because of the design it has. It provides lots of crossfire opportunities for both sides, along with a large focus on area control.
Regarding the overhang: I actually see that as an intentional disadvantage for CDA. An Arty or Kira on defense can’t spawn in and stop the delivery just because they lost site control. (Nader can, but it requires knowledge of the objective being delivered and forces her out of the engagement for a few moments.) If the Jackals got wiped on a push, CDA should get entire site control, including the EMP return. Arty (and to a lesser extent, Kira) can already drop their abilities near the building from Jackal spawn. Giving them the ability to protect the EMP from spawn seems overkill.
Regarding the bridge: I don’t have any problems with (or many reasons for) these changes, except for hiding behind the generator. If the generator is getting repaired, CDA can try to contest and retake the area. Being able to repair from relative safety forces the CDA to extend, creating a flashpoint for engagements, with a lot of potential crossfires and flanks.
Some stages could probably use reworks. (Bridge 1 is heavily defender biased.) I don’t think Chapel 3 is on that list.
wall of text hits for 9999999999999999 …its was super effective…charmander has fainted… choose your next pokemon
Did someone say Pokemon cards?
Anyways, feeling discouraged after being stomped is a little something known as tilt.
Tilt is actually part of strategy.
The fact that both teams can exploit different parts of a map IS TEAMWORK. It is coordination.
Honestly, the only thing I would change is 1st objective Bridge. Place is a damn nightmare.
The only thing that ever really struck me as unbalanced was the way it’s possible to complete the entire stage 3 bridge attack before the enemy team can even respond, if the timer is right.
I agree that the current maps could use a slight rework, but definitely not a priority problem.
My biggest issue is mostly with chokepoints. Most of them don’t have any cover for attackers even if they do manage to break through one and since there’s no cover the attackers aren’t still making progress if there are any defenders left.
The best example for this would be exactly the bridge first objective, the doorway close to the EV. The defenders can hold that doorway from left, right and middle. But if the wall right next to the EV would be extended by just a little to limit the defenders to just cover it from left and right, the attackers would actually have a chance to make progress by hugging that wall as cover if they manage to make it through the doorway.
Some of the chokepoints that annoy me the most are:
First objective on Underground, if either team is wiped out you can just hold the attackers in their spawn or the defenders at the stairs.
First objective on Bridge for attackers. Personally the only adjustment for this I’d actually like to see the EV start from the attackers spawn(like in Fuel Dump from W:ET) and maybe just add another generator powered barricade. This would shift the focus area to the main road, which should put less pressure for the attackers trying to use the side routes.
My solution to fixing the most problematic chokepoints would be to simply add constructible/generator powered covers or even routes. Both for the defenders or attackers, depending on who would need it. It would still slow down the attackers for the time it requires to construct, but if the defenders manage to push the attackers back they could destroy those, forcing the attackers to spend extra time on setting up the attack once again. These could also be balanced by different health and the location of their generators as in what kind of abilities can reach those.
Just like the first tunnel on the right in Terminal for the attackers, I feel like that’s a much needed attack route so that the defenders can’t just push the attackers so easily to their spawn and the path shouldn’t just be open thanks to the generator.
But for all the maps in general I feel like there could definitely be more secondary objectives.
(I mean, can the old ET players remember how many constructible barricades did the old Goldrush have? And in DB everyone can do what an engineer does, except just slower.)
[quote=“N8o;193797”]Did someone say Pokemon cards?
Anyways, feeling discouraged after being stomped is a little something known as tilt.
Tilt is actually part of strategy.
The fact that both teams can exploit different parts of a map IS TEAMWORK. It is coordination.
Honestly, the only thing I would change is 1st objective Bridge. Place is a damn nightmare.[/quote]
It does need at least one more route to flank from or something for the attackers maybe a secondary objective that open a route.
Trainyard needs a look at before anything. First is terrible, and last is even worse.
i would say that chapel last obj is pretty unfaire for deffenders but the rest of the map is really nice cause in the last obj def have only one path to the obj (or two if we count the left side who is far from the obj) and it could be easyly blocked with an airstrike and a moltov with some shooting so maybe adding a path or at least somthing that would help deffenders a little that would be awesome