175 replies to this topic

[Warge]

Two suns finaly! But what's about two shadows? Or how shadows should look like on planet with 2 suns above?

[Haakon Magnusson]

Just got to try it twice, but a damn pretty map... now we are getting somewhere out there in the looks department.

[megoblocks]

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.

You're playing it wrong. The last few matches I've had on it, small groups of us have taken to the sides before and after contact to get around their main body and attack from the flanks or rear.

[Mal]

Good fun...As mentioned, I'm not seeing it on my Map Stats page.

[Cantatta]

Fantastic map, probably the best of the bunch so far! 12v12 should be awesome on this and Alpine. Same note about not showing on the stats page. KUDOS!!

[Clownwarlord]

ITS IS THE GREATEST MAP OUT THERE!!!

OK I played it only three times but each time I had a great deal amount of fun. And to me that is key to any game is fun and if it has a story line makes it AWESOME!!! Well no story but game play on this map is great.

First time I played I was in a Centurion 9-A and I weaved up and down black glass dunes shooting what I can before I got cored out and we lost. But it was great with so much stuff there.

Second match I was in my Atlas 57-D lrm boat load out. I sat behind some dunes with some cover and made it rain on those in the open. It was a great amount of fun for me but not my victims. It turned into a route and win.

Last match there, I again was in my boat for cash. This time my team took a lead with raining lrms on mechs in the open. But after that the 4 mechs left used the dunes to their advantage killing off team mate one at a time. Until it was down to me in my boat and a weaponless centurion. My boat finally fell to 3 mechs which took heavy damage and then they went for the centurion who lived only due to clock running out but again a loss.

All where great fun and would love to play this map some more but have yet to get the chance.

[Synra]

Xerxys, on 19 March 2013 - 10:07 PM, said:

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.

I don't know how people manage to come to this kind of conclusion. Adding more mechs to each team is not magically going to make us utilize this entire landscape. It will only result in an even bigger battle around the middle region.

megoblocks, on 20 March 2013 - 04:30 AM, said:

You're playing it wrong. The last few matches I've had on it, small groups of us have taken to the sides before and after contact to get around their main body and attack from the flanks or rear.

What the heck are you talking about? FYI, I won most of my matches on this new map so far. I don't need to be told "what I am doing wrong" or how I can improve. That's not even in the scope of this "feedback" thread.

I am pointing out a serious problem. I have been paying attention to what both teams have been doing on this map. With the exception of a few fast mechs who feel the need to waste time running around those empty side areas of the map, most players have quickly adapted the same method and mentality we have been seeing on Alpine for the past month. Simply march out to the spot where there will be fighting. Every mech who doesn't stick with their team on this, is potentially handicapping their team when the fighting starts.

I am NOT saying this is a good thing. It's a bad thing. It's the primary thing that makes Alpine lame. I am so sick and tired of the shootout that happens at Epsilon (alpine) in every single match. People throw around the word 'tactics', and have weird fantasies about spreading the team to different locations, but none of that is practical there. I have tried it all. Spreading out your team to different areas just causes your people to get eaten alive by the enemies.

The same thing is already starting to happen on Desert. Everyone marches out to the middle and bombs on each other from long range, until one team has a distinct advantage, and then they rush the survivors. meanwhile base captures feel cheaper than ever, since most people move far too slowly to do anything about it.

We don't have this kind of gameplay problems on the smaller maps. We don't all end up fighting in the same spot every time. Things happen all over the map. On Forest Colony, the decisive battle may take place near your base, near the other base, out in the water, in the cave, at the archway, in the middle hills, or anywhere else. This is what makes Forest Colony interesting and fun to play from match to match. On Alpine, it's a basically a mexican standoff at Epsilon, 99% of the time, and it's soo boring. I am so tired of seeing that, and Desert is already starting to follow that pattern.

[Cest7]

Pretty solid map, runs good. It totally does devolve into a CF in the middle... maybe alternate/multiple spawn areas could help that a bit. I like the multi level gameplay of the spires and valleys, lots of good cover.

Its very yellow.

I fell off one of the highest crystals in my jagermech and took no falling dmg. Forest colony has unforgiving fall damage with less gravity (0.8 to 0.95).

Edited by Cest7, 20 March 2013 - 07:16 PM.

[Least Action Jackson]

This is a fantastic map. Tourmaline Desert is my favorite map since... Tourmaline Desert is my favorite map.

[John MatriX82]

It's a pretty, pretty map, I like it.. the detail, the destroyed mechs from countless battles, it's by far the most beautiful so far I think.

But as others said certain slopes are too easy to take with the mechs (same on Alpine) and there's an imbalance for competitive play, but I'd like to first try it with 8mans before judging it.

