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Meow's Map Meviews Archive:

June 2014 - dkoth_kots by Heenok:

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Meow's Map Meviews: DKOTH_KOTS

'Sup. I'm Meow and starting from now I'll be reviewing maps on a monthly basis. In my reviews I intend to inform you on the ins and outs of the maps I have chosen to be in the spotlight. Specifically I aim to review the layout, flow and the aesthetic of the maps (both for public and competitive) and will give them a rating our of 10. This month's splotlight map is dkoth_kots, the latest map by Heenok.

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Layout

Now before you condemn this map for the simple fact that it's dkoth you should look at the way it is designed, specifically the location of the control points. Most dkoth maps have large distances between the two control points and the points are usually located extremely close to the spawn rooms of each team, this is the primary cause of why dkoth is a dying gametype as it encourages turtling and discourages players to leave their safe zone which does not equate to a fun experience for players on either team.

dkoth_kots has both control points located right next to eachother and the points are a good distance away from the spawn rooms, this means that players cannot flood their point, die, and start defending again so actual strategy is required when holding the objective.
First up is the first spawn area, it's always nice to have a choice of two doors to exit your spawn so players can't spawncamp. Outside the spawn are two seperate paths but in the current build the lower path is fairly useless as it is slower and offers no benefits over the top, If i were to suggest a change or two I would ask for the platform to become a dropdown platform and the spawn room to be redesigned so that getting onto the upper path requires an extra jump or two to make the lower path balanced.

The areas surrounding the points (which I will now dub "lobby") are very interesting as they allows players to assault the control points from all three paths without being overly cluttered. Lobby also has an all class spinjump from the ledge outside of mid to the top of the ramp that can be used to surprise defenders or to flank attackers. Lobby also has a forward spawn that activates after both control points belong to a team, allowing players to get back into the fray slightly faster if they currently hold both points, I personally don't like the forwarded spawns as they can help an already winning team completely stomp the competition.

The next area is the sewer, the more keen eyed of you will easily notice the similarities to the sewer of ctf_classicwell. Sewer is another well designed area, it is mainly used to climb back up to the point should you fall down the hole in the middle of the map but there is some merit to being down there; detonators can sit below the points and use their arcing stickies to put pressure on the point and the hole can be used to rocket/detojump to surprise enemy players or gain quick access to the point should you fall down the hole. The other interesting part about sewer is the sewer grate, this allows players to deal a little chip damage to people on the opposite side and allows for some creative kills with explosive classes. The section joining the previous two is too small to be noteworthy and thanks to a spinjump location from the exit of sewer you can skip going through it to get to the point faster.

The last area of the map is Mid, the centre of the map and as stated before it is unlike most dkoth maps because it contains both control points, this makes for some interesting combat between opposing sides and due to the lack of cover between each point the area can oftentimes become a no mans land. Connecting mid to lobby are two paths, one leads straight to the points while the other leads to the platform above the control points. The lower path is quicker but leaves you open to long range attacks whereas the upper path is slower but offers more cover from people defending the point (this cover may not be that useful when fighting explosive classes as they can make you feel like a cat on a hot tin roof with their knockback). Inbewtween the two point lies a pit that can be used for harassment, uber retreats, knockback delays and much more.

Flow

Though I have only had the pleasure of playing this map a total of 3 times I can safely say that the map flows very well and players wont stick around one area for too long which could otherwise make gameplay stagnant and repetitive.
The layout of the map allows players to quickly get from spawn to mid using multiple paths and also allows for hasty retreats to be made back to spawn, this is amplified with the two spinjump locations around lobby. From my experiences of the map the initial team fight starts at mid and will usually favor the team that plays more defensively as they get a slight height advantage and can retreat behind the cover placed at the edge of mid.

After one team caps both points the flow of the map changes and the defending team will most likely move up into lobby, defending players can get back to defending after death thanks to the forwarded spawns.
After the attacking team organises a decent push and takes back their point then then the majority of the action takes place from lobby to mid in a sort of back and forth depending on which team can make use of the flanks first.

Art

Though the majority of dkoth_kots wallmask has no defining art it makes up for it with colour coded map segments that can make callouts easier to understand. I think the map is fine without flashy art as it can sometimes detract from the players competitive experience by distracting them with unnecesary detail and questionable art that confuses players (such as art that looks like it should be part of the wallmask but isn't).

What art is in the map is of good quality, the cylindrical shading adds a nice bit of eye candy to the map without being distracting or confusing. The art under the map gets a 4/20, however.

Verdict

Competitive:
Layout: 9/10 Aside from some areas of the map that rarely get used by players I can say that every part of the map is of simple design yet full of depth for the various classes of gg2. Bonus point for useful and difficult spinjump locations.
Flow: 8/10 The forwarded spawns can make the flow of the already winning team difficult to combat but if no team is in the lead then the pacing of the map is quick and fun, something other dkoth maps should strive to achieve.
Art: 6/10 The lack of detailed art detracts from the look of the map but improves the gameplay, the colour coded areas are a nice touch and the few areas with background art look good.
Overall: 8/10 A solid competitive map that should be considered for any serious match, possibly the ONLY dkoth map I would willingly put into a rotation.

