Kaleidoscope Map Redesign: An Alternative

While DICE and friends may have closed the feedback thread regarding their proposed Kaleidoscope map redesign, I've had ideas about redesigning all of the maps (in some fashion) kicking about for quite some time. This thread will cover Kaleidoscope only, as it's in perhaps the direst state at the moment, though it does have some competition (Renewal, Hourglass, Discarded). I'm no GameChanger(tm), and some of the ideas were developed with a friend of mine, but I still hope this thread has some valuable feedback.

The DICE Redesign -- A Step in the Right Direction

So a few weeks ago, a blog post went up discussing both issues and proposed changes in the maps, starting with Kaleidoscope. Some of the more drastic changes involve moving C sector to the south, eliminating extra flags in A and F sectors, and moving RU spawn to the south. This was to force the action along a single axis, ideally meeting in the data center in D sector. While this is a good start, I see a few problems with this line of thinking, as you can see below.

In short: RU has a clear advantage over US with the redesign, and there are a few reasons why. Verticality is key to control in many maps, and Kaleidoscope is no different. It is exceptionally easy to hold the rooftops of the F buildings, and it provides a vantage point and air route for infantry to other flags. With C sector now essentially underneath the F towers, it's just another advantage that the RU side gains. Granted, G sector getting deleted was a necessary change, as it offered little map control, and was all too easy to get farmed from above.

That being said, if the US wants to take advantage of its height advantage, it now has to drive across the river, and then capture a flag on the ground, then finally elevator up to the roof. However, the A rooftop does not present the clear advantage as the F rooftop does. The US will naturally take B sector, as it's the closest to their spawn, and there is no flag at the skate park anymore that the A building has easy access to. In addition, there is no longer any point to a solid quarter of the map, as it remains a featureless death plain where infantry can be easily farmed.

Kaleidoscope -- Design Philosophy and Borrowing from Songdo

Before diving into our own remake proper, I'd like to take a step back and look broadly at how Kaleidoscope is designed, and how we can use its real-life counterpart to make changes for the better. Much like other maps in 2042, it is situated at the intersection of technology and environmentalism, of war and nature. Songdo itself was designed as a "smart city," one that integrates technology everywhere and uses it to preserve the original site's natural character. It's perhaps a bit too sanitized, but more on that later.

Kaleidoscope takes place around Songdo Central Park, itself directly inspired by New York City's Central Park. I have done my best to overlay the in-game flags with satellite footage of the city, as you can see below. Much of it is based on my assumptions, so I may be wrong, so bear with me.

We can see the art gallery to the approximate northeast, with the waterfront coming right up to a major skyscraper. The park sits to the northwest of the skyscraper, with the towers at F and G likely a little further to the southwest. The map doesn't perfectly line up with the satellite footage, as the map opens up into the Yellow Sea to the east in game, whereas it's actually further to the west. There's also markedly more waterfront in the satellite footage, something I'm hoping to incorporate in this redesign.

Interestingly enough, where the data center is located in-game, in real life is the Posco-Tower Songdo, itself the tallest building in the district.  I'm fairly certain that during the planning phase of Kaleidoscope, someone brought up that they "couldn't just make Siege of Shanghai again, but green this time." I suspect many would actually be okay with this design, but that's neither here nor there. Still, the central feature of the map is supposed to be the data center, and our redesign both reinforces this fact, as well as stays true to the lore behind the map.

Kaleidoscope -- The Redesign

By now, I'm sure you're bored of reading. Thus, here's the imagined placement of the flags/sectors:

And new features:

If it looks busy, it is. This design aims to address all five characteristics outlined in the blog post as follows:

• Traversal -- each area of the map has a purpose and an objective, and the flags are (perhaps too) evenly spaced, meaning you're never far from an objective
• Intensity -- instead of confining major infantry combat to the sole structures with hard cover, fighting now takes place along three main axes
• Line of sight -- again, more hard cover protects infantry from vehicle dominance, while also ensuring rooftop play no longer dominates
• Paths -- There is a clear progression from each objective to the next, and players have a choice whether to take alternate routes by introducing an underground area, as well as watercraft
• Cover -- breaks up the flat, featureless plain that is Kaleidoscope

I will now discuss each new feature in order, going clockwise.

