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[Friend Tang]

Can we take a moment here to address Map Geometry?

Technically, I'm sort of new, but I am starting to notice some patterns that are really irritating me, and a lot of it has to do with Map Geometry, and the creation of trap choices *because* of the way your geometry works.

Artistically, I dig a lot of the cubism design incorporated into a lot of the maps. I appreciate having more than city blocks to fight in. My issue is that your maps favor faster mechs over slower ones, and it favors AC's and Lasers over Missles and PPCs.

Quite frankly PPC's have been a problem since before this incarnation of MW, but your map geometry makes it even worse, turning what should be hits into misses, because the detection box for if the PPC collides with terrain is too large. It's sensing it's clipping into geometry when visually, it looks like a clear shot. It's frustrating to be sitting in a PPC boat, shooting at fractions of mechs and missing because you have to aim just slightly higher, and wait longer. I understand, this is legacy from the visuals from the MW series, but all I am asking is that I actually hit what I shoot at, not the ground that's meters below where I actually aim.

That's not the biggest issue, though.There are several spaces on maps where you just literally get your mech stuck. The ramp on ... I think Victic Forge constantly denies mechs with a 50 or less top speed from actually being able to climb that ramp. They must go the long way around to a point where the geometry of a hill slope meets with the ramp/cubist geometry, and go up that one, creating a citcumstance where it takes almost a minute to get a heavy unit back into a defensive position, often without support, because only the slow/assualt mechs have this issue.

There are corners on some maps (Frozen City, River City, Grim Portico) that are close to cover that actively prevent the mech from leaving it, with legs getting caught up in weird geometry. It was created to make scenic interest, but it's no fun moving too close to the dropship, or those cubist columns and then get snagged and unable to disengage with that corner, because you are stuck in something that you have no possible way of seeing, or the map generally just doesn't know where you are.

There are times where I have jumped, and just can't move after landing, and this happens even on mostly flat terrain. I suspect this is an issue with ground detection and the rate which you access the servers. It happens rare enough where it's noticeable, but typically not a large issue.

LRM Fire I also feel needs to be addressed. I understand taking cover. I appreciate that part of the game... but there is behavior that is just stupid. There is no control over the arms, so arm launchers, which should be able to swivel arms higher to avoid close geometry just fire blindly into a 'safe area' of the weapon, and just smash into spaces that the weapon should climb over. There are times where the weapon arcs when a straight shot would be a solid hit, forcing the weapon into geometry that shouldn't have been hit.

I understand the game at it's core has some serious balance issues, and makes certain groups of weapon a trap, I understand this, even if I don't approve, but the way your detection and geometry of map work out, it makes some of these choices available much worse than it actually has to be.

I realize that you need to make new content to keep player interest, but some eyes on some of the older maps, or maybe just a improvement on some of the trap weapon choices would really help the game feel better to play.

I realize also that a lot of this sounds ranty, and it is... but I would rather be fighting my opponent than fighting the map, and half the time, I feel that I'm fighting the invisible enemy, and dying to the unforgiving land, than being taken out by walking death.

Thank you for your time.