Over the weekend I helped out with building (Translation: Holding bits of wood while someone drilled them) and clearing (Heaving bits of metal and wood out of the way) and Played on the Sunday.
Here's the scoop:
- Once you're inside it feels much much bigger than you'd think from the floorplan.
- The upstairs shop floor has been made with a cool killhouse-style cqb feel. Escalator in the middle of the floor makes for a good point to sway the tide of a fight.
With cool corridors running around the outside going into seperate rooms to flank.
- Downstairs is a bit more open, but with good cover to dash between.
- There's little rat-runs and nooks to hide in / use to flank. There's a good amount of what were once changing rooms to hide and get the drop on people.
- There's two main stairwells linking both floors, the main stairs by the site entrance are nice and wide and well lit, and then a 2nd stairwell is a lot darker and sneaky, which leads into a big dark room before you enter the downstairs shop floor.
There's no grenades allowed
at the moment. They've been told by the owners they're allowed, but they're choosing to wait for the neighbours to get used to them first after advise from Thames Valley Police.
The stairwells make for some difficult choke points, but this was going to be the case on the first day - the team were great at responding to criticism on the day and moved barricades and objects between (and even during!) games to help the flow and avoid doorways etc being completely choked off.
I'm quite proud to announce that
I was the first ever death at the new site. I was the sole attacker against everyone else in the maiden game (when you're hit you join the attackers). This game was a struggle to get a kill with only my USP on me! Definitely taking an SMG next time!
Overall it was great, it felt like being back on familiar soil. A return to form etc.
It even smells like The Mall!

That damp, cold concrete and dust scent!
I'll upload photos in a second.