Review [Issue 7] R.I.P. Maps - Part Two

[skitee 555]

RIP ol' friends, we'll miss you!

Last issue, we looked at a few old maps which used to be widely played but now no longer are, for a whole catalogue of reasons. The reaction was very positive, so I thought I'd bring up a few more oldies but goodies which are now left unplayed.

First of all, I'll start with the map which found itself on my cover image for this article last month.

What was so good about it?

Fort Knox II was, in its prime the standard map for playing team battles. Not just Capture the Flag; all team battles. I remember once when myself and a group of friends were trying to start a mini-tournament together. We discussed the form that that tournament would take. It was the form that was in debate: the map was taken for granted. Fort Knox II would be the map that we would play, of course.

How did Fort Knox II get this lofty status? Well, for a number of reasons. For a start, for a long time it was the first map that players would unlock which had CTF mode. When I was beginning my career as a tankman, Sandbox had no CTF, so I had to wait until I unlocked Fort Knox II at Gefreiter before I could play CTF. My first experience of CTF was in Fort Knox II, and for most tankmen creating accounts at a similar time to me it was the same.

But it wasn't just that that made Fort Knox II popular. The map layout was incredible as well. The three routes to each flag, through the middle and down each flank, was extremely popular for not just ordinary battles but Clan Wars as well. The map is well-balanced: after all, being symmetrical, it has to be. The sniping positions are well-positioned: good range to shoot into, but not so much that the opposition team gets annoyed/camps in return to make it a boring, drab, stalemate.

FKII has everything. The flags are well-positioned, the bases are well marked out. There are camping and sniping positions. FKII used to be the prime example of the perfect map.

What killed it?

With a map like that, how could it have died? And in reality, it was no gradual thing. There was no sudden decline in popularity. It just gradually lost its aura of the most complete map in the game. Fort Knox III, the map which I personally think is FKII's inferior older brother, came out (for the second time) and gained popularity. FKII gradually, bit-by-bit, lost its popularity. The rank limit for the map did increase to Master Corporal, but that did not make much of an impact. There was no sudden flag move, or anything like that, to lose its popularity. It just happened.

Can it make a revival?

Of course. A map of the calibre of Fort Knox II always can come back. It has the quality. It has all the features of a good map. It has the fame. All it needs is that slice of luck to come back into people's minds, and it will make a revival. In fact, I will be surprised if it doesn't make a revival.

What was so good about it?

At one point, if you asked people in Tanki what their favourite map was, about 1/3 would either say Brest II or its predecessor, Brest. This big map, with its symmetrical bases and beautiful layout, used to be the big favourite of most of the members of the community.

Why was this? Well, the map was huge, for a start. There was nothing quite like a big map, after all. Without Shafts to snipe you out, players could use their Railguns or Thunders without fearing any sniping from the opposition base. Hornets were able to run up and down the multiple tiers of this fantastic map. I remember the first time I played in Brest II. I loved it. The gameplay was great. Being able to shoot at people with my railgun, covering attacks at the flag, taking out enemy flag carriers – for snipers who thought that they were good, or flag capturers who reckoned that they could capture a flag with ease, Brest II was the ultimate test. It drew players in because of the pride attached to the map. If you could rule Brest II, you were somebody to be afraid of. Forget any other map, Brest II was the pinnacle.

What killed it?

Shaft contributed to its demise, but I reckon that more than anything else it was just a shift in taste and a shift in memory. As with most maps, it lives upon players being able to remember about the map when they create battles. In the case of Brest II, players forgot about this great old map and stopped creating battles of it. On top of that, players started to prefer medium-sized maps such as Kungur, Serpuhov or Silence rather than the proper big ones like Brest II, Lost Temple, or Magistral. That shift mainly happened because of the rise of Shaft, but in many other ways it was just personal taste shifting.

Can it make a revival?

Yes. I reckon it can. It can. Whether it will, I do not know. But if people remember this map again, or if people start to prefer the real big maps again, then this map can make a revival. The upcoming weapon rebalancing, where Shaft is likely to be weakened, could make a big difference. Let's hope, for the sake of Tanki, that this great old map is able to make a revival. Otherwise, the servers will be missing an old favourite and one that deserves more than any map to be in the servers.

What was so good about it?

