when I build my next main arena what should I keep/discard/add

[lazs2]

cit... I am thinking that with close bases only at the center that most of the time when I log on those bases will be overrun allready and that I will simply have a worse version of pizza map to deal with.   Even if it is my country that is ahead (has the most players).... I will simply have long flights to nowhere just like we have now on most of the other big maps.

lazs

[Reschke]

I like the idea of stepping the terrain. Back when I played in Fighter Ace 2.0 that was one thing they had that worked great. The rear bases were at an altitude of close to 8,000 feet and the terrain sloped off gradually toward the middle area. Granted there were 5 countries all meeting at a central point but there were only I think 8 bases per country with many small "towns" and factories all over the country that could be captured.

BUT I digress. If you give the defenders a gradually increasing altitude advantage from their rear launch points it should help them. From the central area you could have three co-alt bases on three separate high mountain peaks like we have now with your current FesterMA map. Then you drop down to low altitude and then start working your way into the countries with a gradual stepping up of altitude. Although you don't want to make a "wall" of 8k bases and then another section of 15k bases. I would put in a series of stair step plateaus with a final area of 3-4 bases in the very rear that have about a 3-4k altitude advantage over the bases just in front of them.

Is it possible to have a HQ for each Zone of Control? Is it possible to tie that HQ into a base and that way have the ability to capture a HQ? Then when the Zone gets taken the various factores for it also get switched over to the team that holds the Zone HQ as well as the majority of the bases in the Zone.

[NHattila]

Originally posted by Replicant
Any way of incorporating multiple terrain tiles?  e.g. centre of map is desert, next area outward is a browny green, then lush green, then furthest out is snow covered.  Be nice
to be able to fly over different ground colours.

didn't read all the replys, but i think this would be great. what about adding some winter/snow terrain? have yet to see that in the MA, in my opinion they look quite nice in the CT. other than that, people are still gonna whine no matter what.

keep up the good work  S!

[Rutilant]

Originally posted by lazs2
cit... I am thinking that with close bases only at the center that most of the time when I log on those bases will be overrun allready and that I will simply have a worse version of pizza map to deal with.   Even if it is my country that is ahead (has the most players).... I will simply have long flights to nowhere just like we have now on most of the other big maps.

lazs

You should really see someone about that ADD of yours, it seems like it's really bad.

Afraid a flight longer than 3 minutes will have your mind wandering elsewhere?

[Easyscor]

If you’re going to set up strat targets for bombers, keep in mind the routes and things the bombers look for, things like wind direction, number and layout of strat targets and radar coverage along the route.  There usually isn’t time to do the necessary cross wind corrections after fighting a running gun battle for 75-150 miles.

Keep the strat targets toward the rear of the zone to a) prevent milk-running and b) keep the runs exciting.  It also means the defenders are more capable of hitting back as their territory is captured.

My biggest complaint about the current FesterMA is the dive bombing Lancs coming from A21 when the map first comes up.  Hordes of suicide Bombers are spawned from that center base whenever the map resets yet there are no other high bases for countries to launch bombers and save time grabbing.

[LePaul]

Thanks for accepting input, Fester

I'd be in favor of consistency with GV spawns.  Some put you right on the enemy's city, some no where near at all.  I've never understood why some do and do not.

I've enjoyed the GV battles but feel some are too close to towns...and some that aren't available near a base should be.  Perhaps make vehicle spawns be available at *all* bases, but a tad further than they are now?  Maybe a compromise?

Just a thought...I've enjoyed the map a lot, just find that GVs crawl into our base frequently...and when I want to return the favor, no such spawns exist at the bases we have

[lazs2]

so rut... what you are saying is that  it doesn't matter that I'm right... long flights are fine with you?   We allready knew that.  Festers map/s try to ease the bad situation of the other maps not clone those situations.    You feel that the the other large maps with their lack of action are great...  I would submit that it is you not I who is in a rut.

but then... you really can't answer so I put the question to fester... what wpould prevent the situation I have described if only the central bases were close?   seems that every country is overrun to a certain extent every time I log on.

lazs

[Mini D]

Lazs... how much time have you spent on fester's map?

