48 replies to this topic

[TLBFestus]

Warning: They kicked Jack Canfield out of the game for asking too many questions.

[NeoCodex]

How do people find these old threads I wonder?

[MauttyKoray]

RTDouglas, on 27 October 2014 - 04:30 PM, said:

I love this game.

That being said, every day that I have to keep playing these same old maps, a piece of that love dies.

I bought the Phoenix pack and would have bought the new Resistance pack without hesitation, except that now after a year of playing I have come to realize that it doesn't matter how many new mechs there are when we keep fighting frozen city over and over and over and over and over.

I work at a gas station.

I don't have any degrees in business or computer graphics or anything for that matter, and yet for some strange reason, EVEN I, am able to tell that this game will die without some new maps.

SERIOUSLY!

Please for the love of all that is good and decent in the world, or hey even maybe even to protect profits into the future....

MAKE SOME NEW MAPS (yes plural) and get them into the game YESTERDAY.

This above everything else is THE primary failing in this game as of today.

Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be all [redacted] up.

Sincerely

RTDouglas

They practically did this, plus now they're going through and revamping the older maps (like they did with River City and Forest Colony), on top of that they're working on other stuff as well.

[monk]

Procedurally generated maps. Please. A few bumps and hills. Some random buildings. Done.

[MauttyKoray]

monk, on 17 December 2015 - 12:47 AM, said:

Procedurally generated maps. Please. A few bumps and hills. Some random buildings. Done.

That sounds terrible...

[monk]

MauttyKoray, on 17 December 2015 - 12:53 AM, said:

That sounds terrible...

Worse than the same stale maps with the same stale gameplay? Have you ever played on randomly generated maps before?

NeoCodex, on 17 December 2015 - 12:32 AM, said:

How do people find these old threads I wonder?

By using the search feature. No timestamps on posts found by search.

Edited by monk, 17 December 2015 - 12:57 AM.

[Hawk_eye]

monk, on 17 December 2015 - 12:47 AM, said:

Procedurally generated maps. Please. A few bumps and hills. Some random buildings. Done.

This



is the very first, very early iteration of a procedurally generated planet in Star Citizen Alpha.

Now get me this, PGI!

[FlipOver]

I like the idea of procedural self-generated maps but I have just one thing against it.

Currently, the smallest pebble can stop a gigantic humanoid combat machine.
Until PGI fixes this, it's best to leave the map creation up to the map designers.

Granted, they have failed a few times here and there. But with something like procedural generated maps, those situations would happen too often for the maps to be enjoyable.

So here is what I think should be the plan:
Step 1 - Create a way for the 'mech (without JJs) to not get stuck on anything that's 15% of the 'mechs height (or something about knee high).
Anything that's knee high or lower, should be something possible for a 'mech to move over.
Step 2 - Fix any other kind of 'mech mechanic that would get the pilot stuck on the smallest things.
Step 3 - Give the procedural generated maps a go.

[Davegt27]

I am still hoping for a space port map with big drop ships

Just a open map with a few rolling hills and some buildings

[Killian De Morte]

FlipOver, on 17 December 2015 - 02:15 AM, said:

I like the idea of procedural self-generated maps but I have just one thing against it.

Currently, the smallest pebble can stop a gigantic humanoid combat machine.
Until PGI fixes this, it's best to leave the map creation up to the map designers.

Granted, they have failed a few times here and there. But with something like procedural generated maps, those situations would happen too often for the maps to be enjoyable.

So here is what I think should be the plan:
Step 1 - Create a way for the 'mech (without JJs) to not get stuck on anything that's 15% of the 'mechs height (or something about knee high).
Anything that's knee high or lower, should be something possible for a 'mech to move over.
Step 2 - Fix any other kind of 'mech mechanic that would get the pilot stuck on the smallest things.
Step 3 - Give the procedural generated maps a go.

Yes to all of the above. BUT include minimap that fills in only where your team goes - look a reason to scout !

You would not advocate replacing all hand designed maps, but adding to them with a random option would be great.

