Goonhub
08-12-2015, 02:56 PM
Okay, so, there was recently an open test of Cogmap2 a few days back, and I was one of the ones that got to mosey around the place and get a feel for the area.
As mentioned in one of my previous posts, the major difference this map has is that everything's way bigger. This isn't necessarily a bad change, and everything being less cramped and tight-knit is appreciated in games with upwards of 50 players. However, the biggest change is that micromanaging the goings-on of the entire station is going to be MUCH more difficult, as travel time between departments has been significantly increased. This'll cause a few balancing things to be tweaked, mainly the matter of security and the AI having much more ground to cover, also mentioned in a previous post, and antagonists having a lot more room to work with. However, the crew does as well, and this will make rampaging around more difficult, as it's easy to lose a given target in this gargantuan station.
Another note is that the map is divvied up into multiple segments connected by airbridges and a maintenance tunnel or two. The increased airbridge count means that they're going to play a much bigger role in cutting off access to different parts of the station, and will likely introduce many more battles for turf control, which I definitely welcome.
The increased map size also gives a greater focus on communication, since gone are the days where you can jaunt from one end of the map to the other in about a minute. Planned meeting points and other such strategics will likely rise to greater prominence, as roaming around trying to find the person you want to meet in person is an exercise in futility.
The matter of station security will also be drastically changed. Given how huge the station is, antagonists will be able to slip under the radar and hide much, MUCH more easily, inadvertently buffing folks like changelings and particularly sneaky traitors. One-person security teams are going to have an absolutely hellish time catching antagonists, even with the help of the likes of the AI. The chutes definitely help this issue, but given how frequent a deficit of security officers can be, it should be considered.
On a more minor note, I love the changes made to the AI upload; the turret placement, the hub of computers, and the greatly enhanced exterior walling means that forcibly breaking into the AI's core or upload chambers is going to be made a lot more difficult, and those turrets are in a particularly nasty position for anyone who isn't able to disable them. The lack of an airbridge connecting to the upload, while it removes some of the AI's protection, also removes one of the most frustrating things people encounter when dealing with a rogue AI: The fact that, in addition to bolting all the doors shut, they retract the airbridge, restricting access to those who are able to get their hands on some space-travel gear and are also able to fend off any pods being driven to protect the area. It's great.
Also, the fact that none of the armory gear is inside of lockers anymore brings with it a whole slew of implications, mainly that it's gonna get broken into a LOT more often. However, the addition of a laser tripwire ensures that, unless proper care is taken, folks will know about any attempted armory break-ins, letting security try and rush to the scene in order to stop the thief. It's an interesting addition (well, removal is more like it) that makes armory raids possible for those who don't have an emag or the actual HoS's ID on them, and makes the HoS's job quite tougher.
All in all, I'm very excited for the new map, and it addresses a lot of the gripes I have with the current one. It'll make for much more complex and interesting rounds, I find, and that's always something I'm willing to get excited about.
As mentioned in one of my previous posts, the major difference this map has is that everything's way bigger. This isn't necessarily a bad change, and everything being less cramped and tight-knit is appreciated in games with upwards of 50 players. However, the biggest change is that micromanaging the goings-on of the entire station is going to be MUCH more difficult, as travel time between departments has been significantly increased. This'll cause a few balancing things to be tweaked, mainly the matter of security and the AI having much more ground to cover, also mentioned in a previous post, and antagonists having a lot more room to work with. However, the crew does as well, and this will make rampaging around more difficult, as it's easy to lose a given target in this gargantuan station.
Another note is that the map is divvied up into multiple segments connected by airbridges and a maintenance tunnel or two. The increased airbridge count means that they're going to play a much bigger role in cutting off access to different parts of the station, and will likely introduce many more battles for turf control, which I definitely welcome.
The increased map size also gives a greater focus on communication, since gone are the days where you can jaunt from one end of the map to the other in about a minute. Planned meeting points and other such strategics will likely rise to greater prominence, as roaming around trying to find the person you want to meet in person is an exercise in futility.
The matter of station security will also be drastically changed. Given how huge the station is, antagonists will be able to slip under the radar and hide much, MUCH more easily, inadvertently buffing folks like changelings and particularly sneaky traitors. One-person security teams are going to have an absolutely hellish time catching antagonists, even with the help of the likes of the AI. The chutes definitely help this issue, but given how frequent a deficit of security officers can be, it should be considered.
On a more minor note, I love the changes made to the AI upload; the turret placement, the hub of computers, and the greatly enhanced exterior walling means that forcibly breaking into the AI's core or upload chambers is going to be made a lot more difficult, and those turrets are in a particularly nasty position for anyone who isn't able to disable them. The lack of an airbridge connecting to the upload, while it removes some of the AI's protection, also removes one of the most frustrating things people encounter when dealing with a rogue AI: The fact that, in addition to bolting all the doors shut, they retract the airbridge, restricting access to those who are able to get their hands on some space-travel gear and are also able to fend off any pods being driven to protect the area. It's great.
Also, the fact that none of the armory gear is inside of lockers anymore brings with it a whole slew of implications, mainly that it's gonna get broken into a LOT more often. However, the addition of a laser tripwire ensures that, unless proper care is taken, folks will know about any attempted armory break-ins, letting security try and rush to the scene in order to stop the thief. It's an interesting addition (well, removal is more like it) that makes armory raids possible for those who don't have an emag or the actual HoS's ID on them, and makes the HoS's job quite tougher.
All in all, I'm very excited for the new map, and it addresses a lot of the gripes I have with the current one. It'll make for much more complex and interesting rounds, I find, and that's always something I'm willing to get excited about.