Other [Issue 8] RIP Maps - Part Three

[skitee 555]

Welcome back to R.I.P. Maps! Every issue, I will look at four maps which used to be some of the most popular in Tanki, but have since declined in terms of popularity. In the latest, the third instalment of “R.I.P. Maps”, I'll take a view of four more maps which were once some of the most popular in the server, but since have become also-rans in the popularity contest that takes place between maps. So let's begin.

Originally, I was planning to include Combe in this list, but unfortunately for me (but fortunately for the Tanki community who enjoy playing epic maps) it has staged a mini-revival and I can't write about it. Nevertheless, I will write about four other, equally fantastic maps.

What was so good about it?

To be honest, I can't lay my finger on what makes it such – but Arena is damn good. I guess that it's the closed-in nature of it, with all the respawning going on in such a close vicinity to other players. Add to that the central “box” area where you can get the crystals but are unable to get out from, the platform on top whereby you can shoot down with your smoky, railgun, or thunder and kill all down below, and it is a great map. But what in particular made it popular?

In part, its uniqueness. When it came out, it was fresh, new, and very different. No other map is quite the same style as Arena. Players enjoyed playing in a map which was a bit different from what they were used to. Close range weapons excelled, long ranged weapon users tried their hardest to get to the top and stay there. Mines were used extensively, and the fight for the gold at the top was one of the best – the risk of falling was high as you tried to get on top of other tanks to get the 700-fund gold box. Despite the risk, successful Gold box hunting in Arena was one of the biggest achievements in the game – only the best could get Golds in Arena.

And just another thing: Arena was (and still is) one of the best dueling maps – as long as you agree beforehand not to get on top! :P

How did it die?

The gradual decline in the popularity of DM was one major factor. Arena never was the best TDM match, with the respawn points too close to the opposition for any real skill to be a factor, and Mammoths dominated everywhere. (It never even had CTF) On the other hand, it was one of the maps (along with Highland, Polygon and such maps) which was just made for DM. As DM decreased in popularity, only a couple of DM-only maps could survive and Arena did not. Later on, the increase in its minimum rank to Third Lieutenant was a final death-knoll for this once great map.

Can it make a revival?

Yes it can. Arena is not a bad map, and it does have the entertainment factor to make a revival. That is, if the community can fall in love with DM again. One potential setback is the fact that it is unlocked all the way at Major now, which could be a problem as none of the lower ranks will be able to play it. Nonetheless, Arena does have the potential to make a recovery. Of course, that does not mean it will, and Arena may not.

What was so good about it?

For a while, forget Sandbox, Kungur, Island, or even Tribute, No-Supplies battles happened in Molotov. Why so? Well, add 5v5 battles yet a lot of space, the difficult-to-access flags, massive amount of neutral ground, regular flag captures, sniping positions, camping positions, tricky terrain and enjoyable gameplay together and it is a brilliant map for No-Supplies battles... throw in the thousand-crystal box on top of it and this map was one of the best.

The map has two bases very different but yet equal, with neither side having any advantage. The large neutral ground is important to control if victory is to be achieved, and the expansive nature of it made that very difficult with only five players. Flag captures tend to be “hit and run” affairs, suiting hornets, which broke in and captured before the enemy could intercept them. The width of the map made hunting down flag capturers very difficult, which increased the number of flags captured and, in doing so, increased the popularity of the map as well.

One other notable fact about Molotov was that it was was the map where the “1000 gold box”, introduced for a short time about six or so months ago, fell, at the exact moment the fund hit 1000. Catching one was the pinnacle of someone's Tanki career, and those who did got a serious boost on their way to their next weapon. And Molotov was the map where they would do it.

What killed it?

The rise of “Dikloreska” and “740” No-Supplies battles is the largest factor. Molotov as a map just is not suited to those battles, and as they got more popular, Molotov got less popular. Very soon, everyone forgot about Molotov, and shifted to the current No-Supplies maps such as Sandbox and Kungur, ones where “740” is far more suitable. Molotov was left on the ground, forgotten.

Can it make a recovery?

Yes it can. Molotov is a fantastic map, not just for No Supplies battles but for ordinary ones as well. Gameplay in it is brilliant, and the way in which the map is laid out is exceptional. In my opinion, it could quite easily be the best of the “old” maps in terms of the gameplay which takes place inside it. It does have the potential to make a recovery. However, like Arena, having the potential does not mean that it will, and it also has one notable fact holding in back: whilst 5v5 in Molotov is very enjoyable, 7v7 may be a more suitable amount of players when the map's size is taken into account.

What was so good about it?

Novel, in my opinion, is one of the most entertaining maps in Tanki. The unconventional, almost random, layout of the map, including one of the greatest areas of Tanki, the building where the blue flag is located, just oozes entertainment. Gameplay may not be the most entertaining, with there being only one route from the blue base into the red one (except via parkour!) but the entertainment factor and the craziness of the map more than makes up for that.

It really is a mad map – in the best sense of the term. Novel doesn't really fit any conventional map layout. Except for the two bases, the flags are located in strange areas, routes in between (from one base to another) is equally weird, and the way in which the map is built so that each team will dominate the left side of the map (as they look at it) is something which does not happen in any other map. Despite that, Novel is still extremely entertaining.

Even though playing successfully in Novel involves top skills – the map is not really beneficial for any weapon, with most struggling to play at their best for one reason or another – the entertainment is still there. One thing that can be used very effectively in Novel are mines, one thing which can be extremely important, and decent mining and managing to stay alive can swing a game in favour of one team or the other. But despite the map itself not particularly rewarding ability, battles are not any less exciting or heated because of that – matches in Novel are still very exciting and high-quality.

