Disappointment with New Maps & why Blackout is the Best Map

Disappointment with New Maps

Before I get into this, let me say a few things:

1. I am not an experienced map maker, however I have played many maps in my 5-6+ years playing CTF, so I know what I like.
   
   
2. This is not a personal attack on the people who have made maps for the new testing phase. I understand that these maps take quite a bit of time and effort to produce, but that does not make them exempt from criticism.
   
   
3. If you happen to like these new maps, cool, good for you. That still does not exempt them from criticism.
   
   Now, with that out of the way, I will begin. After playing a good portion of the new maps multiple times, I will say I am thoroughly disappointed with many of the new maps that have been introduced. Most of these maps pick some form of theme and run with it, for example Mustafar by @915 (I love you man, but I despise this map). Many of these maps are over designed, overly complex, and whenever they are played the chat is usually flooded with “Oh god why”; these new maps tend to focus on design and being visually unique rather than being functional CTF maps, or they try not to be too OP for one particular class (namely archer). With that said, I will compare these new maps to what I feel is the best CTF map as of right now, Blackout.
   
   
   Why Blackout is the Best Map
   
   This is more of a matter of opinion, but when it comes down to it, Blackout is functionally the best map, and here’s why:
   
   1. Simplicity
      
      
      1. Blackout is a simple map. Every surface is flat and easy to move across, there are no trees, mountains, or really any obstacles. And this leads into a point I really want to emphasize: maps should enhance gameplay, not hinder it. Nobody asks where the flagroom is on Blackout because when you spawn, you can see it; as soon as you spawn in, you know exactly what you’re looking at.
         
   2. Non-Linear
      
      
      1. For as simple as it is, Blackout allows for multiple offensive routes to be taken. This allows for more complex offensive strategies and an inherent defense against archers. Instead of having more obstacles to hide behind, Blackout allows for different routes to be taken, making it rare for an entire offense to be wiped out before getting to the flagroom. Teams like T.C. have used this non-linear design to great effect, having an offense on Blackout that was seemingly unstoppable for years, which leads into my next point.
         
   3. Offensive Bias
      
      1. A common criticism of Blackout is that it is too offensively biased, and I would argue that this is a good thing. Having a slight offensive bias allows for more fast paced and dynamic gameplay, which makes the game both more fun to play and more fun to watch. Yes, I said *slight* offensive bias, Blackout isn’t as biased to offense as many people claim. From the many matches I’ve played, despite what many people claim, most MVP’s I’ve seen on Blackout tend to be defense players, particularly pyros and ninjas, which then leads into my last point.
         
   4. Every Class Works
      1. Most of these new maps tend to put a lot of emphasis on not having classes like archer and soldier be too OP, which in turn makes other classes more OP as a result. Blackout, instead, opts to make every class good, and this goes back to my previous point that maps should strive to enhance gameplay. Anyone can use any class on Blackout and it will work, every class is usable on Blackout. Yes, archer is OP in Blackout, but so is elf, and soldier, and pyro, and ninja, (you get it). In my opinion, instead of making maps that hinder the gameplay of certain classes, maps should be made to enhance the gameplay of every class so everyone can have a good time.
         
         Conclusion
         
         I feel the new maps in this testing phase have been disappointing, as they miss the point of what CTF maps should try to accomplish. Instead of picking a super unique design, I feel map makers should focus on creating maps that are visually simple, open, and easy to maneuver through. Obstacles like trees, water, hills, etc, should be kept to a bare minimum. It should be obvious where the flagroom is, and the flagroom should also be simple and easy to get in and out of; focus on having a slight offense and recovery bias to make gameplay fast paced and dynamic. Instead of trying not to make a map that is too OP for one class, try to make maps that are good for every class. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter how good the map looks nor how complex and unique the design is, if the map is functionally confusing and difficult to play on, it won’t be well received.
         
         

 

I feel like you missed the point I was trying to get across, and that's mainly my fault for not making myself clearer, so I apologize. It's not that I don't admire the efforts put forth by the map makers, far from it; I could never produce maps half as good as the ones in testing. I'm simply not happy with the result of that effort. I also didn't post this to discourage any map makers from trying to make and improve maps, rather I offered some insight into what I feel may help improve the overall quality of the maps being produced; while criticism can be hard to take, and may discourage some builders from trying again, if no criticism is given then the maps will never improve beyond their current state, and improvement should be the main focus.

While I also understand CTF has been going through a hard time, I'm not so sure how this relates to being disappointed about the new maps being tested. If I came across as unsympathetic I apologize, but felt it necessary to be rather blunt to get my point across.

 

Yes, if all the maps played similarly to Blackout, then the game would be pretty stale. A unique design is important, however I feel that in this new map wave more emphasis was placed on unique design rather than functionality. For example, on Mustafar, the mid is a series of bars that I have gotten stuck in multiple times while trying to strafe. Or on the map Netherlands, the design of the map actually destroys my FPS due to all of the free flowing lava. That's part of what I mean when design is chosen over gameplay, unnecessary features on a map that add little, if any, visual appeal and actually hinder gameplay.