12 replies to this topic

[Tristan Winter]

An idea came up in chat during a game today. Could Terra Therma be improved by radically changing the base locations and spawn points, just like PGI is planning to do for Alpine? On Alpine, the problem is H9 hill aka Tryhard hill or whatever you call it. Everyone goes there, it gives one side a big advantage in certain situations.

On Terra Therma, the problem is that almost every match takes place in or around the big volcano. So could you apply the same solution to that map too? Or is it too small and the surrounding terrain too inappropriate for an even fight?

Here's just an example, but there are obviously other ways one could do this.

Spoiler

[sycocys]

Won't really help, won't help Alpine either unless they modify Moron Mountain.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Terra Thermas issue is not in its spawn points.
It's a map in need of a re design

[Tarogato]

*ahem!*

http://mwomercs.com/...spawn-variants/

[Alwrathandabout42ninjas]

DV McKenna, on 26 February 2016 - 12:01 PM, said:

Terra Thermas issue is not in its spawn points.
It's a map in need of a re design

Terra Therma is a great map. Its the players who run to the center every game like lemmings are the problem. Spawn point change would help a little, but player stupidity will win out in the end.

[Felicitatem Parco]

I think players gravitate to the center because you can actually see what is going on there. The rest of the map is pretty dull.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Alwrath, on 26 February 2016 - 12:16 PM, said:

Terra Therma is a great map. Its the players who run to the center every game like lemmings are the problem. Spawn point change would help a little, but player stupidity will win out in the end.

Respectfully I disagree the terrain round the outside is terribly designed. I feel it's one of those maps that needs an expansion and a slight adjustment on the older terrain

[Azalie]

Just wanted to weigh in and say Terra Therma is not universally hated. Some players are actually quite happy with it.

Alpine does indeed have a balance issue with some of it's spawn locations. But Terra Therma tending to focus fighting around the Volcano and it's innards forces teams to either learn better heat management or better maneuvers than "swarm into the center".

I have no issues with Terra Therma as it is currently. The outer edges of the map don't see much play outside of conquest mode....but the same could be said of the South Eastern portion of Alpine, the X1/X2 and X6/X7 'islands' in Crimson Strait, North West Tourmaline, and combat in the new Forest Colony seems much more centralized than the old one...even though it's larger.

[Alistair Winter]

Azalie, on 26 February 2016 - 12:26 PM, said:

Alpine does indeed have a balance issue with some of it's spawn locations. But Terra Therma tending to focus fighting around the Volcano and it's innards forces teams to either learn better heat management or better maneuvers than "swarm into the center".

With all due respect, we've had the map for more than 2 years.

It's not teaching anyone anything.

[Tarogato]

Alwrath, on 26 February 2016 - 12:16 PM, said:

Terra Therma is a great map. Its the players who run to the center every game like lemmings are the problem. Spawn point change would help a little, but player stupidity will win out in the end.

The players aren't actually the problem. The map design is the problem, as it allows (and basically) encourages the player behaviour. Fix the map design, and the players would not be a problem anymore.

So what are the problems? In MWO maps there are several grievous offenders:

- dominating central points that drastically increase odds of winning (such as Terra Therma caldera, Alpine hill, Viridian Bog boobs)
- dominating features that encourage nascar (Caustic caldera, Viridian Bog boobs, Frozen City dropship, River City citadel, HPG Manifold, Canyon Network center plateau, Mining Collective center plateau)
- lack of options/alternatives (Crimson Strait, Viridian Bog, Caustic, Alpine, Forest Colony)
- forcing players to walk a long distance from spawn without giving them new places to go (Forest Colony, River City, Terra Therma)



With Terra Therma, the caldera has to be changed somehow. IMO it should be made twice as hot, and more difficult to traverse (maybe add clutter, or break up more of the ramps), so that it isn't a default "go-to" place, but more of a option to traverse in the course a flanking route. Though, often I think it would be better to just nuke the whole thing from orbit and replace it with several smaller calderas so that there is no one central caldera at all. I think that would honestly be best for gameplay.

[MrJeffers]

If they inverted the topography of the center so that it was a pit crater instead of a rising caldera it would probably solve a lot of the problems. A big open area with little cover is a bigger death trap than the pugzapper and would force more use of other areas of the map.

[Mystere]

sycocys, on 26 February 2016 - 12:00 PM, said:

Won't really help, won't help Alpine either unless they modify Moron Mountain morons grow a brain.

FTFY.

Alwrath, on 26 February 2016 - 12:16 PM, said:

Terra Therma is a great map. Its the players who run to the center every game like lemmings are the problem. Spawn point change would help a little, but player stupidity will win out in the end.

Amen!

Edited by Mystere, 26 February 2016 - 02:03 PM.

[Narcissistic Martyr]

Just make being in the volcano overheat you fairly quickly so only lights and fast mediums go make it through and use to flank.