57 replies to this topic

[Milkshake]

Russ Bullock 2 hours ago

"I am considering just making each zone randomly pick among the total pool of CW maps. Your thoughts?"

Russ Bullock ‏45 minutes ago

"Basically we will go random - you will know what map during the final 1 min countdown."

_____________________

Personally, I would not be a fan of randomizing the maps in CW drops unless there is an opportunity to adjust your drop deck before the match.

As someone who bought a founders pack two years ago and then quit playing until CW was released, I have to say that the strategy involved in choosing your drop deck based on the map, attack vs. defense, etc. is a big part of what keeps me playing CW. I understand the need to randomize maps in the public queue, but CW is different.

If we're being realistic, you'd probably know where you're dropping in most situations. So there's that.

One of the reasons Russ cites for wanting to randomize the maps is that he believes "the majority of our players think variety trumps all else."

I'd agree with that premise, but I'd argue that I'd rather have the ability to choose from a variety of variants and chassis based on where I'm about to go into battle. If you don't know what map you're dropping on, you're more likely to have your favorite drop deck and go with it all the time. That may be fine for some people, but I like using different mechs in different situations.

Back to variety -- We're talking 5 maps in CW right now. How much "variety" is there really? Also, losing the ability to plan your deck in advance for a specific planet is a high price to pay for the sake of that variety.

Another point is that randomizing the maps will likely not prevent people from dropping on the same map over and over. RNG is RNG. Unless they take the time to put measures in place to prevent it from happening, there will always be that one guy who drops on Sulfurous Rift five times in a row and gets pissed off at RNG.

Even if you use the same drop deck regardless of the map, why should the rest of us have to give up our ability to plan ahead?

Just to reiterate, Russ does say that we will know what map we're dropping on during the final 1 minute countdown. However, I wanted to get a thread going to voice my concerns and hopefully see what others have to say.

Edited by Milkshake, 18 March 2015 - 02:34 PM.

[RedDevil]

His second post says that you can adjust your deck. You know the map 1min before drop.

[Richter Kerensky]

Knowing what map it is without having to count the dots would be nice, but only having 1 minute to adjust is a little too short unless you also implement saved loadouts.

Edited by Richter Kerensky, 18 March 2015 - 02:37 PM.

[AztecD]

make the actual map random generated so no 2 maps are the same


.....yea pipe dream i know

[Chemie]

they need to randomize attack vs counter attack so that the side with the extra 12-man does not win the planet with 0% win rate in the matches

[Malcolm Vordermark]

Seems kind of pointless to me. We will still know what map it coming and will be able to change our decks. I think most people like knowing the map anyways. I do like that we will now be notified of the map, rather than needing to count squares, though.

Edited by Rouken, 18 March 2015 - 03:14 PM.

[ArchSight]

I think it's a waste of development time that could be spent somewhere else.

[InspectorG]

PGI should make maps out of modular chunks that can be 'assembled' differently to get more maps out of the same resources.

Not random maps per se, maybe 2-3 different maps per planet. But as a way to get more variety from 'less' work.

[Carpenocturn]

There is a staggering world of difference between Variety and Random

I like having the option of 5 different hot drinks but I don't want to find out which one I am getting when it's ready without asking me.

[slide]

I like the idea of maps not being in the same order every time. Not having to play through the same 3 maps we have now just so I can play the new one has a lot of appeal.

Having said that, 1 minute to choose and save a drop deck is not enough time, which could be problematic.

How about instead of randomly choosing a zones, you generate a random map spawn per planet, once, and then fix it from there.


Example:
Planet A is maps 1,2,3,4,5
Planet B is maps 5,4,3,2,1
Planet C is maps 2,5,3,1,4
etc

With 5 maps there are 120 different combinations, seed that across the map with diagrams for each planet.

Variety and the ability to plan everybody wins.

[Abivard]

When I have to worry more about enemy action from the game designers than from any player or unit is when I just stop caring.

[Noesis]

"Variety" could be better established with a larger player population also. Whilst this could be helpful to all, the very lack or absence of population in the EU TZ creates little to no diversity at all in the playerbase.

[MalodorousMonkey]

New tweets:

https://twitter.com/...324864420827138

"Actually have changed my mind, I couldn't stomach the thought of counter attacking a map that wasn't even the map you lost."

[Kjudoon]

I do not mind the random aspect so much as we increase in maps. What I do mind is all maps on all planets. Sorry, but a cold world shouldn't have a hot map and vice versa. But till we have like 10 maps, this isn't really viable yet.

Till then, randomize the first sector and stick then with the current progression or one of a few patterns and call it good.

[Glaive-]

MalodorousMonkey, on 18 March 2015 - 05:18 PM, said:

New tweets:

https://twitter.com/...324864420827138

"Actually have changed my mind, I couldn't stomach the thought of counter attacking a map that wasn't even the map you lost."

So relieved right now

[Tasker]

Why? One good thing about CW is able to choose mechs based on which map you get to play. Having only one minute to shuffle deck is silly.

[Summon3r]

nothing wrong with random IMO, but absolutely need more then 1 min to adjust drop decs before drop.

[wanderer]

Happy to see they changed their minds.
Giving different planets different mapsets per territory? Bueno. I have no problem with a world described as "burning hellhole" having zero instances of the cold map, and if each planet keeps a specific mapset, all the better.

Shuffling maps to the point of fighting over the same territory repeatedly with different maps? Heck no.

[RedDevil]

Summon3r, on 18 March 2015 - 10:03 PM, said:

nothing wrong with random IMO, but absolutely need more then 1 min to adjust drop decs before drop.

You should probably already know what your decks are before hand. Only takes me about 15 seconds to edit a deck. I mean there's only 4 mechs....

Having said that, saved decks are a much look forwarded to feature.

[delushin]

Randomise it if you want, doesn't really mean anything. There are little bits of perceived issues with maps here and there with one being better than another for this type of game etc. The map doesn't impact a drop deck at all really, its the potential of a light zerg or known tactics that the other team could be using, oh and heat. Even with heat though that just means changing your fire sequence.

Its all the same at the end of the day, its either left side or right side, push up to X grid hold, kill and push to next hold point. Kill, kill, kill until you are 10-15 up then move all the way in.

You want to really make CW awesome then get some maps and game modes like Battlefield: Bad Company or something where you have to get to a point secure an objective and that will unlock the next part of the map. This could consist of:

• Location 1: Take out the forward observation post
  
• Location 2: Take down the supply chain infrastructure
  
• Location 3: Secure the manufacturing plant
  
• Location 4: Capture central command

I love community interaction but a good question to ask ones self before embarking on a conversation is to simple think, does what I am about to ask or do add value. Randomising maps from my point of view adds no value, start coding unlockable points and progressive play instead.