60 replies to this topic

[Suko]

I've played it numerous times now and I'm sorry, but this is too big. Maybe with 12v12 it'll be good. But with 8v8, it's just boring and ridiculous.

I know many on this forum have been raging for bigger maps for months now, and I never understood why. Caustic is a perfect size. Not too small that it's close quarters all the time and not too large that you might go an entire game without spotting the enemy.

Alpine is just....blah. It lacks character, there's no cover (aside from the ridiculous mountains spaced thousands of meters apart), and it's always fantastic when the enemy starts to cap your base and you're 5 min out.

Who actually likes this map and why? I honestly want to know. The argument I heard (prior to Alpine's release) was that the current maps are "too small to be strategic". I think this is wrong, but whatever. So, how does Alpine let you be strategic? I mean, to flank an enemy in a normal mech going 60kph takes a good 3 minutes or more. By the time you're lance flanks the enemy force, they probably blew apart your decoy lance. What does Alpine let you do that Caustic does not (aside from get lost).

I honestly hope that PGI doesn't keep making maps this big. Or, if they do, focus more on how the map can be fun and less on "How do we make it huge?".

Edit: Also, it looks ridiculous watching a Stalker scale a mountain up a 60 degree glacial slope. That thing must have some damn good traction on the soles of its feet!

Edited by ShadowVFX, 08 March 2013 - 04:42 PM.

[Escef]

It is too big, but I still like it. It's a welcome change from the brawler centric maps.

[Sheraf]

I like it, cause it is big enough for my balance build to be effective, and I like long range fight.

[Dreamslave]

Definitely too big, considering how long it takes the vast majority of mechs in this game to traverse an 8 man map, this bigger one is just ridiculous.

[Pater Mors]

Great map. Forces a change of tactics from all the smaller maps and encourages team work and scouting to a greater degree than something like Caustic where it basically just 'pick which side of the Caldera you want to fight on'.

Edit: I do agree that 12v12 would be great on this map.

Edited by Pater Mors, 08 March 2013 - 04:48 PM.

[vrok]

I'll give you that conquest on it is stupid, but that's because the game mode is stupid, not the map. It's the only map that makes this game Mechwarrior Online and not Arena Robot Brawl Online. It's the perfect size.

Also, there's plenty of cover. You just can't roll out in the world's slowest assault mech by yourself and expect to kill 2-3 people solo before you die like on the joke maps. Team work and balanced builds FTW. It would be much better if it matched the teams with even weight classes as well.

Some things that suck though are as you point out the insane climbs mechs can do in this game. And that there's even a giant mountain in the middle of the map with one team starting on high ground.

Edited by vrok, 08 March 2013 - 04:51 PM.

[Dirk Le Daring]

It is the best map yet.

[Royalewithcheese]

Alpine is interesting in that it's got a lot of amazing stuff and a lot of stupid stuff about it.

Amazing stuff:

• The scale. It's a very old-school map, and it lends itself to different and IMO more interesting tactics than the closed in urban maps that make up 50% of the rotation.
  
• It throws longer-ranged builds a bone without gimping shorter-ranged builds. Urban maps in mechwarrior games are harsh on longer-ranged mechs to a much greater extent than wide-open maps with significant covering terrain are to shorter-ranged mechs.
  
• The z-axis matters here, which makes jump jetting, ambushes from above, and obtaining higher ground a larger part of gameplay.

Stupid stuff:

• Conquest and assault are arguably broken on this map. Wins and losses happen quicker than a team can reasonably be expected to respond to them.
  
• The draw distance is not equipped for a map of this size. You've gotta mess with your .cfg, which shouldn't be a requirement.
  
• The hills are too steep. Looks ridiculous when mechs walk up them.

[Tarman]

I like it because there's a lot more chatter and planning even with pure text. People call targets, let folks know if they're being spotted by some hill-percher, and at least attempt to work a larger tactical game. There's also a long-range game that lasts for more than 5 seconds. It's a great change of pace from River City, where you can shoot dudes at their base FROM YOUR BASE.

[BlackSquirrel]

Because there is finally a place where medium lasers and SRMs don't reign supreme... Assault mechs can't insta get in your face.

A lot of balance issues actually stem from "knife fight" type range. Seriously 80% of matches come down to 100m or less.

Edit: dumbassitude

Edited by BlackSquirrel, 08 March 2013 - 04:59 PM.

[Stimbles]

The map is good, but assault is a terrible game mode on it.

[Squid von Torgar]

Yes I like it, its by far the best map. And yes it look stupid for any mech to climb those gradients (Something other maps are guilty of too).

Bigger maps, more realistic movement FTW.

[Sears]

I like Alpine. I like have a mix of small and large maps. Keeps things varied. It will seem smaller when 12v12 comes about. Forest Colony will be quite crowded. The map will make more sense when we have more role warfare and the ability for that information to be communicated and acting on easier for those that don't have voip.

The every one have a massive fight one mech legs it to cap tactic is quite popular. Usually it's a light but I've seen fresh assaults waiting at our base while the rest have died.

[Lukoi Banacek]

I like it quite a bit. I like that you can't always see where the PPC fire is originating from. I like that it's a larger map and that fights can develop differently. It definitely has its frustrations at times due to it being 8v8, but for a beta situation, I like it. Once we're closer to the realized vision for the game, I think alot of the complaints about it will be reduced.

[Thatnanoguy]

Best map yet

[Larth]

If AP has any singular flaw with it, it is not the size of the map or how it's designed, but rather the amount of time for the matches on AP. Unfortunately due to it's size and it's time, it's ratio of actual playable play time is smaller than the other maps. Thereby limiting what the slower mechs can do. If time on it was increased even a third of what it is now or just flat out doubled, it'd make tactics more viable rather than up the middle and fight at E5 *rolls eyes*, same old same old.

When they do Company vs. Company (12 vs. 12) that will even add more options. The vast majority of the future maps sound like they are going to be Alpine Peaks size or larger. I know the Desert one coming in a week and a half is also going to be big. Their map post made it sound like the April map was going to be a big one too (I assume April).

[Caladan Nix]

It's too big, especially for Conquest. Whereas some 'cap races' only have a minor chance of neither side actually seeing let alone fight each other, with Alpine it's almost an actual certainty.

[StarBorn]

I like it because it presents more options strategy wise to my team. Conversely we also have to guard against more coming at us from the other team. I also like the size because I feel it makes people take faster less brawl centric mechs overall in case they get alpine.

The downside is I hardly ever see this map. Since the patch the other day I have according to my stats dropped 18 times. I have yet to see this match since patch.

[axeman]

This possibility of this map is the reason for assault mechs or SRM boats to not be the dominant mech in every single random drop

[Alex Novian]

I like it even tho I'm at times not running a good machine for it.

things that could be changed :

-Conquest- increase the Resources needed to win by 250 and remove the Clock.

Edited by Alex Novian, 08 March 2013 - 05:06 PM.