Restricting Rooftop Access Is a Mistake and Anti-Battlefield Esprit
Battlefield has always differentiated itself by being a game where if it felt intuitive you could probably do it. Fence standing in the way of your Tank? Barrel right over it without batting an eye. Enemy hunkered down behind a wall? Fire an RPG to smoke em out. That space underneath a tank look just big enough to prone under? You're right it is!
Restricted rooftops are par for the course in games like Counter Strike or Call of Duty and it works to some extent because these are more conventional formulaic games where static maps are expected. In contrast, Battlefield has always been the creative person's shooter and these rooftop restrictions really feel like a missed opportunity to capitalize on what Battlefield excels at. This is doubly true given the introduction of the ladder tool which would seemingly have been a great fit for a map like Cairo.
To be sure, not every rooftop needs to be accessible and the accessibility should be designed into the map so as to ensure fairness and flow. I've see the argument made that without helicopters, roof access is untenable. I would counter that once you introduce helis then you've all but rendered rooftops useless as you become a prime target for said helis. There are legitimate concerns though about ensuring rooftop access doesn't become rooftop supremacy, but I feel that there are mechanics that could ably keep roofers in check such as mortars and the ability to blow out roofs from below with some high explosive fire and C4 drones that could give roofers a nasty surprise. Having some good sightlines to allow for counter sniping could also contribute to population control.
I fully understand that the devs wanted this to be a flatter, low vert map, but I think that market is already highly served elsewhere. Restricting rooftops kills that creative spirit of striving for a tactical advantage and homogenizes the whole affair to the detriment of players. A big part of what makes these maps feel alive is the ability to find all the great spots, both for defense and for traversal.
I hope the devs will reconsider and allow the ladder to shine on this map. Don't kill fun in its crib!
