DISCLAIMER: The 4 suggestions below do not apply to all maps. Most of the maps are designed well enough ( :tup: ) that these suggustions become irrelevant. These suggestions are more for future maps like MoonCraters and Castles (two of my favorites ) Number 4 is my favorite suggestion by far.
First off, I LOVE THIS MOD!! The gameplay is straight up UT2K4 DeathMatch :tup: (which I love), the maps are great, the concept is stellar and the HUD is absolutely orgasmic.
Back to my suggestions. Pub play is awesome, I always have fun online, fragging and breaking people out of jail. Part of the reason online play is so fun is because the teamwork isn't that great. Don't get me wrong, the lack of teamwork is a GOOD thing at this point. Everyone runs out, starts fragging and a good time is had by everyone. I love it.
But then I started thinking about competitive play... If two good teams played eachother, neither one would want to leave their base. I guarantee it. There would simply be no reason to. A good team would stay in their base, stick together and wipe out the other team as they entered. This is especially true in maps like MoonCraters and Castles.
Here is where the mappers responsibility comes in. Make damn sure both teams have a good reason to leave their base. This means minimal health and weapons in the base. Here are a couple key points to make sure people leave their base and action stays constant.
1. No Shields. Absolutely no shields in the base. None. 0. Zilch. Neither 100's or 50's should be available in your base. You want shields, you should have to go get some.
2. No Keg O'Health. Health paks and a few vials are ok. However, keep the keg out of the base.
3. No Lightning Gun and Shock Rifle. Do not put either of these weapons in the base. I cannot stress this enough. They are arguably the most powerful and useful weapons in the game. If you want one, you should have to go out and get it.
- IMO, Link, Bio and Flak are good weapons to have in the base. They are good enough and versatile enough to get you going. Use your best judgement.
4. Spawn Points. Mix it up. At the start of the map, don't be afraid to spawn people all over the map. Who said all the spawn points have to be in your base? Make sure to keep 3 or 4 spawns in the base, but spread the rest out. Put some in the middle of the map, and even put some red and blue spawns by eachother. This will start the fighting immediately, and give your team more incentive to leave their base and come to the aid or rescue of their teammates.
I talked to a lot of different people in a few different clans about this, and they all agree on these points. I really feel that these suggestions will help encourage aggressive play.
Keep up the awesome work, and good luck with MSU!!!!