In one word: the rank. Unlocked at Private originally, Ping-Pong was the best map for Corporals and Master Corporals to show off their awesome new Firebird to the wider world of Tanki battles. Sandbox was too big, as was Short Bridge and Fort Knox; there needed to be a smaller map for Firebirds, and Ping-Pong provided that. Even at slightly higher ranks, such as Master Sergeant and Staff Sergeant, Ping-Pong was always regularly played and it was not until Warrant Officer that Ping-Pong was overtaken by Island and Farm.

Ping-Pong was unique. The thinnest map in Tanki, the second-smallest (only Island is smaller), the thin walls, the gaps in the walls at the same time, gameplay was great for Firebirds and Twins at the lower ranks. It was perfect. It was absolutely what new tankmen needed, a map which would suit their weapons perfectly.

What killed it?

Ping-Pong's strengths turned out to be its downfall. Ping-Pong was never going to be able to cut it at the higher ranks. Freeze and Ricochet were not suited for battles in Ping-Pong, and the faster tanks like Viking, Hornet and even Mammoth were able to play in larger maps than Ping-Pong, and would provide more entertainment in the process. So when Ping-Pong's rank limits got shifted, first to Master Corporal, then to Master Sergeant, and finally to Third Lieutenant, its popularity shifted as well.

Can it make a revival?

No. Certainly not if the ranks stay the same. Ping-Pong is a map for newbies. And there aren't many newbies at Third Lieutenant.

What was so good about it?

Its uniqueness. If you have never played Camp, you're missing out on a unique experience in Tanki gameplay – but here's a tip, don't join a Camp battle with Freeze or Firebird!

The uniqueness of Camp's gameplay made it a massive hit when it originally came out, along with other maps such as Esplanade and Arena. Smokys, Railguns, Thunders and then Shafts loved the snipe-and-counter-snipe gameplay, even if the Isidas on the opposition team were a bit annoying. The walls to hide behind made Camp a real gauge of skill. There was no space for a missed shot in Camp, and you had to always be careful that someone else did not have you in their sights – being careful had to be second nature if you were to lead your team to a Camp victory in TDM.

It was popular, and for a long time too. Never too popular, of course – most people preferred to play CTF battles, or games where sniping was not the most important thing to do. But it was there, and for budding snipers, Camp was one of those maps where you always knew your skill would be tested. And so it proved.

How did it die?

Like so many other maps, it faded into oblivion as tankmen forgot about it. In Camp's case, selfishness had a part to play as well. Camp never gave away too much experience points or crystals – that was the nature of the map. And so, as players started to become selfish and prioritized success over enjoyment, Camp started to feel the cost. Gradually, tankmen stopped remembering this old favourite and resigned it to a place in History, as one of Tanki's “most unique” maps, but one not worth considering for a serious battle.

Can it make a revival?

I would say that it can. Camp's unique nature makes it suitable for tankmen who like a certain style of play. If players who do like that style of sniping and counter-sniping discover and/or remember Camp rather than thinking about Stadium or Scope all the time, Camp can make a revival. However, I would consider it unlikely.

Next issue: Four more maps which used to rock, but have since died...

Edited July 31, 2017 by Hexed

[Aero.v2.0 1,456]

awesome skit,

 

rest in peace old maps

[Barghest 84]

You wrote about 3 of my all time favorites. I am still playing them, i join always if i see one.

[Lhamster 4,081]

I loved and still love FK2, so many good memories, even when I was a newbie!

Edited December 24, 2012 by Lhamster

[Beerme 106]

Epic :P gj skit :P

[Raphael2 3,263]

Thanks.

[skitee 555]

awesome skit,

 

rest in peace old maps

No, let's not let them rest in peace.

[Meliora 1,652]

There are 13 mistakes in this article.

[skitee 555]

There are 13 mistakes in this article.

Send them all to me in PM. Or here if you wish.

[Meliora 1,652]

The PM is sent, but I think the mistakes need to be looked into very closely.

[magnaboy2 656]

I always join camp if I see it,camp is not dead.

[97Garglgreen 0]

RIP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V84STSWVp3g OLD TAIMERS (please copy this linf in honor of the old maps)

[97Garglgreen 0]

WE WILL NEVER EVER FORGET YOU OLDTAIMERS RIP REAST IN PEACE ;((

[97Garglgreen 0]

AND IF YOU DONT LIKE THIS SONG , THEN JUST REMEMBER THE OLD MAPS

[Armands10 0]

Noooo :( Not the ping-pong ;(

[UAA619 97]

FTII was one of my favorites but now there hardly is any battle with FTII

[Meliora 1,652]

^ You mean FKII.

