I'm creating an even playing field sand box filled with equal opportunities for everyone. When you pull in a real world topographical area, you still have to apply the field spacing rules with an equal number of each kind of field to achieve an even playing field. When you are actually fighting on the Melee terrain, you only see the surrounding 8sq miles of art work the terrain builder slaved over. It could be any place on planet earth. And the clipboard map is the only visual clue you have that the terrain is not from the real world but, only if you keep it zoomed all the way out to see the entirety of the arena.
I get that. But there are ways to mitigate these concerns.
As for an overlay, as long as you start with a 4096x4096 or 2048x2048 art file. Then overlay your real world location as a cut and paste to fit into either file's work space, you can then create a heightmap file from that. Or you can use "Artik's program" that pulls in real world geo maps and burps out a heightmap to import into the terrain editor. Please feel free to create a Melee arena terrain using Artiks geo app.
For some reason you keep throwing out decisions for others to follow to make you happy instead of making your own perfect terrain for everyone to enjoy.
I was not aware that offering ideas was the same thing as "throwing out decisions for others to follow".
In the end, changing an existing terrain like Fester, long after it's been in rotation is a royal bite, and it's better to just create a new terrain using the Fester 4096x4096 clip board map.bmp as a blueprint file prototype. The obvious premise on the Fester map was to separate everyone out into cosy little combat operational arenas so furballers could furball, task group commanders could play in big ponds, and tankers could leave them all alone. It was an interesting attempt at giving everyone what they wanted while segregating them into their combat of choice. Even bomber players had a place.....
Is not the main issue with Fester Map the dar bars being the same color? There are a couple of areas where water is rendered as brown/tan. These are simple fixes no? Are these changes not easier than what's already been done to try and salvage Buzzsaw?
Build your own terrain instead of trying to tell everyone else to change how they should do it to suit your fantasies. Including trying to tell Hitech something is wrong with how he allows Melee arena terrains to be constructed. If you want a real world geo location, you can download Artik's program in the Terrain Editor forum. Then produce your 1:1 blue print file with everything mapped out and let Hitech look over it. With a file that is 1mile=8pixels, you can map spawn points down to the 1\8 mile and every single base to 19-25 miles separation.
Woah, there. Easy. I never said anyone was "wrong" in any way. Don't put words in my mouth. That said, MY OPINION is that Buzzsaw will repulse far more new players than it could ever attract. The decision on that is obviously Hitech's to make. I can only offer my thoughts in the spirit of being helpful.
And trust me, I've been trying to build a map. It's not simple at all. I can't even save my work in any useful form. I'm about ready to give up on it. I've loads of respect and appreciation for anyone who makes the effort to build one for players to use.
