The balance between whirlybirds, walkers, and rollers can be struck with a simple modification to existing maps. Add tunnels. 2 types. One type that’s tall enough for walkers, and one type that’s not. Have them connect.
You could use the ravager lore to justify ravager service tunnels infecting the maps. Keep the tunnel entrances away from the capture points. Make the tunnels hard but not impossible to navigate with a heli. As well, the capture points should be given a good amount of aerial clutter, to inhibit heli effectiveness, as well as low clearance “gates”. Obstacles that can be traversed by rollers, but not walkers.
I believe this method is the lowest cost solution to balancing for a combined game mode. Tunnel tilesets are simple to produce, and can be cut into any existing map quite easily. They’re also easy to tune if changes need to be made down the line.
Sorry, I should have been more specific. This hypothetical combined game mode would be capture point only. So camping tunnels would just lose you the game. I’d love to see capture the flag, but that’s a seperate point.
However, thinking about it logically, even in a deathmatch scenario, tunnels wouldn’t always be the safest option. Certain weapons excel in tight quarters, and if a lot of people started camping tunnels, there would be a meta response. Minelayers, melee, fire. All the builds that are inherently bad against helicopters, are inherently OP in tunnels. But those builds, while OP in tunnels, would still be nerfed by their limited range. One of the biggest advantages of the tunnels would be using them to get the drop on helis. Drive out, shoot them, drive back in. That’s one advantage those builds dont get. An ecosystem of checks and balances.