Hotspot :- fundamentally unfair to carriers?

[warspite666]

For some reason today I have had the new hotspot map again and again and again, i am sure this is probably due to the need to test it. For the record I have no problems with this map provided I am not in a carrier, but invariably I have been in my carrier and I have to say I find it fundamentally unfair due to the split start locations.  Carriers on regular maps benefit from the fact that they have a time buffer in order to find cover and make the back line to avoid early spotting, but on this map that small margin is completely nullified. Added to the fact that in random battles most players DO NOT look out for a carriers welfare, it makes playing this map in a carrier no fun at all. I would therefore beg the devs to look carefully at the gameplay balance for carriers on this map and personally I would block carriers appearing on this map, there is very little fun in it for the unfortunate carrier driver.

[AgarwaenME]

Yep. I have no problems with this map as such, but in a carrier its terrible. Your teammates can go in three directions, and following so closely as to be safe from ships coming from unprotected directions means you'll take fire from the meeting ships.

 

Additionally, it further makes CV vs CV play (which already is troublesome) even worse. If you're in a fighter setup, the opposing CV can attack something on the opposing side on the map diagonally. And where your fighters are extremely likely to have to take AAA from multiple ships before getting there way too late. With non fighter setups, you know the teams will have far more grouped ships and you're very likely to be in range of another CVs attack planes that can hit you within 40-50 seconds from start, and there's very limited manouvering space that won't place you directly into gunfire.

 

It's far too RNG for CVs. You can get extremely lucky in an attack setup and just send waves after waves, or you can get taken out within a minute or effectively so by having to spend your entire time running away and throwing bombs and torps against pursuers of the kind that has no problems avoiding them.

[TheLordFlash]

I really hope that Hotspot is the only map to have split teams, if its a continuing trend for future maps then the CV will become an even more endangered species.

[Lord_Icedewd]

I have the exact same impression here . . . it 's a well known fact that most cv commanders stray far from the main battlegroup in all maps, but in hotspot it does'nt matter. CV has a big bullseye painted on its deck.

[vonBlashyrkh]

Hotspot is just a terrible map for everyone, not just CV drivers. The separate spawns thing just does not work.

[Figment]

Not at all, you just need to make sure your allies focus on one side and follow them. At first go close to the land mass and prevent angles on you, later on follow your fleet. Shouldn't be a problem as long as your team prevents the enemy from closing all exits.

[SethAbercromby]

Hotspot is a map that creates a lot of circular movement between the individual fleets. If you don't follow, you'll end up being swept up if the enemy fleet drawa a circle your direction.

 

This map is particlarly intersting for CAs and DDs because of its fragemented island strutures, but these islands also provide a lot of cover to CVs if used currectly, death traps if not. Due to the fact that cruisers and DDs can get really close to BBs beroe either can engage, the latter is also encuraged to use more agressive styles of play, dominating points to catch a CA when they are most vulnerable or use CA escorts to cover their flanks.

 

Basically, this map is completely designed to punish the coward's approach to combat while being extremely rewarding for any that are willing to play more agressively.

[warspite666]

I agree that the map makes for fun cruiser and destroyer actions, but what do you mean by a cowards approach? Battleships and carriers are designed to engage at as long a range as humanly possible, thats the point, there is no cowardice in playing to your strengths. That is why this map is unfair, it doesnt allow battleships and carriers especially to play to their strengths.

[RaakaKarju]

I think its good map if played as a team so give support to carriers at start of game so they get little distance of enemy, dd go midle others go round to same direction not as usually bb goes midle and get fire every direction and torpedos. Whith destroyers it's great map lots of islands to give cover and place to shoot torpedos close range.

[Shirio]

as long as your teammates (on your side) don't meet up in the middle, it works fine... if they push on one direction, you can follow them on the "back" .. but Hotspot is a map where you can have the best games ever.. or the 4min. deaths without any participation

 

[Figment]

I agree that the map makes for fun cruiser and destroyer actions, but what do you mean by a cowards approach? Battleships and carriers are designed to engage at as long a range as humanly possible, thats the point, there is no cowardice in playing to your strengths. That is why this map is unfair, it doesnt allow battleships and carriers especially to play to their strengths.

 

Actually, a carrier that can get close to the action is more dangerous than one who's aircraft are in the air constantly without ordinance.

[xBamBamx]

Personally i press reverse at start, launch planes in 2 directions to spot and keep eye on where team mates are heading , if enemy CV then wait to see which side hes on (and setup) before acting.  Depends on what CV your in too.  In IJN the closer you are to the action the faster turnaround of planes and more damage you can do.  Its much more fast paced and have to constantly move ship to best position, its fun, i like it.

[ddod]

Newsflash! Noone cares about CVs.

[YukiEiriKun]

Newsflash! Noone cares about CVs.

 

I do like them. They give air support.

And they can be nasty when one is capping, like I learned yesterday. Luckily my Fuso dodged most of his DB's and torps..

[VonNorwegen]

Manuvering between lots of small islands is not exactly favourable for battleships either. Not every map is good for everyone

[Spellfire40]

 

Actually, a carrier that can get close to the action is more dangerous than one who's aircraft are in the air constantly without ordinance.

 

  Actually a Carrier that is spoted wont be able to nach strikes with precison because he has to concentrate on staying alive.

 

cu

 

Spellfire40

[Ectar_]

Hotspot is a map that creates a lot of circular movement between the individual fleets. If you don't follow, you'll end up being swept up if the enemy fleet drawa a circle your direction.

 

This.

