Refuel and Security Tower.
Refuel has a terrific open design with lots of objectives. Matches aren’t over too quickly and each side has plenty of shots to extend or run down the clock. On top of that, the abundance of routes means there’s tons of ways to approach EVERY objective and every match can play out differently. The hangar design itself is terrific with defense spawn being super close, but the room is ultra defendable if attackers gain a foothold. But with 3 entrances to the room, you can quickly get the upper hand…overall very well done. Only qualm: light soldier can beat defense to the first objective and plant with ease…or at least no one has stopped me yet
Security tower has less objectives but similar length, and while the map itself is more linear, the options in each section are still fantastic. My favorite thing to do may be to simply turn around on the wall after resistance gets through the gate and pick them off as they run through. The level itself looks fantastic and has very few areas you can get really trapped on, and I find every match enjoyable as it has something for everyone, much like Refuel. The downsides: again, light soldiers can rush down the first objective and secure a plant before defenders have a chance to even breathe, unless you are a light and you suicide down to knock down the guy planting. The escort back is also very brutal at the end for one spot only, the walk through the gate. If security gets nechayev down in this spot and clears your team, you are NOT getting him past that gate into the starting area!
Every other map, while most are fun, suffer from these issues:
-ugly. Shipyard and container city are just flat out ugly. I know its the point but ugh.
-layout is either too confusing or too simple. Aquarium is bare bones basic which makes the escort a chore instead of a fight, and I literally got lost in shipyard the other night. As in I stopped moving, looked around and said “I have no clue where I am” and eventually a kind soul killed me.so I could go respawn.
-too few objectives. Two on reactor, a big epic fight to save or destroy the ark? That’s it? Get part the hack and resistence can end the game in another 45 seconds easy.
-no options. Container city has a bunch of hidden routes and two side objectives for attackers that all really amount to…nothing. you end up in the same chokepoints. The side stairs save barely any time and don’t offer any tactical advantage as I never see the bot get stuck in that road, and the marketplace door is basically bullet alley…its better to walk the long way because marketplace = you getting shot up bad. The light-only routes offer little advantage and one even leads you into the enemy spawn, which is a quick way to accomplish absolutely nothing at that stage of the game. Other maps have even fewer options available. The ducts in aquarium are neat but their placement makes it difficult to really take advantage of, as you have to climb into it while in sight of the defensive chokepoint you’re trying to avoid. Refuel and Sec Tower have at least a few options on each objective as to let you approach.
This is my opinion, which I honestly think is true, but I want people to discuss it. My request to SD is simple, more maps like Refuel and Sec Tower! More objectives, more secondary objectives, more routes, more open design to encourage more tactical decision making!
Hell while we’re at it, when can we get a map where the defense has objectives BESIDES defend? Building barricades is a good start but horrificly underused. Let’s see defense get their own set of objectives to accomplish to help their cause. Making maps more complex may be one of the keys to getting players to stick around, it would make games more “interesting” to them.
TL;DR: I ate a Five Guys burger today and it was delicious. Grilled onions, mushrooms, mayo. Get into it.
