I read a post a while ago that basically outright stated that Bioware would benefit from just making new maps for Warzones. I thought about it, honestly, it's not a bad theory. Think about it, Warzones are getting old and boring, repetitive, how better would it be if we just had a few variations?

So, this topic is basically asking you, the reader, as to what variations to the maps you think would be interesting to see in SWTOR. Think how Novarre Coast is similar to Civil War, things like that, it doesn't have to be new gameplay mechanics, just new maps. Maybe a 3-point capture game that takes place on Mustafar, where instead of guns, they control shields that cover your ship, you have to get your shields up to 300 or your ship will melt in the lava.

Also, having new Warzone mechanics and concepts will help to break the monotony feeling of playing the same Warzone over and over again with it just looking different, introducing different mechanics and playstyles will give players a break from playing the same concept over and over again, leading them to be bored.

The ideas I've come up with are:

1. "Tower climb"; basically it's a race to the top of the tower, this warzone would without a doubt be a complete knockback fest, but I know I would certainly love running up stairs with a predation boost on my Mara. I think this would be one of those warzones where it really wouldn't be all that serious and be more of a break from other warzones. If more than one warzone existed with this gameplay, it'd be horrible.

2. "Huttball Map, Electric Field"; It'd play similar to the Pit version of Huttball we see now, except the firepits would be replaced with generators, that would charge up and then stun anyone who would walk over them. The two pits at the end wouldn't exist and would be replaced with cabled fields that would either slow you down whilst doing minor DoT, or would just simply stun you and the field would turn on and off. This would mirror the need to use the upper pathways in the Pit version.

3. "Huttball Map, Theed Complex"; remember the area where Qui-gon and Obi-Wan fought Darth Maul? Imagine having the two end zones, each with 2 paths onto a middle ring, that is about the same size as the area between the two pits in The Pit, yet in the middle of this ring is a smaller ring, that will hold the ball, basically, every few moments, a bridge would either appear, or disappear, to get the ball you'd have to walk over this bridge, grab the ball, then walk back and get to the end zone. This would potentially be made better or worse if the inner ring was within shooting range of the outer ring, MDPS would definitely be screwed with that idea.

4. "Capture the Flag"; I was remembering when I played Halo3 online ages ago, there was this one map that had two bases, you just had to go in and capture the flag and bring it back to your own, this was made more interesting by having people ride around in vehicles and shooting you, stuff like that, would be fun indeed to see someone flying around on a swoop-bike firing at you whilst you run carrying a flag.

What ideas have you?

How about a Guild Wars-esque WvW?

Would be cool, but realistically it is not possible with this engine. Illum when 1.1 hit was living proof that it will never happen.

Cool ideas.

Here's one I've been thinking about.

Crashing Destroyer:

This has happened so many times in each of the Class Stories. You're on a large ship and you need to get off it as it's about to blow up.

The hook for this WZ is that there are only a limited amount of working escape pods, and the only available escape pod room is on the other side of the ship.

The mechanics of this WZ could be similar to Voidstar except that there are 2 attacking teams trying to get to the 'datacore' (Escape pod room). The final section of the WZ could be the first team to seal off the room full of escape pods to beable to have them all for themselves.

I want first and foremost, LARGER maps. With the current maps and nameplates you can see where the majority of players are. That leaves little room for suprise attacks unless you are stealth.

Random events too. I want something on the maps that will force you to adapt at any given time to a new situation.

Huttball is simple and too easy once you get a chain set up. There needs to be more "randomixed" things than predictable and stationary firetraps. "hard to spot" moving vortexes that teleports you elsewhere and stuff.

The problem with most Warzones is that they get locked down with standard strategy.

I was thinking two arena same type elite mobs on each side. You could vary the mob types and their special abilities. Whichever team kills all theirs first wins. It would totally encourage PVE players to join and maybe give them the bug to queue up and try other maps.

I've always wanted them to include Mobs in WZs in this game.

I want to recreate the 'Hope' trailer in a WZ. The mobs could even be trash, just include some troopers and imperials in the mix with a few 'strong' jedi and sith NPC "leaders" and then all the Players are the 'Hero Characters'; like Satele, Jace Malcom and Malgus were in the trailer.

VIP escort.

