Which maps presently provide a poor opening experience because of the location of the Base Spawn?
Every single one of them, because of multiple reasons. The absolute worst issue is the decision to force players to spawn. This means that vehicles get to cap early, while infantry has to walk for literal minutes to get into the action (instead of just spawning at an objective). The second reason is that there are simply not enough vehicles or vehicle slots to ensure that players can hitch a ride to the nearest objective. The third reason is that jets or sometimes even helicopters can engage the infantry before they can even get to the first objective. The final reason is that distances are simply unnecessarily large. Why are you not inserted near the first objective? There is no actual HQ (with anti-air and respawnable vehicles), so there's no need to.
For example, Manifest takes 1:30 minutes+ to run to the action. Breakaway is just a complete wasteland on the F/E objectives, multiple minutes of running for infantry. Orbital and Kaleidoscope are vulnerable to early harassment by air vehicles. Discarded and Hourglass are just too much of an empty field. Renewal isn't too bad, but even that map could use improvement.
Which maps are making it harder to get back into the fight in an all cap scenario?
Renewal is terrible, because the team spawning closest to D has to travel over open ground with minimal cover. Even if the entire team commits to capturing D, they can't establish a proper foothold due to the complexity of the objective and the myriad of ways for the enemy to keep spawning in.
Breakaway is bad because the F and E objectives are too far removed from C/D/B/A objectives, which means that the other team has a distinct advantage to the most important side of the map.
How do you feel about the current balance between Infantry and Vehicles in Breakthrough?
Vehicle are extremely strong against infantry, yet infantry can not pressure vehicles well enough (both the anti-air and anti-ground launchers are terrible). This means that the current balance is terrible regardless of game mode. The game needs far more pure transport vehicles and far less vehicles with strong offensive capabilities.
Have you played 64 player Breakthrough, and do you feel that this is the better way to experience the mode?
In terms of overall performance and map size, breakthrough is better. But the current 64 player breakthrough map designs are a lazy effort that honestly ruin the experience. 128 player breakthrough does offer the kind of concentrated action that I'd like to see more of though.
On which maps and Flags do you see the most immediate need for more line of sight blockers?
Pretty much all of them aside from Manifest.
Hourglass has too many sand dunes that have nothing in them to break line of sight. Especially the area around the D objective is troublesome.
Kaleidoscope is basically a giant pit in which you can get shot from literally anywhere on the map. Even in the areas with cover, there are often long roads that have absolutely no cover, invalidating large portions of the map.
Orbital does not encapsulate the infantry experience, vehicles can pressure infantry literally everywhere.
Breakaway is basically a complete mess aside from the A and B objectives. It absolutely needs a complete overhaul of the E objective.
Do you have specific areas on maps that currently stand out to you as lacking cover?
The F/D/B area of breakaway. The icebergs are a complete wasteland for infantry, with absolutely no effective cover from vehicles.
The area surrounding B and C on Kaleidoscope.
The entirety of the farmland/grassland areas of Renewal
The area surrounding the B objectives on Discarded
The open ground near D and E on orbital
Do you have thoughts on how we can better define traveling paths between objectives to keep combat focused?
Ensure that the distance between objectives is smaller. In between the objectives, there need to be buildings, walls, broken vehicles, hills and ditches so that infantry can safely move from one objective to another. People will automatically take the safest path, as long as the cover is clearly recognizable. Minor elevation changes in the ground simply don't cut it. Take the effort to make maps that naturally follow a certain path. Like a city with a main road that leads to different objectives.
Do you see improvement opportunities to make it easier to understand how to get from one objective to the next?
Stop thinking players are stupid. If they are given sufficient opportunities, they will naturally figure it out.
DICE Team