Pub:
Layout: 7/10 The layout of the map is catered to people who know roughly where to go, players who are new to the map may accidentally wander down into the sewers for no reason whilst looking for the objective.
Flow: 7/10 The flow of the map doesn't change up too much in smaller pub servers but without skilled players on both sides the match could easily become one sided after the winning team locks down the lobby area.
Art: 3/10 In a non serious setting the lack of detailed art becomes a glaring weak point of the map, pub players might think they are playing an unfinished map.
Overall: 5/10 This is a competitive map through and through, you may find a place for it if your server has a playerlimit of 10 or less but larger servers should avoid it.

July 2014 - cp_inca by Chu:

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Meow's Map Meviews: DKOTH_KOTS

'Sup. I'm Meow and today I'll be reviewing another map. If you didn't already know I have a fairly new segment I like to call "Meow's Map Mewiews" that I release on a monthly basis. In my reviews I intend to inform you on the ins and outs of the maps I have chosen to be in the spotlight. Specifically I aim to review the layout, flow and the aesthetic of the maps (both for public and competitive) and will give them a rating our of 10. This months spotlight map is cp_inca, an interesting 5cp map by Chu.

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Layout

cp_inca is a fairly unique 5cp map due to its layout, instead of having the points going left to right in numerical order cp_inca opts to have its control points form a sort of horseshoe shape around the map, this is not only an interesting new way to play 5cp that helps keep the game fresh but the layout also makes it easier for defending teams to defend to prevent steamrolls.
The first area we're covering is the area around the spawns, cp_incas vertical layout lends well to spawning players as they can take a shortcut that allows them to fall down to quickly access the middle point or defend their second point. Once the middle point has been taken by a team this shortcut also allows players to keep up the pressure on the losing team by providing a quick and easy route to their control points. The drop from spawn to the second last point can also be used by defenders to flank people taking the point. This shortcut can also be used by the enemy team's Rocketmen and Detonators to give them sneaky backcap/flank opportunities.
Right next to this is the final control point, with wide open skies and only 2 small ledges surrounding the point there is no cover that players can use to cheaply capture the point. Under this is a split path to allow players to assault the final point from two directions which helps prevent spam denying access to the last point. These areas are very well designed and allow for fast, fluid movement around the map. The ramps leading to the Redroom/Blueroom are hard to scale if the assaulting team are coming from mid which again helps prevent steamrolls but this does not mean the point is impenetrable, in fact camping this ramp will often lead to the defending players getting flanked from the shortcut from spawn to the ramps.
The next area is the "upper mid" area. This area connects all of the previous areas through either bullet walls or areas to drop down through, this makes travel through this area very quick. To make up for this the upper mid area has very little cover and it can be rather easy to take a lot of damage from spam if you blindly rush from this area to lower mid.
Up next are the control point areas that I call the Redroom and BluRoom, these areas provide ample protection from players outside of the area and the bullet walls eat up any spam and can be used to duck in and out of combat. The bulletwall is extremely useful for Healers who can still heal players through the wall while still being shielded from enemy fire.
The final area is right at the bottom of the map "lower mid". I personally don't like the jumps in this area as an Overweight player as they require a good bit of timing to pull off correctly and I often hit my head and fall down whenever I jump to the central point. That aside I do enjoy the cover and terrain in this area as it can be used to dodge a great deal of damage, by making use of the slight slopes you can avoid projectiles and partially dodge bullets without jumping which is especially important for Runners and Healers who need to save their jumps to keep themselves alive as they are prime targets for pick classes.

Flow

Thankfully I have been able to play this map a number of times this time so hopefully I have more insight onto the flow this time. cp_incas flow is fairly good for a cp map, players can't camp one area for too long as all of the areas are suited for assaults while still maintaining good defensive values for losing players to use.
The vertical layout and numerous dropping shortcuts of the map allows players to quickly transition from one area to the next, retreating however comes at a great price as the walk back to spawn is a long and pointless one considering that killing yourself will respawn you at full health way faster than retreating would. From my experience with the map the action is very quick to start, players can be expected to be fired upon within less than 5 seconds of leaving spawn. The inital teamfight usually takes place in the lower mid area as players generally want to take the middle cp as soon as possible, some players may choose to wait before diving in onto the point to flank the team on the point.

After the middle point is taken the flow of the map changes as the lower area of the map becomes a long way to the next point, the upper mid area sees a lot more action and from experience you will see defending players making use of the splitting paths more often to pull off flanks on the attacking team.
One of the hardest parts about cp_inca is forming a strong enough counter push to take back mid, if the defending team manages to kill all opponents and make a move for mid they run the risk of the other team completely ignoring them and going for backcaps which can easily happen due to the vertical nature of the map.

