Review [Issue 6] R.I.P. Maps - Part One

[skitee 555]

RIP ol' friends, we'll miss you!

Running through the list of battles the other day, I realised just how many old maps, which used to be played very regularly, are no longer played. Why has that become the case? I thought I might inform you on maps which used to be played all the time, but now are as rare as most maps are, and educate myself as well in how these maps have become "dead".

First of all, the most profound of all these cases.

What was so good about it?

At one point, you could not join a server without there being a Highland DM. Just as Silence was to CTF, Highland had a stranglehold on DM. Nobody played a DM unless it was Highland. Looking back at all my screenshots, I realise just how many games in Highland I played. I ranked to First Sergeant in Highland. I ranked to Sergeant-Major in Highland. I ranked to Warrant Officer Two in Highland. My brother basically ranked from staff sergeant to Warrant Officer One in Highland.

Highland was the map for DeathMatch battles. It had sniping positions, regular crystal box drops, one of the most in Tanki, parkour positions which gave you a gameplay advantage but yet were not difficult to get to. It had a well-balanced arrangement. Every weapon could play Highland without being dominated. Gold box hunting in Highland was one of the most popular pastimes of any tankman, especially back in the days of the Gold Box at 700.

What killed it?

No single factor killed Highland. The rapid growth of Polygon after it's reshuffle down at the low ranks had a huge factor to play in it, but that was not the whole reason, or even the main reason. The introduction of Shafts did disbalance Highland gameplay, and turn some away from the map, but even with shafts there Highland continued to be regularly played.

In the end, those factors all contributed together. There was, however, one more factor. As anyone who regularly plays DeathMatch knows, “birds of a feather flock stick together”. Thunders don't shoot at Thunders, Freezes don't attack Freezes, Shafts ally with fellow Shafts, and so on. In Highland, this led to serious problems. The Shafts would ally together and hold one section of the map, annoying the life out of all the other players. They would end up teaming with each other, despite what weapons they used, and with the shafts as well. Eventually, Highland battles became so full of alliances there were times nobody would be shooting at anybody. People started to hate Highland, and DeathMatch fanatics moved over to Polygon, where they still live.

Can it make a comeback?

I don't think so. Highland with Shafts has a very unbalanced gameplay in Death Match. Highland in itself is also useless for Team Play – that is why Highland II was created, to enable team play in a map very much like Highland. I don't think this old grand map can rear it's old head again. I think that Highland is finished.

What was so good about it?

The first map in Tanki was many players' favourite for a long, long time. For over two year's, Tribute was the mainstay in the servers, the map the players who enjoyed larger maps played in. For clan wars, Tribute was the one most clans wanted to play in. Tribute was the pinnacle of a clan's achievement, no clan was decent until they were decent in Tribute. When people talked about an exemplar Tanki map, Tribute was always the one.

Tribute's gameplay was always one of the best in the whole of Tanki. Some weapons were more advantageous than others, but all could play in Tribute. The flag positions were unique in their boxed-in nature. Flag captures in Tribute were valuable, especially in closely-fought and very heated battles between two equal teams.

What killed it?

Like with any map, no one factor can be singled out. The main reason would be the rise of Kungur. Only one of those two beasts would be able to hold the playerbase's fancy at one time, and Kungur has overtaken Tribute. Players who had no ability to reminisce about the times when Tribute was the only decent map available joined Tanki, and they soon found that they preferred the open and freer nature of Kungur to the tentative, defensive style of Tribute.

Even now, you can still see a few Tribute battles about. It is not completely dead. But it is nearly there. For the first map in Tanki, it's popularity is gradually dwindling as players forget about that old monster of a map.

Can it make a revival?

Yes. Tribute is good enough. It is a map which can come back and become very popular again. But how that can happen, I don't know. Players will have to begin flooding Tribute battles as much as they can. Otherwise, Tribute will end up being left behind as other maps move on in popularity.

What made it so good?

