New Main Arena Maps

[Lusche]

Imagine some of the SEA maps in Main arena.

You can not have that much variety, becasue SEA maps can not work in the MA. They have to be balanced for a 3 country, sandbox gameplay and thus are automatically limited in the amount of 'variety' they can offer.

[kvuo75]

See i dont care so much about having NEW maps as using a VARIETY!!
7 days on Trinity is too long.

Personally, I'd like the map auto-reset every day, maybe every 12 hours. Would you?

[shiv]

Personally, I'd like the map auto-reset every day, maybe every 12 hours. Would you?

If it means you'd be booted from your field gun, then yes, kvuo, yes a 1000 times.

[Skull_001]

You can not have that much variety, becasue SEA maps can not work in the MA. They have to be balanced for a 3 country, sandbox gameplay and thus are automatically limited in the amount of 'variety' they can offer.

Well yes but there are still more then a few maps we can use, not necessarily all the maps.
But you see what I'm saying. look at the map currently in the FSO, it features a 3 team setup and the island bases along the south-eastern area of the map could over a decent spot for skirmishes. Sort of like the dueling arena's main area.

I think its worth a thought you understand, as i said, NOT all maps, but some could work upon careful consideration. maybe a slight mod to more evenly split up base controls.

Seems like all we really see is trinity, pizza, and maybe one more. But there is what 6 or so different maps designed for MA play? so if we have 6 maps, on a 5 day rotation we could run through the set in a month.

Just enough time for a little variety right? And if we can add a few more maps it would be even better. I mean the Grinder map is suited to MA, but I think ive only seen it in MA once in the last few months, so I'm not sure what the rotation selection schedule is like.

Again this is just my .02, and Im sure Lusche will have something more to say one this??

 

[The Fugitive]

Well yes but there are still more then a few maps we can use, not necessarily all the maps.
But you see what I'm saying. look at the map currently in the FSO, it features a 3 team setup and the island bases along the south-eastern area of the map could over a decent spot for skirmishes. Sort of like the dueling arena's main area.

I think its worth a thought you understand, as i said, NOT all maps, but some could work upon careful consideration. maybe a slight mod to more evenly split up base controls.

Seems like all we really see is trinity, pizza, and maybe one more. But there is what 6 or so different maps designed for MA play? so if we have 6 maps, on a 5 day rotation we could run through the set in a month.

Just enough time for a little variety right? And if we can add a few more maps it would be even better. I mean the Grinder map is suited to MA, but I think ive only seen it in MA once in the last few months, so I'm not sure what the rotation selection schedule is like.

Again this is just my .02, and Im sure Lusche will have something more to say one this??

 

There are 12 main arena maps. The problem is some are reset in hours and cycle to the next very quickly. So while "some" of us are working, the homebodies blow through a couple of maps.

There was a suggestion to adjust the "win the war" rules to the map. Making those maps that people blow through now much harder to reset, and those that seem to last forever easier to win.

[TDeacon]

And of course, some of us don't mind a map being up for a week, so long as it is a good one (i.e. Trinity, Compello, Ozkansas, Grinder ).  MH

[Greebo]

I've uploaded a revised version of my craterma map to the HTC server. This has the SPs at each field clustered into a single area with 2.5 mile gaps between them. Tank town has a revised SP layout with some of the SPs further forward. The clipboard map still needs to be changed slightly to account for the elevation changes I have made.

[TDeacon]

I can't see it.  Instead I see something which looks like a training arena (?).  Could you please double check that it is still there and in the correct version, as I wanted to check on the degree to which vBases were separated from air bases. 

MH

[Greebo]

I just logged in to it again online and it was working fine. What exactly are you doing to log in? I can send you the terrain's res file if you want to view it offline.

In case you still can't get in here is the arena map, modified to show base and spawn locations etc. There is a fair bit of asymmetry in base distances, but as each of the three countries has the same asymmetry it is fair. Changing base positions is hassle as it means a lot of bug checking has to be done afterwards. If the terrain has to be reshaped then the map has to be redone as well.

A few things of note regarding this terrain: The tank town V bases have closely spaced multiple spawns and have permanent cloud cover protecting them. There are also cloud banks at sea CVs can hide under. The spawn arrangement at the front line bases makes them harder to take from the opposing side's bases than from rear bases. There are three spawns into each HQ, one from an uncapturable base. This doesn't normally affect resupply as you could get a C-47 there in less time. Of course it does affect down times if the enemy park a GV near the supply track and start blowing up trains.

[earl1937]

I just logged in to it again online and it was working fine. What exactly are you doing to log in? I can send you the terrain's res file if you want to view it offline.

In case you still can't get in here is the arena map, modified to show base and spawn locations etc. There is a fair bit of asymmetry in base distances, but as each of the three countries has the same asymmetry it is fair. Changing base positions is hassle as it means a lot of bug checking has to be done afterwards. If the terrain has to be reshaped then the map has to be redone as well.

A few things of note regarding this terrain: The tank town V bases have closely spaced multiple spawns and have permanent cloud cover protecting them. There are also cloud banks at sea CVs can hide under. The spawn arrangement at the front line bases makes them harder to take from the opposing side's bases than from rear bases. There are three spawns into each HQ, one from an uncapturable base. This doesn't normally affect resupply as you could get a C-47 there in less time. Of course it does affect down times if the enemy park a GV near the supply track and start blowing up trains.

(Image removed from quote.)

That is a great looking map!!! Can't wait to fly some missions on this map.

[TDeacon]

Hi Greebo,

I just looked at Craterma again, and it looks like you did a good job with the modified spawn locations.    

I still have some concern about the solitary vBases on the main portion of the map, however.  A further improvement might be to introduce the pattern used in Compello and Grinder, where we have vBases concentrated into a "chain" of linked vBases, which runs from one country to another.  Each vBase spawns to the next vBase, with the occasional spawn to/from an air base outside the chain, every couple of vBases.  

The advantage to this is that regardless of where the front line is, one usually can choose to spawn from one vBase to another opposing vBase, avoiding attacks on airfields.  This produces the best GV combat, as the terrain contours outside of Tank Town are typically less symmetrical and more interesting.  When, in contrast, one is forced to spawn from a vBase to an air base, one gets constant air-to-ground battles.  While this is interesting to the air-to-ground guys, is horrible for GV-to-GV.  Is there any chance of your creating such a “chain”, by switching air bases and vBases on your map?  I don’t think that it would have any significant effect on the strategic game, but it would greatly improve GV play.  

MH

[Greebo]

I'll have a look to see if making all the coastal bases V fields is practical. I'd need to add some offshore island airfields so the CVs have something to interact with.

[TDeacon]

I'll have a look to see if making all the coastal bases V fields is practical. I'd need to add some offshore island airfields so the CVs have something to interact with.

Thanks for looking into this.   

Based on existing map practice, the chained vBases don't necessarily have to be coastal.  You could have at least part of the chain/loop one base in from the coast, if that was convenient from a mapmaking point of view. 

MH

[Citabria]

I'll have a look to see if making all the coastal bases V fields is practical. I'd need to add some offshore island airfields so the CVs have something to interact with.

nooo

vbases crumble vs cv groups. and airbase vs cv is more fights too.

[Citabria]

if you want more vbases just add 1 per country(or more with even number for each country) between the airbases as a fight anchor or somthing like that.

nothing anchors a furball and adds in bombers like a vbase between airbases.