i wish modern multiplayer FPSes would remember the storytelling aspect of map design and its spontaneity, rather than esport balancing. Unreal Tournament's Two Worlds, for example, is a beloved classic because of it being a sniper-infested hellhole that was blatantly unfair to everybody. CTF became a war of campers keeping players at bay and runners desperately hoping there wasn't enough bullets to get them all, it was magical.
the science of multiplayer has become so well understood that maps feel characterless, in service of the player like some impressionable mould. my experience and player psychology is rarely different from my opponent, since we've been given equal opportunities by design. nothing disadvantages me in say, Apex Legends outside of my own skill, which is "fair", sure, but i couldn't tell you anything about where i played and how memorable it was, only who i played against. it gets incredibly repetitive.
idk, probably some boomer-shooter ramblings but it's why i fall off hard with multiplayer shooters these days. everything comes off like a vehicle for an attempt at tournament play, i miss maps that happily screwed with you.
