- Jul 28, 2015
- 39
- 25
Long Story short:
The longer the way - the better the outcome.
The Breakdown
A. Preface
B. Main and alternative routes
C. Tactical Advantages and Disadvantages
D. Examples
E. Exceptions
F. Recommended Ressources
A. Preface
Why, Calypso and for whom shall this be interesting?
I read many guides on this site, learned a lot and some notes may sound familiar,
because they take reference to these. But this topic hasn't been covered yet to my knowledge.
Though it is one of the main general mechanics of nearly every map I played in TF2.
It will rarely disappoint you as a player and by this won't be wrong to consider as a mapper.
Also the majority of guides and tutorials here are about technical matters and I feel there
is a lack of tactical ones in general.
This is for beginners of the game, even newer mappers like myself and hopefully holds some
basic value for veterans of both kinds too.
(Sidenote: Funcy englitch - no interntionale. Me from Esperanto-Land)
B. Main- and Alternative Routes
Generally there shouldn't be less than two or more than three routes overall.
One route will most likely lead to a stalemate or spaming.
Four routes or more and teams won't clash or players get confused.
There is usually one main route - the obvious one, the one that most of the team will use.
This is caused by it being mostly the widest, best seen and most important SHORTEST one.
And then there is at least one alternative (or side-) route which is most likely LONGER.
There would be no reason not to use the main if the alternative routes would not benefit the player in any way.
No shit sherlock?
It seems obvious to stick to this but to my experience many players stay on the main route whatever
happens, even if they lose round after round and instead blame the game/map/team after all.
C. Tactical Advantages and Disadvantages
Nearly every game requires you to use its mechanics to your benefit.
Concerning the topic this is a short list of where you want to be as a player in TF2.
(I won't explain these further, please see point F of this thread or look it up yourself)
1. Gaining Height
2. Being near health packs
3. Having multiple options to move forward or flanking/advancing the enemy
4. Class-specific benefits
5. In favor to where enemy will appear
6. Finding Cover
Every alternative route will or should offer at least one of these benefits.
This doesn't mean a mapper should punish players using the main route,
but reward players who think about what they do, as well as for the extra way they take.
D. Examples
These are only a few examples of many one can make.
The pictures will try to proof my point mostly by themselves - hopefully not too confusing.
Their quality expect you to know these popular maps to some extend.
To keep it a bit more simple I concentrated on only two outcomes a route will lead you:
Health- (C 2.) and following route-availability (C 3.).
cp_5gorge
If you ever played this map and can't remember the name of that guy who spamed the "Go left"-
command after CP2, remember me now. This is the most obvious proof of my point I can think of.
If the enemy forces hold some kind of resistance at this point, they have the height advantage
and if you don't decide for the alternative, this is a deathtrap.
And these are your options if you chose the left left / alternative way before.
cp_fastlane
Good Example for health-pack availability by using the alternative routes.
pl_badwater
Though I didn't mark it, the additional height advantages becomes quiet obvious
if player choose the alternative routes here.
Running the risk of discrediting this whole thread...
cp_orange_x3
.. even the simplest popular map follows this principle imo.
E. Exceptions
1. KotH
This mode doesn't rely on alternative routes and probably wouldn't work with it.
It all concentrates of fighting around the Control Point itself.
Though there still are examples who use this method. I may add examples later.
2. No resistance
If you are on the winning side, there is no need to take an extra way to get to the battlefield.
You want to get there fast to get some frags, right?!
3. Conquered areas
Same goes for these. You want to take the fastest route to skip the area your team already conquered
and where no enemy is present.
F. Additional Ressources
These guides are about tactical matters that add to the topic and may be edited in the future:
Class Expertise (see C 4.)
Balance, Layout and your A/D map
Scale and your Map
Sightlines
Health & Ammo Placements
Tips & Tricks with Vertical Space
I take no stand in this being complete or perfect, so feel free to proof me wrong, edit or add to it if you like.
