7 replies to this topic

[Hex Pallett]

So I was reading that MWLL map love thread and was thinking, hmm, MWO does need some large, open maps, and right now there're only two. One is Terra Therma which thanks to the environment heat is frustrating to play on, and the other is of course Alpine's peak. And the more I think of it, the more I find the current state of that map to be admirable, to say the least.

So let's take a look at it. Notice I play Conquest only and the analysis is based on my Conquest experience.

So we have five capture points. Epsilon and Kappa are on the front, in the same wide-open canyon, but so far away that only AC2 and ERPPC could remotely be useful. We have Sigma on the west end, which is easily accessed by the Team North (you know what I'm talking about), but still very fast and safe to reach by Lights from Team South. And there's just enough terrain and object cover around Sigma area, that a Light could easily give an alpha strike on an unlucky Medium or Heavy in the rear, and escape with only mild scratches.

We have Theta in the middle, hills on east/west and open on north/south. Closer for Team South to reach, but if North decide to establish a firing line from west hills and north open, there's nothing stopping them to do so. However, if the North team decides to counter cap Theta, they themselves would be in the open, and would be impossible to escape without taking massive damage.

Then there's Gamma, a point so far north that if either team has a lance going that way, they won't have enough time to go back to battle, during which their teammates may have already been slayed. However, a cap point is still a cap point, and if a smart Light gets that covered, it may be able to turn the tide.

The other thing about the map is the clever use of terrain cover. On most other maps, terrain cover means tight corridors behind a line of hill that barely allows two Mechs to pass through shoulder by shoulder. Alpine however, doesn't have ANY of that. Which is great, because I want to be able to maneuver my battle machine, and more importantly, SEE the battle, watch LRM's cross through the sky, see the lasers sweeping across hills and autocannon shells explode around me, instead of playing Metal-Chestbump 3000.

Done. I'm outta here.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Alpine was always one of my favorites - but a lot of that was open brainless bias, as it is very similar to some of the mountain areas around my home.

Still - playing conquest on that one feels much much more like we are actually playing a different game mode than most conquest variations
IE: Who bothers to really grab most cap-points on Terra Therma? It happens a lot, I know, but fighting over the cap points happens a lot more on Alpine to my experience.

[Charles Fornton]

In skirmish it is easily the best map too. Lots of room for manoeuver and plenty of cover for brawl mechs too. Love it.

[luxebo]

The only thing I dislike about the map is generally snipers and other long range mechs excel here, but brawlers just don't in most cases. Also, the mountain in the middle is often fought over and the first to get it usually gains the upper hand. Only two comments of the map. Two other maps not listed here are HPG Manifold and Crimson Straits, which both are quite large maps.

[Iron Buccaneer]

There is actually a lot more cover on Alpine than you are giving it credit for. True there are wide open spaces but there are lots of terrain features that have been designed to provide more cover than they appear to. Not to mention you can end up having a variety of different fights on the large map. I dig it. It is also a great map to light swarm on.

[Hex Pallett]

Shar Wolf, on 28 April 2014 - 02:21 PM, said:

Alpine was always one of my favorites - but a lot of that was open brainless bias, as it is very similar to some of the mountain areas around my home.

You live in snow mountains?? I WANT THAT LIFE

Marack Drock, on 29 April 2014 - 08:30 AM, said:

I didn't like Alpine the best. Nice map and it was great for 12 vs 12 but I always liked Caustic Valley and River City Night the best.

Not a fan of Caustic on Conquest. Usually the match comes to a stalemate until one side makes a mistake. Also not good for Laserboats, which is, like, 90% of my builds. River City is brilliant though. you got Theta in the mid for ganking and instant action, and Kappa for north and Epsi for south if you wanna play safe. Lots of cover AND place to maneuver - urban jungle in its best form.

[Alaskan Nobody]

Helmstif, on 29 April 2014 - 11:34 AM, said:

You live in snow mountains?? I WANT THAT LIFE

No, I live near mountains.