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[gerbilattack]

One of the things in the BattleTech setting, as it is based on a galactic scale, is that there are hundreds of worlds to choose from, many of which are fundemantally different. We currently have 10 (7 unique) maps. Each maps has taken a lot of work, and months of PGI's time.

There are a few ways to introduce more maps. One is to allow user generated maps; however, these are often of poor quality (read "bad"). Another is to allow user submitted maps, which, while better, requires a small team to set poeple on sifting good maps from bad maps, and hurt feelings. Last is to reskin maps.

I am promoting reskinning maps, PGI has already done this with three maps (River City/Night, Frozen City/Night, and Forrest Colony/Snow). This can have more value for some maps then it does for others. Canyon Network is a beautiful map in which reskinning provides little to no benefit (you can't change much without a lot work). River City is on the opposite side of the spectrum, where small changes can create worlds of difference.

Here are some examples: as you may note each example has some unique mapo effects to make it interesting an unique with a minimum (i hope) of work.

Here are a few for river city, the once king of matchmaking.

Dead City (River City)

The sun is hash, and light is bright, the buildings grey and brown, the river is long dry and the city abandoned. Still not all is without value...
In this version of rover city, the river is gone. Much of the buildings are in a better state of repair (the city was abandoned rather than ruined), The trees are withered stumps. The rocks from the dam break the upper city bridga and are scattered down stram, providing some cover. The sun is at 4 'oclock and is blazing is hot. Being in the sunlight has a heat value similar to caustic (8 and higer heat gain) +20% heat gain for this map -20% heat loss. Being in the shade Reduces your base heat to half that, and your heat loss is not reduced. The gravity is near normal, having no effect. This requires a little bit of fixing buildings (much easier than breaking them), as most the buildings in river cist are in good repair. The main fixers would be adding the heat rule, removing the water, adding rocks, and fixing the upper city/lower city highway. This meas boith sides have the best acess on a n/s axis, and must cross open terrain to reach the other side. The lower spawn is advantagous offensively and the upper spawn defensively.

Toxic River: (River City)
For this map, the city is a much brighter white for the concrete, with a tinge of green, the sun is slightly greeninsh through a thin haze of white clouds. The sky is an aqua color. The buldings have a sligly greenish panita. The river is chrystal clear. In toxic river, the river is acidic, and while it cools just fine, it deals 0.1 damage to all exposed components (submerged components) each second. (0.01 damage per 0.1 seconds). Occainsionally, a toxic rain falls, dealing the same damage, but never for longer than one minute at a time (6 damage if you stand like an *****). The rain should fall intermittantly and for less than 1/5th of the match. Some areas will need alteratin to provide cover from the rain. Some buildings can have fallen sections creating hallows, or fall together, creating a lean-to for small mechs. Most added cover needs to be in upper city or on the route to upper city, as this area has not cover from the rain. Epsilon would be raised slighty and moved a little closer to the shore, so you can touch it on one side without touching the water. Theta would not be moved (you would have to take a little damage to cap theta). Gravity is slightly lower, resulting in +5% speed, and +10% speed and height for jumpjets.

Sunset City: (river city)
It is at sunset, with the sun setting over the bay casting long shadows, there ia a set of naval destoryers (or other equvalent) belonging to a third party. THe bridges are lowered and widened, placiong theta on a center bridge, and the "citidel" isreplaced by a smaller profile set of defensive cannons. The upper spawn is not an arifield but has the plane removed and has an elevator detailed in the underpass. The upper city has the buildings appear to have smaller windows, which are reinforced by, metal shutters. The lower spawn has an embankment near the southwest edge and the four apartmenst are replaced by drydock of moderate size. Due to jamming by assaulting forces all locks take 10% more time, and all ecm range is increased by 10%. Every 90 seconds the guns fire (alternating friendly and enemy guns) Friendly guns are noisy and shake the ground (as the old jumpjet shake), enemy guns create a map wide artillery strike at max rank (10 shots each land somewhere on the map). Some trees are broken, having been hit by a shell.

Whywouldsomeonebuildhere?: (River City)
Replace river with lava. Move Epsilon as in Toxic River. Theta is on a raised platforn with while enterable from lava does not quite reach the city on either side. Kappa is switched with the building to it's south. Buildings are dark gray and the lighting is dim. The lavaflow has heat rising with pretty much kills heat vision over it, and is bright enough to blind nightvision looking at it, it is a major lightsouce for this map. The gravity is moderately higer then normal reducing speed by 10% and jumpjets by 20% (you may thank me if you play this map, light pilots). The lova creates 5 heat per component per second immersed and 1 damage. It slows your speed by 25% in addition to any other factors. There is an ash clout hovering 20m above the highpoint of upper spawn. This ash is promarily for lighing but does obscure jumpjetting mechs to some degree. The lava flows down the dam creating a glowing yellow wall, and fades to red near the edges of the riverbed, and black/red at the southern map edge. Past the dam a mountain with lava coming douwn one face can be barely seen as a glow through the ash. The as cloud would be wavy (on the bottom) blocks with 80% transparency, a layer each 5m.

Good, bad? Other maps you want to see possible reskins of?