I've wrote this up but I'm not including it in my article. Just some thoughts about Invasion which I may add as an appendix. It really doesn't fit in with some of the stuff I've put to paper so far so I'm throwing it out here in case anyone fancies to read some ramblings.
====
I've been looking at and thinking about certain Invasion mechanics, such as the capture territories, the weapon cache spawns, the Tier triggers for the collapsing shield doors and at the objects themselves as they spawn, when they spawn, etc.
It looks like the Invasion specific items on the level aren't pre-existing items on the level itself, like the geometry, but are added there by Forge or whatever tool Bungie uses.
Take a look at the Data Core. It rests clearly above the floor geometry.
The territory isn't exactly perfectly aligned seems like it was done by hand. Also take note of the red large object which nestles the territory. On the Commonwealth both of these objects are identical, but feature slightly different alignments on the environment. It could simply be a case of a reused asset or an indication that these objects may or may not be removable/editable.
One thing to note, I'm undecided whether the computer terminals, the one thing all the territory locations have in common, are also moveable/editable. Decide for yourself.
These concrete blocks look hastily added to provide some cover to this area which the actual level geometry lacks. Like the Data core, they look out of place.
Assuming Invasion could be modified in Forge 2.0 or just as easily by Bungie, it opens up the possibility for alterations to address some common criticisms. Whilst the approach to address these criticisms is vast indeed (changing territory positions, spawn locations, Loadouts options, etc), here is a quick example.
You can see the starting spawn locations for the Elites during Tier 1 of Invasion. They are split into three groups of two, mirroring the Fireteams setup, and spread across the far end of the map. Each of these locations dictates the behaviour of the players that spawn there. In the picture above, the Elites on the bottom spawn in the furtherest left of the area and generally proceed to the left entrance to the Commonwealth ("left" being the the natural left of spawning Elites facing the ship from their spawning locations). The Elites on the top (or furtherest right from their own perspective) will enter the right entrance and the group in the middle have a choice - there is a middle entrance to the ship but it's a walkway that leads to the left entrance.
What generally happens is, due the layout of the level and the amount of cover available, usually four Elites head towards the right entrance (right and middle teams) and two go the left (left team). That is, if the Elites are not picked off my DMR fire first.
If you look at the top and bottom you'll notice two cabins. They see little to no use in Invasion and play no significant role other than to exist. Occasionally you might see a player wander aimlessly around looking for cover.
If Invasion can be edited easily, then why not move the spawning locations to inside these cabins and maybe add a similar structure or wall for the middle group and place their spawns behind it shielding them from fire when they spawn.
The extra cover would go a long way towards halting spawn camping - no one likes to spawn into gun fire.
Additionally adding more cover along the left hand route would promote a more even split in the routes taken by the middle spawning group.
In all honesty, if Invasion is fully customisable by the player then I wouldn't make these changes. I'd make larger, more drastic changes to everything. Changing the setup completely, moving the initial spawn zones from one part of the map to the other, changing the Data Core location, changing the vehicle availability and more.
Seeing the Phantoms above the starting spawn points don't fill me with confidence that this is the case. It would be highly unlikely we get to change to affect that Phantom locations (or behaviours since they move forward during the transitions of each Tier).
I'm going to hold out hope. When I look at the end goal of the Elites during Invasion you can see the Phantom hover above the territory waiting to pick up the Data Core for extraction, who is to say that come this fall the second Phantom may not serve as a second end goal territory in our own custom Invasion?
====