What aspects of certain maps do you find the most fun?

[Cheddars]

By now, I can assume that most people on j2 have probably played quite a few maps: be it custom or stock. And through those hours of playtime, there's no doubt we've all found a few aspects or areas of the map that seems to shine and lead to it's replayability.

For me, I find the second point on Badwater Basin, with it's goal of maintaining height advantage, a very unique area which makes the point both fun to attack and defend.


So, feel free to post your personal favorites below and discuss the level design at play. Hopefully, this discussion will inspire us to seek and try the numerous new maps that are often overlooked on the j2 rotation as well as fuel the inspiration for the map-creators of j2.

[Maha]

God, I can think of a bunch of maps with sections I really like but I cannot remember map names for the life of me. Will get back to you on that.

[KoD]

Maps with traps, things that can kill you. Not many TF2 maps have this, all I can think of is Mr. Blips train map. Most of this died off after CS 1.6 and most CS:S maps that had these situations were abstract maps and those didn't remain popular after a few years. Nothing was funnier than watching somebody play a round and get massacred because they didn't know the map yet, or a game glitch killed them off (func_vehicle post cs 1.3)

[jermm]

I love SD.

[Mastermind1011]

My favorite maps take care to get the small things right. Proper spawn time ratios between the teams, having forward spawns or shortcuts open up, clearly having the proper path labeled, etc.

As far as good map sections go, off the top of my head, cashworks point 2. Particularly the fact that it rewards classes for using their advanced movement options. Detonators, quickfixes, and FaNs let players flank and other fun stuff they couldn't normally do.

[Neelpos]

Anything with a high cieling.

[Sanvich Hoovy]

When designing ctf maps, you have to make it so that both attackers and defenders have a lot to consider. This is why ctf_impact is my favorite map on the server.

When defending (specifically as an engineer), you have to think about so much, since the enemy can break in so many different ways. You've got to be asking yourself "Are they coming in through the ceiling? Are they trying to break the glass? Are they building on the roof right now?" and adjust your defense accordingly. Likewise, when attacking, you have to pay attention to where the enemy is bolstering their defense. For example, I once was playing spy when two engineers had nests set up at the top of this ramp (where the picture is being taken from)

The engineers had a pyro and some other guys defending their nests, while the rest of their team was around the side entrance. Knowing i couldn't sap the nests, I snuck onto the roof, dropped down, left via the side entrance, backstabbed anyone who was fighting there, and got home scot free.
Plus, building a nest on the enemy's roof is the most satisfying thing.

[Waterbear]

all I can think of is Mr. Blips train map

That's probably the first time anyone's ever said anything positive about that godforsaken map

[ggg]

all I can think of is Mr. Blips train map

i wouldnt call those traps

[dmitri ravinoff]

I love maps where it doesn't end up with engi turtling and stalemate. So, that rules out 99% of our ctf games.

My favorite maps, hm. I almost always play medic whenever we're being serious, so that changes my opinion some what. I love cp_antiquity, it's well balanced, pretty, and fun to play on. You're not walking forever and it's not turtled often. That new cp map we played last week, underhanded I think? That was really fun.

I like pl_beerbowl, I think. There's another pl map I love, I just can't remember the name. I like outback and repository, maybe it's one of those too. All of these maps are more or less balanced and generally stalemate free. As for being medic, they're good because I can generally build up uber to rek people without dying. Oh, and I almost forgot, upward is my favorite stock map. It's hard to turtle, there's lots of different routes, and it's pretty.

For koth, if we're serious I love arctic. If we're screwing off I like megaman, harvest, or king.

[Eviltechie]

I like payload maps. badwater, goldrush, cashworks, frontier, swift, cashworks They're all long enough and big enough that you can set up lots of defenses, but there are also enough ways to flank.

[jamietech]

On rooftime I like the roof.

[Bun]

I like the number 2 and forts.

[rockerboy]

Redfort and facing worlds sticky jumper. Desperados sniper/spy.

[Django]

payload maps hands down the best ones