What killed it?

A gradual shift away from the “big, new” maps, such as Industrial Zone, Novel, 2042, and Desert (although Desert has made a recovery as a DM map). Along with those other maps which I have mentioned, Novel also suffered in terms of its popularity. From being one of the prominent maps in the game in CTF battles, it became maligned, ignored, cast aside as another of the maps which just isn't good enough.

Can it make a recovery?

Yes, it can – but only if it gets a lot of publicity. Right now, almost every Novel battle is ignored or underplayed, with only around 5 or 4 players per team. What inevitably happens is that the ones who join the battle just to find out how the map is like, having never played in the map before, will be underwhelmed – 5v5 in a 10v10 map is no fun! It will then be unlikely that they will give Novel a second chance, further maligning it and continuing the way in which a minimal amount of players who take part in Novel battles. So yes, it can make a revival. But it will need something special, such as a 1000 gold box... any callers?

What was so good about it?

For a small, neat map where any player using any weapon could enhance their skills, there was little better than Zone. Similar to Sandbox, the newer props gave a few features which Sandbox did not have, and for a time it was more popular than the base map, particularly at the Warrant Officer ranks.

Zone, in terms of a small, symmetrical, balanced, stylish map, was, in the eyes of myself and numerous other players, the best. The three-way approach to the flag not to mention the whole open, expansive nature of the map as a whole made it an enjoyable experience for anyone playing in it.

Flags were quick and common, kills easy to come by, points easy to gain, enjoyment at a premium, playing in Zone was an overall positive and entertaining experience. And Tanki players loved it. Zone was one of the centrepieces of the Tanki Online experience.

What killed it?

So then, what killed such a great popular map? In a word, the map which it had begun to replace. Namely, Sandbox. As Sandbox revived in popularity among the higher ranks – having previously been a map discarded after Staff Sergeant – Zone stalled and then declined. Only one of these two great small (but not too miniature!) maps could live on, and Sandbox it was. Zone... it died. No longer was it one of the most popular maps in the game.

Can it make a revival?

Yes, it can. It is a great map, with all kinds of different gameplay styles possible to be used. It has nice variation, and a lot of space which tankmen can use to their own benefit. The map encourages flag captures and skills, and teamwork is another factor which is often underestimated in this map. It can make a revival. The question is when.

So there you have it! Which of those maps are your favourite? Can you see an making a comeback any time soon? What other maps have died and you would like to see return?
~skitee

Edited September 26, 2017 by Hexed
text correction

[Lankbouv 6,347]

What you said about combe is so true

I'd say that the revival happened about 3 weeks ago.

Before that it was very rare to see that map.

But I played it when ever I saw it.

Recently I have seen it I'm pretty much every server about 5 map of it

[hogree 4,179]

Molotov is such a bowss map, i would love that map to be revived... The 1k gold should return !

[GoldRock 6,165]

Glad to see Combe's making a comeback, it always has been one of my favourite maps :) I vaguely remember Arena, even at my low rank, from a year or two back :P

[I3loodShot 3,119]

What about wolfenstein?

[Frost.Angel 221]

Merp, how abt Magadan O:? It have never been played as i see, al well osa.

[Beerme 106]

Combe is just awesome.

I'm pretty sure skit has written something about Magadan considering it is his favourite map

[Ranger7 75]

I love Zone, its pretty darn fun. Good job, I like the article :)

[I-N-S-T-I-N-C-T 22]

Yes I agree, before the rebalance i had m1 rico m1 mammoth (main weapon was rail m3) but in arena i kicked but, as you said mammoths dominate. I always won ^_-

[skitee 555]

Combe is just awesome.

I'm pretty sure skit has written something about Magadan considering it is his favourite map

That is the truth, I wrote an article back in Issue 1 about it.

What about wolfenstein?

Was Wolfenstein ever played?

Merp, how abt Magadan O:? It have never been played as i see, al well osa.

Unfortunately, Magadan was never popular so how could it have "died"?

[Lhamster 4,081]

I think Molotov is the only map I've never played...

[hogree 4,179]

I think Molotov is the only map I've never played...

 

Bro you're missing out. You say you've played Deathtrack?

[Lhamster 4,081]

Yeah, think I have, once or twice.

[jiangreo 922]

I played an enjoyable 100 flags battle in Deathtrack yesterday , it was really good with hornet and thunder ;)

I really felt that the map is very well-done

Edited February 5, 2013 by jiangreo

[inplatform 82]

I think after 6 months even sandbox would get expired!

[hhgb 2,655]

you can't join an arena match without seeing a gold digger

[I-N-S-T-I-N-C-T 22]

Yes Inplatform, every map will eventually expire except a few like polygon and silence, aslo iran

[I-N-S-T-I-N-C-T 22]

I am hoping that Molotov and the 1000 gold box will make a come back :rolleyes:

[Frost.Angel 221]

I am hoping that Molotov and the 1000 gold box will make a come back :rolleyes:

every1 will be rich :rolleyes:

[UAA619 97]

You're right combe has made a comeback after the rebalance

You wrote about ping-pong, but it also has made a "mini" recovery

[UAA619 97]

I think after 6 months even sandbox would get expired!

No it wont. Its too good.People constantly play it.

Though boombox has almost vanished after the rebalance

[jhon4545 2]

Ping-Pong is GREAT because its so easy to capture the flag!!! :D

Edited February 9, 2013 by jhon4545

[SuperNick95 5,312]

 

It's already recovered. It's now played a lot for the russian "XP" battles (Hornet Railgun)

[skitee 555]

Not to the level it once was, and it hadn't recovered when I published my article.

[bobthebigtank 2]

I love novel it so fun the madness is awesome