Use of Shield Doors in Competitive Map Design

apparently people find them distracting so they leave them oout.

 

There are many reasons to use a shield-door. The first one that comes to my mind is to place it at an opening of a base/building. That way humans can enter the base/building but vehicles can not. You can then place them strategically around as cover. I think people don't use them as much because they are just not being that creative with them. You don't have to use the whole shield-door, you can use just a part of it for cover. That way it you have something to hide behind without having another item you have to jump over or move around. Also shield-doors can be used as windows. Place it inside a fence box/wall or a wall slit and you have a item where you can see through but you can't shoot through. That's just about all I can think of. I'm sure there are still some more uses though.

 

I have seen Shield Doors used as combat-blockers in Sky-Bubble maps, to block off weapon fire, but not sight lines. The Shield Doors would be out of reach of course. I think I also saw one on Foundry, where there 2 bridges, protected by Shield Doors in the middle so you could only shoot each other if standing in a specific location.

Shield Doors can also be used as windows, vehicle blockers, and ramp-jumps [stick the shield door inside the wall or object, right under the driving surface, giving the vehicle a small boost into the air].

 

Shield doors can lead to camping. That's why there were new versions of Epitaph and Snowbound made, because people would just camp and they were getting too many complaints I guess.

 

I can't find the video, but Fritzster made a map that included shield doors for MLG and they were placed over edges of platforms so you couldn't shoot through, but you were able to nade over, jump through and look through them. The map is on foundry and he does commentary during the entire video.

EDIT: Here it is:
Cataphract Halo 3 Map Video - Halo 3 Game - MLG Game Room@@AMEPARAM@@http://gameroom.mlgpro.com/v/Ibu9JiW2arg@@AMEPARAM@@Ibu9JiW2arg

 

They tend to slow down gameplay dramatically, those awkward standoffs where you are both staring at each other waiting for the other to move, but they can be done right, its just hard.

 

They are perfectly fine, except that they generally break the flow of combat. You don't wan't to have a nice circular motion along the map except it slows down right by the sheild door and disrupts gameplay. Look at gaurdian. Use of man cannons and specific jumps ensure that the map flows counter clockwise. Add in a sheild door it breaks this flow.