Art

The art for cp_inca is of good quality, the interior background isn't too flashy and the dark colour contrasts with players and projectiles allowing players to easily see what is going on. In the centre of the map is what appears to be an effigy of a god which has a great deal of detail considering it only uses 4 different shades of brown. The map has a number of background elements such as clay pots, jewels and detailed bricks on the walls and floors that help add identity to the map. The exterior part of the map shows a great looking backdrop of what appears to be the rainforests and mountains of South America, there is a nice layered effect showing the distance between the canopies of the rainforest and the mountains.
The lighting inside the Red and Blu rooms is great but I'm confused as to where the central beam is being cast from, there's a small hole at the top of the map but the rays of light seem to be expanding from the ceiling as well. On top of this there is no light bleeding in from the areas where the interior meets the exterior, I don't know if this was done to prevent the background from being too cluttered with detail but it still stands out.
The last thing I'll mention is the palette, there are a lot of earthy colours in this map and they look great together and none of the art is harsh to the eye. The specific colours chosen are great and aren't too saturated.

Verdict

Competitive:
Layout: 8/10 cp_incas layout is one of the best I've seen for a cp map, the creative use of vertical space allows the map to be small and easy to navigate for experienced players.
Flow: 8/10 The flow of this map is fast and fun until the losing team tries to form a counter push to take back mid, if the teams are even then this map can provide some great and memorable matches.
Art: 8/10 The art for inca is excellently balanced between detail and simplicity to make the map attractive without being distracting or obstructive to people playing the map. I don't like how the exterior background is mirrored as it feels kind of lazy but this is a minor gripe.
Overall: 8/10 A great, unique 5cp map that I recommend for competitive use. The small size may be undesirable for anything above 4v4.

Pub:
Layout: 5/10 Since the layout of the map isn't like traditional 5cp maps some players may get confused in the ordering of the points and may wander around aimlessly.
Flow: 6/10 Though the shortcuts allow for competitive matches to be fun and fast, the opposite can be said for pub matches as multiple jello players can be annoying to fight off if they can continue their assault not long after they last died.
Art: 9/10  As stated before the art is detailed while still being fairly simple, hopefully people will see this and take interest in map making for gg2.
Overall: 7/10 cp_inca is definetly a decent choice if your pub server needs a 5cp map. Though inexperienced players may get a bit lost, they will quickly learn the layout.

August 2014 - koth_corinth:

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Meow's Map Meviews: KOTH_CORINTH

'Sup. I'm Meow and today I'll be reviewing another map. If you didn't already know I have a fairly new segment I like to call "Meow's Map Mewiews" that I release on a monthly basis. In my reviews I intend to inform you on the ins and outs of the maps I have chosen to be in the spotlight. Specifically I aim to review the layout, flow and the aesthetic of the maps (both for public and competitive) and will give them a rating our of 10. This months spotlight map is koth_corinth, one of the first koth maps ever made for GG2.

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Layout

koth_corinth's layout is slightly different to other koth maps due to its middle area, instead of having the capture point low down with huge airspace above and buildings forming an upside down cone around it koth_corinth instead has the opposite, it's control point is at the top of the map, the open airspace is below the point and the cone is is not upside down. This inverted middle area keeps the gameplay different from other koth maps and makes it easier for attacking teams to raid the point and make a comeback.

The first area we're covering is the area around the spawns, the top path from spawn to mid is very short and splits off into the different areas of the map but this path also has very little cover and open the open sky above can allow your opponents to shoot from above the point onto you. The lower path is a fair bit slower but offers much more cover and can be used to stay off the opponents radar. koth_corinth's ramped spawn paths do not help spawning players as they can easily be camped and spawntrapping can occur, thankfully there is a second exit from spawn which drops the player down below to take the lower path to mid, this exit can also be used to avoid detection from the enemy to pull off flanks.

The next area is the lower middle portion of the map with the three platforms. This areas use differs greatly for competitive and pub, in competitive this area is only used as a quick way back up to the point but in public games it often becomes a Rifleman’s favourite camp site due to the huge sightlines that let the Rifleman deal heavy damage to opponents who haven't even reached the point yet. The three platforms can easily be climbed in seconds by Runners and to a lesser extent Rocketmen/Detonators, this quick shortcut from the bottom to the top of the map can get you back into the fray (and possibly into a flanking position) in no time should you fall down below.

Up next is the area above the control point, with an absolutely huge airspace and decent cover in the form of a height advantage and a tiny raised wall this area can be used as a way to deter enemy players from even getting close to the point. This is also a great area for Riflemen to camp as they have vision and a shot on nearly all of the path from spawn to mid. This area is vital to take as the losing team as it allows quick access onto the point via the drop in the middle, the top area is also a really good place to hold off while building an uber as power classes won't have a great shot on you and pick classes will need to put themselves in huge risk by rushing into a team who has a height advantage and ample cover.

