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

[Cheddars]

What kind of maps do you find are often underplayed on the tf4 rotation? Overplayed?

[Bun]

What kind of maps do you find are often underplayed on the tf4 rotation? Overplayed?

Underplayed? Let's see, well we removed arena a long time ago and I think there's only 1 stock sd map on the server that gets touched once every half a year or so lol, so probably ctf and tc.

Overplayed? Definitely pl maps.

[Mastermind1011]

PL is overplayed because it's an interesting (as in, constantly provides something new) gametype. It constantly shifts the action from one area to another, meaning that players are introduced to new situations at a quick pace. A/D cp is another of our favorites for the same reason.

Another primary reason these get played a lot is because they end: either you win, or you lose, and you don't have to wait more than 20 minutes for this to happen. In fact, it usually happens quite a bit quicker.

CTF and 5cp lack these qualities. They can often stalemate, and the fighting area can be rather static, particularly with CTF. Their advantage is that they are easier to balance, and provide a symmetrical experience. These things tend to go unappreciated by your average pub player.

Note: Good CTF and 5cp maps can meter out their time correctly such that long stalemates aren't a problem. A lot of people skip this step, however.

TC doesnt get played because we have two maps for it, hydro and meridian, and most don't even know the second exists. Hydro is stalemate central, meridian is kinda meh (but pretty, if nothing else).

KOTH is probably one of best gametypes. A KOTH map is inherently small and time-limited. It's pretty hard to fuck up design-wise. It scales well with all player counts. As a result, it gets played pretty often but not overly so.

[Eviltechie]

I don't enjoy 5cp maps because both teams need to be really coordinated and balanced to have any fun. Unless the engineer can build a sentry, and some of the team can fall back a little to keep the enemy from taking pot shots at him, he'll get overwhelmed by a single spy or scout.

Payload maps absorb some of this because of the cart. It only moves so fast, so there can't be any sort of ninja capping. The path is also usually pretty linear with chokepoints, so face to face standoffs are frequent.

CTF tends to stalemate. CTF maps also usually have open areas which snipers tend to dominate. This means you can't get heavies and other slow classes in to break down defenses.

[MegapiemanPHD]

Do you need any specific server settings to run Tug of War maps? I've always been interested in playing one of those.

Personally I enjoy King of the hill maps the most. They are small and easy to remember and the good ones have a good amount of ways to get things done. My favorite would have to be lakeside and least favorite Viaduct. One level 3 sentry on Viaduct and it's GG. Harvest is pretty cool with how vertical it can be but it's too sniper friendly to really be fun. Basicly, when it comes to maps I like to have options.

I dislike Attack and defend because you never get enough options. Area's like Dustbowl's last 3rd are always a nightmare. Payload can be good as long as it's not the start of Gold Rush. That map feels way too congested.

[timtoborne]

I love Snake Water, personally, because of the middle point, you can build a dispenser to get up above the point, and wrangle a sentry up there, it is a pretty much guaranteed win, because it's impossible for spies to get up on their own, something i tend to do, is place the sentry on the edge to cover the side door and below, and the sentry behind it next to the wall, with a tele exit behind the sentry, but DON'T BUILD THE ENTRANCE, spies could take it and stab you, if you die, then build the entrance, and after you take it, destroy it. Is great defense. And is usually what I do, however, unless there are a lot of people on, it won't work, as your team needs to be a distraction, and there is a possibility of people behind, so it works even better with 2 engineers up there, one guarding each side.

[dyl1138]

koth for fewer players, pl and cp get hectic and awesome with a bunch of players.

[pinkle]

A lot of good points in this thread! Payload, ftw I also love it when there are interactive elements in maps, like the big globe in Gallery, saw blades in several maps (things that can kill you/traps/etc), and also like things you can destroy to help reach a goal/area kinda like the walls in maps like Field Trip and the space station one (lol bad at map names). There's one map where there's a big fan at the end that can send you flying in the air, kinda useless but fun anyway xD

King of the Hill maps are great, especially when there are only a handful of people in the server. n_n

I also love rainy/snowy/night time maps <:3 moar rain, pls

[Maha]

Speaking of maps with interactive environments what happened to Warpath? Does it crash the server?

[timtoborne]

@ maha, I would think so, otherwise I'd see it in rotation at least once, or someone would nominate it. It's probably been remove from the list, or it's admin only.

Also, I forgot to add this, but I also love pl_Upward, because I LOVE playing defensive engineer on that map, as there are usually a few engis who stick to the stock engi positions, so I can find sneaky places to place sentries, like I had shown blu quite a few times :3 plus, there are a lot of ways to get behind the enemy, once they have a forward spawn, that is. I ninjaneer all over the map, and use weapons that are nice and quiet :3