We could even have weekend "Explorer" events where all map choices are random - you just pick the planet type ( ice / dessert / Jungle / Forest )

As for those that say about random maps not allowing their mechs to walk where they want to, or introducing geographic bottlenecks, welcome to the real universe where you fight in the environment and make the best of it.

"Commander, we will drop to the east of the base and take out the bunkers from that side"
"Not until they redesign that rock-ridge so my King-Crab can climb it rather than going the long way round we wont !"
"Sorry, but we cant terraform the planet to accomodate that before the attack"
"Wont Go ! Its Not Fair ! ( Sulks ) "

[Johnny Z]

Killian De Morte, on 17 December 2015 - 05:08 AM, said:

Yes to all of the above. BUT include minimap that fills in only where your team goes - look a reason to scout !

You would not advocate replacing all hand designed maps, but adding to them with a random option would be great.

We could even have weekend "Explorer" events where all map choices are random - you just pick the planet type ( ice / dessert / Jungle / Forest )

As for those that say about random maps not allowing their mechs to walk where they want to, or introducing geographic bottlenecks, welcome to the real universe where you fight in the environment and make the best of it.

"Commander, we will drop to the east of the base and take out the bunkers from that side"
"Not until they redesign that rock-ridge so my King-Crab can climb it rather than going the long way round we wont !"
"Sorry, but we cant terraform the planet to accomodate that before the attack"
"Wont Go ! Its Not Fair ! ( Sulks ) "

I really like the fog of war idea a lot. Maybe this can be worked in somewhere and to a lesser degree to allow for a tiny bit of realism with satellite imaging and stuff.

Another unrelated idea I heard recently was dropping teams at different times, one before the other as a mechanic somehow.

Interesting ideas like these being added would maybe be great.




Hand crafted maps are better. Period. This is the computer age and real world mass production arguments mean nothing in the grand scheme of things when concerning a few people doing a job much better than a machine can. That can itself be quickly and easily replicated.

Todays industry's after hundreds of years cannot match hand crafted. Mass production rules in SOME areas because of the labour costs, in other, even most other areas mass production cannot be used, and even then in all areas hand crafted is still present and higher quality and valued higher.

Edited by Johnny Z, 17 December 2015 - 07:47 AM.

[Dimento Graven]

RTDouglas, on 27 October 2014 - 04:30 PM, said:

... impassioned words attempting to motivate game improvement...

I feel you dude.

Ultimately though, for right now, I'd be good with a frickin' Frozen City remake. It's now the OLDEST map in the game, it's the SMALLEST map in the game, and it's the one that, if you're playing in the solo queue at least, YOU WILL DO OVER AND OVER, anytime it shows up in the vote rotation.

I'm sick of that map, it should be the one to be remade, NOT the much newer, larger, AP...

[Elizander]

I'd like new maps that are a little more distinct from the regular ones we have.

I don't know what specific map layout I would enjoy though, but I would like it to have more of a mission feel than a general battleground. If I were to toss ideas out quickly:

• Two starting points are a landing zone where dropships drop Team A and a smoking damaged military base with walls and buildings where the mechs spawn normally.
  
• Lots of broken mechs near the base.
  
• Base has a few working turrets, other team has a backdoor option (no turrets there) and sniper positions outside. Base has more cover.
  
• Possible underground route in and out of base as extra path option.

[Johnny Z]

Ya really. More on topic. YES to new maps!

Looking forward to Solaris maps because they will be entirely different than anything in game at the moment.

Elizander, on 17 December 2015 - 08:07 AM, said:

I'd like new maps that are a little more distinct from the regular ones we have.

I don't know what specific map layout I would enjoy though, but I would like it to have more of a mission feel than a general battleground. If I were to toss ideas out quickly:

• Two starting points are a landing zone where dropships drop Team A and a smoking damaged military base with walls and buildings where the mechs spawn normally.
  
• Lots of broken mechs near the base.
  
• Base has a few working turrets, other team has a backdoor option (no turrets there) and sniper positions outside. Base has more cover.
  