At one point, Hill was the most popular of small maps. Island and Farm seemed to be the ones on their way out, Hill was the one on the rise. Hill was not too small, like Island was; it was not too closed off, like Farm was. It was perfect for many.

The gameplay, stalemated at times, but always enjoyable, was an enjoyable experience to play. It was the map for the lower ranks to play close-ranged battles – it never made so much of an impact at the higher ranks. But for the lower ranks, it was the best.

What killed it?

Like many of the smaller maps, the update shifting all smaller maps to being played only for Lieutenants and above killed Hill. In fact, it killed all the smaller maps. People stopped playing the maps, and when smaller maps started to become played again, Hill was one of them that did not make a revival.

Can it make a revival?

Yes. For the close-ranged players, Hill is a brilliant simple map to play in. Tankmen will just have to rediscover their love for this great small map. Until then, Hill will have to lie in the doldrums, unplayed except by a few. Will tankmen rediscover their love for this map? We'll have to wait a nd find out.

What made it so great?

Massacre always was a unique map. When it originally came out, it was one of two, along with Ping-Pong, maps for players as low as Private to be able to play. The flags were in the “wrong” positions – with the red flag in the blue base, and the blue flag in the red base. The hilly landscape made gameplay crazy. Two gold boxes fell rather than one. Flag capturing was the easiest thing ever. Just drive up one hill, get the flag, into a valley, drive up the other. Flags were captured in tens rather than in single flags. If a team was controlling the map, they could capture at will. Until the other team wrested control from their grasp.

It was a mad map, but it also required skills. Hornets jumping up and down the hills had to be able to keep stability when under Thunder fire. Shafts had to shoot straight. Thunders had to avoid self-damaging themselves on Hills. Ricochets had to make the most of their ability to fire shots at a steep trajectory. Massacre was the map which everyone loved – either loved to play it, or loved to hate it's randomness.

What killed it?

At first, the ranks were changed to master corporal and then to third lieutenant, but that didn't kill it. The maps had hardly been played by lower ranks, anyhow. The two gold boxes were then scrapped, but everyone continued to play it. After all, apart from a couple of gold hunters, two gold boxes was always a novelty and something which shouldn't really have been part of the map.

But the real thing that killed it was a movement of the flag positions. No longer could one team dominate flags like they used to be able to. The flags were moved to the corners of the map. This was to make flag capturing less commonplace, but it also made the map less commonplace in the servers. Nobody wanted to play Massacre anymore, with the flags shifted and the gameplay being shifted as a result. It became boring. And now it has died.

Can it make a revival?

Not unless the flag positions move back. Until then, no. The gameplay at the moment is bordering on terrible. The flags in the bases doesn't make sense. The “massacre” nature of the gameplay with teams being able to massacre another team no longer matter now that the whole map has to be used and fighting is more spread out. 5 against 5 in a map that size with the flags so far apart is pointless. Until the flags are moved back, Massacre can never make a comeback. But if the flags are moved back, I am sure it will revive.

Next time: More maps which have died. Do you want any of these maps to revive? If so, create battles of them! People will join, you know! Just look at what's happened with Subway, Lost Temple, Farm, Fort Knox III, maps which were dead and have revived. You can revive maps!

God bless,
skitee

Edited September 26, 2017 by Hexed

[hogree 4,179]

I miss Highland DM's so much. So so so so so so much. All of my wins at a lower rank were in Highland DM's.. now, whenever I join a Highland DM, I come against 9 people teaming up for no apparent reason. Its rare to find a good Highland DM nowadays. Shaft killed it as well :(

[Dr.Urbi 657]

Can you even make that fort knox(the first picture)because fort knox III isnt like that one.

 

[skitee 555]

Can you even make that fort knox(the first picture)because fort knox III isnt like that one.

 

Hiya, thanks for your reply, especially because you just proved my point.

