Firstly Zeno, I must congratulate you on this map, it's mostly finished as it would seem and well done in most places. Now, for preliminary feedback.
Firstly, I'd like to discuss the assets. This map is THE perfect, kiowa and chinook map. Trucks and bradleys really arent what the americans use in afghanistan, especially high up in the mountains like that. The impassable mountains, lack of roads entirely, hard terrain, and the fact that there is a fob that desperately needs supplying all call out for the kiowa and chinook to be used. I dont think this map can be successful without a transport heli for the americans, logistics, although not impossible will be a nightmare, and rarely will fobs be built close to far off caches, and never more than one. Of course this IS testing, so DONT go swapping out the trucks now, but my opinion as it stands is that getting rid of all logis but one, and putting in a chinook is the best option. Secondly, ditching the bradley. I think this map is something that kokan tried to be, but couldnt. What I mean by that is, that kokan uses that assets i speak of, the ones that americans frequently use in afghanistan, but they are really just not used like theyre supposed to. The tiny draw distance, and half of the map being unused doesnt favour tactics like fire support with the stryker, or scouting with the kiowa at all. Because of the 1000m draw distance that badhis mountain has, and the terrain, I dont think the bradley is really that appropriate. Again, it's worth testing, this is the point of this event, but I think the stryker's .50 could actually perform well in this map. Because of the terrain, using SPGs, and especially gary will be a huge challenge for the taliban, and the bradley might be too powerful in certain situations. Secondly, on the topic of the kiowa, again because of the massive draw distance, scouting with the kiowa would become far more legitimate, on kokan, flying above 200m means you can barely see the ground. A .50 + 2 hellfire kiowa, in my opinion would be perfect for this map, it would allow for scouting, and support. The taliban's assets seem to lack an ammo techi for mortars, any bikes for trans, and only 2 .50 techi is underwhelming. Also, the gary is going to be completely useless on this map, guaranteed INFA 100% due to terrain, archer has proved this. Seems like this needs changing.
Suggest:
US Army: 1 chinook CH47, 1 Stryker ICV, 1 OH-58D kiowa w/ .50 cal + 2x AGM-114 or .50 cal + 7x hydra, 1 logistics truck, 2 HMMWV
Taliban: 2x SPG techi, 3x .50 techi or 1x AA techi (if this is in next patch), 15-20x bikes, 1x ammo techi
Secondly, ill address caches. this requires much playtesting to make any conclusions so ill just post an example I found, and things to look out for in testing.
1) Are caches too predictable? This map is like operation archer in quite a few ways, and one of the issues archer has with unknowns is that theyretoo easy to find. There are a very limited number of compounds and locations within those compounds to easily locate caches on archer. Although there quite a few more caves, random bunkers, and such to bring badhis up to a better map like lashkar's level, this is worth considering. Americans should attempt to search for unknowns, and if theyre too succesful we may need to change this. HOWEVER, if DB's mod and the new 1 cache system becomes official, and I hope it does, this completely scoots around this issue.
2) Bad caches, this is obvious. Are there multi level impossible cave systems? Are there caches that you couldnt build a fob close enough to, and it becomes impossible to assault? Too close to either main? Out in the wide open for bradley?
Here's an example. Caches out in the open like this, dont work. Too easy to mortar or arty, to easy to HAT, to easy to bradley, if all it takes is giving it a little house or tent then fine. Images of said cache and more here:
Thirdly, the map itself has some issues. Some oversights include the dam to nowhere. I dont know what the point of that dam static is, when no river flows to or from it? There also is no control room for it? Perhaps adding a building around it, as a cache location could be good, in making it feel more "in place", and fixing the bad cache in my album below. Another anomaly are the roads. Firstly, theyre not roads, but they lead away from taliban main like they are. Are they creek beds or roads, sometimes they appear to be one or the other in places? You take damage, you also take damage driving nearly everywhere too with a humvee. Another issue is a bunker with no ladder (link posted), it's in the C1-D1 area I believe. Finally is the outpost. It's a good idea, I believe, a secure spawn point that can lay fire down across the map, fire mortars from, etc. but it will fail to be useful for two good reasons. Firstly, no supplies will come to it. As far as I can tell only one logi spawns, and it will not be used to resupply the FOB. It will be needed for fobs desperately, and if it's destroyed or abandoned in the field, there is no other option. A chinook in the map would completely fix that. Secondly, it's impossible to shoot out of, and it's impossible to set up assets that can fire out of it. You literally, can not see out of the base, all you can do to hold it, is camp the entrance. Fixed machine guns that dont suck, and the ability for soldiers to actually see over the hescos would be nice. if new statics need to be developed, so be it. Enclosed, an image of what a guard tower ought to look like, with a scoped m240, camo net, and an actual field of fire. Also, the size of the thing doesnt lend itself to be able to place mortars.
http://imgur.com/a/ISfpj#0
. Kiowa could be fun.
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