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pl_upwards layout suffers a lot from the simple fact that the payload gametype is attack/defend which means there wont be balanced terrain on either side of the map, thankfully there isn't any huge advantage one team has over the other given by the layout as all height advantages and cover have counterparts on either side of dangerous no cover zones. One thing upward has a lot of is bottomless pits, there are more deadly falls in this one map than most other serious maps combined, this isn't necessarily a bad thing as it adds some extra strategy to players who can utilise knockback effects to send their opponents down into the chasms below.
The first area we're covering is the area around the attacking team's spawn, pl_upward is kind enough to provide multiple exits out of spawn but due to the top route only being accesible through the sniper perch (for the enemy) there is little need as there will be very little resistance up there until the cart is pushed out to the point where it drops onto the lower path. I can see why this was done but I feel that it's honestly pointless to set the carts spawn position all the way back there as most of the defending team can't get up there to defend which makes the first minute or so of the match pointless for the defending team as the attacking teams medic can hide up here knowing he can get a guaranteed uber built up while still playing the objective. The lower spawn exit also seems to a redundant feature as the enemy can shoot attackers as soon as they leave the door, there's no cover available and the path isn't any faster than the top route.
To the right of the attacking team is the next area, this is the first real obstacle attacking players will face as the terrain is much better for the defending team and retreating may cause them to fall down a bottomless pit. There is a sniper perch in this area for defenders and it does cover a lot of the initial area but dont expect to have a clear line of sight as your teammates will need to use this window to reach the top route (Excluding Runner, Rocketman, Detonator, Overweight, Constructor (Overweight can't even make the jump so he's stuck down on the lower route)). A better choice for camping snipers is right below the window, you don't get the cover of the perch but the sightline is much better and you won't have to worry about allies blocking your shots as much. Below this is the first real checkpoint (technically the cart drops down before this so it can't go back up) that leads two two paths, most players should follow the cart down but having one player go up to flank/prevent enemy flanks might be a good idea.
The next area is the branching paths up to the next checkpoint. The lower tunnel is surprisingly open vertically so players won't have to worry about being unable to dodge projectiles, there is a healthcab underneath this area but using it can get you killed if you miss a jump/you are pushed so I'd avoid using it unless you're a defender who has no Healer readily available. The upper path has ample cover in the form of a large boulder, players on either side can cling on to it and peak over it, shoot, and take cover again. Attacking players can then move up onto a platform above the second checkpoint for a height advantage and some cover. After the second checkpoint has been taken the attacking team will be given a forward spawn located at the centre of the bottom of the map, this is purely a forwarded spawn and players will not be granted entry back into it due to a one way door. The defending team is also pushed back to their last spawnroom, I personally think this was poorly designed as it is way too far back to be effective and Overweights cannot actually get down without dropping onto the lower path, making their traversal time back to defend even longer.
The next area is straightforward up until the attackers push up to the slim tower, at this point players have to take the middle path to push the cart up a cart only ramp and go back to the slim tower just to get up to the cart, this could have easily been avoided if the cart used a lift here as pushing players would have been able to hop on the lift. After the penultimate capture point has been taken the lower route becomes pretty useless and only serves as a backtrack for players who fell down despite there being no holes for people to fall down aside from one which is after the last CP (so players wouldn't even fall down there anyway aside from heavies who are forced to due to the awful spawn). The top path is a cakewalk for the attacking team as there is no cover for defenders around the last CP so if you're going to make a last stand it should probably be around the crate in between the two smaller buildings.
FlowI've only had one actual match on pl_upwards in a payload testing pug and even then people didn't seem to be playing seriously so I doubt I can provide an entirely accurate review of the flow.
From what I have seen I can say that the start of the match will pretty much always be a snoozefest, risking your life as a defender by going up to the enemy spawn isn't advised as your Overweight won't be able to help you and in pub matches players might not even realise jumping from the sniper perch will give them access to the top route. Once the cart drops down things will pick up a bit though as players will usually contest the first control point fairly well.
Things may slow down as the cart goes up the hill towards the second cp as the defenders can make a choke out of the tunnel and force attackers to use the flanks but since there are two flanks and both are useful a turtle at this area is very unlikely to be successful. Once the second cp has been taken and the defenders are finished off things may get a bit slow as they will now have to walk all the way back from their last spawn, this gives players a bit of rest and may help them get ready for the uphill battle around the slim tower. If the defending team makes full use of the awkward terrain in this area it can be very hard to push the cart through as spacial control classes can deny attackers entry into the slim tower while the rest of the team makes sure Runners and explosive classes jump up to sneakily cap the third cp. Once the last cp is all that remains for the defending team things may get a little hectic, the attackers will either overrun the last checkpoint and move over the crate giving them a clear path to the finishing line or be stalled by a tough to break defence at said crate. If the former happens attackers better be prepared to have enemies drop on their head as players attempt to slow down the cart as much as possible but a good push or a single uber will completely destroy the defence here as there's nowhere for the defenders to run to once they drop down which will secure a victory for red.
ArtThe art for upward is above average, the ground isn't very detailed but there are plenty of background elements scattered around on the interior areas and the backdrops are nice. Shootyfrooty has added some railroad tracks on some of the areas where the cart would otherwise seem to float so bonus points for making sure the cart doesn't take off and fly away/fall down a hole prematurely.
It's a shame the brown is lazily square shaped and doesn't act as a covering layer of dirt along the top of most of the mountain. Every time I see the cream colour underneath the brown I'm instantly reminded of Puddi.
VerdictBefore I talk about this I'd like to state that It's hard to give a conclusive score on a payload map as there's only 3 other maps out there to compare with (2 of them are godawful and one doesn't work).
Competitive:Layout: 7/10 For an A/D map, upward does a good job of not being overly unfair to either team and very few areas will prove troublesome for either one of the teams. Players can easily move around and multiple paths are always welcome in A/D. I still hate that goddamn medcab placed over a pit though.
Flow: 6/10 The flow of this map is good and doesn't feel too stale thanks to the layout, aside from the boring start, the possibly stally slim tower and the crazy hectic end of course.
Art: 7/10 The art is above average and doesn't cause players to stray their focus off of gameplay.
Overall: 7/10 Probably the only payload map I would suggest as of this time, though I doubt people will ever play payload in comp.
Pub:Layout: 8/10 The linear paths help guide players to the objective and the layout is in general of great quality, aside from the annoying area in front of the slim tower I have no complaints.
Flow: 4/10 I can imagine a larger number of players would probably turn this map into a nightmarish GG2 counterpart of TF2's pub upward with engies and autoguns everywhere making the whole match boring for both teams.
Art: 7/10 I would say that upwards art quality would be a decent benchmark for mapmakers, nothing amazingly difficult to draw but not too bland that the map looks like ass. I can appreciate the fact that upward is a fairly large map and yet no backdrop art was copy pasted.
Overall: 6/10 pl_upward is, again, probably the only payload map you should consider hosting (which is terribad as people will probably leave when they realise your map rotation only has one map)
Final thoughts on payloadI honestly believe payload could be a decent gamemode in GG2 despite being A/D, it doesn't have some of the problems of A/Dcp like worrying about your last point being backcapped or giving an annoyingly unfair advantage to the defending team should they choose to turtle the last point. If it were to be added though I would like to see the heal ramp removed from the carts heal beam, this by itself can completely unbalance the gamemode as the attacking teams healer will have a lot less to worry about with the cart auto-healing minor wounds and assisting in keeping a tank/themselves alive.
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Topic: General Clan Discussion & Clan Times (Read 120646 times)