Last but not least is the control point area, the previous areas provide a good spam shield around the control point but also prevent defending players from harming attackers, this means that players will have to move out of their safe zone if they want to protect the point as the losing team could very easily move into position above the control point and obliterate the defenders with an uber. Another reason not to camp the control point is the ever looming presence of the two holes either side of the point should an enemy Firebug or Q/C shove you down here you'll have to trek back up to the point which can keep you out of the action for a good bit of time. Attacking the point from the platforms either side of the point runs the risk of you missing your jump and falling, this danger is made tenfold when enemies are on the point as they can easily shoot you and the subsequent knockback will cause you to plummet down.
A nice touch to this area is the underside of the platform, as you get closer to the centre of the point the floor becomes much thicker which prevents explosive classes from gibbing low HP survivors through the floor.

Flow

koth_corinths flow is relatively good despite its size, players can only really camp the spawn area and even then the lower path allows players to escape undetected and unscathed. The vertical nature of the middle area allows players to take shortcuts and flank to change up the flow. Since the map is relatively small it is completely reasonable to retreat back to spawn for health if your Healer goes down. From my experience with the map the teams almost always starts with each teams Runner going up top, the Rocketman spamming the point and the Overweight/Healer combo staying on the area above the point. Daring players who are looking for high risk high reward tactics can opt to drop down and flank the enemy, this however leaves their teammates with a man down for the teamfight which could ultimately cause the enemy to take and keep the point .

The initial teamfight takes place all around the point with players chipping away at each other looking for an opportunity to push into a weakened enemy and overwhelm the opposition with superior superior terrain advantages. Less aggressive teams can choose to hang back until the opposition jumps onto the point making them sitting ducks to an Overweight dropdown uber, this strat is amazingly effective if your Runner and Rocketman attack from either side of the point as it leaves the enemy with absolutely no way to escape.

After the middle point is taken the flow of the map changes and the defending team usually move out to either camp spawn or hold off above spawn, if the team does choose to spawncamp then the lower path of the map becomes a much more viable way to the point, the upper mid area sees a lot more action and from experience you will see defending players making use of the splitting paths more often to pull off flanks on the attacking team. The most difficult thing on corinth is definitely countering a spawncamp if you choose to ignore the lower path, the terrain favours the campers and even if you do manage to push them back to mid you have to fight them again with them having yet another height advantage. One last thing to take note of is that corinth is a very small map which makes it extremely difficult to pull off a backcap as the defenders will take very little time getting back to defend the point.

Art

The art for koth_corinth is sufficient, the background isn't overly detailed and the colours do look nice. The art on the interior sections of the map such as the spawn and the lower paths have some recycled content and the lack of a visible medcab may confuse some though this does not damage the map too badly. The exterior part of the map shows a backdrop of the open sea and sky, there is some detail put onto both with the sky having many different shades of blue (though the blocky nature of the colour transition isn't very smooth) and the sea having some appearance of glimmering waves. And of course I couldn't talk about corinth without giving an honourable mention to the infamous nice boat in the background.

One extra thing I like is the effort put into making each teams half of the map different, the art could have easily been flipped and recoloured but extra attention was made to give each side it's own identity.

Lastly I'd like to mention the structural integrity of the middle point, there seems to be very little actually keeping the platform in the air with the overhanging arch above the point and two wooden supports below. This isn't a major gripe but if you think about it from a realistic view the platform would easily topple and bring the arches down with it.

Verdict

Competitive:
Layout: 8/10 koth_corinth's layout is good considering its small size and manages not to be obstructive given the small space.
Flow: 6/10 The flow of this map is great until the winning team starts camping the enemies spawn, this is a huge blemish on an otherwise fun map.
Art: 7/10 corinth's art is acceptably detailed and doesn't damage a players perception of what is going on around him.
Overall: 7/10 A decent choice for competitive use but I still prefer valley and harvest. The maps small size makes 4v4s the max amount of players anyone should consider.

Pub:
Layout: 8/10 The small size is great for quick pub matches and the map naturally guides players to wards the objective, the drop from mid can claim inexperienced or laggy players on numerous occasions though.
Flow: 8/10 Due to the uncoordinated nature of pub matches very few spawncamps ever happen which removes one of the biggest problems of the map.
Art: 6/10  As stated before the art is detailed while still being fairly simple, hopefully people will see this and take interest in map making for gg2.
Overall: 7/10 koth_corinth is great for 12 player servers but any more players may cause the map to become a horrid campfest.

September 2014 - ctf_conflict & ctf_conflict2:

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Meow's Map Meviews: CTF_CONFLICT & CTF_CONFLICT2

'Sup. I'm Meow and today I'll be reviewing another map. If you didn't already know I have a fairly new segment I like to call "Meow's Map Mewiews" that I release on a monthly basis. In my reviews I intend to inform you on the ins and outs of the maps I have chosen to be in the spotlight. Specifically I aim to review the layout, flow and the aesthetic of the maps (both for public and competitive) and will give them a rating our of 10. This month I'll be doing something special and I will be comparing two very similar maps, to help me with this task I will be assisted by the one and only Intel Guard! (As a quick note this month's Meview will have a format change due to the nature of having two people discussing the map as opposed to Meow keeping his thoughts to himself) This month's spotlight maps are ctf_conflict and ctf_conflict2.

