A realization, it seems like BTB was moved from 8v8 to 12v12 after the maps where made. they are to tight for the types of players we have in the mode, and outside of high power the flow just doesn’t work.
Often one team will get easy access to an AT or ranged power weapon while the other will not, then you have the tanks which can drop for one team but not the other.
For now I have a few suggestions.
- Standardize weapon spawn sets on BTB maps, teams should have even access to supplies no more one team gets hydra the other gets a useless weapon, no more one team gets 3 commandos the other gets 3 BRS.
this can easily cause teams to snowball just on one team having a map advantage on their spawn.
- We need larger BTB maps, ones with more open vehicle paths and none of this 3 lane BS, do to the 12v12 nature the maps need at least 5 lanes, with alt paths between them. with a 3 path standard, example a map should have one center path this is where the main vehicle combat and main objective combat is, two side paths, these are for your flanks and smaller direct combat, and 2 flanking paths, these require mobility skill and have access to things like supply lockers and power vehicles.
example of a map flow for this.
Swamp crossing
Combine https://www.halopedia.org/Gephyrophobia with https://halo.fandom.com/wiki/Guardian_(level)
players would be spawning on either side of a forerunner bridge the large structure spans a swampy jungle with trees growing tall on all sides, both sides of the bridge have a main base. The base on either side is a prefab UNSC base as such both sides have 2 hog spawns (either both MG or both razorback depending on varriant of map) and 1 scorpion spawn.
The maps main path is the bridge but players can also go into the swamp bellow and follow minor paths through the maze of trees, close range combat down bellow while long open sightline combat is above. Ghosts and gungeese are spawned in the swamp.
there are also 2 more grapple paths, (each base has 2 wall mounted grapple spawns) these use the guardian part of the map tall forerunner towers that are dot the land, though these paths ones will find sniper weapons, and on the center is a Phaeton (works like the wasp, but hardlight damage) https://www.halopedia.org/Z-1800_Phaeton
This BTB map would be power seed, CTF, and slayer only.
Unique features
4x loot caves, 1 in each base that accesses a teams power weapons (either twin spankers, or twin skewers) and 2 hidden in the swamp with an abandoned covenent theme. one even being a crashed covenant phantom.
Gameplay note: vehicle drops will be in a set location, on both sides of the bridge is an FOB, the pelican will drop vehicles on those, in the center of the map on the bridge is a flat spot where the contested vehicles are dropped.
- We really freaking need power seed to be rebalanced, I love the gamemode but -Yoink!- it is to easy to just chain throw the seeds for what ever team gets there first. Instead of the seeds all spawning at one location they should spawn spread out across the map constantly refreshing so that it is a bit more chaotic and less you can use a repulser to win almost instantly.