You know, all of the BTB maps pretty much only have wraiths as the heavy vehicle. It's getting kinda boring using them all the time. So I've tried desperately to balance Scorpions on an Avalanche inspired map I'm making. The problem is, no matter what I do, the tanks become overpowered. Sure, I could put more powerweapons on the map, but then the other, lighter, vehicles wouldn't stand a chance. I guess one solution would be to make it have a really long spawn time (more than 180 seconds), but then it would be as if their are never any heavy vehicles. If there's no way to balance the tank, then there isn't any point in having it in the game, unless Bungie can somehow reduce its range, power, or armor, which I don't see happening. So has anyone successfully balanced a tank on a map?
Elevation changes. Scorpions can only effectively shoot stuff if they're going level or downhill, so make sure to incorporate some variations in terrain. Also, breaking the map up with cover is also helpful, and Banshees can help check the Scorpion effectively if they're well positioned. Obviously some Rockets should also be on the map.
You could try adding cover, create path that the tank can hardly take, but are still driveable with a Warthog, add high structure so it's harder for the tank to keep an eye on everything. Have 2 rockets, but with less ammo, one for each team, instead of one in the middle. Add a Fuel Rod Gun, powerfull, but the bullet are slow, giving time for the lighter vehicles as the warthog to evade it. Or place the tank as a fixed turret, so it would be easier to target, but could still be powerfull. I don't know how your map look like, but if the tank is overpower, it's because: 1- There is not enough cover for Spartan 2- It's too hard to reach the power weapon without being shoot by the tank. 3- Tank can go almost everywhere on the map, making it difficult for the Spartan to take cover. 4- Something else Hope it could help.
Or you could do what Boneyard does and put a destructable power weapon in the middle of the freakin' map. Because the tank's much more balanced when it's destroyed on spawn constantly.
Well since my maps about 2/3s complete and made completely out of forge blocks (ground is colesium walls) I'll just stick with Wraiths. Once I start another BTB map I'll take what you guys suggested into account. Thanks.
Limited sight/movement. If the tank can't see every single direction around it, people can come up and have a chance at boarding it.
Make the tank confined so it can't just move in any direction. You don't want it to be stuck on a set path like the Elephants in sandtrap, but be sure it can't move freely over the entire map, and preferable keep it from seeing in all directions too. Think of how powerful the scorpions were on Hemmorage because they can see and move everywhere, yet on Paradiso they are much more balanced because there are plenty of ways to sneak up on the tank or avoid it. Do not put a laser on the map to balance the tank because whichever team gets the laser can destroy the other tank giving theirs free reign over the entire map. Rocket launchers are fine because the tank has a chance to get away unless the enemy with the rocket launcher is quite close, and the rocket launcher doesn't have the ability to kill other vehicles like warthogs and almost everything else at long range too like the laser.
what if you had a laser in a spot hard for a tank to shoot but easy to be sniped in? and the frg is overpowered. on Spire, I get a killing spree everytime (and I almost always get it so it is awesome) basically th frg has way too much ammo, with 15 shots I could camp in rex or up top in spire all day edit: camp in red not rex
I'd go with the quote above. Every vehicle has its strength and weakens. Scorpians can shoot fast and deadly but are limited by its rotation. The wraith is more an artillery, and it's shots are slow so you know its coming. Even though your map is made up from scratch with forge walls. you can line up big ramps to make structured elevation differences. Think like making a crater and having the heavy vehicles towards the bottom. So if you want to advance, you would haft to keep pushing and taking each plane. This balances the scorpion as it cant completely decimate the playing field, and the further it advances, the deadly it gets which then will make the opposing team want it dead even more. And if you have a skilled pilot/driver it can easily turn into a skill game. infantry blocks boarders and the driver just steam rolls snipers (or w/e) Having a laser or a rocket launcher on the map as an anti-vehicle is sufficient enough. The only problem that would become apparent would be the placement of it. However, you are correct. placing anti-vehicle weapons on the map would counter the bigger guys. Even if they decimate the light ones, you would not have it spawn ridiculously fast. I could go on back and forth about balancing different thing but then I would be writing a blog...
Another idea is the inclusion of plasma pistols, they are not as domineering as the Spartan Laser but are still efficient at a close range. Also, maybe consider a neutral Scorpion. One of the things I hated about Hemmorage was the way the two two tanks had an immediate standoff, with the winning tank dominating. Maybe a neutral Scorpion would solve the problem.
I re-iterate my point about Boneyard. Having a neutral vehicle is usually problematic since, unlike power weapons, they can be destroyed before either team gets them into their base or even gets access to it. If you're going for this approach though, I'd recommend putting the vehicle in a garage like enclosure to block line of sight from the bases to the scorpion. People would go there as it's the focal point of the map, but there'd be an infantry battle to secure the area rather than people just getting in the tank and trying to drive off, dying on the way.
Think of Paradiso. The terrain forces the Scorpion to take one route. The best weapon to counter the Scorpion is the Spazer, and it is in spot where the Scorpion can kill it. The whole trick is balance. Give your Scorpion a path where it can potentially get alot of kills, but is in huge danger.