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Meow: First thing I usually talk about is the spawn area and anything interesting around there
Meow: conflicts spawns are pretty good as they have two exits on either side as well as an additional exit below that lets you intercept flag runners/pushes
Meow: and the sloped areas outside the spawn make it hard to spawncamp as you'll get trapped and fucked up if you jump down to spawncamp
Meow: + one of the only maps where you can deto jump from the medcab to get to mid faster due to the open room and low hanging roof
Intel Guard: hm
Intel Guard: conflict2 right
Intel Guard: or both conflicts
Meow: that was targeted at the original conflict
Meow: conflict 2s spawn is ok too but can be spawncamped
Intel Guard: original conflicts spawn is pretty uncampable yeah, you want to be able to camp the part of mid closest to it
Intel Guard: that’s probably the most important area of conflict because it allows you control the entire flow of the game and gives you a safety cushion in case you overextend
Intel Guard: which is why even engie is viable as a standalone 4v4 class on conflict
Intel Guard: I do find it a bit easier to camp red cause of the smaller hill
Meow: one thing I prefer from conflict2s spawn is the dropdown, it's not awkward to get down there and its also easy to get back up which helps if the flagrunner doubles back to try to evade you
Intel Guard: lower part of any conflict usually a death trap regardless
Intel Guard: takes like ~3-5 seconds for a runner to clear distance from the intel to directly under spawn in conflict
Intel Guard: then getting up those hills
Meow: the fucking stacked boxes on those pipes
Intel Guard: and then once the intel is down there its pretty easy to defend
Intel Guard: unless its on the slope to mid
Intel Guard: then one good push usually breaks it because of height advantage
Intel Guard: so you'd want to camp mid rather than camp that slope
Intel Guard: if you’re defending
Intel Guard: or if you got a rifleman then have him down there cause its a clear shot
Intel Guard: as like a backup kinda thing
Intel Guard: if they manage to break through the mid defense, bam picked off by the sniper
Intel Guard: and as they are jelloing you'd have 3 defenders and then your runner or whatever going for the other intel
Meow: one huge problem with both conflicts is the huge open airspace that lets detos just completely ignore the opposition and get the flag all the way back to their base with little difficulty
Intel Guard: Heenok made a gif right
Meow: yeah
Intel Guard: yeah
Meow: from the hill you jump almost all the way
Meow: to your intel
Intel Guard: its pretty easy if you’re a good djer to just bypass everything
Intel Guard: I'm wondering if Heenoks gif will let people know of that strategy more and it will shape the meta that way
Intel Guard: well see more detos in conflict just trying that shit
Intel Guard: making sniper a pretty legitimate counterpick
Intel Guard: not saying its necessarily easy
Intel Guard: but its definitely doable
Intel Guard: all the airspace is definitely an issue
Intel Guard: those floating boxes on regular conflict are such a great entrance point for rocketmen and detos
Intel Guard: runners too if they know what to do
Meow: one thing i found in conflict2 is that its actually possible to leave the map as deto
Intel Guard: lmfao
Meow: if you get the intel and get out with that fucking hell
Intel Guard: does that have strategic importance
Intel Guard: I feel like that’s too niche a strat
Intel Guard: except for like
Intel Guard: you
Intel Guard: or Spazz
Meow: it does take up like most of your health though
Intel Guard: conflict2 is pretty much built for deto nonetheless
Intel Guard: you don’t even need to clear the whole map
Intel Guard: the windows outside the intel area and near mid are the major gateways to freedom easily and quickly
Intel Guard: usually if you have backup it could put you right behind them to relative safety
Meow: thankfully scouts cant use the windows by the intel
Meow: but if you spinjump with the intel onto the small brown shack you still get huge cover to aid your escape.
Meow: since its a ctf I wanna talk about engie a bit more since I rarely see him in other gamemodes, what do you think about the sentry sightlines on conflict/conflict2
Intel Guard: hm
Intel Guard: well
Intel Guard: conflict 2 I've never really engie'd on too extensively
Intel Guard: but with conflict I think I touched upon earlier that autoguns are absolutely great for locking down mid
Intel Guard: and providing that extra safety cushion for falling back
Intel Guard: they require a little extra care cause they’re in such a high traffic place and everyone’s used to them
Intel Guard: I don’t see enough runners just take the bottom route out of spawn to stay out of their way or get to them with minimal damage
Meow: yeah, sentries seem to have a worse time on conflict2 because of that small ledge, players can get closer to it and jump up to destroy it before it gets too much done
Intel Guard: also sentry sightlines in conflict map are pretty much well known by now, that a good rocketman with backup pretty much counters hard
Intel Guard: or a rifleman
Intel Guard: the unsung hero of conflict
Meow: one area I see that is very rarely used is the alternate exit paths above the intels, they just seem really useless outside of very specific situations
Intel Guard: that’s conflict 2 right?? or are you also referring to those paths to the floating platforms in conflict
Meow: well, both of them
Intel Guard: yeah they are useless outside of proactively defending
Meow: you can kinda use the one on conflict2 to chip people down as a scout
Intel Guard: you don’t want to set up on those little paths on conflict cause the bottom path is blind spotted, and trying to escape through them kinda just traps you
Intel Guard: set up an autogun
Intel Guard: so they’re really on good if you want to chip while people are pushing
Intel Guard: otherwise I don’t see the point to using them
