Complete guide to Smite 2’s redesigned Conquest map with strategic insights for new and veteran players
Introduction: A Fresh Take on Classic Conquest
Dexerto conducted an exclusive interview with the creative minds behind Smite 2’s Conquest map design prior to the game’s Alpha release, uncovering significant strategic shifts.
While Smite 2’s Conquest layout appears familiar at first glance, substantial modifications create a refined experience that removes complexity while amplifying strategic impact. This back-to-fundamentals philosophy represents the development team’s commitment to perfecting Smite’s premier competitive mode for the sequel generation.
With Alpha testing scheduled for Spring 2024, numerous preview videos have showcased the iterative improvements transforming Smite 2 into a genuinely distinct sequel experience.
Our hands-on playtesting earlier this year confirmed that despite Alpha-stage roughness, Smite 2 delivers substantially different gameplay flow compared to its predecessor.
The transformation extends beyond core mechanics to encompass map navigation, farming strategies, and victory conditions. We explored these changes directly with lead developers responsible for reimagining Smite’s flagship competitive experience.
Strategic Simplification: Trimming the Fat
Over its decade-long evolution, Smite 1’s Conquest map accumulated numerous additional gold and experience sources including side lane buffs, roaming jungle harpies, Oracles, Stygian Beacon, Totems, and Pyromancer. This created an overwhelming smorgasbord of options that diluted strategic focus.
The Smite 2 development team recognized this clutter issue and responded with significant map streamlining while enhancing the impact of remaining objectives.
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“Our distillation process began with two fundamental questions: What defines core MOBA elements, and what constitutes Conquest’s unique identity?” revealed Senior Level Designer Matthew Barcas.
“These questions revealed essential components. Beyond basic lanes, towers, and minions, we identified Fire Giant, Gold Fury, Titans, and Phoenixes as mandatory map elements requiring preservation.”
Barcas elaborated that the team focused on iterating existing elements rather than creating Smite 2-exclusive objectives. Most peripheral jungle objectives have been eliminated, with remaining features gaining substantial gameplay significance.
“Gold Fury now provides permanent team enhancements scaling with defeat count. A new siege minion assists with massive tower damage during pushes. Jungle camps level up through repeated defeats, delivering superior rewards at advanced tiers.
“These examples demonstrate our dual approach: maintaining accessibility for newcomers while providing strategic depth for experienced competitors.”
The most transformative change involves Gold Fury’s tower-disabling capability after three team kills, which neutralizes all enemy towers for three minutes. This creates compelling late-game objectives beyond Fire Giant engagements.
Additional details about these radical map modifications are available in the official development video covering Smite 2’s map evolution.
Conquest has been the core of SMITE for almost 11 years. With SMITE 2 on the way, the team has put a lot of passion into recreating and improving the Conquest experience.
Dive in with the team to learn more about what we are cooking up for SMITE 2! pic.twitter.com/XrSTzhVfeO
These decisions involved careful consideration, and Barcas expressed hope for potentially reintroducing Smite 1 elements like Oracles, Scorpions, and Pyromancer in future updates.
Jungle Revolution: Item System and Map Solutions
Smite 2’s item system represents a dramatic departure from its predecessor. Veterans returning after extended breaks may recall boots elimination years ago, which continues in Smite 2. However, starter items have been completely removed from the game.
Starter items traditionally served as MOBA staples, particularly for jungle and support roles with unique farming and experience acquisition methods. Compounding this change, jungle camps no longer provide level 1 buffs, making clearing, sustainability, and invasion defense significantly more challenging for junglers.
To prevent jungle zones from becoming constant invasion targets, level designers reconfigured map layouts and redesigned jungle camp mechanics.
“Compared to other MOBAs with expansive maps and abundant XP/gold sources, Smite intentionally maintains compact maps to emphasize PvP over PvE. This spatial limitation demands creative solutions within confined areas.
“Junglers suffered most from starter item removal. Without jungle-specific starter items, they couldn’t maintain reliable sustain during routes, resulting in frequent recalls. We addressed this by adjusting timing and lethality parameters to enable junglers farming at laner rates while maintaining gank opportunities,” Barcas explained.