[65536g 20]

I'm still missing Camp, a very unique map in the history of the game. I think the cause of its demise was not just a sudden forgetfulness of the players, but the introduction of rank limits. The battle lived on all these proud hotshots joining in the game of patience with the more seasoned players. So the moment the rank limits closed this flow of fresh blood, the more seasoned players found themselves locked against each other waiting for mistakes noone was reckless enough to allow anymore. It certainly could make a revival if only it allows the owners of M0 Railgun and/or Smoky to fight side by side with the much higher ranks. Until then Stadium or Monte Carlo allow a lot more chance.

 

:tank:

[skitee 555]

I'm still missing Camp, a very unique map in the history of the game. I think the cause of its demise was not just a sudden forgetfulness of the players, but the introduction of rank limits. The battle lived on all these proud hotshots joining in the game of patience with the more seasoned players. So the moment the rank limits closed this flow of fresh blood, the more seasoned players found themselves locked against each other waiting for mistakes noone was reckless enough to allow anymore. It certainly could make a revival if only it allows the owners of M0 Railgun and/or Smoky to fight side by side with the much higher ranks. Until then Stadium or Monte Carlo allow a lot more chance.

Just interested - why would you say Stadium or Monte Carlo give more chance for newbies to play against seasoned players? Or am I misunderstanding you?

[rasyt 1]

Anyone remember a tiny map that started with letter "C" from 2 years ago? It was only around for about a month then removed. Not sure why.

 

You'd spawn on a small square area with tiny hill in middle, and that was basically the entire map except for a long skinny track far from the square that went all the way around map. So if you were lucky enough to make it out to the track before getting destroyed in the close range battle, you could sit there and snipe the spawn. Assuming no other railgun was playing. This was before shaft came out.

 

I say it was a great map to start with because right away as a noob it taught me to learn to use PageUp/Down to outguess opponent's moves on other side of hill. i.e. watch them climbing hill, then just as they get to top, rush up and flip them over. :-)

 

BTW skitee, great overviews on the various maps!

 

I really wish more people would play Siege and Serpuhov. They require much more strategy because of the many, many entry and exit points. Plus the sniping possibilities are endless.

Edited January 18, 2013 by rasyt

[skitee 555]

You must be talking about Carousel... that was introduced for the sole purpose of a special event, a Tanki Online race. Once the races were over, the map was removed. Twas a pity, I loved it too. My record KDR is still from there :D Railgun Hornet round the side... no-one could shoot ya!

 

Well, Serpuhov is quite popular... it's great that it's one of just 3 maps available at Recruit now. I would agree, both Serpy and Siege are fantastic maps... Serpuhov is a real test of skill, especially with my Firebird. I'm ashamed to say that I do struggle there (unless I use my railgun)!

[rasyt 1]

Yes! Carousel!!! We should petition to bring it back.

 

If you can survive the shafts/rails in Serpuhov with your firebird, you have skills indeed. :-)

 

Madness is another of my favorites. It is a real test of control over the physics of your tank. You really have to know where the top map drops onto lower map to maintain control of CTF on floor. A railgunner's dream, so many angles. Sadly it does not get much attention at the higher levels.

[skitee 555]

Well, Madness has been temporarily removed due to some problems in it, that may be why you are struggling to find it?

[rasyt 1]

<facepalm> Yes, that would explain everything.

 

I also agree that Silence I and II are the most versatile maps of all. Not too big, not too small. So many options for various playing styles.

 

I also used to love Fort Knox II. It's one of those maps where I discovered that Dictator is tall enough to shoot railgun between the "holes" of the top-level wall towards lower entrance. Probably the only time I've ever seen Dictator as an advantage over Viking. Also, killing shaft campers by shooting rail between the crack of the buildings is fun too.

 

It's these subtle features that make me think a ton of effort was put into designing maps. Somebody definitely knew that Dictator was tall enough to shoot rail from top to bottom, it couldn't have been coincidence. Someone also knew that campers would sit right between the crack in the building, hehe...

[skitee 555]

I'd say that whilst Silence I and II are versatile, I find them cramped. For me, they are far too small. I prefer something medium-sized, around Tribute or Solikamsk sized - not so big that close-ranged weapons are ineffective but enough so that you have to go looking for enemies.

 

Well it wasn't the map design as such, rather the design of the props in the maps. The development of the props, in ways such as creating areas only Hornet and Wasp can go through, or examples which you have given, clearly have been well-thought out. :)