Horizon Lunar Colony - Your Thoughts?

[ro9ue]

My opinion on the map is basically this:

I love the thought and detail put into the environment, and I wish there was a PVE story mode to compliment it so I would have time to just go through and explore and learn about the different areas. Even if it's just a Winston flashback.

However as a gameplay map, I can't put my finger on it, but it seems too open. This makes it harder on attack mode. You can't easily sneak by, you have to walk too far out into the open to get into the side paths to sneak around as a reaper/tracer/etc. Also it just seems people are too vulnerable to a decent sniper who's defending.

It's not a horrible map by any means, but if they ever implement a downvote option for maps this will be the first one on it.

[Jester Joe]

I've played it twice so far, first time I got in, it was 30 seconds left on attack and we lost of course.

2nd time, the enemy team stomped us within a minute.

So I haven't had a chance yet to get a good impression of it.

[xChurch]

Had a lot of fun on attack for the second point as Reaper, couple of good spots to teleport behind the enemy team. Haven't really done it enough to get a feel for most characters though.

[Endus]

However as a gameplay map, I can't put my finger on it, but it seems too open.

It's funny. The big complaints about other Assault maps like Temple of Anubis and Hanamura is "the choke point is nasty" and "there's not enough paths to Point B, so it's too easy to defend".

Horizon Lunar Colony gives you no real chokes and multiple paths to attack, and it's "there's no choke points" and "there's too many paths to Point B, so it's too hard to defend".

In Competitive, you're going to get a shot at the map both ways anyway, so it's balanced by default.

[Pendulous]

It's funny. The big complaints about other Assault maps like Temple of Anubis and Hanamura is "the choke point is nasty" and "there's not enough paths to Point B, so it's too easy to defend".

Horizon Lunar Colony gives you no real chokes and multiple paths to attack, and it's "there's no choke points" and "there's too many paths to Point B, so it's too hard to defend".

In Competitive, you're going to get a shot at the map both ways anyway, so it's balanced by default.

In true Blizzard fashion, they don't go with the happy medium, and instead take the opposite extreme. There are way too many paths to the first point, it feels impossible to defend.

[Endus]

In true Blizzard fashion, they don't go with the happy medium, and instead take the opposite extreme. There are way too many paths to the first point, it feels impossible to defend.

I'm not sure the game needs a "happy medium" on all maps. That would tend to make them increasingly same-y, and I'd prefer to have variety that forces teams to shake up their comps to take advantage of the particular map's architecture.

Slight variations on a single standardized approach don't make for varied gameplay. And in Competitive, like I said, you're going to get a shot at the map on BOTH Attack and Defense, so it's going to be balanced by default. The only issue is if it's SO hard to defend that it's an easy win all the time, meaning the map goes into draw-breaker rounds way more often than others, and we'll need more data to see if that's true.

[Raetary]

its an interesting map.
but it favors attack heavily.

the amount of flank routes is insane.

[Perfectdoll]

I think the issue most people have is that they don't realise that setting up on the _point_ of the Lunar Colony is what needs to be done to defend it effectively. Especially if your team has a Torb and/or Sym to defend it. They shred any team in QP because of the lack of communication. It also cuts down on attack routes too. Also an especially nasty trick is to have a good WM (can hit shots) up on the wheel closest to the attacker's spawn. Stick a Mercy boost on her and she'll be headshotting enemies for days as they walk out into the open while she herself is protected by the ledge of the walkway in front of her.

[Taalyn]

its an interesting map.
but it favors attack heavily.

the amount of flank routes is insane.

I've had the opposite issue, too easy to defend. On attack I have had issues with the second point. There are 4 ways in but no real way behind. The left side you can get behind but it's too easy to see someone go in that way.

[Jessicka]

I've had the opposite issue, too easy to defend. On attack I have had issues with the second point. There are 4 ways in but no real way behind. The left side you can get behind but it's too easy to see someone go in that way.

I've yet to see the map successfully defended. Every comp game has been a 4-4 or 6-6 draw. It's ridiculous.

[Freighter]

Can't really say much, I've gotten it once since it was released.

[DeadmanWalking]

I tend to find Horizon first point is hard to hold, the second is hard to take since they can urinate from spawn to the control point and there is a lot of open room for widow to work her magic. Junk rat tends to do well because teams usually try to come in on the top left in a pack and he denies them their push.

The only game I had where I didn't take the first point was when my enemy put up a turret and the idjits on my team tried to ignore that it existed even though I repeatedly asked them to get rid of it. I was on reaper and couldnt get close enough.

[Orangetai420]

From my limited experience I think it is too defender biased. I have trouble on attack, especially in random groups.

- - - Updated - - -

Can't really say much, I've gotten it once since it was released.

The arcade might still have a mode that is only Lunar Colony.

- - - Updated - - -

I love the thought and detail put into the environment

Agree 100%, the detail on this map is amazing. I need to go into a custom game and just look around.

[Mormolyce]

I haven't played nearly enough of it to have an informed opinion but... my first impression was that the run from attacker spawn to point A feels extremely long.

[Crackleslap]

I've played it threes times. Failed to capture point A the first time. Defended point A the second time and absolutely annihilated on attack the 3rd time. Do I like the map? meh.

[JazzyFizzle]

I wish that the zero gravity part would be more important in the map because it's fun as hell.

[Jessicka]

Stats show attackers win 55%, defenders 45%. There's definitely an attackers bias.

What worries me is that Jeff said this about Eichenwalde: https://us.battle.net/forums/en/over...ic/20748906243

That maps usually show a defenders bias when they're new as people figure it out, so I can only see this getting worse.

[Kaleredar]

The attacker bias has a lot to do with the fact that they have high ground, in some capacity, from almost any point they try to attack from. They also have incredibly long lines of sight into both attack points; defender high points inside lead them straight into these long lines of sight for the most part, and the enemy team has much more cover in the hallways to utilize.

[Ham on Rye]

My opinion on the map is basically this:

I love the thought and detail put into the environment, and I wish there was a PVE story mode to compliment it so I would have time to just go through and explore and learn about the different areas. Even if it's just a Winston flashback.

However as a gameplay map, I can't put my finger on it, but it seems too open. This makes it harder on attack mode. You can't easily sneak by, you have to walk too far out into the open to get into the side paths to sneak around as a reaper/tracer/etc. Also it just seems people are too vulnerable to a decent sniper who's defending.

It's not a horrible map by any means, but if they ever implement a downvote option for maps this will be the first one on it.

It's a pretty shitty map. It's nothing more than a boring ass warehouse with nothing interesting, no twists and turns, lousy scenery and a meaningless antigravity shtick.

Waste of development time.

[DeadmanWalking]

The final point is fun to defend as Doomfist, lots of high up places where you can preplan an attack pattern before the target explodes into a cloud of red mist. Eat wall Mercy!