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COMMON HEADER INFORMATION TO ALL MAP & MODE REVIEWS
Maps will be listed with Smurfy links when you can mouse over Lance and Turret locations to see what is where at match start. I will provide a map image or two of my own sometimes modified from Smurfy’s with marking showing in White outlined areas where typical combat is at least in my ELO bracket and possible recommendations for new Turret locations for reasons described, these will be in SPOILER sections. If two maps are similar (ex: Frozen City & Frozen City Night) I will combine them into one review noting any differences between them.
This is the first in the series on a map with 2 versions.
I would like to note one common thing about Turrets on all Maps.
With a LRM Turret having 2LRM10s (unknown if Artemis is present), I think of these as a Medium LRM Mech.
With a Laser Turret having 2 Medium Lasers, these are slightly less firepower then even a Locust.
Given the ‘Mech equivalent strength of the two Turret types, I believe the LRM one may be one launcher size too big and should be dropped to twin LRM5s.
FOREST COLONY & FOREST COLONY SNOW
Both maps have the same Lances names opposite each other (Alpha vs. Alpha, etc.) except in Conquest. Given that any pre-mades will usually be in Alpha, that means if there is one pre-made per side, they start against each other.
Now let’s get you the Visitor’s Guide. Note, some of the locations are called by Community Names I know of, others I don’t and some I just plain made up.
In this map:
Spoiler
Since Starting positions are roughly similar to both Maps and all Modes, the team starting in the Purple area is the High (Ground) Team and the Orange area is the Low (Ground) Team. Slight differences between Maps but not Modes on the same Map and not enough to matter once they move out.
High Team has Alpha in the middle, Bravo on Alpha’s left and Charlie on Alpha’s right.
Low Team has Bravo in the middle, Alpha on Bravo’s left and Charlie on Bravo’s right.
There are buildings near Low Team’s start, no formal name I know of, I just call it Low or Lake Camp.
The White circles Radio Hill for its antenna.
The Green is a camp of buildings, probably would be named Radio Camp due to the nearby antenna.
The Green and Yellow areas are also marked for something I see at my play level noted in Skirmish and Assault Modes.
The large area outlined in Pink is the Land, anything in it counts when people talk about land routes here but usually does NOT include the Cave route.
The Tan area is the Water simply or Lake no idea if there is a more formal name right now.
The Brown line cutting through the Yellow area is a Stream, no fancy name either.
The Red patch is part of the Cave I call Dead End Alley, specially marked for what was seen in 2 Tournament Team Matches recently (not sure if anyone else ever did it) and another reason that will be detailed after the Assault Mode section.
The Grey line between Green and Yellow is the Cave path between them.
The 2 Dark Purple blotches in the Water / Lake is the Broken Ship.
SKIRMISH MODE
Forest Colony
Forest Colony Snow
{No special maps were needed to show usual combat areas or suggested changes.}
Gameplay - Most often, I see High Team form around Radio Hill and behind/on C2 grid terrain. A few might venture into water, rarely does the whole team (they used to more often). One to a few will check the cave for enemies and might venture through, rarely will a Lance or whole Team try the Cave.
Low Team will go to terrain in C4/D4 and/or the Yellow area.
After a period of Sniping, LRMs and a few feints for scouting, one team will make some significant moves that eventually lead to that whole team pushing in on the other and a Brawl breaks out.
Significant moves can usually be put under 3 basic groups:
- Water Push: Half or more of a team pushes in by the Water/Lake.
- Land Push: Half or more of a team pushes in by Land, this does NOT include the Cave but a small Lance or less sized group may try the Cave.
- Cave Push: Half or more of a team pushes in through the Cave. This is risky, usually the pushing team is in a line so unlike the Water/Lake or Land routes, not all of the team can bring their weapons to bear if they run into the enemy team within the Cave or at the exit point. A small Lance or less sized group may push by Land under this option and probably should to minimize the problems of firing the group pushing Cave may have.
This is one of two Modes where at my ELO Level, if the whole High Team goes to the Green/White area or the Low Team goes to the Yellow area and the other team pushes, usually whichever team first got to Green/White or Yellow will die. These areas are Deathtraps for whole teams and they should not sit in them, if your team does then beg, plead, scream at them to get out, some might say prod by shooting but I do not encourage shooting allies to send messages. At least get yourself out so you have a better chance of survival. A Lance sized group can make it work but rarely a whole team.
Dead End Alley needs something for reasons listed after Assault Mode, otherwise I cannot thinks of anything needing attention.
CONQUEST MODE
Forest Colony
Forest Colony Snow
{No special maps were needed to show usual combat areas or suggested changes.}
Gameplay - At start, High Team takes Kappa, Low Team takes Epsilon and depending on Lights and maybe Mediums, one team or both will move on Theta. Then all kinds of fighting breaks out all over and it is anyone’s guess where things will go.
I don’t see any needed changes here either other than Dead End Alley.
ASSAULT MODE
Forest Colony
Forest Colony Snow
{No special maps were needed to show usual combat areas or suggested changes.}
Turret Locations - Very Likely OK, I would prefer 1 less Laser Turret. LRM Turret locations are interesting, I would expect them either closer to Bases or just behind them. Not bad enough like on another map pair to cause problems and no significant weakness except it is easier to shoot the High Team’s LRM Turret compared to the lower and better protected Low Team’s one.
Gameplay - Very similar to Skirmish mode with the only difference being how one team will play near the opposing Base. If one team pushes near the opposing Base, the Pushing Team will either:
- Avoid the Turret area if there are roughly equal or more number of enemies.
- Possibly have players shoot Turrets if the Pushing Team outnumbers the enemies.
Everything else is just like Skirmish Mode including how whole teams should be wary of parking themselves in the Green/White and Yellow areas for long.
PERSONAL CHANGES SUGGESTIONS
Dead End Alley needs to be closed permanently.
First reason I saw in a couple of matches in the Team Tournament. One match had a team go here and park all their Mechs at the Dead End arraigned so they could fire practically all their weapons out into the only entrance in the Alley. The other team eventually figure this out and an interesting fight broke out with one team the victor.
The second match saw the same except the team that did not reach the alley first did not enter figuring the team in the Alley would come out. Neither side moved and the match ended in a tie needing a refight.
Second reason I saw some time ago either Winter of 2012 or early 2013. A Mech on my team was the last man alive and he went to Dead End Alley, parked with his back to the wall and shutdown. Not many like hunting shutdown Mechs, it is even more frustrating when they shutdown in the Alley because so few people would look there. He could tell if anyone came looking due to his position.
So there are two reasons to close the alley, first to prevent Ties with no casualties, second to prevent any shutdown Mech from hiding real well. I do not have a big beef with shutdown Mechs like others but this spot is too good.
