Just played the reworked Roblox HQ and I genuinely prefer old HQ. My thoughts (very serious serious analysis)—
TLDR: This map is very pretty but way too big. We gotta cut ts by at least a quarter to make it better for melees or decrease the amount of props to make it better for range.
Preface: I’m a flex player (lvl600+) and opens warrior so I’m not speaking on a scrim/pro experience but rather the average player.
PROS:
Very beautiful map design! The interior are gorgeous, and each level seems to created meticulously!
Lots of good hiding spaces/entry for dive, you can go below, or find a nice pocket underneath the stairs.
Intentional structure placement to hide behind at the bottom level. Especially good for melees.
Good objects for looping (mostly for supports). The structures help block enemies from getting to you.
The open top level is wonderful for phighting, good view and sight view between enemies.
That’s it. Now, onto the—
CONS:
Lots of hiding spots for dive, this map is a dive’s daydream if the team isn’t grouped up/aware.
Range-sided when you bunker the team fight in the open.
Dive-sided when you bunker the team fight inside the HQ
Melee left to rot once again. Map in general sucks to tank at as mobility is very much so needed because of how spacious it.
Decreased sight lines as a result of props, harder to aim at when you’re not at the open areas. If you're phighting in the HQ buildings, this will gut hyperlaser. Not that it's bad though, fuck that guy.
Confusing spawns. Once again, the spacious map layout doesn't really do it any favours. This is not helped by the fact that spawns are not on the same level, I often see players wondering about as they have no idea where to group up. Not really intuitive.
Trampoline. Absolutely needed cause map is big but annoying as shit. Would be better if there were structures that allowed you climb to the second level.
MAIN ISSUE:
As the map is still very new some of these cons/pros will be resolved, gotten rid of, etc. For now though here this is main issue I can see occurring from HQ:
Passive play style: Bunkering down at spawn on old HQ wasn’t a massive issue as brawl (most melees) would teach you why that’s a bad idea fast.
New HQ makes bunkering at spawn viable. The many vantage points to poke out, escape, and such makes it so the enemies play at a disadvantageous position if they attempt to push in. This also makes playing on this map an absolute slog feast. You’re either defending or attacking but either way you're being extremely cautious about your movement.
CONCLUSION:
I dislike the varied spawns and how extremely open but crowded the map is. Anni maps in general are at a weird state where they either suck balls or is mediocre—what can be agreed upon is that conquer is better. Some anni fan favourites is chaos canyon/train demolition and I think what these maps do well is how constrained they are. Or if they're open, the wide sight lines for range (domino valley, sfoth).
What needs to be done is for the spawns to be centered on one level only which helps for clarity/grouping up (bottom, middle, top; whichever). Decreasing the map size (specifically the inside the HQs) to make it easier to play on tanks/melees, or if not that then decrease the amount of props to increase sightlines for range.
As much as I bitch about how many range-sided maps there are, on anni it kind of makes sense? You have to put some incentive for players to push out so you don't get sniped which forces players to play aggressive. There isn't that incentive on reworked HQ promoting a passive playstyle.
Anyway, that's my brain blender and long ass analysis on reworked Roblox HQ.