Intel Guard: only a couple of maps in gg2 are really top-heavy in the sense upper paths are useful
Meow: a sniper camping up on the balcony area on the original conflict can do some work with that sightline but aside from that, yeah they're fairly weak areas of the map
Intel Guard: can sniper do that from conflict2
Intel Guard: I think that would be a fairly good strategy for defense
Intel Guard: having the sniper post up there just as they are hitting your spawn area
Meow: its a pretty weak spot because there’s a wall in the way
Intel Guard: I forgot about that wall
Intel Guard: but like
Meow: I suppose if you rocketboost a sniper into the window he could fuck up the enemy
Intel Guard: that sounds like too much effort and time
Intel Guard: at least for more greenhorn teams
Meow: yeah and I doubt running sniper on conflict2 would be a good idea
Meow: since you’d be taking up a valuable scout spot.
Meow: the floor under the brown shacks has got holes in it so players can shoot up and down at onto the different paths, do you think this would affect gameplay in a big way?
Meow: and there’s a jump conveniently placed right underneath it, if you land a rocket on an escaping flag runner you not only damage them but the knockback pushes them down forcing them to backtrack
Intel Guard: those shacks
Intel Guard: they are such trollbait
Intel Guard: a chokepoint on the bottom, a bunch of empty space on top
Intel Guard: I'm not sure bulletwalls really affect things in a big way
Intel Guard: they are small and you need good timing and aim
Intel Guard: its better to just get to wherever they want to go first and trap them in the shack
Meow: yeah as you said, taking the bottom route is probably gonna get you killed anyway
Intel Guard: definitely
Intel Guard: conflicts all about prediction
Intel Guard: cause there’s a lot of ways to backcap
Intel Guard: if you cant stop a runner from getting to your intel you want to be wherever they’re retreating to
Intel Guard: then you trap them
Intel Guard: if you stop them on the bottom they’re forced with either running back deeper or running into your bullets
Intel Guard: if you are heavy don’t chase the runner to your intel
Intel Guard: instead either let someone else stop them or plop yourself where they will run into you
Intel Guard: make them come to you
Meow: either way its probably a good idea to hold mid, something a lot of engie players (especially) pubs need to learn
Intel Guard: holding mid should be the natural move
Meow: putting your sentry back by the intel does little compared to the power it has on mid
Intel Guard: even if you are not very much for reading guides or analyzing strategy, it should come as instinct that mid is important as it where most of the major paths converge with little obstacles
Intel Guard: you have to make yourself the obstacle
Intel Guard: if you strategically take mid the enemy cant go jackshit without having to run into you
Intel Guard: that is the beauty of conflicts layout
Intel Guard: people who dislike ctf for jelloing need to learn how to run a good conflict defense and a lot of other maps will come easier
Intel Guard: it just teaches you a lot of fundamentals, being one of the better maps in this game
Intel Guard: as for conflict 2
Intel Guard: the same still applies
Intel Guard: but the mids a bit more dynamic
Intel Guard: and easier to manuever and outplay people
Intel Guard: for one thing its easy to misjudge a jump (as heavy) and drop to a lower tunnel
Intel Guard: be careful of that
Intel Guard: Meow has a better picture of conflict2 as I rarely play it any more, but yeah
Meow: the last thing I wanna mention about the two maps layouts is the ramp areas leading down into the bottom route, you can use these as scout to fool the opposition into falling back prematurely
Meow: this isn’t as easy to do on conflict2 as you can see if a scout is attempting this as compared to in conflict1 where they can go out of your field of view
Intel Guard: yeah if you wanna be a sneaky bitch and do that its probably a good idea
Intel Guard: just make sure not to be indecisive about what you wanna do
Intel Guard: if you don’t commit you’ll eventually get burned out
Meow: and if you do commit your team is down 1 guy which can make all the difference in smaller team sizes (4's)
Meow: it also doesn’t help that the enemy will most likely take up position on the ramp above spawn for cover and height advantage
Meow: so you've really gotta think before you use this strat.
Meow: next up is the flow of the map, both conflicts have good layouts that let players get around without much effort (aside from conflict1s lower path if you're heading to mid)
Intel Guard: in terms of flow both maps are solid
Intel Guard: conflict is a good benchmark
Intel Guard: and with 2 heenok streamlined the design to make it even more fast paced
Intel Guard: conflict2 i feel moves notable faster
Intel Guard: mid holds don’t last as long
Meow: definitely, I feel that conflict2s is smoother as holding mid for extended periods of time lets one team get a powerful uber advantage and escaping the original conflicts spawn is a nightmare if an ubered soldier is knocking you down as soon as you jump up
Intel Guard: why not just take the other route out of spawn?
Meow: cause then their scout can get out with the intel with no resistance
Intel Guard: that is true.
Intel Guard: Sorry
Intel Guard: stepped out again
Intel Guard: what’s next one the agenda
Meow: I was just mentioning how flanks aren’t all that common on conflict
Meow: since you've gotta go all the way down the bottom path to pull them off
Intel Guard: I used to see em done to varying effect
Intel Guard: if you are using voice comms and the medicombo got an uber they can commit to, it can work
Intel Guard: or if the rest of the team is just doing work
Meow: dunno if you'd count it as a flank but the floating towers can be used by explosive classes and runners
Meow: it does give your opponent two targets to deal with.

