[TwoBits]

Hm, two semicircles for the Noobs leaves at least 4 players far behind the action - sure, allies can leave a 'tunnel' of territory toward the front, but that's pretty convoluted, probably causes dominion problems, and can be easy for the Vets to interdict (you can block that 'tunnel' anywhere along the length, cutting access to the front, or forcing the player to fight his way through allied territory).

The original 'hour-glass' formation is no good either, or at least it's certainly no good for the Noob in the middle of the hour-glass - he's certainly doomed right off the bat. Plus there's still the issue of Noob players stuck in the backfield.

I still think my 'linear-bulge' formation for the Vets is the most sensible way to go. It's the only set-up that gets everyone in the action without "tunneling" and other awkward strategies. And sure, the 4 Noobs at the 'horns' of the two crescents are in somewhat more vulnerable positions, but remember, they'll have teammate directly opposite the Vet they'll be facing to take some of the pressure off.

I'm not sure what people are talking about regarding the water 'poles', but if they (whatever they are) seem to be too much of an advantage for the Vets to exploit, the Vets can be deployed horizontally instead of vertically (or heck, diagonally for that matter).