BF2S Forums New BF2 Map Released - (Highway Tampa)

suckz0r for rage-ability

I love it, i raped the shit out of the other team with my f18 3 rounds in a row

M.O.A.B wrote:

I've posted up some thoughts on the EA forum, requesting reduction of fog, addition of an attack helo for both side and maybe a scout helo for each side from AF. More DPV's and of course, a PLA vs USMC map, with the likes to rival Karkand in urbaness (<---I claim this word). Several other posters want the Chinese Urban map as well so maybe EA will listen.

they won't add in the scout choppers.AF only.

Last edited by aj0404 (2007-06-05 15:22:17)

SU-34 anyone?

I hate attack helicopters.  Leave them out.

Last edited by updawg (2007-06-05 15:31:33)

Snakes Verdict

As you may, or may not know, im more or less a total vehicle map whore. FuShe, Zatar, Smoke Screen and Taraba all go nicely for me. Big, open(ish) and full of fun.
Ive played two whole rounds of Highway Tampa tonight (not a lot, but ya know ).

So, you may think that this map is to my liking? Well, it is below average. At best. I would rate Zatar as 8/10.
Tampa? 3.5/10

First off, yes Im aware that it is a beta. However this map needs some serious work to be classed as a "proper map" and not just something thrown together for the sake of pleasing a few souls.

After the shit that is Wake Island and its lack of transport capacity for a 64size map, I looked at it for this map.
Each team's main base starts with:
4 x MBT's = transport capacity of 8 MAX
1x APC = transport capacity of 5 MAX
2x light transport = transport capacity of 6 MAX
1x heavy transport = transport capacity of 4 MAX
2x transport helis = transport capacity of 12 MAX
1x jet = transport capacity of 1 MAX
Grand total of 36 players

(Im ignoring RIBS, because everybody else does ).

Not bad I suppose. But lets knock off the gunner seats of the MBT's, and the APC passengers (as they rarely carry people anyway). Thats a total of -8.
So transport capacity = 28 players. For a 32man team, thats not enough. Let alone the fact that DPV's often drive off with nobody else in them.

Each main base needs at least two more FAV/DPV's for the amount of troops when the server is maxed out at 64.
And its worse at other flags. This was evident when I was commander in my second round. Every five seconds players were screaming out for vehicle drops. I have never had so many requests in a round before. Ever.
More transport vehicles are needed. End of story.

On the subject of transport, Ive had a quick check and found that there are a total of 9 FAV/DPV's on the map. For the MEC, a massive NINE of them spawn under PLA colours (Red star, Type88 on the dashboard) and only TWO under the MEC colours. DICE need to fix that.
And that also clarifies that there is not enough transport for a map of this size.

Ah, and on the subject of size (this isnt Junk Drawer, no dirty shizzle please ) - flags.
People complain of the distance to flags on Zatar? They are at about 200-350m MAXIMUM.
Tampa? Anything between 400-800m (depending where you spawn in that colossal main base). That is a HUGE distance, so much so that the jets can take off, perform a bombing run, return and rearm and fly out again to make another bombing run before any ground forces even get to a flag. That, to me, is just ridiculous.

In fact, each team's main base is so big that the fog prevents you from seeing from one end to the other...

Heres an example, with the PLA's FAV:


Thats the distance to the first MEC flag, 700m+ to the Village of Buhifum...

So lets look at flag distances shall we?



To make matters even more unfair, the US have the same sort of distance but to TWO flags, Refinery and Village of Kuhlaz, of which they are closer to the next flag, Gas Station than the MEC are - which also guarantees the Checkpoint South CP for the USMC on their rampage outwards too.
In short - the MEC have a very hard time on this map and it is due to the flag placement. I noticed this as soon as I loaded the map.

Whats more, what the hell are the RIB's at each team's main base for? I cannot see any purpose other than a very long, tiresome raid on the other teams main base - which would take how long? They may be useful for the Refinery flag, but thats really a complete USMC advantage (again).

Quite frankly, I think it needs additional flags as highlighted in red below:



One on the shore, equa-distant from each team's main (for a river raid style landing) and two more to make that looong, awful, repetitive slog at the start of the round a bit better.

And I dont think it should stop there. For a map of this size, Im thinking that it needs something like the amount of flags that Dragon Valley contains (namely, 11 - but maybe it still needs more?) to keep the action quick, fast paced and not spread out over 1.5km's.

Also, whereas people complain of the distances on Zatar and that its "too big", at least it funnels forces in a certain way (due to the redzone). I see none of that here. Ok, that makes everyone free and able to do as they please, but where are the major crunch points? With 10v10 on this map, you literally are never going to find anyone.

And finally, the HUD of the commander screen isn't quite correct for the "location" in the top left:




Also, from a graphical POV, those crossroads look really shit. I know my graphics are on low, but that really is bad.


=================

Enough criticising, onto the good points.

I got onto one of the four FULL 64man TV2 servers hosting this map tonight and I have to say that I found some great teamwork going on. As MEC commander, after a good few minutes, two fully loaded blackhawks landed in our main and capped it straight away! I was so shocked I had to get back up off the floor. It took our team a good 10minutes to take that back which was frustrating.

Armour convoys are devastating on here, they stick together (see above) and are a pain to take out. However, just for once, DICE have managed to place the TOW's and HJ-8's in good locations to take out enemy armour at distance with relative ease. Due to the insane long ranges over very straight, flat, barren land on this map, TOW's are lethal. AT-mines are near useless due to the width of roads, barren land and their ease of detection. Jihad jeeps are very useful (as I used ) but restrict your team's ability to move around. And once its blown up, you need a vehicle drop or you are literally stranded.



Helipads are found in a few of the CP's (Checkpoint West I specifically remember, but I think there is one more somewhere - I believe Checkpoint South) which serve only to repair the transport choppers.
The map really needs either more transport choppers spawning on these pads, or some attack helis on the map. It really is missing that certain something.
In fact, due to the size and ranges of the map, I believe the AF Scout Helis would be a very welcome addition to this map for getting troops out to the distant flags ASAP.

Jets, although are dominant are fairly well balanced. Bombers would make this map quite insane although with a bit more AA I believe they could work well. However, since everybody complains of jets, maybe it is fine as it is. Although dislodging all the armour when it is in a big convoy is very hard so perhaps bombers should be introduced to help turn the tables and keep the battle raging.


Enough blabber, Im gona be posting this on the EA site (maybe they will take notice, who knows).
But some things remain fact.

1) Too much driving, not enough close range action
2) More flags needed
3) More transport needed
4) Attack helis should be included, 1 per team IMO
5) Redzone funneling needed
6) Sort out bugs/quirks


If they provide all of that, then the map might just be worth its salt. As it stands, its cheap, nasty and something that has been blatently put together very quickly.

Just played a few rounds of TH. Finally a good maneuver warfare map.  Long range shooting on the move. I like the only one jet because jets cant dominate the map but they can defiantly help your team.  The tank is king on this map!  I do like that there are no uncapturable bases.

Last edited by Souls (2007-06-05 16:31:04)

Which jets are included on this map?

|HBD|You_Got_Sn1p3d wrote:

Which jets are included on this map?

Mig vs F18

Its a marketing ploy to keep people on the game. I've seen it happen a hundred times in the past.

Something that's new so we can gawk and awe over it for the first few weeks, then we'll go back to our original regular servers and forget that map even existed.

This definitely needs a bomber. Armor convoys are way too powerful with tanks.