Bud
The longer the way - the better the outcome.
The Breakdown
A. Preface
B. Main and alternative routes
C. Tactical Advantages and Disadvantages
D. Examples
E. Exceptions
F. Recommended Ressources
A. Preface
Why, Calypso and for whom shall this be interesting?
I read many guides on this site, learned a lot and some notes may sound familiar,
because they take reference to these. But this topic hasn't been covered yet to my knowledge.
Though it is one of the main general mechanics of nearly every map I played in TF2.
It will rarely disappoint you as a player and by this won't be wrong to consider as a mapper.
Also the majority of guides and tutorials here are about technical matters and I feel there
is a lack of tactical ones in general.
This is for beginners of the game, even newer mappers like myself and hopefully holds some
basic value for veterans of both kinds too.
(Sidenote: Funcy englitch - no interntionale. Me from Esperanto-Land)
B. Main- and Alternative Routes
Generally there shouldn't be less than two or more than three routes overall.
One route will most likely lead to a stalemate or spaming.
Four routes or more and teams won't clash or players get confused.
There is usually one main route - the obvious one, the one that most of the team will use.
This is caused by it being mostly the widest, best seen and most important SHORTEST one.
And then there is at least one alternative (or side-) route which is most likely LONGER.
There would be no reason not to use the main if the alternative routes would not benefit the player in any way.
No shit sherlock?
It seems obvious to stick to this but to my experience many players stay on the main route whatever
happens, even if they lose round after round and instead blame the game/map/team after all.
C. Tactical Advantages and Disadvantages
Nearly every game requires you to use its mechanics to your benefit.
Concerning the topic this is a short list of where you want to be as a player in TF2.
(I won't explain these further, please see point F of this thread or look it up yourself)
1. Gaining Height
2. Being near health packs
3. Having multiple options to move forward or flanking/advancing the enemy
4. Class-specific benefits
5. In favor to where enemy will appear
6. Finding Cover
Every alternative route will or should offer at least one of these benefits.
This doesn't mean a mapper should punish players using the main route,
but reward players who think about what they do, as well as for the extra way they take.
D. Examples
These are only a few examples of many one can make.
The pictures will try to proof my point mostly by themselves - hopefully not too confusing.
Their quality expect you to know these popular maps to some extend.
To keep it a bit more simple I concentrated on only two outcomes a route will lead you:
Health- (C 2.) and following route-availability (C 3.).
cp_5gorge
If you ever played this map and can't remember the name of that guy who spamed the "Go left"-
command after CP2, remember me now. This is the most obvious proof of my point I can think of.
If the enemy forces hold some kind of resistance at this point, they have the height advantage
and if you don't decide for the alternative, this is a deathtrap.
And these are your options if you chose the left left / alternative way before.
cp_fastlane
Good Example for health-pack availability by using the alternative routes.
pl_badwater
Though I didn't mark it, the additional height advantages becomes quiet obvious
if player choose the alternative routes here.
Running the risk of discrediting this whole thread...
cp_orange_x3
.. even the simplest popular map follows this principle imo.
E. Exceptions
1. KotH
This mode doesn't rely on alternative routes and probably wouldn't work with it.
It all concentrates of fighting around the Control Point itself.
Though there still are examples who use this method. I may add examples later.
2. No resistance
If you are on the winning side, there is no need to take an extra way to get to the battlefield.
You want to get there fast to get some frags, right?!
3. Conquered areas
Same goes for these. You want to take the fastest route to skip the area your team already conquered
and where no enemy is present.
F. Additional Ressources
These guides are about tactical matters that add to the topic and may be edited in the future:
Class Expertise (see C 4.)
Balance, Layout and your A/D map
Scale and your Map
Sightlines
Health & Ammo Placements
Tips & Tricks with Vertical Space
I take no stand in this being complete or perfect, so feel free to proof me wrong, edit or add to it if you like.
Bud