[Butane9000]

I understand it's a desert, my only problem is it is too bright. Otherwise it's a perfectly fine map with an interesting layout.

Edited by Butane9000, 20 March 2013 - 09:28 AM.

[Noobzorz]

The map has a very cool aesthetic, but it features more dumb mountaineering (seriously guys, fix that), and many of the textures look hideous up close. I have also been stuck in terrain while walking through pathable areas twice, which is two times more than any other map I've played on, and my HUD has magically disappeared twice while playing there.

Anyway, its a major LRM fest that is difficult to navigate and unnecessarily huge in my opinion. I don't care for it at all.

[Hedonism Robot]

This map is great, one of the best maps to date. What makes a great map is a dynamic and artistic setting (has to look good) combined with tactical layout (plays well). This map covers both. The new map provides open canyons to engage in long range while allowing for tactical flanking maneuvers. Alpine the previously released map was missing a lot of these aspects which resulted in boring stand offs and LRM/Sniper fests. I feel like the new map truly supports balanced setups and encourages teamwork.

Please continue to release 1 map of this quality a month PGI.

[Wildstreak]

Only been on this map in Testing Grounds so far.

Along with Alpine, I believe the time allowed for a match should be increased and/or bases should take longer to cap.

Cannot find the Cicada in Testing Grounds yet, almost missed the Catapult.

Heat, noticed when doing nothing Mech generates 6% heat compared to 5% on Caustic, 1% is not much of a difference though the temp is not far off either, 97C on Desert vs 85C on Caustic.

Synra, on 20 March 2013 - 08:26 AM, said:

I am NOT saying this is a good thing. It's a bad thing. It's the primary thing that makes Alpine lame. I am so sick and tired of the shootout that happens at Epsilon (alpine) in every single match. People throw around the word 'tactics', and have weird fantasies about spreading the team to different locations, but none of that is practical there. I have tried it all. Spreading out your team to different areas just causes your people to get eaten alive by the enemies.

The same thing is already starting to happen on Desert. Everyone marches out to the middle and bombs on each other from long range, until one team has a distinct advantage, and then they rush the survivors. meanwhile base captures feel cheaper than ever, since most people move far too slowly to do anything about it.

We don't have this kind of gameplay problems on the smaller maps. We don't all end up fighting in the same spot every time. Things happen all over the map. On Forest Colony, the decisive battle may take place near your base, near the other base, out in the water, in the cave, at the archway, in the middle hills, or anywhere else. This is what makes Forest Colony interesting and fun to play from match to match. On Alpine, it's a basically a mexican standoff at Epsilon, 99% of the time, and it's soo boring. I am so tired of seeing that, and Desert is already starting to follow that pattern.

You should find ways to play the maps differently.
Once on Alpine, my team started from Sigma point and headed south instead of the usual Epsilon location. Enemy team came to us and the fight was just west of Kappa heading into the path to Gamma. Lot more fun than the usual Epsilon battle.

[MischiefSC]

I've played it quite a few times. Brilliant, complex and visually stunning.

My only negative feedback - there is a spot on G5, in that grid mark where you pretty much control the map. H5/H6 has no viable cover. Neither does the other side. It can't be flanked or approached. Snipers/LRMs there have pretty much won, unless the other team wants to wait the timer out.

There's the beginning of a gully that runs from H5-H6, can that be deeper and longer to give some possible routes to flank the G5 position? Otherwise it's pretty much a king of the hill spot with the right team.

It's a pretty minor beef. Would be an issue in competitive play but otherwise the map is magnificent, visually stunning and tactically rich.

[M4rtyr]

Butane9000, on 20 March 2013 - 09:27 AM, said:

I understand it's a desert, my only problem is it is too bright. Otherwise it's a perfectly fine map with an interesting layout.

Have you noticed the primary sun is a massive white star? Thats why everything is so bright and white. I say its very good job of lighting different enviornments.

[Morang]

Excellent map. Large, lots of everything - open spaces, cover, different height levels - and it's sunny without any fog or, even worse, snow (with March being still cold and snowy IRL I can't truly appreciate Alpine map yet). Those crystals are beautiful, and a lot of scrap is interesting.

[Norm Peterson]

Love the Dust Devils that randomly appear through out the map!!

[Corvus Antaka]

This map is fantastic. I hope alpine draws from tourmaline to improve its overall balance & setup.

[Cataphract]

Most innovative map so far. Great layout and the rock formations are just amazing to look at. You can brawl and snipe without it seeming like the map caters to either tactic too heavily. Some may complain that the map is unbalanced, but its really not. Good work guys keep it up.