The Death of Multyplayer maps

[hobo49]

Ok I know that times have changed and that games have evolved and yadda yadda, but the fact still remains when will games like Reach, Cod, any other XBL games feature online maps that are designed not to just boost you kill death raito. Like look at Swordbase on Reach. Everytime I play that map in any gametype or watch any of my friends play that map most if not all the action occurs on the side to the right of the big glass wall. Most of the time its on the top two floors where the lift spews you out, and the section that leads you to the top of the map. It funnels people to that area, watch evertime someone spanws thats the first place they high tail it to, and if you camp the other side of the map you kills remain dismally low.

Or look at Black Ops, people decide their favourite maps based on the kill death spread and the amount of camping they have to do. Ive heard no one tell me they like Hanoi, its the "man I shoulda voted last round" map.

In comparasion older maps like de_dust ( yes CS is a completely different game then Halo or COD, but it still looks at your kill death raito) or Longest, Boarding action, Rat race focus more on total map usage. I mean its gotten to the point where I feel like Im paying for half a map when I add the DLC to my games or fire the multyplayer up at all. I understand that COD focuses more on the " modern " kinds of conflict which dont need a large area to take place in. But I kind of feel ripped off when everything happens in the same spot everytime.

I also understand that Cod has to keep players comming back by making maps to only raise kill death raitos to pay for their in game money gimmick ....er I mean tatical online custimation.... But I still feel like their killing the real idea of the online multyplayer map in the process same goes for Reach.

 

[Murlo]

Well... both games are designed to just throw players together and have them shoot each other. Even in Counter-Strike de_dust 2 all the fighting happens in one of the three chokepoints on the map. The big wooden doors, or the two corridors on each side. Albeit some differences, but that's the main point. The thing with games like Reach and Black Ops, you can't give the players maps that require them to think and work together as a team, as they just want to go and shoot each other. At least, that's my input.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Sounds like more of a player issue, than a map issue.

 

[TerribleAssassin]

Sounds like more of a player issue, than a map issue.

Sometimes it starts to become a glaring map issue.



Like on Bloc on CoD 4, as soon as someone had the apartments, you'd get killed because they had 3 snipers guarding it and people with AK's around it, then it got ridiculous.

 

[tris4992]

buy bad company 2

you won't be disapointed

 

[Ordinaryundone]

All multiplayer maps in any game tend to have a specific flow to them that encourages combat to happen in specific spots, usually choke points or areas with open terrain, or based on where power-ups will be, such as dueling over rockets and red armor in Quake 3. The primary strategy of nearly every FPS is map control. Being able to freely use the best sniping spots, crossfire zones, or power-up locations while denying them to your enemy is the most surefire way to win a match.

Combat can occur in other places, but this usually happens due to spawns or individuals trying to flank the aforementioned positions (usually to occupy them themselves). Mostly, people head towards the popular spots because they know that is where the other team will be. Staying back and watching a different route is a technically sound strategy (and even pretty important in some games), but you shouldn't expect much traffic when the entire other team is busy keeping the rest of your team from taking the better spots on the map.

The problem lies with how many of these spots you have, and its not an easy equation. Too many, and combat feels directionless, with skirmishes happening everywhere but no real feeling of strategy or progression. Too few, and it feels like you are playing King of the Hill every game.

My suggestion to you is, if the other team keeps wanting to fight in a specific spot, force them out. Take the longer route and flank them, keep harrying them from different angles than the one they are expecting. It may not always work (it IS the tactically desirable spot for a reason), but at least you'll get to see more of the map in the process.