Hey guys! This week, I want to talk to you guys about a very important issue in Garden Warfare: map design. Map design is what provides the experience and flow of each match. If characters and players are the heart of the experience, then map design is the brain. For this reason, I'd like to discuss how map design affects the GW experience, I and how I feel map design should be used in the future.
Tecku Talks About: Garden Warfare Map Design
Note: All mention of 'sides' take place from attacker point of view, unless otherwise specified.
Garden Warfare 1[]
In GW1, the maps are fairly well designed. The main emphasis was creating open fields and short but plentiful cover, with a more enclosed route along the way. For instance, the Rooftop from Main Street is fairly open, uses air conditioner units for short cover, and has a secluded corrider on the right hand side. These areas also include sections with good height advantage, but are usually without cover, such as the Rooftops' tower at the end of the corridor.
This map system grants a large amount of options for different players- direct players like Peashooter and All-Star will weave in and out of cover while getting closer to the enemy, sharpshooter like Cactus and Foot Soldier take the high ground use the open area to snipe, and sneaky classes like Scientist and Chomper take advantage of the secluded route.
Furthermore, this cover system is expanded by how players mix and match in different scenarios- Cacti can lay down Potato Mines and Tall-Nuts in the secluded routes, Chompers use the heights to get the drop on enemies, and All-Stars take the side to avoid Cactus fire.
So, yeah, I really like the map design. In fact, I'd like to share my favorite maps with you:
Wall-Nut Hills: The Playground
This map shows a lot of what I find sorely missing in GW2. There are a lot of open areas coming down the main street, but there are also a few sides routes; the houses and hedges on the right provide good cover for crossing Engineers, but Peashooters can use Hyper to try and shoot them from the rooftops.
There's also a ton of cramped, covered areas around the point itself, which can turn the tide at a moments notice from any ability- Smoke Screen, Imp Punt, Burrow, Chili Bean Bomb- the possiblilites are endless. If this map was in GW2, the entire complex around the point probably woud've been replaced with a flat strip.
Driftwood Shores: The Castle
The section is always feels like the most epic section of Driftwood Shores, and for good reason. The map is very kind to both sides, but each side has to take full advantage of the map. The outer wall of the castle gives plants a good way to snipe down the first few zombies, but zombies can use the spiral staircase to the right to flush 'em out. There's also a ledge to the right that gets a lot of traffic from both attacking zombies and newly spawned plants, which leads to some very well-paced action.
One of the best things about this map is there's no false advertising- the castle wall is meant to be a layer instead of a giant divider you have to go around. This demonstrates the great attention to height-based classes like Peashooter and Foot Soldier.
Jewel Junction
Jewel Junction is one the few arena maps with a dedicated indoor area, and it really pulls it off well. The indoor section above the cavern can be a real blast on modes like Team Vanquish, where the multiple entrances and second floor offset each other very well. I'm actually kinda sad this didn't get into GW2- yet.
Sharkbite Shores
The other arena map to get my recognition, Sharkbite Shores has a great balance of different areas- long ranges out by the sea, rooftops closer inland, and lots of sharp turns in between. One of my favorite bits is how well the dock is handled- the only way to it is from the upper level, but it's very vunerable to sniper fire from either side.
Cactus Canyon: Crash Site
Probably the best opening area to a Gardens and Graveyards map, the Crash Site is just chock full of unique ideas. The designers take complete advantage of both the fact that you're in a canyon and that there's a wrecked airship in the middle of the field to create some truly memorable scenarios. You can climb up into the wreckage, take a cavern along the side, and even jump up onto the mesas. It's a very memorable opener, and I love it from both sides.
Wall-Nut Hills: The Mansion
Now, let me explain this: this is not my choice for the best final point for Gardens and Graveyards. That distinction goes to Cactus Canyon with the Golf Course. But for the purpose of explaining map design, I want to talk about the second best one: the final point to Wall-Nut Hills. (Note: zombies only have 4 mintues to accomplish the goal. It used to be 5, so it's a lot more balanced and fun.)
This map does things very differently from the previous points on the map. The driveway is a lot wider with some very hectic fire from the Coconut Cannons, and the wall between the driveway and the front yard is an actual barrier- you're supposed to go through it, not over it. The zombies also have no rooftops to work with- the plants have the sole height advantage. So why do they do all these things? Because for this map, you have to stop every zombie from getting through. Just nicking the point will score 20% of the goal for the zombie side. So, yeah, there are choke points, and height advantages, and absolutely no summon zombies- because the plants need perfection to win.
PS- If you want to destroy the Tallnut Cannons asap, go Engineer and ram into them with your jackhammer. Their health will plummet like a rock due to a bug. Same thing goes for the Mega Flower on Driftwood Shores.
Garden Warfare 2[]
Now, let me start by saying this: the maps in this game are beautiful. In fact, the Zomburbia map is what gives me hope for the PvZ movie- seeing a zombie controlled suburb is a really unique idea, and they take advantage of every opportunity they can. From the fake astro-turf lawn to the giant vermin zoo, this map is oozing with creativity.
Ironically, though, while the maps are all unique looking, the layouts are surprisingly bland- as well as not very well balanced. For example, take the Academy section of Zomburbia. It looks cool- all the buildings and the idea of a graveyard school is great, but are there any rooftops you can reach? Not really. Are there any small corridoors? Of course not- that could cause glitches if an Imp summoned his Z-Mech while inside one.
The arena maps are also like this. Frosty Creek is a good map, and Zen Peak is okay, but the Colizeum is way too big. I mean, yes, it is implied that the Colizeum would be colossal, but just look at how wide and long the routes are around the outside, and how short on cover and rooftops it is.
Why is this so important? Well, map balance is crucial to blancing your characters. Ever notice how Kernel Corn is exactly like Soldier, but with 25 extra health? Of course not- without rooftops, no one uses his Husk Hop to take the height advantage, so instead he gets used like an All-Star.
Also, if I find out that move speed is a character upgrade, I'm gonna be really mad. I mean, that would be the fastest way to make your maps unbalancable. I can give Chomper a free pass because he's a melee class that was more about strategic ability use, but that would wreak havoc for trying to balance Peashooter or Imp.
I really do care about the direction of GW2. I love the series, and I want to see it grow. If they want to experiment with their maps, I applaud that. But I also feel that they should keep closer track of the different aspects of the game- it could really be great!