Verdict
Intel Guard's
Intel Guard: My conclusion is pretty simple: these maps are good, play them if you want to learn how to be good at ctf and comp gg2 in general.
Intel Guard: they are fine art wise, they are great gameplay wise, and they both flow well
Intel Guard: Heenok did a great job of remixing the conflict concept to create a more dynamic map while still keeping the staples of conflict gameplay.
Intel Guard: Don't use the bottom paths in conflict unless you know what the fuck you're doing
Intel Guard: and.....
Intel Guard: yeah, that's really it. play sniper on conflict maps more, its a good class
Intel Guard: rating conflict: 8/10 conflict2: 8/10
Intel Guard: and I prefer original conflict cause I’ve played on it a lot more

[Dumbledank]

Meow's Map Meviews Archive Part II:

October 2014 - ctf_classicwell by Fishmatt:

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Meow's Map Meviews: CTF_CLASSICWELL

'Sup. I'm Meow and today I'll be reviewing another map. If you didn't already know I have a review segment I like to call "Meow's Map Mewiews" that I release on a monthly basis. In my reviews I intend to inform you on the ins and outs of the maps I have chosen to be in the spotlight. Specifically I aim to review the layout, flow and the aesthetic of the maps (both for public and competitive) and give them a rating our of 10.
This edition of Meow's Map Meviews will be very spooky, you have been warned. What makes this edition so spooky you may ask? Well, the map I will be reviewing this month is so terrifying that many players disconnect from the server the instant they see the map load; I am of course talking about the one, the only..... ctf_classicwell.

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Layout

ctf_classicwell is pretty poor example of a ctf map and this is undoubtedly due to its horrid layout. With one huge narrow corridor spanning from one side of the map to the other and two alternate routes to the intel (the top path is amlost impossible to use effectively as it requires an explosive class/scout/engie to escape from and using it as a means to access the intel is very slow) ctf_classicwell is very hard to navigate without coming across very tough and usually unfair resistance. The long narrow corridors make this map heaven for Rifleman and Rocketman spammers and since both of the alternate paths are similarly narrow and have no cover there really isnt anywhere on this map you can go to escape or counter spamming opponents without resorting to spamming yourself.

The first area we're covering is the area around the spawns, ctf_classicwell's spawns give spawning or healing players an option of exiting to the right or left of the spawn, this is great as this makes it very difficult to spawn camp and makes it easier for players to chase down intel carriers, avoid ubers and return to the front line quickly. The spawn is thankfully very small and due to the different heights and locations of the spawn exits they lead you to very different places and can be used as safe shortcuts through your base.
To the right of red and left of Blu is the next area, this is again a fairly small area but it allows you to go back to spawn, go to the intel, leave the base or travel up to the base window and the upper path. The part of the upper path above this area is made up of 2 jumps, this makes it easier to halt enemy movement and if you time your attacks correctly you may even slow them/knock them back so much that they fall down, leading to an easy follow up kill. The next area is to the left of Red and to the right of Blu, this area is the connecting point of all 3 paths through the teams base and is the most open area after the outside part of the map. Since players can come to this area through three paths it is pretty hard to camp this area. Like in the previous area, the top route is made up of multiple jumps which hampers fleeing intel carriers and gives defenders a chance to snipe or airshot them before they can get out of the base. The lower part that connects to the sewer area can be hard to defend at times depending on where you choose to or are forced to defend from, if enemy players make it all the way up to the end of the sewer path then they can jump up and shoot you, falling down and avoiding damage. It takes a fair bit of prediction on your end or stupidity on theirs to land solid hits this way. The middle paths area has a suspension bridge that leads to the intel, the footpath of the bridge can be used as an interesting bit of cover as you can lead enemy players on a bit of a goose chase if you jump up and down off of the bridge to avoid them. Above this is the rope part of the bridge which can be used to enter your back spawnroom door and to avoid spam, the rope can also lead Runners to small outcrops on either side of the walls in this area, this allows Runners to climb up and down this area very quickly and can make them very hard to deal with. An interesting thing to note is that hitscan weapons can actually shoot through the rope if they are at the correct angle.

