Truth bomb: This is not a map problem. This is not a timer problem. This is a player problem. Part of the game is knowing where you are, knowing where you need to be, and knowing how to get there in the time allotted without getting gate-kept. There is no first ring on any map that you can't make safely in the given time you have IF you know all your movement options, know the safest routes, and start moving before you run out of time. Even if the close is on the opposite side of the map. You need to know where the ring is the second it appears on the map, and you need to act quickly if it's far away. And you need to get your squad moving too. And if they won't then you need to leave them behind. This kind of behavior is a skill. It may not be as fun as shooting, but it's still an important part of the game. So unless you want to move over to Wildcard exclusively then it's time to start practicing.
The only "fair" alternative I can think of is to always have first circle close on the center of the map so all edge-drops are the same distance away. And that would get pretty boring pretty fast, I would imagine. Not to mention that it would be insulting to players who have taken the time and made the effort to learn how to handle the situation.
You know that there are squads everywhere, which don’t just let you go past them. You have to fight to get there and by the time you are done you die through zone. Aside from that there is nothing fun about having to run from one side of the map to the other side every match. It also doesn’t help that they removed zone shields.
Sorry to take so long responding.
"squads everywhere, which don’t just let you go past"
Which is why I said originally: "Part of the game is knowing where you are, knowing where you need to be, and knowing how to get there in the time allotted without getting gate-kept."
No, you can't go through these squads, at least not more than one and not without more time. So you need to know your options. Zip lines? Grav launchers? Tridents? Jump towers, fixed or mobile. A Valk on your squad. You go around them. You go over them. You go through them fast enough that they can't stop you. Options abound. You just need to know which are open to you, and more importantly, how to get your squadmates to move with purpose. About 90% of the time I have at least one squadmate who is so desperate for a fight that they will knowingly sacrifice themselves to the circle for a shot at a kill. Not even a guaranteed kill. A CHANCE at a kill. There's nothing you can do about that player and you shouldn't try. Leave him and move on. Maybe he won't quit when he gets killed and you can respawn him later.
I'm not saying any of this is easy to learn or can be learned in a day, but nothing in this game is easy or learned in a day. What I'm talking about is the kind of game sense you build up over many, many seasons. But if you ask for crutches now before you've figured it out for yourself then they're just dumbing down the game for everyone and not giving anybody the chance to learn how to navigate map/timer/position/obstacles. Now, on the other hand, if you don't WANT to learn those things then that's okay, but the solution for you is team deathmatch or Wildcard.
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