131 replies to this topic

[Kain Demos]

Almond Brown, on 30 September 2014 - 11:07 AM, said:

Hey, the Lava people have to live somewhere too. lol

I always just chalked it up to some very rare natural resource existing there that made the juice (risk) worth the squeeze (reward).

[Almond Brown]

Mickey Knoxx, on 30 September 2014 - 05:49 AM, said:

It was tollerable at best in a light playing conquest before they jacked up that cap timers.

stuff

Did you know that a Cap Accelerator returns the Base Cap times to those prior to the change? (or damn close) but it seems lots complain but no one ever takes that Module... hmmmm

[Bilbo]

Almond Brown, on 30 September 2014 - 11:10 AM, said:

Did you know that a Cap Accelerator returns the Base Cap times to those prior to the change? (or damn close) but it seems lots complain but no one ever takes that Module... hmmmm

I used to carry it but it doesn't fit anymore.

[hybrid black]

El Bandito, on 30 September 2014 - 05:47 AM, said:

Wasn't it only 1 poll? I'll bet if the poll was about reducing the chance Terra Therma appears in rotation, it will get a resounding YES.

Sumone should make such a poll.

It was dropped or do you not keep up with news and just *****?

[Clint Steel]

Kain Thul, on 30 September 2014 - 10:56 AM, said:

Pretty sure I run much hotter on Terra Therma. I believe they actually scale the heat to go higher the closer you are to the lava so if you're in the Volcano or even worse, IN the Volcano you will ahve some issues even firing at all.

The magma will heat your mech up, even the streams, so careful where you stand. Also like Caustic the caldera is likely hotter.

[Tristan Winter]

Egomane, on 30 September 2014 - 05:03 AM, said:

And yet, all polls ever made on that subject, are against a removal of TT, with a massive lead in favor of keeping it.
So maybe it is just you and few others, who don't like it?

Nope, there's a significant portion of the player population who really, really hate that map.

I can't think of any other map that is even close to generating the same level of vitriol. No matches on any other map start by one or several people expressing intense revulsion as often as on Terra Therma. It's not even close. Some people don't like River City Nights, some people don't like Alpine, sure. But Terra Therma is the least popular map by far. Even if there may be a majority of fans who enjoy the map (for the sake of argument), it's without a doubt the least popular map.

I don't understand why anyone would even deny it. It's not a myth made up by the Island Illuminati.

[Bilbo]

Nicolai Kabrinsky, on 30 September 2014 - 11:20 AM, said:

Nope, there's a significant portion of the player population who really, really hate that map.

I can't think of any other map that is even close to generating the same level of vitriol. No matches on any other map start by one or several people expressing intense revulsion as often as on Terra Therma. It's not even close. Some people don't like River City Nights, some people don't like Alpine, sure. But Terra Therma is the least popular map by far. Even if there may be a majority of fans who enjoy the map (for the sake of argument), it's without a doubt the least popular map.

I don't understand why anyone would even deny it. It's not a myth made up by the Island Illuminati.

Hating the map, as I do, and wanting it removed are two very different things.

[Burktross]

xeromynd, on 30 September 2014 - 09:03 AM, said:

• You aren't 'special' on Terra Therma. The same climate is applied universally to all players. Oh, you're running hot in your Nova? Guess what, that Nova on the enemy team is running hot too.

Not... exactly... ballistic and missle builds have blatant advantages over energy builds in TT (in terms of simply not having a disadvantage), where as say, frozen city, grants no disadvantage to anyone weapon wise. Ballistics and missiles are ballistics and missiles no matter what. PPCs are self-destruct depending on the temperature though. One may argue this is balanced with ammo, but the advantage ballistics (particularly low ammo, high damage) have over heat in different environments is disproportionate.

Still shouldn't remove TT.
Just change it up a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee little bit.
I wouldn't mind changing the middle from a colosseum of "who can predict how bad cliff hit detection is today" to something with more pazaaaazzz.

[Tristan Winter]

Bilbo, on 30 September 2014 - 11:21 AM, said:

Hating the map, as I do, and wanting it removed are two very different things.

I agree, but the statement I was responding to was "So maybe it is just you and few others, who don't like it?"

It's not a few others.

And for the sake of being constructive, which some people requested - I don't think the issue is that it's too hot. Hot maps are fine. The issue is the design of the map, because gameplay is so predictable and there's very few options. Alpine has a similar problem (which is part of the reason so many people dislike it), but at least you're not forced into a bottleneck so often on that map. It's predictable, but it's still not too bad.

[o0Marduk0o]

151st Light Horse Regiment, on 30 September 2014 - 04:59 AM, said:

One of the most pathetic, terrible maps ever.

You make a thread just because you don't know how to play on a certain map?

Maybe you should build a new mech based on your testing results on hot map in testing ground.

Edited by o0Marduk0o, 30 September 2014 - 11:35 AM.

[Bilbo]

Nicolai Kabrinsky, on 30 September 2014 - 11:29 AM, said:

I agree, but the statement I was responding to was "So maybe it is just you and few others, who don't like it?"

It's not a few others.

And for the sake of being constructive, which some people requested - I don't think the issue is that it's too hot. Hot maps are fine. The issue is the design of the map, because gameplay is so predictable and there's very few options. Alpine has a similar problem (which is part of the reason so many people dislike it), but at least you're not forced into a bottleneck so often on that map. It's predictable, but it's still not too bad.

