Thoughts on the map gripes

[bustr]

I suspect many forget where maps come from and place the bulls eye on Hitech because it's easier to scream at him in these forums. Waffle's maps are about as good as Greebo's in terms of strategic base placement strategies. Greebo's are far more artistic and terrain feature nuanced. Any player can download real world regional topo maps and convert them to terrains with the TE. Simply takes time. Easycor does this for the AvA terrain team.

Most of our maps are from the era of "Hoards", and so are designed to slow them down with hundreds of players in the arena. They were fine for that era. Aces High 3 is in open beta. That should be a larger concern than the personal ideology's of maps in the MA, since beta has historically meant the go live is not far off.

As a test while I have been in the alpha testing and now beta, I created a specific purpose offline terrain to understand how difficult creating terrains really is. What is difficult is learning the editor and how the objects and terrain tiles have to be manipulated to give you consistent outcomes. After that, throwing down land masses, adding in topo features along with bases and spawns is not complicated, it's time consuming. And if you don't care about being a Rembrant, painting terrain is like using the paint tool in windows paint.

Easycor and Greebo can teach you if you keep in mind their personal time is valuable. They also are an excellent source for mentoring on the strategy of base placement to create battle fronts. Right now they are writing an manual for the AH3 Terrain Editor requested by HTC in the open beta forum.

These gripes always end up being a vehicle to kick Hitech in the nads while his back is turned. You want new maps, build maps.

[Vudak]

I might be in the minority here, but I really enjoy maps that have a certain "Malta" base here and there... The kind of base that gives the side that owns it a true (local) advantage...  That 5k base in the SE of Trinity is a great example. It's difficult to attack and can command the region by giving the owners an energy advantage as they can climb higher quicker.

This could get unbalanced quick but I feel it adds a lot of fun to have some bases be much more important than others.

[Tumor]

I'm aware of it, IIRC AH2 engine is from 2004? That illustrates well the conservative nature of this game.

It also reflects today's gamer... I figure Hitech could forgo all the hard work on AHIII and implement a "Pretty, Shiny, Candy-like" development direction and see better results than where he's going now. 

[bustr]

Yet you are stuck with where he is going now unless you don't play anymore or don't intend to stay with the game when AH2 is canceled.

This always turns into kicking Hitech in the nads when his back is turned. If you guys don't like the menu at this establishment, healthy people find a new restaurant more aligned to their pallets.

[Easyscor]

Rant ON

Statements from players that they would never consider giving back to the community is selfish poo. Hey, if that's your attitude, and you know who you are, then fine, but you don't deserve any credibility in discussions about "maps" or game improvement so don't poison the waters. I would certainly understand if you said you didn't have the time or talent, or that it wouldn't be something you'd enjoy doing, but to lash out at anyone, even HTC, is uncalled for in my opinion. I appreciate the tools we've been given and I enjoy using them.

The graphics are stale - but don't expect me to spend a plug nickel on new hardware!
The maps are old and stale - but don't expect me to contribute to a new one, I'm just here to play the game!
This map is unbalanced, or too big or too small or too difficult or too boring - but don't dare suggest I open the TE, it might make me ashamed of my suckage at creating "The Mona Lisa" of terrains that I demand.

Give me a break!

Rant OFF


I'm going to digress a bit.
I've been waiting for 7 or 8 years for the kind of terrain engine update that realistic terrains needed. Every time I asked for it, the reason given for the delay was that the customer base's hardware wouldn't support improvements.
You get that? We couldn't have a better game because too may customers would leave!
So what, you shout.

Here we are, finally getting a new terrain engine and players are threatening to leave based on the Beta without experimenting with the graphics settings. Sigh!

Now, let me tell you about the group of volunteers who like to contribute terrains, and throw in some of my opinions along the way.
I know of two MA terrain builders who left the game because of the limitation of the old terrain engine. One said so publicly, and the other left quietly but let me know why. I'm a third terrain builder who left for two years. We were at the point that there wasn't much more we could do within the current TE. I think the same applied to HTC, there are only so many variations for an MA terrain. That is changing but HTC can't afford to frustrate the remaining terrain builders, so for the last year or two, HTC has been saying that no one should start a new terrain until the new Terrain Engine is released.

