Yup, that is too small, half of the map is water. The placement of bases is what makes or breaks a map. Too far apart, or big mountains in the way or large water areas to cover all add to that "10 minute flight" some people complain about. This map looks like 20 bases per side, figuring about one for each sector, but if you bump it up to 25 or 30 per side your going to have to tuck them in closer and it will give you that small map feel. Im not sure how close a base can be to another base to fit into HTC rules for an MA map, but pushing that limit can make those flights shorter.
Yeah i agree that the base placement definitely makes map better or worse. I think placing VH bases in between fighter bases works really well, maybe 12 miles apart. I know these "paths" worked really well on Festers map. I'd also limit FT and TT, it takes players away from a real battle and point of the strategy to the game. If the base layout is good. No need for a FT or TT.
My point about the 10 minute thing. Its not the first sortie that matters. Its the second and third sortie. Are your friendlies flying back to the fight? Am I going to get ganged as soon as I enter the enemy field because I don't have enough friendlies? Should I spend the time to fly back to that field and will it be worth the time? Those are some of things I tell myself when considering if I want to roll again. When there's a lot of folks in the battle, it's much easier to want to roll and spend that time flying to field over and over again. So if you have an area that's really bullding up big battles, not only are you going to have more fights in the off hours, people will also stick around longer in the evenings prolonging the battle.
The current rotation has only 2 maps that are 512 x 512, that is bowlma and buzzsaw. All the other maps are 256 x 256.
Oceana too? I'd give anything to have all 3 of those maps gone. That stretch of the rotation is painful and old for me. Or perhaps just a re-randomizer of the map rotation.