Large terrains should not be taken out of rotation.

[49Dallas]

He's talking miles, your talking grids.

Oh

[Greebo]

If you guys could talk HTC into at least experimenting using 128x128 terrains since our numbers are so low, and they were a success,I'd gladly double the amount of MA terrains in just a couple weeks time.

I'm not sure why we need 128 mile MA maps. It is not really the size of the map that is the issue or even the number of fields, it is the length of the front lines. For instance FesterMA generates a lot more action than the other 512 mile maps as the front lines are only a few fields wide. Nor is there a rule about how much of a 256 mile map you have to fill with fields or terrain. It should be possible to get the same effect as a 128 mile map with a 256 mile map by making the front lines 2 or 3 field long and not using the whole area.

[NatCigg]

The last map to be taken out of rotation, the one with the mountains dividing the country's and the super gv spawn camp, only allowed three front lines.  The war stalled and people cried.  A blend of left and right thinking can adjust each map to suit the specific challenges it poses with the communitys gripes. 

[Citabria]

you can have a large map with maximum number of bases allowed if you design it like a narrow road with limited opportunities to avoid fights which a lot of people try to do to "win". then you can have the "front" move a long ways around the map along this road but it still remains a narrow front with concentrated intense fighting if you set it up right.

design your map so that anyone that avoids the fights and "wins" ends up surrounded behind enemy lines and "loses" and it becomes a self correcting front that funnels players into each other and gets everyone killed.

when you design your map ask yourself...

"have I done everything possible to ensure everyone will be killed in the maximum variety of ways?"

[Greebo]

The last map to be taken out of rotation, the one with the mountains dividing the country's and the super gv spawn camp, only allowed three front lines.  The war stalled and people cried.  A blend of left and right thinking can adjust each map to suit the specific challenges it poses with the communitys gripes. 

All the MA maps have three front lines, it is just a question of how long they are. Trinity had essentially 1 opposing field per front line at the starting position which is not enough. The front lines widened out later but it was hard to get to that point. It was a badly unbalanced map, with an extra field on one front line and that spawn camp on another. With current player numbers I reckon 3 fields plus a CV per front line is about optimum.

[RufusLeaking]

Th current map is the small square one - I think of it as the "postage stamp" map.

Approx 60 people online. 12-16 in flight each country.

A high percentage flying around in F4U-4s and P-47Ms.

It was like furball lake.

This isn't a map size problem. It is a Summer's Eve problem.

[Greebo]

Sounds like Beta2, my least favourite map as it is so difficult to get anyone to fight on it. The main problem being the barrier mountains running across the front lines that force planes up to high alts. Once up there and in enemy territory many players are loathe to drop below 10K since the mountains then block their escape route. The long flight times and lack of CVs don't help either.

The best thing about Beta2 is that being so small its not around for long. If the big maps had a time limit or a reduced percentage of fields needed to win there would be less complaining about them.

I agree its not a map size problem, it is a map design problem. It is possible to design or modify an MA map to better cater for low player numbers whatever size it is.