Poll: Your favourite of the two VIPR maps?

[Shens]

It's been about half a year since the update released now. We've all (hopefully) had time to play on the new maps: vipr_2bridge and vipr_drizzle. So which one of them feels better to you? I've asked around before and the opinion seemed to be divided. So why not ask on a forum.

 

[Argoniphile]

I enjoy playing vipr_2bridge more. The sightline and backroute play is more interesting when playing Spy/Sniper than vipr_drizzle. I really like how the TF2C mapmakers impliment verticality, something they've done much better than OG maps (Jump pad anyone?). I like the bridges and the pond in the center, creating downtime spots for on fire/injured players.

To be honest though, I don't rank either highly. This has been itching me for a while. Imo, I find VIP race to be a middle of the road gamemode. Its a good shakeup from the standard rotation. Both 2bridge and drizzle suffer from the spawn being too close to last point. It makes that last push a slog if a team isnt coordinated or spawn caming. The former of which is difficult on pub, especially when dying means losing progression. I understand that the VIP needs a consequence for dying, creating high-risk gameplay, but it leads to both maps stalemating to sudden death more often than they should I've noticed (the cp_powerhouse treatment). Is this also anyone else's experience?

That being said, they're not bad maps by any means. This is probably my own gripes more than anything else, especially as a casual player. We've also played a lot of vipr since Double Down released and there are only two maps. I could absolutely just be nitpicking. I'd love to see more vipr maps in the future!

 

[Shens]

I guess I'll chip in with my own opinion on the new maps: so far I enjoy Drizzle way more. This has to do a lot with my low-performance setup (hell, my CPU is probably older than a quarter of this sourcemod's playerbase) which tends to lag a lot on 2Bridge. Did have a chat with the devs and apparently 2Bridge is pretty damn optimized. Still, point stands.

There's also the almost inverted layout of both maps' middles. On 2Bridge you need to go to the outside parts of the middle area to climb back onto the points, meanwhile on Drizzle you have to go up to the middle and then outwards to the points. Somehow, the latter feels way nicer to play. Something about it not feeling like retreating but instead always pushing forward when you need to get onto the points.

But yeah, currently with the lack of variety and the pub experience where usually only half the team is playing consciously to win, I'd rather play some of the more basic (or just standard A/D VIP) modes. Interestingly enough, most fun VIPR map I've played so far was Chopper by one of the newer devs on the team, Damon. Something rather simple about that layout that makes it so much more engaging, when you're not still figuring out the map layout by your 3rd game.

 

[Funny Leg Jiggle]

I think it's obvious to say that the first set of control points and paths on drizzle are far better designed: There are multiple paths and a variety of cover and corners that give both teams more freedom to manoeuvre. But, I think after that point, the push into the houses and eventually pushing onto the point is a less engaging experience.

Neither team really goes to counter push in those houses so usually the VIP can get pretty close to the final point without much issue. Whilst capping that point tends to be still challenging, it feels more it's the team taking the ground rather than simply holding the car to let the VIP cap?

2bridge, on the other hand I find lends itself to being more fun to defend and attack the final set of points. It's quite open and a bit spacious that makes it feel less clastrophobic. There's a lot of back and forth and the entrances to the last point are very much going through two chokepoints that both teams tend to want to hold. I always find myself enjoying the final push on 2bridge much more than drizzle as a consequence.

Also I think the open plaza design of 2bridge is very much you like it or you hate it, it's chaotic and frantic and the sightlines are a little more punishing than drizzle being a bigger bend with more cover.

 

[Shens]

Neither team really goes to counter push in those houses so usually the VIP can get pretty close to the final point without much issue.

Thing is, the potential of Drizzle routing hasn't really been explored too much, at least in my experience (if I were to guess, it is more back-and-forth stalematey than 2Bridge). What I like doing whenever I get to play on that map (which I haven't in about a month now) is pushing from underpass, especially if i'm playing Heavy, because the defending team tends to look over that flank route often. It's always either the house drop or through the setup cubby, not inbetween, where the team expects a last push to happen.

 

[Funny Leg Jiggle]

Thing is, the potential of Drizzle routing hasn't really been explored too much, at least in my experience (if I were to guess, it is more back-and-forth stalematey than 2Bridge). What I like doing whenever I get to play on that map (which I haven't in about a month now) is pushing from underpass, especially if i'm playing Heavy, because the defending team tends to look over that flank route often. It's always either the house drop or through the setup cubby, not inbetween, where the team expects a last push to happen.

I wouldn't dispute this but my take is that all parts of 2bridge are fun to fight on with arguably the last points being the most hectic and interesting.
Drizzle kind has a bit of a lull where usually one team gets the point and just kinda, collapses on last and it feels a bit wishywashy. You have to go past their spawn and all their critical paths to get to last on bridge so it makes the huddle together more fun imho. The first set of points of drizzle defo more engaging than the bridge part of 2bridge though, absolutely.

 

[vickydont]

I enjoy playing on 2bridge, but I feel it gets into a stalemate relatively quickly unless one team has more skilled players or a kritz medic. I find it hard to find myself having as much an impact as an Engineer on 2bridge compared to Drizzle, where I can reliably hold down an area and actually flank it.
2bridge to me feels too small to be a map that you can actually take seriously. I find myself playing multiple classes to accommodate the lack of flanks and/or spots that I can reliably hold.
In the end, opinions are always subjective and vary for each person. I still enjoy 2bridge as a map and actively vote for it, but I will always enjoy Drizzle more due to the fact that it has better flanks and allows me to do way more like Engineer and other classes.

 

[vilewitch]

I find it hard to find myself having as much an impact as an Engineer on 2bridge compared to Drizzle, where I can reliably hold down an area and actually flank it.

Honestly the ONE spot I see constantly that ends up being super effective is that really tall roof that you can build on for some reason, near the car. Some jump pads/a teleporter and some snipers and power classes makes that point a nightmare to push if an engie and his team set up there. Outside of that though, yeah it's not as easy to hold as Drizzle is with engie.