The Factory at Beacon
Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:14 pm
I'm going to start writing reviews for battlegrounds. I was inspired by reading reviews of sports stadiums. So here's my first official review!
Location: Beacon, NY
Size: 4 acres
Battles: Frozen Fury 2013
Access: C-
Although there is closer parking to the actual battle site it is recommended that you park at Denning’s Point and hike about 3/4 of a mile to the site. The hike is very easy and the trail is paved with asphalt most of the way.
Atmosphere: A+
This place just feels awesome – multiple levels, large dark rooms, a huge open courtyard with skate ramps, remote stairways, and secret passages – it’s got its all. The first time I fought here it had just rained so water was dripping through cracks in the roof into several of the dark warehouse rooms; totally eerie.
Author’s Bias: B+
I will be the first to admit that I am a woods war junkie, and as such, I tend to be biased towards more natural battlegrounds. With that being said, I really like this battlefield. What can I say, I’m a huge fan of dark hallways, creaking stairwells, and broken windows. Could it be better? Yes, the court yard could definitely stand to have a few mobstacles or barricades, and you have to seriously watch out for broken glass on the floor, but that doesn’t take away too much from my overall impression. The only serious setback, in my opinion, is the lack of water, which brings us to the next point.
Water Access: D
There is a creek within maybe 1/4 mile walking distance from the factory, but it may not be worth the risk of leaving the factory to go fill up. While I did not see any no trespassing signs posted at the site it’s generally understood that you should avoid causing too much commotion as the battlefield lies directly behind a residential area and local cops have been known to be overzealous. So, bring your own water, and then after that, refill at your own risk.
Replayability: B-
Initial play is a lot of fun purely due to the atmosphere of the battlefield. Unfortunately, sooner or later (and most likely sooner) teams will encounter bottleneck situations which will result in standoffs and a great decrease in playability. To decrease the likelihood of standoffs it is recommended that teams start spread out across the factory, and not in any of the connected interior rooms. The factory lends itself well to one hit scores, outposts, and any zombie/vampire/infected type game, but is not a good choice for soakfests, one hit kills, or standard capture the flag type games.
See the full review including pictures at http://hydrowar.wordpress.com/2013/12/1 ... tleground/
I look forward to your comments in this thread. Please also comment on the actual site using facebook and or google + - not for my ego but to help boost my site's search ranks in google, bing etc.
Location: Beacon, NY
Size: 4 acres
Battles: Frozen Fury 2013
Access: C-
Although there is closer parking to the actual battle site it is recommended that you park at Denning’s Point and hike about 3/4 of a mile to the site. The hike is very easy and the trail is paved with asphalt most of the way.
Atmosphere: A+
This place just feels awesome – multiple levels, large dark rooms, a huge open courtyard with skate ramps, remote stairways, and secret passages – it’s got its all. The first time I fought here it had just rained so water was dripping through cracks in the roof into several of the dark warehouse rooms; totally eerie.
Author’s Bias: B+
I will be the first to admit that I am a woods war junkie, and as such, I tend to be biased towards more natural battlegrounds. With that being said, I really like this battlefield. What can I say, I’m a huge fan of dark hallways, creaking stairwells, and broken windows. Could it be better? Yes, the court yard could definitely stand to have a few mobstacles or barricades, and you have to seriously watch out for broken glass on the floor, but that doesn’t take away too much from my overall impression. The only serious setback, in my opinion, is the lack of water, which brings us to the next point.
Water Access: D
There is a creek within maybe 1/4 mile walking distance from the factory, but it may not be worth the risk of leaving the factory to go fill up. While I did not see any no trespassing signs posted at the site it’s generally understood that you should avoid causing too much commotion as the battlefield lies directly behind a residential area and local cops have been known to be overzealous. So, bring your own water, and then after that, refill at your own risk.
Replayability: B-
Initial play is a lot of fun purely due to the atmosphere of the battlefield. Unfortunately, sooner or later (and most likely sooner) teams will encounter bottleneck situations which will result in standoffs and a great decrease in playability. To decrease the likelihood of standoffs it is recommended that teams start spread out across the factory, and not in any of the connected interior rooms. The factory lends itself well to one hit scores, outposts, and any zombie/vampire/infected type game, but is not a good choice for soakfests, one hit kills, or standard capture the flag type games.
See the full review including pictures at http://hydrowar.wordpress.com/2013/12/1 ... tleground/
I look forward to your comments in this thread. Please also comment on the actual site using facebook and or google + - not for my ego but to help boost my site's search ranks in google, bing etc.