NP- If you're still at 20, save your marks and concentrate on getting your level up before spending any on Legendary weapons just yet. Hitting rank 3 in Vanguard and/or Crucible has a decent chance of getting you sent a brand new legendary outright, so it's worth holding off.
Right on, if you post an update to those thoughts I'll update the link to hit it instead. The way you described Delphi in that post is pretty much how I feel so I'm curious.
yea not much will change but i want to look at them more critically. i also wanted to outline my thought process. i already have that part of the next post written so i'll go ahead and post it:
Lines of Sight: A good map to me has unobstructed sightlines, allowing you to control portions of the map at range and assist teammates. If these sightlines are frequently obstructed by cover or columns, it clutters the map and limits the player's ability to freely engage opponents, thus slowing down the rate of engagements. Sightlines that are too open are also a problem, but that's for the next point.
Segmentation: This determines the rate of encounters on the map and how it affords players some breathing time after fights. Too much segmentation makes it too easy to disengage from encounters and makes them last too long. Conversely, too little segmentation leads to spawning issues where players are always being shot at.
Pathing: Paths are the routes players take on a map. Good paths give players options, but are also predictable and controllable. Too many routes, dropdowns and jumps clutter the path and make it unpredictable. You may not know where you're being shot from or it may be too easy for you to disengage, which lowers the rate of engagements.
Height Variation/Verticality: High Ground is commonly known as the advantageous position, which is what this means. A map with good vertical playing space lets players mix up encounters. It also creates desirable power positions on the map for players to fight for control over.
Intuitive Callouts: This may not apply to you if you do not play with a mic, but all this means is that areas on the map are instantly and easily identifiable. You don't need to struggle to tell your team where an enemy is hiding because the map has unique areas. Examples include "River", "Ring", "Big Cave", "Big Dome", etc. For the sake of simplicity, I'm including capture points into this ranking since most maps are used in Control.
Spawning: This is one of the most important parts of a map and is related to most of the points above. To me, good spawning provides the player with a safe location (but not the power positions) and gives them several routes to re-position and regain the advantage. Poor spawning would be an unsafe position, a spawn in another player's line of sight, or a spawn out in the open where it's easy to be picked off before you reach safety.
Contestable Heavy Ammo: This is something I imagine many players overlook. This simply means that heavy ammo can be fought over openly, forcing you to make sure the area is clear before you grab it. A good example of this is the heavy ammo by B on Shores of Time. A bad example is the heavy ammo by A on Blind Watch. You can grab this ammo and sit behind a door, which limits how a player can approach you.
Visual and Geometrical Noise: Simply put, if the map is distracting you and you find it hard to see or distinguish players from the geometry, it will lose points in this field. This has become a problem as shooters have been afforded more technology for map designers to run wild with. There's no harm in realistic or detailed environments, but simplicity goes a long way in making the map play well. This also includes sunglare and draw distance.
Chokepoints: These are areas where fights tend to occur often. They occur along major and desirable paths throughout the map, so they are fought for and controlled. A map with too many chokepoints runs into problems with segmentation and lines of sight.
Dance Floor: This is the amount of lateral freedom players have when moving and fighting. Too much dance floor creates dead space, whereas too little creates claustrophobic encounters where you're unable to avoid AoE abilities or other players.
Dynamic Element: Many of the maps in Destiny have a moving element to them. These can either enhance the gameplay by changing the flow of combat, or needlessly hinder the player. Sometimes they're guilty of both.
Objective Placement: Probably the easiest one to grasp on this list. This will refer to the location of objectives, the ability for players to fight over them, and their relative distance to each team spawn.
Art Direction, Environment and Skybox: This is mostly subjective so I wont be factoring it into the overall ranking too heavily. Nevertheless, I feel that aesthetics leave as much of an impression on a map as its gameplay. A good looking map with a memorable environment will sell its atmosphere and immerse you in the match.
Edit: I should explain what engagement commitment is. It's where a player has to make the decision to travel on a path expecting an encounter. If the path has too many routes branching off of it, the decision the player can make that decision more lightly. Conversely, if the route doesn't give the player any options or backs them into a corner, it makes it undesirable and more susceptible to camping.