“We implemented two solutions: First, we increased distances between lanes and deeper jungle camps to prevent laners easily clearing jungler camps without positional risk. This works effectively during early game phases but becomes progressively difficult to control during later stages.”
Our playtesting confirmed Barcas’s timing control observations. When support players using high-damage Guardians like Ymir gained advantage, minimal barriers prevented jungle domination. This could create snowball scenarios, though support players achieving such dominance remains uncommon in balanced matches.
Barcas’s second jungle solution provides tangible benefits for players mastering efficient camp clearing techniques.
“We needed to address jungler health and mana expenditure during camp clears. Sustain significantly impacts route smoothness, so we reduced overall jungle camp damage and time-to-kill metrics. Interestingly, this initially made clearing feel somewhat monotonous.
“Consequently, we equipped each jungle camp with special abilities within their attack rotations, concentrating damage on these abilities. Skilled junglers can dodge these attacks to avoid substantial damage while maintaining engagement during minute-to-minute gameplay.”
Visual Evolution: Art Meets Technology
Beyond gameplay modifications, Smite 2’s map changes encompass significant visual enhancements. We consulted Aaron Kim, Lead Environment Artist, regarding challenges creating maps for games featuring diverse pantheons and cultural influences.
Unreal Engine 3 limitations constrained Smite 1 for years, but understanding Smite 1’s technical challenges reveals the extensive work required for map modifications.
Smite 1 utilized a single massive mesh for its ground surface, essentially stretching one enormous texture across the entire playable area. Modifying map geometry, adding pathways, or altering visual elements required editing the complete surrounding mesh rather than implementing isolated changes.
Simply put, Smite 1 map modifications presented enormous technical challenges.
While Aaron’s art team currently concentrates exclusively on Conquest, he expressed enthusiasm about technological possibilities for Smite’s alternative modes and future Conquest iterations, stating “nothing is really off the table” for Smite 2. The return of Smite Car appears increasingly likely.
Beyond humorous references, Aaron’s excitement about new development tools was palpable.
“Smite 1 veterans will experience both novelty and nostalgia entering Smite 2’s Conquest. Core elements remain immediately recognizable. Maintaining Smite’s essence despite comprehensive renewal was crucial. We’ve incorporated updated lighting, atmospheric effects, additional environmental assets, and balanced shadowed areas with clear sightlines. Fire Giant and Gold Fury domains received vibrant enhancements highlighting their distinctive characteristics.
“New tools introduce additional considerations, but the enhanced fidelity and superior experiences justify these investments.”
Shadow implementation represents the most noticeable visual change. While details like overgrowth, vines, and footprint-marked mud provide interest, shadowed areas substantially alter map appearance and slightly reduce visibility.
With artistic elements now significantly influencing gameplay, the team practiced restraint in environmental additions to prevent visual clutter.
“For Smite 2, we wanted players feeling grounded within the game world during exploration, while maintaining combat clarity during team fights. We balanced between excessive clutter and barren emptiness.”
The art team reserved considerable detail for areas beyond immediate gameplay zones. Smite 1 featured minimal detail outside playable areas, typically obscuring boundaries with foggy cliffs or mountains, while Smite 2 provides extensive external detailing.
“As Smite players, we recognize the map’s primary importance as your competitive battlefield. As artists, we want to share narratives demonstrating your existence within a broader world beyond confined spaces. Areas outside gameplay provide contemplative spaces,” Aaron elaborated.
“During death timers, you can admire surrounding landscapes, observe distant mountains while hearing river sounds, and ponder your jungler’s whereabouts or your support’s rotation decisions.”
Developer Philosophy and Future Outlook
Smite 2’s development team consistently applies this back-to-basics methodology, stripping original game elements to their fundamentals and identifying truly effective components. While player feedback during Alpha testing will determine ultimate success, the development team expresses confidence, with Matthew Barcas providing concluding insights.
“I’m immensely proud of our level design team’s willingness to experiment beyond conventional boundaries. Innovating within a decade-old legacy while preserving core identity presents legitimate challenges.
Our primary objective from inception has been maintaining Conquest’s surface simplicity for newcomer accessibility while incorporating sufficient depth for veteran advancement.
“We believe we’re progressing toward this goal, but ultimately require player validation. We’ll actively solicit and incorporate feedback throughout Alpha testing phases.”
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