17 replies to this topic

[Gevurah]

I understand that new maps take a while to test and implement. That's fine. I won't go all forum warrior over that. That said, I have some suggestions that would add some much needed variety to the existing maps with a MINIMUM of modification.


The concept is that we need several factors which can modify just how a map is played, as well as make less used areas of the map more 'travelled'. Example: The virtually unused field south of the factory in caustic. Obviously time was spent making it, but how often do fights happen there? Virtually never.

What I propose are a series of variants beyond the existing "hey it's day, hey it's night" (which admittedly is better than nothing).

Variant method one: Change drop locations. Sure, it's the same map, but how often do you get to river city and drill down to "Upper or lower guys" and everyone knows the way because they've done the exact same path 1000 times before. It'd be a minor variation, but imagine STARTING in upper and lower. This should not be tremendously difficult to implement. Same with caustic. Or imagine starting in frozen city - one side in the cave, the other in the gully @ theta.

Variant method two: add more varied weather effects and in greater number to the existing maps.
- Light rain.
- Heavy rain. (Thunder & lightning would be pretty awesome.)
- Clear skies (maybe remove the color filtering for this? )
- Flurries
- Dense fog (or chemical fog, perhaps).
- DustStorm
- Solar storm (blanket ecm the whole map lol - I'm sure that'd be popular with the forumwarriors. Regardless, it'd sure be different ... and that's the point... different.)
- Night versions of the above.

Variant method three: Go the chinese MMO route - recolor the maps. Sure, it's probably an artistic Faux Pas but there's really only so many times you can do frozen city before you get bored with all that white color. How about a desert version of it (We all know you love your brown)? Or a moon version (grey dust)? Combined with the above, it'd provide significant enough variance to add some MUCH needed variety and extend the play life of your map rotation in the long periods between new maps.

Variant method four: Probably the most difficult - after you do everything else make modifications to the maps. I.e. taking our new "Abandoned desert city" map as an example, remove the giant dropship in the middle. Or something like that.

And yes, I know they're adding alpine and desert - regardless these same methods can be applied to them as well.

And to the coming haterstorm - Yes, I want completely new maps too. Yes, I'd like to see them faster. But I'm willing to take a hit on that if it means more overall variety and originality. That's a personal choice for me.

Edited by gevurah, 01 February 2013 - 12:21 PM.

[miscreant]

We need MANY more maps, especially when they are small like the ones we have. Linear and small.

[RavenX11R6]

lol reading before responding is a good thing... also varying drop points and weather effects would make for nice variation . also environmental hazards

[HighTest]

I'm not trying to downplay the need for more maps... but still, cool ideas.

I particularly like (and have considered myself before) the idea of alternate starting areas on the maps. Yes, I know, I'm sure every map was deisgned in such a way to 'balance' the map between sides, but screw it. Life isn't fair. And war definitely isn't. Dropships miss their targets too, I'm sure. (Hmm... Conquest might be interesting if both teams started at adjacent points maybe?)

I also like option 2, and option 4. I don't particularly like the idea of recoloring (3) unless it includes making some minor changes (like in 4).

I have no experience in map design, but seems to me these wouldn't be as much effort as re-designing maps from scratch. And they'd make the maps we've already played 100s of time more interesting until the new maps come, and even after that.

[Roland]

This idea has been suggested multiple times in the past. I'm not sure why something like this isn't implemented, although I guess maybe the Cryengine just doesn't support that kind of thing? It's certainly not some kind of great technical hurdle though.. MW4 had the ability to customize weather, time of day, etc. on maps.

[Praeses]

If they make bigger maps with longer battles they could add dynamic weather so you could get several of your changes over the course of a match.

As for using this to trick us into believing there are more maps I don't like it very much, they could add those effects as random but not as new maps, it shouldn't be too hard to implement.

[Kell Commander]

Need third option:

I DON'T CARE AS LONG AS IT IS DIFFERENT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

All caps required, how else will anyone know people who pick that are yelling?

Edited by Kell Commander, 01 February 2013 - 01:28 PM.

[blinkin]

i think the solar storms would be neat if it sporradically created ECM effects, and possibly did different ECM effects at different times.

the poll is somewhat biased, but overall i agree with the OP.

