Ever since I joined the alpha this final phase of Waterloo Terminus has been under discussion and has seen several changes every few weeks. Talking with some other testers we have a proposal to redo the final objective. I do think that the changes they have made (for the most part - that one wall they added near defensive stairwell to objective was silly) have been helpful in making this point more playable. The fact is that this last area is not a very strategic one, but yet more of a Free-For-All.
The biggest reason this final objective does not work is because of the large size of the room housing the reactors and all the high ground vantage points over looking it. If this was a game based purely on killing I would never set foot in this room as I could be shot at from so many different places. Take that into an objective offense/defense mindset and how viable is it for a defense to hold this area?
The changes being proposed are actually adding an underground area akin to the underground tunnels that are already a part of the map, but are not accessible. You can find them via free spec or walls without clipping. This way we can still keep the same room, but add underneath it a final objective to bomb that has chokepoints for defense to set up or an offense to break through.
Here is how the final scenario would play out:
[ul]
[li]Attackers access PDA to unlock doors to underground tunnel area
[/li][li]Once PDA is to 100% - 2 or 3 entrances open up to underground tunnel area
[/li][li]Defense must set up underground to protect a final bombing objective located directly below current final objective
[/li][li]Attackers must break through defensive chokepoints to get a plant off and then defend the plant
[/li][/ul]
If this is hard to visualize, hopefully these images will help.
Currently, there are a few closed doors that are a part of the map. I think it would be simplest to make these the doors that open up to the underground area. One entrance would be close to defensive spawn. A second entrance would be accessible through a door near the single escalator on the right side of the reactors right before you hit the main room (from attacker side). A third entrance would also be closer to the attacker side and only be accessible from the Vapor/Radiation underground area that an engine must clear out.
Finally, this underground area can be something like the map Metro from Battlefield 3. We can see more of those same trains already all over the map in a dark underground area that would see plenty of chokepoints and strategic holds. And, in case there is any doubt of how good of an area this can be Metro is seen as one of the most popular maps in Battlefield 3 in a variety of game modes.
Here’s an image of Metro in BF3 in case you need more visuals:
Somewhere in the middle of this underground/forgotten tunnel area would be an objective to explode that is more or less equidistant from both spawns with attackers having a slight advantage if they pump out the vapor room (giving them a 2nd entrance). I know this underground area would make the objective gameplay stand out instead of the room feeling more like a FFA where you are able to be attacked from so many different angles. Not to mention this could be a vastly confusing area to casual or newer players.
As an addendum: There was also discussion instead of using any of the doors I pictured above, but using the reactors now and have those doors that open via the PDA actually be doors that lead to this underground area.
