Re: Core Feedback - Maps, Next Steps | Discussion Thread

@Straatford87Hello Stratfoord,
I think it's good that you're still working on BF2042. I personally enjoy the game, although there is still a lot to be done.

I think that the planned changes are not sufficient. To give an example, in BF3 SeineCrossing (also a city map) are, various civilian vehicles, which are almost completely missing in Kaleidoscope in relation to the map size. The streets in Kaleidoscope feel twice as wide, with 1/5 the obstacles. I would like to point out again (as i said in a previous post); Please add obstacles that a vehicle cannot overcome. Tanks can support the infantry in SeineCrossing, but the tank is not the only match winner. It just doesn't go anywhere! The same example can also be done with the BF3 Map Grand Bazaar. Vehicles have their support role and are important, but they don't dominate the battlefield. So if you're already working on Kalaidoscope, then add areas where vehicles are useless / or can't get there at all. Older maps almost had different areas, where the individual classes or vehicles had their advantages/disadvantages. The goal will not be reached with the planned changes - I want us to achieve the goal, so I'm writing you my honest - but also serious thoughts!
In General: Different levels are great! But please also make sure that the levels also have a sensible reason for separation, not just separate to separate, but also, for example, work out infantry-only areas or areas where the tank provides massive support.

Regarding cover and line of sight:
Please note that you also build in non-destructible cover, or maybe even mostly! We don't get any benefit from having a grenade/tank shot/rocket destroying cover there and then playing 98% of the round with just as little cover as it was in the original version. Depicting destruction with the Frostbite Engine is great, but just breaking everything because you can isn't going to do anything! (In reality, rubble and ash would also remain, in the game nothing remains of a destroyed wall, so in real life you would still have “partial cover” from a destroyed wall).

Travel time:
Personally, I don't want to have more transport vehicles, I want to be very mobile, that's only possible by walking and having enough cover and not having to walk 130m to my own flag point from the spawn point to defend it. The routes are too long! Please compress the maps even further than you are currently planning, for example Strike at Karkant, there the paths A -> B are approx. 90m, A -> G 350m. In BF2042, the walking distances from your own flag point to the spawn point are already 130m +. At that time there were also 32v32 players. So, even for 128Player, 4-5 times the size of the map is too much!
For the Renewal map:
Top! Please outofbounce this useless area. Very well! Additionally the same as for Kalaidoscope: Please insert realistic objects. In the Gulf of Oman, for example, there are cranes or positions built with sandbags. There could be construction vehicles/containers etc. everywhere where the builders in this area store/transport/deliver their tools etc.
In general, also here: Please make it smaller overall. My feeling is: the 64 player maps are big enough for 128 players. Why don't you just try it in portal mode?! There, instead of 3 categories, there is a fourth category called: Playertest/Maptest/Balancetest etc. So you would have a live server with the possibility to test different game content and the community can see what you are working on and will certainly complain less...

I think the changes for fewer vehicles/more spawn time are good, but I suspect that both together weaken the vehicles too much as combat events, something like that would be super easy to test on such a public test server.... Instead, I would again advocate areas in each map that are infantry only / mixed areas / predominantly vehicle areas, which would bring more and easier balance.

One final thing: Please watch the Battlefield 3 trailers again. I think this game is the best so far (MY opinion!) The mood that is brought across in a trailer is breathtaking, and you can see a lot of attention to detail in the trailers. If you look at the trailers (fortunately they only last a few minutes, so it's a reasonable investment of time) you'll immediately see what we're missing now and what was available in past games.
Finally, please introduce some more weapons. You have implemented different weapons in so many parts that were already usefully balanced, why does a shooter playing 20 years in the future have less choice and weapons that are currently used?
Overall, one last thing before Specialist Loop comes along: Please make the game darker. Post-Desaster world in the colorful world style does not fit the theme, more storms such as thunderstorms, storms with rain, darker and gloomy places through weather effects. Voice revision for the specialists would also be a reasonable update.

I used a Translate tool, if there is something unclear please ask me 😉

Greetings

Edit: Please share pictures with distances, from the old maps vs the new idea, so we can compare easier 😉