[Stringburka]

I agree with the OP, and want to add another thing to this:

Having a few random objects that may or may not be there everytime. For example of one already fitting, the broken ship in the forest lake. Make it only have a 50% chance to spawn, for example, and add like 3-4 similar things to each map, each with some chance to spawn.

That way, you won't know exactly before where you can and cannot hide etc.

[Oppresor]

gevurah, on 01 February 2013 - 12:05 PM, said:

Variant method two: add more varied weather effects and in greater number to the existing maps.
- Light rain.
- Heavy rain. (Thunder & lightning would be pretty awesome.)
- Clear skies (maybe remove the color filtering for this? )
- Flurries
- Dense fog (or chemical fog, perhaps).
- DustStorm
- Solar storm (blanket ecm the whole map lol - I'm sure that'd be popular with the forumwarriors. Regardless, it'd sure be different ... and that's the point... different.)
- Night versions of the above.

This is great gevurah. I have suggested more weather effects in the past as well; you are right in that it would provide subtle changes to the map and the way that the mission is played out.

I really liked your idea of a Dust Storm, I hadn't thought of that one. Depending on the severity of the storm and any ECM units in play, this could make for a very interesting mission. Imagine having maybe 10 Meters visual range in the caustic scenario and engaging an opposing force that is running with ECM. Your long range weaponry would be useless, it would literally be whites of the eye stuff.

Another weather variant could be Tornado's and Water spouts; I'm thinking of the Forest Scenario at night while wading through the Sea to the broken back ship. That could be very interesting if you were in a Spider or a Commando.

[Solis Obscuri]

Pretty sure this idea is already in work.

[Caleb Lee]

I agree, weather variants and alternating drop locations would be a nice change that would be easy to implement and add immediate benefit to the game.

Another addition would be for us to queue up 2-3 mech variants ahead of time based on map type. I.E. Hot map (Caustic's caldera erupting...) bring Cataphract 4x w/ Gauss rifles, Frozen City (Blizzard) bring 3D with M/L Lasers. Provides incentive to play different mechs and makes more tactical sense.

I'm all for new (and larger) maps, but if you've gotten stuck before you'll appreciate the need for them to test and fix issues on any new material.

[Gevurah]

Bump for great justice.

Anyways, thanks for the positive feedback. Can we get an official word on this from the mods/admins? *nudge nudge*

[Oppresor]

I know your post is intended to highlight ways of developing existing maps and I totally agree with this for the moment. Realistically that is the best we can hope for in the short term. I have added a link to your post into one of the others which looks promising; they are looking further down the line and providing ideas for totally new maps, have a look at this: http://mwomercs.com/...r-devs-updated/

[sPhoenix]

I'd like to see same locations just with different boarders and spawn points. Give us a larger base map. But until we load in we don't know the layout. A large base planet map could host dozens of battle sites. Thus easily expanding the maps available with out having to build new worlds.

[DeadlyNerd]

more river city night versions? no thx, even if they did have different weather.

instead of building new maps PGI could try building megamaps which then get cut into segments where size of the segment depends on the size of a drop 4v4, 8v8, 12v12.

That effectively means that each megamap is in fact 3-4 4v4 maps, 2-3 8v8 maps and 1-2 12v12 maps.
But I guess that's just thinking too much out of the box.

Edited by DeadlyNerd, 03 February 2013 - 07:12 PM.

[blinkin]

DeadlyNerd, on 03 February 2013 - 07:10 PM, said:

more river city night versions? no thx, even if they did have different weather.

instead of building new maps PGI could try building megamaps which then get cut into segments where size of the segment depends on the size of a drop 4v4, 8v8, 12v12.

That effectively means that each megamap is in fact 3-4 4v4 maps, 2-3 8v8 maps and 1-2 12v12 maps.
But I guess that's just thinking too much out of the box.

that isn't any easier than making 2-3 maps from scratch. in fact it can make development harder because you are locked into a specific theme.

[Polojilarious]

I like this idea.

It'd be fun loading into, say, a game on river city, knowing that your team may spawn in one of four locations, while the same is true for the enemy team.

Heavy rain, lightning, thunder, and atmospheric ECM effects would also be pretty sweet.