Review [Issue 61] Revolutionary Map Changes II

[Flexoo 6,980]

 

 

 

 

Time goes relentlessly by, exercising the influence over pretty much everything in this steadily moving world. Tanki Online is likewise exposed to the ravages of time which have resulted in a volume of changes. Once again, I'll specifically focus my attention on pointing out the adjustments and small tweaks that transformed an essential TO component - maps.

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If you're interested in this theme, you might as well give a look to my reportorial first-fruit that covered the changes implemented in Tanki's most popular maps. With that said and cleared out of the table, I present you the first map on the list.

 

CAMP

 

Implemented changes: The bridge chain and perimeter walls.

Reason: Accessibility of the whole map area and prevention of self-destruction.

 

There's hardly any other map present in the list offered by clicking the create button which can possibly rival Camp in oddity. This map is just like the Western Front from World War I at times - a stalemate where neither side advances behind the enemy lines without massive sacrifices. When you take a closer look at the Camp, you will realize how it frightfully resembles a trench warfare battlefields. There are two bases, more or less customized for tankers lurking behind the barricades, ready to shower anyone who ventures on the bridges under heavy fire. You literally take one step forward and two steps back if you aren't advancing tactically or squandering heaps of supplies. Hence, it's really hard to imagine this map had been even more stagnant in the past.

 

 

One glance at the foregone design may bring on a belly laugh and make you question the practicality of such concept. I admit, this unusual layout steers away from exerted standard and might appeal to a tanker's who look for something striking, however, it put limits on the gameplay options. The platform in the map's middle didn't provide a passable road amid the two bases. Capture the Flag and Control Points modes must have been impossible to play considering the conditions and destroying someone on the other side was just as demanding. Removal of the platform and addition of the bridges made the area accessible to a certain degree. Along with this change, perimeters had been fenced by walls to limit the 'suicidal tendencies' of tankers.

 

 

COMBE

 

Implemented changes:  Remodeled middle area, removal of redundant map features, reversed CTF mode.

Reason: Playability enhancement.

 

Even a map that once warmed up under the sunbeams of popularity underwent some critical changes which might have shuffled with the cards and affected its current popularity level. Combe epitomized a shelter for all the short to mid range combat lovers with a plethora of battles to be found on every single server. Combe had a very simplistic design with two bases linearly abreast of each other, sharply sloping down to the narrow middle formed by a trial stretching in between two barriers. Elevated edges had been decorated by houses and water towers which at least slightly aesthetically glamorized the map to the eye.

 

 

As the picture with present design illustrates, these features have been removed from the edges and replaced by simple billboards, conspicuously to limit the endearing parkour that distracted tankers from the main objective of battles as every house or such was a potential bait for the parkour fans. The center expanded in width at the expense of the map edges and became far more suitable for head-to-head combat. However, there's another notable change considered by many to be the one that influenced the gameplay the most - reversed CTF. This unique installation can be found in a narrow circle of maps like Polygon or Massacre and it's generally believed by tankers this reverse was a step in the wrong direction. The fact that Combe really is scarce to be seen might be a consequence of manipulation with a presumably popular mode.

 

 

FARM

 

Implemented changes: Area expansion, new props added.

Reason: Opening the map to a more strategical gameplay.

 

The first thing that comes to my mind as I reminisce about the old Farm is Mammoth. Why, may you ask? Well, back in the days it was almost conditional to have a heavy hull in the team to win a battle. A slim fence was the only thing separating the miniature bases with only a single pass to the other side. In addition, the total map area was considerably smaller compared to the current range. Saying there was hardly any room to move is in place. That's why Mammoth really shined in his heydays on Farm. You could equip anything with it and still be in the range of your enemy.

 

 

Although this Mammoth rush scored highly with users, map kept on losing the gaming potential and became too monotonous. To revert this situation, developers introduced few changes. Firstly, map almost doubled in its area which benefited the tankers who favored light and medium hulls that became far more usable in an open field. Secondly, few new props appeared on the map (like conduit area and the inclined pathway in the red base ) and the existing ones have been shuffled. This change allowed to optimize attack and defense, hiding from enemy fire and movement around and finally buried the motionless past concept.

 

 

HIGHLAND

 

Implemented changes: Eradication of distracting 'hidden places', blue base bridge replaced with a normal ground, added uphill entryways in both bases.

Reason: Balancing the opportunities for both teams, elimination of distracting hidden places.

 

Those few veteran tankers still here shall remember the days when some of the maps come with suffix "I" or "II". Indeed, those simple Latin numbers marked the maps that had two versions available. Highland was one of them, having one version that suited offensive gameplay and was far more opened thanks to entryways and passages and the second one that was more restricted right for defensive or more accurately camping style. The current design is sort of crossover of both previous maps, restructured to be balanced and less distracting.

 

 

All the places enclosed by fences (I'll use the term 'hidden places') have been accessible only with light hulls. They truly provided an excellent toehold for camping hit-and-hide techniques and were virtually beyond enemy's reach, but they extremely distracted from the battle objectives. I often encountered tankers trying to glue their tanks to the walls and narrow edges just to finally reach those spots, spending half the battle time just on the sole act of finally getting to that desired locality. It was a truly pitiful sight at times I tell ya! The map's balance represented another urging problem lingering behind. A short bridge was restricting the access to the blue base, making it easy to defend as a few layers of mines effectively blocked the entrance to the flag. Additionally, the entire area suffered from closure since every uphill had only one entrance which left potential of tens of square meters dormant. With newly-built passages and entrances map opened to new offense favoring gameplay with multiple attacking routes for usage.

 

 

MOLOTOV

 

Implemented changes: Revised house block, abstraction of the slot behind the blue flag, enlargement of the uphill area in red base, introduction of another driveway to the uphill area.

Reason: Simplifying the map environment.

 

Instead of one eminent modification that would amend the way this map looks, Molotov received a number of smaller retouches that slowly sculptured its design to the present state. From one point of view, these changes don't look very influential at all. One less prop here, two more props there, one would easily overlook the importance behind them. But, if you tag together all the pieces of the map mosaic, the whole picture will take a shape.

 

 

Overall, the map went through a consistent clean-out. The house block in blue base and water tower's rubble in the red base had been wiped out. The blue base was enriched by single L-shaped dwelling which unfolded the area to the combat. The slot in blue base met the same fate and was permanently removed. The red base's uphill area was moved directly to the corner and augmented. Furthermore, developers introduced another driveway next to the narrow bridge pathway and thus enabled blue team to enter the hillock. Games in Molotov became far more straightforward and dynamic.

 

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I would like to finish the walk down the history lane here. Hopefully, you will learn a thing or two and review the present concepts from a different perspective. Leave us a comment about your preferences. Did you like past map concepts or you rather prefer the present state? We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Edited June 21, 2017 by Hexed

[TTK_229 1,080]

Just realized something about Camp-it'll be a great place for any Onager users.

Onager=best name for artillery turret OK

[LittleWillie 3,199]

Siege could be a good map but virtually every game on it id a blowout due to the way tanks spawn.  On this huge map most of the spawn sites are on the centeral plateau. So the team that gets a lead parks long range weapons on the rim and camps the BLEEP out of the trailing team.  BLOWOUT dull game.

 

Just spread out the spawn site for cying out loud.  That sort of work would be a btter help to players than this rip-off clan system. All that does for the average player is produce more lag.