• Possible underground route in and out of base as extra path option.

The best topic this forum ever had was about maps. It had concept art etc. Was many pages long. It can no longer be found I think.

[Excessive Paranoia]

Johnny Z, on 17 December 2015 - 07:29 AM, said:

Hand crafted maps are better. Period. This is the computer age and real world mass production arguments mean nothing in the grand scheme of things when concerning a few people doing a job much better than a machine can. That can itself be quickly and easily replicated.

Todays industry's after hundreds of years cannot match hand crafted. Mass production rules in SOME areas because of the labour costs, in other, even most other areas mass production cannot be used, and even then in all areas hand crafted is still present and higher quality and valued higher.

Yes, but... Imagine planetary scale combat with varying capture, destroy, or defend objectives, all on a one-off planet. Sure we wouldn't be traversing the whole planet per match, but maps could be generated from a single template for each planet, allowing highly variable terrain from map to map on a single planet. This would allow each drop to fight over new and interesting terrain, unless the current game mode intends for combat to revisit it (counter-attack, scouting, etc), and then allow a fairly simple method of emulating the thousands of worlds of the inner sphere without ridiculous amounts of hours being poured into hand made maps.

[Dimento Graven]

Along the lines of new maps, it would be interesting to create a slightly different version of "Assault", where both bases are right next to one another.

Currently we have both bases on opposite sides, and for the most part everyone meets up in the middle and fights, with maybe one or two players going for a distracting CAP, or a serious "I like to stand on squares and win" type capture.

However, if we put BOTH bases in the middle of the map, right next to one another (I mean RIGHT next to each other where it's possible to stand in both squares simultaneously), you'd end up with a brawling/cap-a-thon. Take a map like Terra Therma, remove Mount Mordor from the center of it, and have both bases in the center...

I really think that the battles would be very different, with unexpected outcomes as one side, or the other accidentally caps the others...

I dunno... Just a random idea, maybe a bad one...

[ChewBaka]

martian, on 16 December 2015 - 09:44 PM, said:

That's true for incompetent PUG teams only. Groups with mid- and short-ranged 'Mechs simply go to some different place on the map than the center.

How unsurprising. Typical behavior of many light 'Mech pilots ...

I have zero problems with Terra Therma layout. Do you know that you can always press "B" to see the large map, if you get lost?

As for laser boats, when I take one, usually I have no big problems on Terra Therma. Perhaps because I have a different playstyle that alphastrike following alphastrike.

Yeah yeah, groups whatever. I keep hearing that and I tire of it. If its so great for groups, than limit the map to group queue only. Else I don't want to hear it. Not everyone is in a group. Majority of players out there are in PUGlandia and might prefer to stay there.

Its terrible in a PUG with the typical builds in PUG play. This is why I hide in the back even as a light. I get sick of LRM boats voting for this map and going 'LOCK PLS'. No...just no. Mind you, I only do this in Alpine when I spot LRM boats hiding way in the back. When that happens, I proceed to set up a tent right next to them.

It really depends on what sort of team I end up with. If I'm lucky enough to be matched with a competent team, I play normally. I spot a bunch of LRM boats and snipers camping in the back that is unlikely to push, I go and sit with then regardless of whatever I happen to be piloting. It could be a brawler or a RVN-3L. I really don't care. I'm tired of people voting for this map.

And I know you can press B, but a good map design means you should be able to get a rough idea of where you are without having to do so. Mordor is just an exercise in blandness when it comes to landscape.

Edited by ChewBaka, 17 December 2015 - 06:59 PM.

[Anjian]

NeoCodex, on 17 December 2015 - 12:32 AM, said:

How do people find these old threads I wonder?

On the Third Day, they shall rise again...

[TexAce]

Isn't alpine reloaded the next map to be released?

[STEF_]

Maps are not so important.
I want content.
A meaning other than killing stuff out there.
A meaning other than grinding and mastering all the mechs I have.... but repeating drops after drops, for what?

We need content.
Instead we have a permanent CW beta.