Dudes.... It depends on the situation and the server....
If you go on a pub server, nobody CARES if the US gets the rear flags or not... It's about scoring. Why do you think it's PROFITABLE for the snipers to go claymore every single entry point ? That's because the inf dont even SPAWN at the rear flag after it's taken. Why do you think people bother to PLAY this or that totally useless class ? Because they need time/points/kills with it, why are half the armor whores playing assault or whatever ? Same reason.... People play PUB karkand just for the score.
Now try to do that shit in a matchgame, and you'll get slaughtered. You NEED to stop the bleeding as US, and FAST. MEC NEEDS to keep the bleeding up, or get slaughtered by the close proximity of the US armor (and the remote posibility of loosing their armor spawn).
In a clan server or matchgame the US WILL play for the rear flags, and the MEC WILL have at least 2 guys in an APC or vod going around defending the rear flags, and the engys WILL mine the roads, and the commander WILL prevent circumvention of the factory (in fact, most US teams wont even BOTHER trying as this is a waste of tickets).
Remember in a match game/clan server it's about the WIN, on a pub server it's about the POINTS. I can't even begin to account for the times I've scored 100+ points on Karkand, and STILL lost the map. Not because I can't win the map, but becuase I wanted the point more than the wins.
Look at my history for win/loss. I played PUB karkand servers with some friends, and "just" did the righteous attack or defends, and pulled my ratio to 2+ (actually, moving fairly close to getting the 3, despite having played well over 1000 games at the time). Once the WCR changed from wins to points, I started whoring points instead of wins on the PUB servers... Same as everyone else.... Sure if you want the win, you run around defending as MEC, or hopping flags as US.... Whichever team HAS a squad that focuses on the win WILL get the win at least 70% of the time.
A TOTALLY valid strategy for winning as MEC is to simply try to hold the flags as long as possible. If the hotel falls, everyone spawns on the "island" and let the US have the West part fo the map. Then the MEC team has armor proximity advantage, and total access to spawnraping the US, and the US will NOT be able to cross the river with even a HALF competent team on the other side... In theory it works, but practically, the MECs on a PUB server will focus on getting the flags back (especially hotel) to continue the point-fest. This means that the US gets the win based on the ability to slaughter the MECs at the hotel or square with their armor, while a few hold back the MEC armor at the river.
Same thing with containment... Someone blows the TA bridge and mines the river access. Some MORON repairs the bridge rather than go the other way. and hey presto the other side has an extra access road, and all that C4 is wasted. This will NEVER, EVER happen in a matchgame. People there KNOW not to repair the bridge, unless the commander orders them to.
Karkand is a VERY cool map. It's just the PUB servers that are about points instead of wins... That's what you're experiencing, and that's not WRONG, it's just the current state of things. Go play clan matches if you want REAL teamplay, or play with friends, instead of PUB servers.