 

Hotspot encourages teams to engage. The split spawns mean that players need to choose which direction you go.  The middle is usually very dangerous as you're crossing 2 groups of enemy ships.  As a carrier player you need to learn to move your ship.  Too many carrier players just park behind a island and stay there all game.  Yes you need to watch your squadrons, but when they're taking up to 2 mins to return and rearm you have plently of time to take stock of what's happening on the minimap.  

 

Don't get tunnel vision and be prepared to sail with the fleet (or at least the biggest bulk of friendly ships you can find). They're far more likely to be able to protect you and any enemy ships wanting to shoot at you will have to also deal with your team mates.  Too many times I see carrier players acting like they're just in control of the planes and totally ignoring they have a ship to control also.

 

A lone carrier is easy prey for most ships. Destroyers will run you down, Battleships can engage you at range and so can cruisers.  The best way to avoid that is not being a lone carrier.

[Wischmob_von_Eimer]

Will we at one point be able to spawn on one side of the map with our division teammates?

 

Thats the only real problem I have with the map, you can not play together with the rest of your division. While you can regroup on other maps here you have to cross a death zone.

[Vulgarny]

 

This.

 

Hotspot encourages teams to engage. The split spawns mean that players need to choose which direction you go.  The middle is usually very dangerous as you're crossing 2 groups of enemy ships.  As a carrier player you need to learn to move your ship.  Too many carrier players just park behind a island and stay there all game.  Yes you need to watch your squadrons, but when they're taking up to 2 mins to return and rearm you have plently of time to take stock of what's happening on the minimap.  

 

Don't get tunnel vision and be prepared to sail with the fleet (or at least the biggest bulk of friendly ships you can find). They're far more likely to be able to protect you and any enemy ships wanting to shoot at you will have to also deal with your team mates.  Too many times I see carrier players acting like they're just in control of the planes and totally ignoring they have a ship to control also.

 

A lone carrier is easy prey for most ships. Destroyers will run you down, Battleships can engage you at range and so can cruisers.  The best way to avoid that is not being a lone carrier.

 

Very good advice, now how many games do you have in carrier?

 

[Bobbydylan]

I really like it.   

 

But Then I'm a DD driver. 

[Exodude]

 

Very good advice, now how many games do you have in carrier?

 

 

Obviously none, else he would know how crap that map was

[Sharana]

Well it's the same on the RU. They say how good the concept of X spawn and cooperation is, DDs agree, CAs and BBs are mostly neutral (not a bad map, but normal spawns would probably be better), while 99% of the CVs say that's as funny as Himmelsdorf for arty or Malinovka for Maus, but you see it every 2-3 battles on the high tiers

 

[Unintentional_submarine]

 

This.

 

Hotspot encourages teams to engage. The split spawns mean that players need to choose which direction you go.  The middle is usually very dangerous as you're crossing 2 groups of enemy ships.  As a carrier player you need to learn to move your ship.  Too many carrier players just park behind a island and stay there all game.  Yes you need to watch your squadrons, but when they're taking up to 2 mins to return and rearm you have plently of time to take stock of what's happening on the minimap.  

 

Don't get tunnel vision and be prepared to sail with the fleet (or at least the biggest bulk of friendly ships you can find). They're far more likely to be able to protect you and any enemy ships wanting to shoot at you will have to also deal with your team mates.  Too many times I see carrier players acting like they're just in control of the planes and totally ignoring they have a ship to control also.

 

A lone carrier is easy prey for most ships. Destroyers will run you down, Battleships can engage you at range and so can cruisers.  The best way to avoid that is not being a lone carrier.

 

It doesn't really matter if you follow the fleet around or not. A carrier almost instantly draws a lot of attention not even a battleship can't match. Following the fleet just insures that you are that much closer to the enemy guns. And since enemy guns can range and hit you from spawn to spawn... It is a bad map for carriers.

Yes, carriers need to stay relatively close to the team in general. But on Hot Spot you need to be right on their heels or risk getting nailed from behind, which you still do I might add. I have watched several carriers get nuked from behind while barely behind the battleships. How is a carrier to get out of that situation?

Let me tell you how, but being a d-bag and leave the team to go into the far corner, at least until 'his' team has cleared a path. The important stuff is to stay clear of detection on this map. And you don't do that by moving closer to the enemy, even if you sit on the other side of an island. If the carrier's team does win the engagement, the carrier runs like hell forwards them, hoping that the incoming enemies don't detect him, or if they do are either engaged or haven't got the range (DDs generally). Sitting between the islands, using them for cover is good once the map has been 'cleaned' a bit. But it is very risky early on, as it is basically the one place a carrier should never put himself with potential enemy around.

[_ramrus_]

If ships would just circle the map that would be nice for a carrier.

When they just steam for middle and split up they leave huge gaps on the flanks. Any ship that comes through those gaps has a nice shot at CV.

My problem is the constant overwork. I have to constantly dodge attacks on my carrier while doing my own attacks.

[Warwolf1969]

If I'm in a BB and I can get any sort of shot off at a CV I take it.  Which is why Hotspot is so bad for CVs.  They just have a massive bulls eye on them from the start.  With the split spawn there's no proper protection for them.  Especially as the teams start so close to each other's spawn site.  For a CV captain you'd have to spend the first few minutes just running for you life.  

 

This map is one for CA and DD captains.  It is classic cruiser/destroy territory.  Lots of islands to move around behind and hide.  Chances to pop out and hit the enemy from behind with surprise.  tight quarters making torp runs easier.  Even with the silly maneuvering buff for BBs from the last update you are very venerable to torps in this map.  It really needs to have a single spawn site for each side so you can work more as a team.  Which would also help for the CV captains who are totally screwed by this map.