Im glad to see this rock bridge being removed. However assault from Ceres Hypodronics on Ti Alloys is almost impossible in execution, and will still be after remake. Since people cant help themselves to use this link (foolishly) I would recommend to remove it comepletely.
Am I the only one that sees that the rock bridge was never the problem? Ceres on TI Alloys was a problem before the bridge was added, and it will be a problem after it's removed. The problem is simple: Attacking from Ceres means you have basically 1 route consisting out of 2, branching into 3 gullies. The defenders can easily use the rocks above and the mouth of the gullies to turn them into elongated chokepoints. It doesn't matter if the rock bridge is there or not, the attackers will have a hard time getting up there any day of the week. The attackers can get vehicles up there for their push, which is a plus, but once they get all the way at the top they are extremely limited. Vehicles showing themselves at the top can be fired at from the Spawnbunker, there is little room for them to stand on and there's only 3 small gullies to really hide in that offer an easy flanking option for the defender, limiting the vehicle access. The entire affair is a literal uphill battle for the attackers. But this rock bridge has to be the problem! Oh yes! Because a nice 3-way battle at the top is a giant problem rather than an attack route that is heavily slated against the attackers! A proper solution to this would be to give Ceres better attack options. For example imagine if you added a Sunderer Garage below the rock bridge, and had a tunnel connect to the base from there. Build extra buildings on TI Alloys on the western flank where the spawnbunker is, with some tunnels/stairs/terraces connecting the lower valley with the main base of TI Alloys. That gives players from Ceres another method of getting to TI Alloys and starting a house-to-house combat that takes them passed and below the vehicle pad and towards the pointroom. By using both options players attacking from Ceres can attack both ways (or all 3 ways if the tunnel beneath the rock bridge is added), and have a decent chance of getting there. I would also keep the rock bridge, and change the landscape around the north end of the rock bridge so that vehicles have easier access. Keep the area rocky and uneven so that infantry is still extremely vital. Allow vehicles to cross the rock bridge in a similar way: It's uneven, there's little maneuvering space but if you hang back behind your infantry you can give them supporting fire.
In my opinion the bridge is actually a benefit to the team attacking from Ceres, since it acts as a flanking route against the defenders at TI who would otherwise have an unbroken firing line down at whichever faction is pushing from Ceres. Many times I have seen attackers from Ceres gain a foothold on the point because they were able to advance up the gullies in cover while the other two teams were shooting back and forth between the bridge and the base over their heads. Even if it's just a jump pad, I think they should keep some way for the Crown to threaten TI from that angle. Personally I believe that splitting the attackers in a potential three-way battle at TI to come from opposite sides of the base is not the way to go. It makes defense's job exponentially harder since they have to basically fight off a double team where the attackers are no longer in a position to fight each other until they've essentially squashed the defenders between them. Also three-way firefights are cool and there are only a handful of bases on any of the continents where they happen consistently.
I assume more that this was done to make TI Alloys a less prominent base in the middle. So it sucks to attack from any angle other than from the SW.
I would like to point out that small bases, like TI alloys, are by design not supposed to host big-three way battles. Thats however a perfect job for strongholds, like crown. The reason why people preffer to attack TI alloys over crown is because its easier to approach and capture, followed by its central position on the map, which attracts even more players. As for rock bridge - The reason why I think its good its about to be gone is because players tend to use it as a main route of zerging. And the thing is - shoving tens of players on that tight, high ground, and comepletely exposed bridge is a farm for even more enemies than at ceres link. People use it, because its faster to the alloys point, but it is also - most of the times - punnished by turning yourself in to food on a plate; for ESF's, OS's, snipers, tanks, Everything and everybody.
There is an adjustment being made to the hill when the rock bridge is removed. There will be an additional approach to Ti-Alloys along the left (east) side of the hill that should reach fairly close to where the land bridge previously ended. With no push from a 3rd faction on that land bridge this spot becomes more viable for the faction pushing up the hill.