A convoy (comprising of a few unarmed vehicles, NPC turrets and a shield generator protecting a VIP) moves across Tattoine's sands. One side defends the convoy, the other tries to kill the VIP.

Two phases. The first phase ends if the convoy makes it across the map, or if the VIP dies. Second phase begins, and the sides' roles are swapped around.

This is a great thread, and I think we should continue to brainstorm up new ideas for Warzones. Open world PvP is awesome, I love it, but let's make this a Warzone discussion thread. With luck, some of these ideas will land in the game.

Remember the first rule of brainstorming: don't ask "how?", ask "what if?" This isn't about saying why ideas won't work, it is about coming up with ideas! Let's have fun with this!

I would love variations on the traps in Huttball. I think that you could have energy fields like are in Chasing The Shadow (the heroic in the Republic Black Hole dailies). They suck you in, then do a ton of damage. It would be kind of interesting.

This is a really far out idea, but what about a map that separates the team into two sets of four (the team gets to choose how that will be split up), and one team races down to a lower level to cut the power on doors, and the other team pushes through the doors disabling crucial systems for a ship (for example). It would be a variation on Voidstar, with the same number of doors and in-between objectives, but each team would either be responsible for doors or objectives. There would be an attacking phase and defending phase, just like in VS now.

Keep the ideas flowing! What are your dreams for new WZs?

Controllable turrets, vehicles, etc. Mobs of NPCs, as mentioned.

Even the same games, ie Huttball, just with different maps would be nice.

Ooooh, I like the VIP escort idea! The "VIP" could even be an AT-AT walker!!!! Nerd-gasm!

What feels missing from WZs at the moment are the PvP / PvE mixings. Like WvW, or Alterac Valley. Just for a change of pace you know? Give us more than just players to kill. And let's give the tanks something more fun that just standing within 15 m of a healer and taunting.

PS: Also, more Huttball maps. Huttball rules.

This is a really far out idea, but what about a map that separates the team into two sets of four (the team gets to choose how that will be split up), and one team races down to a lower level to cut the power on doors, and the other team pushes through the doors disabling crucial systems for a ship (for example). It would be a variation on Voidstar, with the same number of doors and in-between objectives, but each team would either be responsible for doors or objectives. There would be an attacking phase and defending phase, just like in VS now.

Kinda like, the team in the bottom have to turn a switch on, which would open a door above for the team to progress through the first door on the upper level, beyond that door is a switch to open the bottom level's first door. This would encourage heavily for teams to work together better, I get the feeling this would be utter mayhem for PUGs.

Crashing Destroyer:

 

This has happened so many times in each of the Class Stories. You're on a large ship and you need to get off it as it's about to blow up.

 

The hook for this WZ is that there are only a limited amount of working escape pods, and the only available escape pod room is on the other side of the ship.

 

The mechanics of this WZ could be similar to Voidstar except that there are 2 attacking teams trying to get to the 'datacore' (Escape pod room). The final section of the WZ could be the first team to seal off the room full of escape pods to beable to have them all for themselves.

I like this, an idea I'm thinking of is it would be kind of like a king of the hill battle, where maybe at the end of the match, there are 6 escape pods to a small area, whoever is the last player in that area wins, unless there are none of the other faction. This would be interesting because four Imps and 2 pubs could take the pods. Oh how exciting that would be, heh..

Really, 8th page?

I had to go through 8 pages, filled mostly with junk, rants and whining, to come across what I'd hope would be a productive or at least, fun topic, where people could share their ideas?

Guess it just might be me being an idiot again, thinking people would rather be constructive than complain all day.

How about a WZ with two capital ships where part of your team boards the enemy ship and begins to shut down generators to ultimately bring down the shields and cut the power to laser batteries leaving the ship open to attack.

The other part of the team would play defense trying to slow down or stopping the enemy boarding party from shutting down your generators.

How about a WZ with two capital ships where part of your team boards the enemy ship and begins to shut down generators to ultimately bring down the shields and cut the power to laser batteries leaving the ship open to attack.

 

The other part of the team would play defense trying to slow down or stopping the enemy boarding party from shutting down your generators.

I love the idea of that, 'cept I can see people complaining, PUGs mostly, because it'd require awareness of your enemy. Basically your team would send 7 off to lower the shields, keeping 1 to defend, the enemy team only leaves a decent tank and healer combo and send the rest to take over your ship. Oh, the rage..