The time for starting new terrains is now. If building a terrain is anything you're curious about, even if it's only to gain an appreciation for those that build them, then the current state of the Terrain Editor, and the Manual, also under construction, will get you started on that road. Who knows, you might find it's as addicting as the game.

[Vraciu]

Why is this our responsibility?

Shouldn't Hitech be able to generate maps?

Not trolling here.  Just wondering. 

[Greebo]

Because they would either have to employ someone to do it or not do something else instead. That either means players contributing more money to the game to pay the wages or putting off some other improvement to the game, like new or updated rides.

[Shuffler]

Why is this our responsibility?

Shouldn't Hitech be able to generate maps?

Not trolling here.  Just wondering.

It's not your responsibility. You can lead, follow, or just get out of the way.

[Easyscor]

It's not your responsibility. You can lead, follow, or just get out of the way.

Wow, one line and you nail it completely. I am not worthy!

 

[TheBug]

So who's responsibility is it?  I'm not following, sorry.

[Scca]

Why is this our responsibility?

Shouldn't Hitech be able to generate maps?

Not trolling here.  Just wondering.

I guess it can be looked at a couple of ways. 

Where does the soccer field owners responsibility end?  Should he supply the balls, or only the grass and nets?  Or maybe not the nets, only a place to hang them.  Or should he only be responsible for the grass, but not the lines or the big circle in the middle... 

It all comes down to what you are willing to pay for.  If you want HTC to get into building maps, how much extra are you willing to pay to have that?  Is everyone willing to pay that amount?  Will we lose some folks if it's $20, instead of $14.99?  (BTW, I think it's been $14.99 since I started 10 years ago). 

[Shuffler]

How many games out there allow a player to actually build the terrain that folks will play on? I think it is a pretty nice thing to be able to do. Use the imagination of many instead of a few.

[bustr]

Hey Easycor and Greebo,

Does this mean I should delete that AH3 offline gunnery training terrain you two inspired me to build?

It's ready to go and it was a simple to use once I figured out the terrain editor's mechanics.

1. - Now you have two tank ranges to learn your sights against tanks on the range. A 4000yd range with tanks at every 500yd. A 4 mile range with mile markers and tanks everywhere. An 88mm and 17lb gun position on each firing line.

2. - A 4400ft wirbel nest so you can now practice offline with a wirbel\osti against the drones fly over head 400-1200 feet away. The air field is 2k.

3. - Three 88mm positions to practice long range bomber shooting out to 7000yds.

4. - A tank town and a town Hogan Ally with hidden tanks everywhere to learn your new visuals while shooting tanks driving around.

5. - A 7000ft and a 12,5000ft fighter air spawn. Now you can get at the drones in seconds or at the CV's or bombing target quicker.

6. - A 15,000ft, 12,5000ft and several 1250ft bomber and torpedo bomber spawns. The 1250ft spawns are right near several CV groups.

7. - A bombing target for precision bombing practice.

8. - Two ports and 3 CV groups.

9. - 8 PT spawns at close range to practice torpedo runs.

10. - One CV group performing very tight turns for bombing practice. Two steaming at and past each other for ship to ship gunnery.

11. - Four shore batteries to sink all of the CV groups.

I even have this packaged so all you do is place it in the \Hitech Creations folder and execute it. No more having to read boring instructions for the most part.

Easy and Greebo....going twice for these geniuses.

So should I with the prevailing wisdom, just delete this terrain and ask Hitech to delete all the historically accurate gunsights shipped with the beta. Orrr is that last part stretching it a bit.....I'd have to go back to keeping a download site all the time for all the fans of the historic gunsights.....

[Greebo]

Sorry Bustr I am not sure where you are going with that post. I think your terrain is a great addition to AH, why would you want to delete it?

[TheBug]

He has a flare for the dramatic. 

He is exactly who he is complaining about, just on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Irrational complaining or irrational cheerleading really end up being just about the same thing.