- Sep 10, 2016
- 524
- 395
I have a bit of feedback about the A point:
I like it, but I feel like it's too difficult to push into.
When BLU is gonna have to attack 6 points to win, it's usually not a good idea to make them spend a long time attacking the very first point, which they're gonna have to attack on 100% of all first rounds. It's an even worse idea to make the first point difficult, because that just accentuates the difference between the probability of BLU attacking it each round and the probability of them attacking any of the following points, diminishing the importance of the later points.
To me, it seems like you wanted to avoid this by making it so that RED's forward hold dissolves quickly thanks to the uncontestable height advantage BLU gains with their side buildings - however, RED often still holds the point for a pretty long time due to the sheer strength of their backward hold. The strength comes from a lack of attacking options for BLU - all of BLU's routes deposit them into the same courtyard at the end of a long alleyway.
So, I want to suggest a new route:
This new route would allow BLU to attack RED's hold spot from behind with the advantage of health and ammo, as well as effectively watch RED's only doorway into the point area (which also allows them to take out some of the most aggressive RED teles). So, although it would technically deposit BLU in the same place all the other routes do, it would let them form a deadly pincer attack on RED, which I suspect would force RED players to rotate in order to watch this route and prevent that from happening.
The route's entrance doorway would be here - BLU has the advantage over any RED players trying to use this to enter the blue building (except at the start of the round when BLU doesn't control the building, but then it's the same as if RED used the alleyway to enter).
So, although this route would allow RED to re-enter the blue building without going through the sniper lane, it wouldn't be too easy for them to do so, since the sniper could rotate to watch this doorway, or a BLU sentry could cover this doorway (aided by the full ammo), or miscellaneous BLU players hanging out in the sniper lane could spam out the doorway.
So RED probably wouldn't have any easier of a time re-forming their forward hold.
This route would notably give some options to BLU engineers, as well as Scouts and Spies on both teams (who seem to get a little shafted by the point in its current form). The openness of the route would also give BLU snipers something to do if they get bored of their effectiveness in locking RED players out of the main alleyway - they can push forward and start trying to outrange RED's sentries. Since RED snipers have a bit of a hard time doing anything if the BLU snipers are using their windows, this route could give them something useful to do as well.
Generally, this route serves several purposes in making the point easier for BLU:
-Forces RED to rotate
-If RED fails to watch both routes, then they lose their escape route and their teleporters, and are forced into the chicken-wire platform where BLU can flush them out and start capping
-Strengthens BLU's weakest classes (Engineer, Scout, Spy)
-Weakens RED's strongest class (Engineer) by punishing him for placing his buildings in aggressive spots - this also promotes decision-making on the engineer's part, where he considers how aggressive he can get away with being, and whether he wants to put his sentry in a better place to watch the main route or side route.
Variety is the spice of life, particularly on the point which players see most often.
Sorry for the essay. I feel a little conceited, telling a mapper as clever as you all of the tiny particulars (as I understand them) of the point you built and how this route would affect it when you'd probably understand it all just from looking at the diagrams, but hey, everyone misses important details sometimes. Or maybe that's just me?
I like it, but I feel like it's too difficult to push into.
When BLU is gonna have to attack 6 points to win, it's usually not a good idea to make them spend a long time attacking the very first point, which they're gonna have to attack on 100% of all first rounds. It's an even worse idea to make the first point difficult, because that just accentuates the difference between the probability of BLU attacking it each round and the probability of them attacking any of the following points, diminishing the importance of the later points.
To me, it seems like you wanted to avoid this by making it so that RED's forward hold dissolves quickly thanks to the uncontestable height advantage BLU gains with their side buildings - however, RED often still holds the point for a pretty long time due to the sheer strength of their backward hold. The strength comes from a lack of attacking options for BLU - all of BLU's routes deposit them into the same courtyard at the end of a long alleyway.
So, I want to suggest a new route:
This new route would allow BLU to attack RED's hold spot from behind with the advantage of health and ammo, as well as effectively watch RED's only doorway into the point area (which also allows them to take out some of the most aggressive RED teles). So, although it would technically deposit BLU in the same place all the other routes do, it would let them form a deadly pincer attack on RED, which I suspect would force RED players to rotate in order to watch this route and prevent that from happening.
The route's entrance doorway would be here - BLU has the advantage over any RED players trying to use this to enter the blue building (except at the start of the round when BLU doesn't control the building, but then it's the same as if RED used the alleyway to enter).
So, although this route would allow RED to re-enter the blue building without going through the sniper lane, it wouldn't be too easy for them to do so, since the sniper could rotate to watch this doorway, or a BLU sentry could cover this doorway (aided by the full ammo), or miscellaneous BLU players hanging out in the sniper lane could spam out the doorway.
So RED probably wouldn't have any easier of a time re-forming their forward hold.
This route would notably give some options to BLU engineers, as well as Scouts and Spies on both teams (who seem to get a little shafted by the point in its current form). The openness of the route would also give BLU snipers something to do if they get bored of their effectiveness in locking RED players out of the main alleyway - they can push forward and start trying to outrange RED's sentries. Since RED snipers have a bit of a hard time doing anything if the BLU snipers are using their windows, this route could give them something useful to do as well.
Generally, this route serves several purposes in making the point easier for BLU:
-Forces RED to rotate
-If RED fails to watch both routes, then they lose their escape route and their teleporters, and are forced into the chicken-wire platform where BLU can flush them out and start capping
-Strengthens BLU's weakest classes (Engineer, Scout, Spy)
-Weakens RED's strongest class (Engineer) by punishing him for placing his buildings in aggressive spots - this also promotes decision-making on the engineer's part, where he considers how aggressive he can get away with being, and whether he wants to put his sentry in a better place to watch the main route or side route.
Variety is the spice of life, particularly on the point which players see most often.
Sorry for the essay. I feel a little conceited, telling a mapper as clever as you all of the tiny particulars (as I understand them) of the point you built and how this route would affect it when you'd probably understand it all just from looking at the diagrams, but hey, everyone misses important details sometimes. Or maybe that's just me?