Waterfront/Canals

One of the biggest changes affects the US side more than the RU side, and it widens the area of water, as well as introduces light transport for infantry. As I imagine it, much of the shoreline on the west end of the map would get flooded and provide space for infantry and watercraft to maneuver. My proposal also introduces canals that run to the Yellow Sea (or its equivalent) in the east, which also introduces more ways for infantry to move between points.

This is also designed to introduce a gameplay imbalance: RU forces gain more tanks/IFVs, at the cost of not having initial access to water transport. While the Gulf of Oman map (and its remake) wasn't one of my favorites, it did ask players to think about how to assault from the water against a better-armed force. By restricting the waterways to personal watercraft only, the boats/jet skis/what have you don't overcrowd the vehicle space, and reward players for taking objectives. If you were so inclined, this could also be justified in-game: the Russian force was able to land tanks/heavy armor, while the US was only able to commandeer local transport and supply light armor, prioritizing speed over firepower. It would tilt the mobility factor regarding the data center in the favor of the US faction, but I have a proposal to counter this as well.

Art Gallery

The sculpture garden, quite simply, sucks to fight in. It's open, both of the flags are surrounded by chokepoints, and you're far too isolated to push to another flag in any reasonable amount of time. In fact, the entire north side of Kaleidoscope features the same environments, so providing a larger building to fight around and in around would break up the flat terrain that marks Kaleidoscope now. In keeping with the theme of the existing sculptures, you could possibly use the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art found in Gwacheon, which itself features an outdoor sculpture garden.

Underground Area

This flag is designed to take advantage of an already existing area (with elevators!) and provide yet another new location for combat. As I envision it, this section would replace the road with a monorail, add in some rail cars, and add in a third lane, coming from the east, into the underground. I would knock out a wall (either by actually blowing it up or adding an employee entrance) leading into the data center, and add in bollards, making sure vehicles can't just sit in the tunnel and farm the flags.

If it sounds a bit Operation Metro-esque, that's by design. Assaulting the D sector from the east as it stands now is difficult to impossible. There are too many ridges and corners that make it easy for defenders to hold, and you leave yourself exposed to sniper fire from above. Making another flag for the sector, and placing it underground also neutralizes some of the advantages the US side gains by adding personal watercraft to their vehicle lineup; without holding both points, the D sector doesn't become another free point for one side or another.

Ship?

This is more of an environmental setpiece rather than a gameplay area, but I would add a few Russian warships, probably belonging to the Project 22350 family to the coastline, to add some detail and reinforce the fact that the Russians are attacking the data center.

Skybridge

This addition is largely inspired by the Marina Bay Sands rooftop, situated in Singapore. The real-life example features a large rooftop pool, green space, and bar/restaurant area, and would add some interesting combat to the roof of F sector. Current combat involves either camping near elevators or scanning the skies for any aerial vehicle looking to drop players off. Fighting rooftop to rooftop is worse, as it is an easy affair to simply watch for ziplining players coming across. More cover would make it easier for attacking squads and players to secure the rooftop, and more effectively challenge opposing teams for control. This could lean a bit too much into Ziba Tower or Siege of Shanghai's C point territory, but making the rooftop an interesting and valuable objective would draw players in.

Transit Hub

In keeping with Songdo's idealized future as a city based around mobility, why not include some public transit for the presumed workers? As I imagine it, this could be a station under construction, as found in Lumphini Garden, or even a full track (that leads down into the underground area). Even a simple bus barn would make better use of the space as it stands now.

Hotel

As seen in the satellite footage above, to the northeast of the Songdo tower and next to the park is the Gyeongwonjae Ambassador hotel, styled in traditional Korean architecture. On the Kaleidoscope map I have never personally found myself in a firefight around this area in Conquest, and with good reason: the park is boring as it stands now. It's a mirror image of the sculpture garden in the north, with little cover and less to look at. Why not take inspiration from real life, and make use of a hotel/temple in this space? It doesn't have to be a grand sprawling complex, but again, is about making the objectives interesting, valuable, and fit in with the overall theme of the map.

Looking Realistically

This is obviously ambitious and not entirely feasible, but I think Kaleidoscope has the potential to become an interesting map, if not at least markedly better. The proposed changes would likely mean months of work, and I'm fully aware that any of these changes are highly unlikely to ever come about. Still, conducting a thought experiment like this is interesting, and I'd like to hear your thoughts.