 

That map in the header picture is Fort Knox II, which is by far the best Fort Knox. It is one of the maps which I will be featuring next issue as one of the maps which has "died". I'd recommend you to play it, especially if you've never played it before. It is well worth it. Anyone above Master Corporal can create it, as well as the original Fort Knox, which is very similar to FKII. (actually, Fort Knox actually wasn't the original Fort Knox actually, Fort Knox III was, then FK III was deleted, then FK as it is known now came out, then FKII, then they returned FK III, but it's a complicated story)

Edited November 7, 2012 by skitee

[matlep 9]

i miss all the maps i dont get it why people play silence its terible..

and i really would like fort knox 1 and 2 would been in next but probopably will not happen

Edited November 7, 2012 by matlep

[CooperO 7,956]

I miss Highland DM's so much. So so so so so so much.

 

I miss the old Massacre, I used to play it on the low ranks all the time. Then they changed the rank requirements, so I had to work my butt off to get to 3rd Lieutenant. Once I reached that rank, they had changed the map. Never played it again.

Great article skitee!

Edited November 7, 2012 by CooperO

[skitee 555]

i miss all the maps i dont get it why people play silence its terible..

and i really would like fort knox 1 and 2 would been in next but probopably will not happen

 

FK II will be in the next issue.

[finlay27 0]

I missed many maps so much but massacre and ping-pong were dead which was sad cuz i loved ping pong for its craziess that using a short range weapon worked, most people hated it but i was able to play it at a very low rank until they changed it and i had to wait ages before i could play again, and by then it was a dead map :/ silence gets boring so quickley its not actually that good...

[vilmos98 200]

I totally agree with you, skit on the Massacre. The gameplay now is unenjoyable :(. I hope the after the devs read this article, they will think again about where the flags are supposed to be.

[Taught 0]

i waited to play the map but now i heard this news and now i am sad because cant play now this is the only map that was made like that and only on youtube can watch it

[skitee 555]

i waited to play the map but now i heard this news and now i am sad because cant play now this is the only map that was made like that and only on youtube can watch it

Which map?

[Reiki12345 57]

I agree skitee,these maps are pretty much dead.

Reasons are good.

[jalenpen 9]

I want these maps popular again. In Highland DM, i ranked through all my warrent officers that way. I will also try to get Tribute back running on s4

[8uhbbhu8 0]

I remember playing massacre when i was staff sergent...It was great I miss it. Silence is such a popular map because of the way its designed. It works with all weapons and has great sniping points as well as the ability to be played at almost all ranks

[Taught 0]

Which map?

i want to play the massacare in which only opposite flags in were teams spawn

[Hot_Rod_Gaming_HRGN 0]

thats it im playing fort know now.... Im coming knoxy im coming home!!! :fire_r: :tank:

Edited November 8, 2012 by Hot_Rod_Gaming_HRGN

[r_peluka110 0]

fddfsssssssssssssssssssss

[r_peluka110 0]

hey guys please enyone give me good

 

account please

[Meliora 1,652]

I miss these maps (all but Tribute). Great, very detailed, interesting, and well thought out.

[Eragonxx4 1]

tribute was the first map i played with viking, my favourite hull, and i easily got an advantage on everyone in ctf. it became my favourite map after i got 34 crystals after joining the battle halfway through. now that it has died im longing for it to make a revival.

Edited November 10, 2012 by Eragonxx4

[The_Ice_Dragon 22]

The only article, I actually read all the way through. I would score this a perfect 10 out of 10. Good Job skit.

[skitee 555]

The only article, I actually read all the way through. I would score this a perfect 10 out of 10. Good Job skit.

 

Read the others as well! :P

[SuperNick95 5,312]

Well there are some maps that were never player since the day they were released :lol:

Parma? Deathtrack? Valley? Who has ever heard them?

[skitee 555]

Well there are some maps that were never player since the day they were released :lol:

Parma? Deathtrack? Valley? Who has ever heard them?

Parma and Valley, that's because those maps are a complete waste of server space. :P Deathtrack, it's because it's an 8v8 map only available for 5v5 :wacko:

[Dan010721272324 0]

hey guys please enyone give me good

 

account please

Are you account trading? I don't think that is allowed. Am I right, anyone?