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Up next are the top and bottom paths, there's not much to say about these since they are very narrow and only the bottom path ever seems to be used for intel snatching attempts. The lower path does have an interesting escape route, providing you know how to spinjump, that lets you take the intel from the far side of the opponents base to the exit of the base and constant jelloing usually nets your team a capture. Be warned that a prepared defence will stop you and may even lock down the entiere lower path with Constructors and Overweights.

Last up is mid, the middle area of classicwell is fairly cramped and can only take you to two of the three paths into the base. Mid is also infamous for being the central congregation point for all sorts of spammers, Constructors backed up by their team can make traversing mid a pain, Riflemen can spinjump to get on the roof and snipe any incoming key targets and Rocketmen can hide behind the crate(?) here spam down into the main corridor of your base which can oftentimes force your team to take an extremely long alternate route down into the sewer just to leave their base.

Flow

The flow of classicwell is very stale in public matches, the maps huge width and lack of cover make it very hard to get anywhere without being spotted and/or damaged. The layout directly influences players to act in one of two ways, to camp it up or to jello it out and can lead to each game played on the map to become tedious, leading to many players detesting the map and praying for its removal from the rotation. Competitive matches fare slightly better as players will constantly be moving around and due to the lack of any good cover none of the areas on the map are too hard to break through.
The initial teamfight doesn't really exist on this map as Runners will already be taking your sewer path by the time slower classes have reached the exit which may lead them to fall back as they attempt to defend. If by some amazing chance neither team has a Runner then the inital teamfight will take place in the middle area, players will want to be fairly cautious about jumping up into the main area of mid as they could easily get gravely wounded without any cover. The team that takes mid is usually down to pure skill, the roof can be accessed by spinjumpers or explosive classes to give one team a flanking advantage which may result in the now flanked team having to fall back.

After the middle is taken the defending team really wants to get moving back to the intel as the narrow paths leading to it are awful for defending. Once the defence has set up around the intel they have a large advantage, the enemy is in the chokey spammy middle path and they're out in the fairly open connecting area. This may not be enough to hold back the enemy though as by this point the winning team may have built an uber that could trash any defences put in place.
If a team manages to capture one point then they can easily camp mid and try to turtle out the rest of the map duration to get a cheap win, this is a huge problem as it will probably work if they make sure to focus on Runners and Healers.

Art

The art for ctf_classicwell is nice where present, the interiors are fairly detailed with good lighting and all the used colours fit with the industrial feel of the map. The outside areas have less (and less detailed) art and there is no art at all on the floors/walls and you can clearly see that all the effort went into making the inside areas look good.

One thing I'd like to mention is that to this day I still don't know what the green blob things are in spawn, what are they and why do they heal the players? Surely regular medcabs would have been sufficient.

Verdict

Competitive:
Layout: 2/10 ctf_classicwell's layout is pretty godawful, with very few ways to get around and with all of them having a startling lack of cover/terrain height difference the map is very easy to spam down.
Flow: 5/10 The flow of this map is surprisingly good due to lack of cover (possible no cover new map meta!?!?) as players won't be staying around one location for long but the map length means players will be walking back and forth a lot of the time.
Art: 5/10 The quality of the art is acceptable but the lack of floor art just seems lazy. I doubt this was done to help keep players focused on projectiles/bullets at it's only really the background that distracts people since and not colouring in the floor doesn't help with bullet visibility.
Overall: 3/10 It's by no means a good map but It's still functional and can add a bit of spice to 4v4s since people will more inclined to play oddball classes like spy and sniper which can be a nice change from the standard class setup.

Pub:
Layout: 4/10 It's pretty hard to get lost on this map which is great for newbie players and veterans alike, you're almost always going to know where to go and the alternate paths may teach less experienced players the importance of flanks. Hopefully the difficult to breach last area in pub matches will teach players that jelloing isn't a useful strategy.
Flow: 1/10 Camping and jelloing are two of the most hated "strategies" around and they are very commonly used on this map which makes it a nightmare to play on.
Art: 4/10 The lack of floor art isn't really acceptable as it makes the map look unfinished and there's no good reason for the lack of it other than laziness.
Overall: 3/10 ctf_classicwell is a bad map. Do not host it. Ever.

November 2014 - pl_upward by Lemonade & Asia:

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Meow's Map Meviews: PL_UPWARD

'Sup. I'm Meow and today I'll be reviewing another map. If you didn't already know I have a review segment I like to call "Meow's Map Mewiews" that I release on a monthly basis. In my reviews I intend to inform you on the ins and outs of the maps I have chosen to be in the spotlight. Specifically I aim to review the layout, flow and the aesthetic of the maps (both for public and competitive) and give them a rating our of 10.
In this edition of Meow's Map Meviews I will be reviewing a map for a gamemode that isn't in vanilla, this time around I will also be looking if this new gamemode would be a worthy addition to the game. This months spotlight map is a payload map recreation of cp_goingabove called pl_upward (Original by Lemonade, upward made by Scootinfruity Asia).

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Layout

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.

Flow

I'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.

Art

The 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.

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Verdict

Before 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 payload

I 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.