Being a big time BTB player since the 16-player days of Halo CE on PC, most of my games are BTB so 343’s improvements to the BTB experience - from increasing the player cap to adding little things like the loot cave - is something I really enjoy. Fragmentation is easily my favorite map with Deadlock at second.
My problem is Highpower. It was already my least favorite map and after playing WAY too many rounds of Stockpile, I’ve come to see that it feels rather unbalanced.
The main problem is the placement of the two bases. The one base is essentially on a hill with the team that spawns on it having such easy view of the entire middle of the map whereas the other team has to spawn at a base with a small mountain blocking their view. Typically how the game goes is that once players get their long-range weapons, they’re able to sit on top of their hill base and command the entire center of the map while the other team has to take the time to follow the narrow paths around the base, leading into killzones - particularly on right side, where the Rocky Pass gives the opposing team the high ground.
On CTF and Total Control, the imbalance is much more negligible to the point of non-existent for CTF in particular, but going into Stockpile where the Power Seeds will spawn in the center where the hill team can just provide long range cover from the roof of their base, or right center where they have that high ground directly past the Rocky Pass, and left center on that cliffy platform where its still in the hill team’s favor - especially if one person manages to get there and toss the Power Seeds more into the middle where the hill team has their commanding views - and nearly all of my games involve the team that spawns at the base behind the mountain getting crushed.
Stockpile was already my least favorite game mode, but after playing so many on Highpower, I have to say that its crossed the line into a game mode that I hate. At the very least, never let it be paired up with Highpower.
I’m honestly not a fan of either of the two new BTB maps that weren’t in the flight, Highpower and the other one. Hopefully we get a better BTB map soon. There are 3 datamined maps that are missing, hopefully one is BTB and hopefully they are added on the official launch on Dec 8.
Fragmentation is easily the best. Its a bit cramped for vehicles, but honestly I came to love it anyway and the madness that results from even that restriction.
Highpower and Deadlock are definitely not as good, especially as either of them don’t have the loot caves. Not a big problem, but the loss of that feature is still a loss. Deadlock I came to warm up to, actually enjoying the firefights on the more open terrain (especially at the crashed Pelican) with more room for vehicles to work in, especially with the Ghost. I feel like the placement of one of the Shade turrets give it too much of a commanding view of the center of the map where - once again, on Stockpile - the Power Seeds will spawn and the Shade turret can do easy suppression work.
I came to enjoy Highpower a little bit more thanks to its higher chance of spawning higher-rarity vehicles like the Scorpion and Wraith Tanks, and so many Wasps to the point where its not that uncommon for me to see three Wasps in the air at the same time. But after doing a night of gaming with my brother and like 75% of our games being Highpower/Stockpile, all my budding good feelings towards the map spiraled down.
Once playlists come out and I can filter modes out, Stockpile will be one that I’ll never want to play again. Until the Challenges force me to, that is.
My main problem with Deadlock is that it feels like there are very few BR and Commando spawns, I think I’ve only ever found 3 spawn spots for them. For such an open map it sucks to have nothing but AR and Pistol. BR spawns could improve it greatly imo. Highpower also doesn’t have enough BR and Commando spawns spots imo, but the main issue is the inherent imbalance as you noted, with one spawn having much better vantage points, especially on Stockpile.
Fragmentation is definitely the best, there are like 7 different spots you can get a longer range weapon like BR, Commando, and Stalker from. The loot cave is great. A bit too linear for vehicles I agree, but still my favorite of the 3 maps easily.
An extra tactical rifle spawn would probably help a lot as the map is a lot more open, even moreso than Fragmentation. As far as my understanding goes of the map there’s the two BR/Commando spawns beneath the starting base, plus usually a Shock Rifle or Stalker in the back. At the crashed Pelican there’s usually a Sniper or Skewer Spawn that you have to fight for while the cave typically has the Cindershot or Rocket Launcher.
And that’s about it compared to Fragmentation where, as you say, you can have as many as like half a dozen tactical rifle spawns at least. And even without one the rocky terrain gives the AR folks plenty of a fighting chance compared to Deadlock and Highpower.
I could be wrong, but with the wall “splitting” the two sides. The side with the hole in the ground has 6 potential BR spawns while the other side of the wall has 2. That wall should have been more centered, because the hole side can use all the range weapons and the extra slight lines to just pick everyone off. Oh and the the rare drops like a Scorpion tank spawns in the “middle” but really it spawns on the hole side as well, thus making it even more unbalanced. Curious if others feel the same way or believe this map is balanced.
Highpower is okay if you start on the side by the cliff, but you’re toast if you start on the side with the mountain.
It sort of reminds me of High Ground, but the opposite (starting on the higher side was better on that map).
Fragmentation has too many trees that don’t really help much for cover, and I don’t like how narrow the map is.
Deadlock is too chaotic and difficult to go through with a vehicle.