Other than Whittleton Creek, I’ve found Chongqing to be the ideal location for showdowns. Part of the reason is actually what disappoints me about the map in the main game: the deficit of NPCs walking the streets. It’s much easier to maneuver around in, pick up disguises without having to knock someone out, shoot darts and other weapons from angles with a decreased likelihood of getting seen, including rooftops to snipe from and handy windows to snipe through, and if they’re down in the ICA facility, it’s that much easier to corner them for observation. And if you should incapacitate a suspect, you have plenty of secluded places, including the top of the laundry building, to lure potential targets to with the burner phones. I’m actually more apprehensive about having the showdown in Paris or Mumbai than Chongqing.
I’m just going to use this to say Haven Island is joining Colorado on my “Avoid at all costs” list. Had Dr Singh as a target on a hardcore run trying to do Silent assassin as the prestige objective. He is in one of the huts at the start, He also has this other NPC that is basically attached to him at the hip, and will go everywhere he goes!
I try to get him under the hut to drown him in the ocean by shooting him in the leg, someone half way across the other side of the beach sees me and gets me compromised.
I try to use the trap door in the bathroom, the other NPC chooses the exact second the trap door opens to walk onto it alongside the target, resulting in lost SA. (Took me about 20 rewatches of the video to work out how I lost SA)
I pacify the target in the bathroom when he is alone finally, the woman on the back deck somehow hears and comes to check it out.
I lure the target into the bathroom while the other NPC in distracted by a coin throw under the hut, she somehow spots me THROUGH the floor!
…i just hate Haven now…especially for SA objectives…
This is hardcore, there is no way back for you.
I initially put Sgail on my list of locations I’d like to avoid, but currently it’s one of the locations closest to the 50 kills achievement, next to Dubai and Berlin. New York is also high up because of being quite easy and giving out free Merces.
Reducing the weight of SA really changes how one approaches maps.
Colorado, Isle of Sgail and New York are my 3 maps I try to avoid in Freelancer 
Why New York? It’s small, easy to navigate & there are dome good areas for a set up meeting eg the vault or the IT room
I love New York for showdowns!
Additionally to what Charlie said, it also comes with the job applicant disguise that’s practically enforcer-less (except for the IT workers) and that’s allowed almost everywhere. (And if you’re in dire need of money, you can rob the vault.)
That the guy who is being sick by the bank teller room?
Haven’t played the mission story in about 2 years
Yes, that guy. You have to go through the job interview before you’re allowed to roam free, but that’s totally worth it.
I’ve just never been particularly fond of the mission to be honest. That’s all really.
My top 5 freelancer maps for showdown
*Sapienza
*Paris
*Chongqing (noodle , not the orginal)
*Mumbai fantastic
*Miami wonderful (and im not fan of miami in general)
Isle of sgail and colorado played 1 time and its enough i think