175 replies to this topic

[jay35]

Map is okay, nice terrain artwork that makes it feel very different from the other maps. But it comes up way too often and "ain't nobody got time fo' that!" disconnects are already starting.

[Badgerthej]

I've only had one problem and i think you guys and girls would see it as a big problem, i get shutdown flashes every so often when looking at certain areas and some areas just turn off my hud completely and this has only happened in tourmaline, my rig isnt the greatest so i have my settings turned to low.

has anyone else had this problem.

[valkyrie]

I was literally dropped into a Tourmaline game just now and my Treb took damage to the legs. Something's up with the height at which our 'Mechs are being spawned.

[Ethidium]

As with Alpine I think this map is too big and the current game modes do not mesh well. Team death match would be better. The design and art direction are better than on Alpine.

[Mad Pig]

Vocis, on 19 March 2013 - 02:19 PM, said:

The new map reinforces how toxic the current Sniper based Metagame is.

I have played it several times and each time both teams did nothing but camp their spawn and never move outside of it.

Sounds like you're dropping with noob hordes. Up your ELO and you'll see that 'sniper based metagame' is a lolz comment.

[Synra]

This new map looks cool, and is a lot better than that awful alpine map we got last month.

But the desert is far from perfect. It suffers from the same horrible gameplay problem that Alpine does. It's stupidly massive in size just for the sake of being stupidly massive. We are not realistically utilizing all of this landscape. Every game simply involves a very long boring walk out to the middle theta area where we fight, just like how in Alpine we take a long walk out to the Epsilon area to fight.

All this is doing is creating a massive problem of the bases being way too far away. This provides nothing positive to gameplay, other than making it even easier for fast mechs to cheese a win with captures that the slower mechs have basically zero ability to deal with. And no, "leave base defenders" doesn't work out so well either, we tried it.

A friend and I played quite a few matches on this new map today, and we both came to the same conclusion. This map would be a LOT better if it were closer to the size of Forest Colony. The landscape is pretty, and has a fun style of hills and walls, but it needs to be a lot smaller for better gameplay.

Also, I think there is something wrong with the heat on this map. It's supposed to be the hottest map yet, but my friend and I were experiencing NO heat problems here. It's nowhere near as hot as caustic valley is.

Edited by Synra, 19 March 2013 - 07:56 PM.

[shintakie]

Synra, on 19 March 2013 - 07:54 PM, said:

Also, I think there is something wrong with the heat on this map. It's supposed to be the hottest map yet, but my friend and I were experiencing NO heat problems here. It's nowhere near as hot as caustic valley is.

You noticed that too huh? It honestly feels like the heat is at Forest Colony levels. I can fire my 4 ML's on my Jenner all day every day with only 11 DHS and not have to worry about heat. That makes no sense on a map that is supposed to be hotter than Caustic.

[FrostCollar]

Tourmaline looks great! It desperately needs a higher resource cap for conquest, though.

[Tragos]

Awesome map.

Just one small hint for those complaining about the "southern high ground":

We played the map and noticed it while being south. Afterwards we played the other side - and won by a great margin. Why? Because we knew of the SNIPER PLATEAU in the middle and DIDN'T take the direct road aka meatgrinder - just have a look at where epsilon is located. You have a perfect shot at anything on that plateau and are ABOVE them.

This is just a first approach after 5 matches on the map, but for the visual design and the possibilities it provides, it is just awesome. Funny though that there are people that already cry and don't think even a little.

You know how you can win from one side - so you know exactly what you have to counter. Simply do it. - We did and we won - and it was fun. Oh...and earlier we had a 749 : 750 match which was simply awesome - and no cap race.

For the heat: It seems correct, since it is about as hot as caustic is - if you don't sit in the volcano. Caustic: 85°, Turmaline: 95°. Most seem to forget, that caustic is much hotter in some places.

Edited by Tragos, 19 March 2013 - 08:29 PM.

[GorgoHammer]

Big, ugly, hot, maze, what's not to love . . . . /sarcasm




Garbage map, why did you bother ?

Edited by GorgoHammer, 21 March 2013 - 06:16 PM.

[Kassatsu]

Just dropped on it in my SDR-5D. It. Was. Glorious.

Seriously, there are so many places to hide, jump on top of, disappear into and generally troll the enemy team with, it's like the best map ever for Spiders.

Edited by Kassatsu, 19 March 2013 - 08:59 PM.

[aniviron]

My initial impressions are quite positive. I was worried after how bad Alpine was, but I really dig the art style, there's plenty of cover, and a lot of good spots for flanking and ambushing. Nice job to everyone who worked on this.

[Xerxys]

This map is the best map to date IMO, but it exacerbates a previous problem. It's huge and needs many more lances active to take full advantage. I'd say at least double the 8 man scenarios we have now.

[Xerxys]

Synra, on 19 March 2013 - 07:54 PM, said:

This new map looks cool, and is a lot better than that awful alpine map we got last month.

But the desert is far from perfect. It suffers from the same horrible gameplay problem that Alpine does. It's stupidly massive in size just for the sake of being stupidly massive. We are not realistically utilizing all of this landscape. Every game simply involves a very long boring walk out to the middle theta area where we fight, just like how in Alpine we take a long walk out to the Epsilon area to fight.

All this is doing is creating a massive problem of the bases being way too far away. This provides nothing positive to gameplay, other than making it even easier for fast mechs to cheese a win with captures that the slower mechs have basically zero ability to deal with. And no, "leave base defenders" doesn't work out so well either, we tried it.

A friend and I played quite a few matches on this new map today, and we both came to the same conclusion. This map would be a LOT better if it were closer to the size of Forest Colony. The landscape is pretty, and has a fun style of hills and walls, but it needs to be a lot smaller for better gameplay.

Also, I think there is something wrong with the heat on this map. It's supposed to be the hottest map yet, but my friend and I were experiencing NO heat problems here. It's nowhere near as hot as caustic valley is.

I think you're looking at this the wrong way. The size is fine, but they should add more mechs to matches here and at Alpine.

[MightyMeatShield]

This map doesn't feel "hotter" than Caustic Valley even though it's supposed to be.

[Steel Smurf]

This and AP would be great for an Attack/Defend game mode.

[GreyDemon]

Great Map and nice artwork.

[phanteh]

First match on the new map. Looks good, but half my team decided to sit on some crystal in the middle of a conquest match.

You just can't get the staff.

[Will HellFire]

Amazing Map!

Great looking visuals, in my 5 games in there I was stunned looking at some of the details...the craters, the crystal needles...

In all of my 5 games, I dont think we fought in the same area twice. I was running my new Jager and my 1/2 SplatCat, and the JJ possibilities are HUGE. Love it! Had the most fun and interesting fight around a huge crystal pillar, both teams set up on both sides of the pillar, having a double firefight enssue...real cool!

The map has a nice mix of sniper positions and cover to approach them. It is very tactical, so I can understand all the crying and whining from inexperienced pilots about "South base is better", " we always fight in the same areas", blah blah blah. My brawler/striker 4 man ALWAYS had an approach to the enemy sniper positions, and we managed to flank them EVERYTIME.

Constructive criticism:

-In conquest mode it is needed (as well as in Alpine) to increase number of resources needed to win.
-This map will shine when 12vs12 is implemented.

Good job PGI! Keep them coming!

[ove bababoke]

Great map! Really pretty and tactic!