29 replies to this topic

[Suko]

I played this map a handful of times yesterday and I really like it. This is what I'd like to see you do with Alpine, give it more terrain features for cover. The heat (while bad) doesn't seem to kill me too bad. I think that the choke points and paths you gave this map are great and I look forward to playing it more.

Good job guys, keep up the good work.

[Vassago Rain]

It's a very beautiful stage, despite the low-res ground. I like that there's actual things you can hide behind, and positioning is important.

[FrupertApricot]

I've enjoyed it. using cover I amanged to hold off entire enemy team of atlas DDC's in my flame using ERLL and UAC5 hit and runs. did 740 damage and 4 kills with pure chutzpah

[Braggart]

This is their best map to date.

its huge, but has lots of cover, and sight lines that allow for all ranges of combat, and allow lights to bob and weave through that cover making them hard to take on.

Its not like the city maps where you know that light is popping out of the other side of the building. Here when it goes below that ridge, he can go multiple directions and you dont know which or where he will pop back up.

I would like to see more like this.

[MuonNeutrino]

One of the things that I really like about the map is that, while there's a good amount of cover, it's not *dense* cover like you find in places like river city. There, if you come out from behind a building, the next one is just a couple steps away and even a lumbering atlas can cross that gap quickly. In desert, there's open ground in between the cover, and if you're in a slow mech you actually have to weigh the possibility of getting caught out in the open halfway to your next destination. It's cover that you have to *think* about to use effectively, and it actually puts the 'speed vs firepower' tradeoff for things like assault mechs into perspective.

[DoktorVivi]

Yeah, this is easily my favorite map. Interesting corridors created by the stone create fun tactical situations without making long-range stuff useless/overpowered. Cool details like the broken ships.

Ground is low-res like Alpine, but the issue is small. I do wish there was some visual effect that gave me the impression that it's hot (the yellowish tint to Caustic and the smoke everywhere does it there)... heatwaves or something like that would be cool, though I don't know how hard that would be / how much of a performance impact it would cause.

[Stoicblitzer]

i agree. this is a solid map. currently too big for 8v8 but i see the potential.

[FrupertApricot]

This is good enough to be an MWLL map.

[Parias]

I agree - that's what I like the most about this map. It's large enough to actually move around in and leverage some tactical flexibility, and the terrain features enable a wide range of approaches to a given situation.

It actually allows for the chance of some creative drawn-out engagements too (and I don't just mean having to chase down some errant Raven at the end of a match) - it's not like the smaller levels where you're basically committed to a life-or-death engagement the second you bump into someone.

[Jonathan Paine]

Great map, great terrain, great cover, many options to fight in three dimensions!. Love looking up at the sky!

Now we need better game modes!

[Vassago Rain]

[Suko]

DoktorVivi, on 20 March 2013 - 10:51 AM, said:

I do wish there was some visual effect that gave me the impression that it's hot (the yellowish tint to Caustic and the smoke everywhere does it there)... heatwaves or something like that would be cool, though I don't know how hard that would be / how much of a performance impact it would cause.

Agreed. It really doesn't offer a visual idea of how hot this level is. Heat shimmers would be a nice feature.

[Vassago Rain]

[Coolant]

Vassago Rain, on 20 March 2013 - 10:57 AM, said:

Stargate Command will need to confiscate that aeriel photo as the Stargate is ultra top secret.

The map is bland, but it's another map so I'm not complaining. They need to release a new map every patch while working on a more detailed map to release once a month or so. Still only 6 maps so lots of work still needed, but new map is a welcome sight...

[Skyscream Sapphire]

Great map, had some good battles last night, but here are my initial criticisms:

1) Too big for the game modes. Needs more resource points or capture points. Having the cap points somewhat out in the open helps (don't need to get all the way there to start "convincing: the cappers to leave), but what can seem like a good battle can quickly turn into a waste of everyone's time when the last light sees the writing on the wall and runs off into oblivion.

2) The slanted crystals are slanted! What I mean by this: take a look at Vassago's picture above. He has walked up (no need for JJ) one of the crystal structures. These are decent sniping or observation points and offer cover if you back up. However, they can obviously be used for cover in only one direction. The area in the screen shot is the point of inflection. All the crystals behind him point that direction, but all the crystals in front of him point back the other way (as can be seen). The problem is that this area is NOT in the middle of the map, but at about the 1/3 point, closer to the G3 base than the B8 base, lending a significant advantage to the B8 starting area.

Overhead map for reference, inflection point at F5:
http://mwo.smurfy-ne...esert&m=assault

3) The crystal textures are flat, flat, flat. Very obvious when using 3D Vision, but even my normal 2D monitor teammates commented on it.

[MustrumRidcully]

There are several mech "graveyards" and 2 crashed dropships. Assuming that stargate-thingy is a dropship, there really isn't much left of it.

In addition to mech graveyards,t here are also some rock formations that look like tombstones.
I would not recommend visiting Tourmaline desert alone. *shudder*

[Tice Daurus]

I and my friends talked about this at length last night. I think if the DEV's say somewhere down the road, like when they incorporate distructable elements into this game (talking much later down the road) we mused that if it would be possible to see AC/20 shots crack some of the larger crystaline structures and if you're standing on top of one or under one of the overhanging shelves...

OUCH! Crystaline impalement.

Or down the road when Solaris-style melee in incorporated? Did you notice all of the broken scattered mech arms and legs all over the place that could be picked up and used as clubs for melee weapons?

Or future weather conditions? How about raging duststorms with zero visability?

This map has fantastic potential.

FABULOUS!!!

Edited by Tice Daurus, 20 March 2013 - 11:21 AM.

[DaisuSaikoro Nagasawa]

It is a beautiful map. Beautiful.

[Stoicblitzer]

Tice Daurus, on 20 March 2013 - 11:20 AM, said:

FABULOUS!!!

[FunkyFritter]

It looks cool and has a lot of potential, but doesn't play very well with the current game modes. Light mechs can easily run from one objective point to the next without giving enemy mechs a clear shot. A slow moving team has an even worse time here than on alpine.