The Wasted Potential Of Defense Maps

[Hortonman]

Defense maps are awesome. They're full of crisscrossing paths and multiple ways to get to any given location. It's obvious a lot of effort went into detailing these maps.

 

However, as it stands, that effort is mostly wasted.

 

The only two game modes that use defense maps--defense and interception--both demand that the player stay close to a stationary objective. Not only does this not encourage usage of the whole map, it actively punishes it. Most players will never set foot in some of these hallways, as doing so would mean leaving the cryopod. When was the last time you explored the caves under the corpus outpost map, or traveled to the far side of the corpus dam, other than to hunt down that one last enemy?

 

If any devs are reading this, please consider designing a game mode that could use these maps to their fullest: something that encourages mobility and forces us to use our 1337 ninja skillz.

Perhaps bring back some sort of survival variant to these maps, or have some sort of wave-based exterminate mission with boss mobs thrown in with the fodder so as to keep players moving; just something that demands--or at least allows for--mobility in order to succeed. 

 

There's a lot of untapped potential for ninja awesomeness in these maps. The enemies shouldn't be the only ones that get to run through all those nooks and crannies. 

[GhostSwordsman]

There are caves under the corpus outpost map?

 

proves the point that much of the defense maps are not used

 

Edit: On topic: Perhaps DE can start putting multiple spawn locations for the pod, so it isn't in the same spot each time. That would effectively force players to "explore" the map. And it would make the mode a lot more interesting.

Edited August 28, 2014 by GhostSwordsman

[------ArtOfViolence-----]

   It's a good idea and a very well thought out post.  Thanks Horton for dropping some well thought out information on the forums for us.  I agree that the maps are pretty cool and it would be interesting to find a way to utilize more of them.  I love the corpus dam map, and with a good sniper rifle and Eagle Eye, you can snipe across it, so maybe something that encourages stealth, assassination, and the usage of our wonderfully newly-buffed sniper weapons. 

[RaikenArashii]

I've been hurting for a good wave based grind gametype myself, and utilizing the defence maps for a wave extermination would be a great idea.

 

You never know, it might already be something they have on their list.

[Vastaren]

I fully agree with the statements in the first post, I've often felt that the scope of our current missions simply don't use all the tilesets to their full potential. Most of the time, the game heavily promotes objective-based gameplay which, while not wrong, is at the extent where it discourages exploration and appreciation of level design. Many players are caught up in a rush to the end of the mission for the sake of rewards - a mindset only too readily reinforced by endgame Void missions - and there is little impetus to expand on the art assets and tilesets we have given this direction. Defense maps in particular fall victim to this. While in the context of a defense mission, it's understandable, it's still pretty sad to see the efforts put into making a beautiful map go to waste as a result of heavily objective-oriented gameplay. The Corpus dam defense map is a great example of that fact - it's big, beautiful and photogenic, but utterly under-appreciated because of the strict focus on that small corner where the cryopod is. Moving away from it is, I agree, punished harder than people are rewarded for staying near the cryopod anyway, leaving the rest of the map to stay unexplored.

 

It's a sad illustration of how I think that the immersion factor in missions is waning as more and more content is released that deals with new kicks and diversions, and sidelines the large potential we have in existing features like tilesets and weapon rework ideas. If we were to get wave-based extermination, while contrived, I could definitely see some sort of renaissance in level appreciation provided the mobs don't come to the player as in survival mode, and I can definitely imagine things like sniper nests that Tenno need to occupy or clear out, choke points that Tenno need to progress past, features of maps that encourage and reward exploration or at least utilise more of the potential that our larger tilesets already have.

 

For the Corpus dam defense map (cause it really is one of my favorites) I would love to see it used in an actual invasion mission. Grineer landing pods slam down into the valley, before unloading platoons of troops ready to take over the facility with only the Tenno and a fying Corpus garrison to hold them back. A rough idea, more an extension to the wave extermination suggestion, but one that would at least use different parts of the map that are just taken as scenery and occasionally resource-gathering areas for newer players.