MiniD

[rabbidrabbit]

What do folks think about how to make a better gv battle area?  I'm thinking of limiting aircraft use . mult spawn points.. maybe pillboxes...

[Rutilant]

Originally posted by lazs2
so rut... what you are saying is that  it doesn't matter that I'm right... long flights are fine with you?   We allready knew that.  Festers map/s try to ease the bad situation of the other maps not clone those situations.    You feel that the the other large maps with their lack of action are great...  I would submit that it is you not I who is in a rut.

but then... you really can't answer so I put the question to fester... what wpould prevent the situation I have described if only the central bases were close?   seems that every country is overrun to a certain extent every time I log on.

lazs

Yes, you were right.. that's why we're asking for some moderation now that your master plan has been put into effect, right?

And nothing would prevent people from not playing your way, because they wouln't be forced to.

Scary, huh? The game caters to more than furballers. Deal with it.

[Rutilant]

Originally posted by rabbidrabbit
What do folks think about how to make a better gv battle area?  I'm thinking of limiting aircraft use . mult spawn points.. maybe pillboxes...

Pillboxes, strat-sized towns between two opposing GV spawns for some light urban warfare.. Thinking about it now, strat targets wouldn't work, because there'd be mass milkrunning from the enemy side.

[lazs2]

rut.. if you were asking for moderation then I would think you would be asking for more places that were furball friendly in the rest of the big maps.   They show no moderation whatsoever and "force" people to play only one way.

The current fester map forces nothing.   it is all about opportunity.  

it appears that what the few  who dislike festers map dislike about it is that it  doesn't force people to play with em.
lazs

[JB42]

Well first look at all the good/bad things about the 4 big maps.

Fester:
Closer bases(in some cases too close)
Closer zone controls( no more zone bases controling airfields 4 sectors away)
Vh vs. Vh

Trinity:
Fair base distance
Nice use of mountains( sometimes a bit excessive)
Some mountain ranges act as too much of a barrier
Zone control thats 4 sectors away
Vehicle spawns that dont reciprocate

AkDesert
Good base distance
Good elevation changes( i know, some are a bit whacked, but at least they tried)
HQ elevated to make NOE hard
Vehicle spawns 3 sectors away

Big Isle:
Excellent carrier ops
Fields too far apart

So in conclusion i would make these points:
Make bases close enough to find action yet far enough to make covering them from another base a real factor
Airfields are for planes, Vbases are for gvs. Use the Vbase HUB design. Keep vhs at airfield for defense, not for attack.
If a base is on the coast and can be hit by cruiser guns, for gosh sakes, give it shore batteries to defend itself
Elevation makes for fun and nice scenery
Keep zone controls tight. Nobody like taking a base thats supplied by a zone base 4 sectors away

My last point might be somewhat niave as i am not a map designer myself. Is it possible to mix up terrains? I mean have some green rolling hills, some desert, maybe even some tundra all on the same map. Its not like we have to worry about weather and growing seasons in AH anyway.

[Rutilant]

I have no problem finding furballs that arent over a base, aren't at 30k and consist of at least 10 planes when i feel like it. (Save for bigisles) The different is, i'm willing to fly farther than half a mile to get to em. You aren't.

You just don't wan't the strat players to have equal opportunity to find something to do as the furballers do in festers map, and you can't stand that your utopia might be mussed up by the strat players being happy.

The argument is the exact same for both sides of this, you should know that by now - The furballers claim strat players have a chance on festerma and the strat players claim the furballers have a chance on the other maps.

I really don't give a damn if furballers have thier ideal environment any more than you do about strat players having thiers.

[Killjoy2]

FesterMA is the only map I enjoy now.  

Lets make the map more fun with names for locations.  I'll bet if a base is next to MAW mountain it would be very difficult to extricate from the the MAW's.  

I like DREX gulch too.  Don't forget to put in a nice Fester bay.

One of the things that has been missing from AH is the fun.