Like many, I lament the fact that cataract is played so often online. Here's the things I don't like about cataract relative to other maps:
1. It really favors characters that can hold a lane on their own. A match-up like UB/Torch/Reg vs. Sed/UB/Erebus is already a mismatch, but the mismatch is exacerbated in Cataract. In Cararact, if you have three characters that can hold a lane on their own, it gives you a huge advantage in terms of letting someone run back to shop without losing flag advantage. And I've faced a number of teams (I play PUG) that take all assassins on cataracts. This is crazy- having monks is huge in cataracts, especially for the side lanes.
2. Conversely, cataract's setup is not the best for support characters. Support characters need the room to quickly get near their allies or, in the case of TB, to cast a range attack where needed. Cataract doesn't allow you to do this well, especially when you have to turn the corner. TB, for example, seems a lot more effective to me in Prison and Leviathan than in Cataract. Reg might be the exception with his ability to snipe across a lane, but even there, you're still better with 3 tanks on Cataract.
3. The side towers go down too easily. You cannot abandon a side lane in Cataract vs. a good team because they will bang on the unguarded tower and take it down fast, even with Fort 1. Which is why, again, you need to have demigods that can hold lanes (i.e. tanks).
If you play with high towers, though, the dynamics change for the better. Reg and TB can actually guard a lane, even if they don't always control the flag, because they have more cushion to hide behind the tower as needed. Minion Erebus can't just mindlessly act like a bulldozer. Demigods take the side towers more around levels 6-9 rather than levels 2-4, which makes for a more interesting game from a tactical perspective. You can try and gank more because you don't have to worry so much about leaving a side lane abandoned early, which leads to some interesting play.
Thoughts?