The last time I looked at the Tera Therma poll in the feature suggestion forum, keep it in was winning by a landslide despite the comments. I'll never like the map because the mechs I generally run aren't suited for it in any way. If I knew it was coming I'd be sure to bring something I could enjoy playing on the map. As it stands I just grin and bear it when it pops up.

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

151st Light Horse Regiment, on 30 September 2014 - 04:59 AM, said:

One of the most pathetic, terrible maps ever.

no.

The last thing we need is to REMOVE maps, in a game that suffers from few maps to begin with.

[ShinobiHunter]

I rather like Mordor. Frozen City (day), and River City Night I could do without, but I like the rest of the maps.

[Grimlox]

Great map, I would hate to see it go.

Fun Fact: I have my second best W/L ratio on this map according to my map stats. I need all the help I can get so leave it alone.

[oneproduct]

Some problems with the map, most mentioned already but just to add a few of my own thoughts, particularly pertaining to the first point.

• Heat bias. Certain mechs, like a Jenner-F, are essentially forced to bring all laser builds and will suffer greatly whereas other mechs, like a Jagermech carrying just 3 UAC5s or 2 gauss rifles, will experience a massive advantage because they can essentially fire non-stop while everyone else loses a good amount of DPS.
  
  The Jenner-F had no chance to try to avoid this and the Jagermech's ballistics were already better than the other weapon types even before they got this heat penalty. If the map that was coming up next were listed somehow, the pilot might have brought another mech, but alas he can't do that. Talking about "fire discipline" for laser based mechs is ridiculously biased. Do you think the Jagermech has to practice fire discipline?
  
  The same is true for cold maps though but isn't as bad. Laser builds get a bit of a buff but at least everyone can fight whereas on hot maps it renders some mechs unable to fight. In terms of balance the best solution would be to have the maps be heat neutral, otherwise the quality of your build is decided randomly by the map selection.
  
• All or nothing center push. If one team pushes the center with all their mechs and the other team didn't, the game is essentially over. If one team didn't push at all and the map is in skirmish mode, the team in the center has no incentive to do anything but defend the choke points and wait for the other team to try to come inside.
  
• Too big. You can't realistically flank along the outsides because of the size of the map. It takes too long and you're too likely to be spotted before you get there.

[Apnu]

151st Light Horse Regiment, on 30 September 2014 - 04:59 AM, said:

One of the most pathetic, terrible maps ever.

ROAR! LOL!

Terra Therma is fine. Its pretty, and it teaches you heat management, which is a good thing.

But the ring, my god, the RING!

It attracts PUGs like a bug zapper. They always go up there, they always die up there. STAY OUT OF THE RING! Just don't go in there, don't go up the ramp to the ring, or even look at the ring. Just don't do it! Stay outside and when the enemy team gets bored of camping in a weber grill, they'll file out in ones and twos and be easy pickings.

Edited by Apnu, 30 September 2014 - 02:38 PM.

[Rebas Kradd]

oneproduct, on 30 September 2014 - 02:29 PM, said:

Too big. You can't realistically flank along the outsides because of the size of the map. It takes too long and you're too likely to be spotted before you get there.

This is your only point I disagree with, and I disagree heartily. It's hard to spot mechs on this map thanks to the limited lines-of-sight. Therefore, scouting and information warfare have room to breathe there. And when it comes to Conquest, the size, spawn positions, and distance of the enemy lances mean that it's actually just as efficient to engage the nearest enemy lance than it is to deathball.

Also, there's no "takes too long" in a MechWarrior's vocabulary. Operations in this universe are supposed to take a LOT longer than the five-minute furballs we currently have. Send your Dire Wolves marching around the perimeter (communicating and giving orders in the process), assign smaller mechs to escort them (communicating and giving orders in the process), send scouts ahead to ensure the travel avenues are clear and to find the enemy lances doing the same thing (communicating and giving orders in the process...do you see a pattern here), and you have room for real strategy and role warfare.

What mucks all that up is the caldera in the middle. That should go. Like cool things in most bad movies, there's little reason for it to be there except so the designers can go "Hey look! Big volcano!"

Edited by Rebas Kradd, 30 September 2014 - 02:44 PM.

[-Natural Selection-]

Almond Brown, on 30 September 2014 - 11:10 AM, said:

Did you know that a Cap Accelerator returns the Base Cap times to those prior to the change? (or damn close) but it seems lots complain but no one ever takes that Module... hmmmm

Did you play it with the old timer? Even with cap accel it isn't even close man.

It was about 20-30 secs solo cap with original timers. Still over 2-3 mins even with module now.

Edited by Mickey Knoxx, 30 September 2014 - 02:48 PM.

[oneproduct]

Rebas Kradd, on 30 September 2014 - 02:35 PM, said:

Also, there's no "takes too long" in a MechWarrior's vocabulary. Operations in this universe are supposed to take a LOT longer than the five-minute furballs we currently have.

Their operations probably take days, weeks, months or more. But in a video game where the intent is to play lots of small matches, there's no point in there needing the map to be of a size where it takes 3 minutes to go an alternate route to get to the enemy from the other side when it could take 2 minutes.

And even with the reduced sight lines, the longer it takes to go around, the more chances enemy mechs have to spot you or realize something funny is going on and therefore ruin the whole surprise. The less time it takes to flank someone the more successful it is likely to be.

[Stonefalcon]

I fail to see the issue with Terra Therma.