This map was very nice in trying to incorporate new factors in to a larger scale, but obviously seem to meet a few problems. This particular layout of a huge map, as people note, is highly favorable for the country who can afford to maintain the overall numbers concentrated in a certain area. To put it simply, the country with larger numbers are virtually unstoppable in this setting.
As we've seen in previous maps, concentrated defense makes it difficult for a country with numbers advantage to simply barge through the defense lines. However, in this map, with three islands each separated into three zones, vehicle bases placed on the edge of the map in a continuous circle, and a water path leading into heart of every island, the size of the front has effectively grown 9~10 times of what it used to be.
It is not the size, or the number of bases that has a problem, but the way they are laid out, IMO. A country with consistently low numbers, (or, a country who cannot afford to maintain large numbers even after prime-time) simply cannot defend when the total length of the front lines are nine to ten times larger than what it was before.
Of the three separate zones, two are almost instantly lost with the start of a new reset, and the players are confined to a single zone, which is logically the only way people can defend something - by reducing the size of the defensive lines. First, people thought it'd take weeks to get a reset. Now, as it is being proven, about a single day is enough to drive a country into a 'reset phase'. It's a quick and faced pace 'blitz' for the numerous, and a nightmare for the underdogs.
Now, the maps of the previous versions, even though they had some flaws, had specific strategic value. There was a 'method' to a given map, despite the flaws being that a certain corner of the map was strategically disadvantaged. In those maps, no matter how large a number you had, there was a 'path' for advancing into a certain country, and this 'path' was recognized by players by empirical experience. There was a logical strategic move - (ie) in Mindanao, the basic strat for the northern country was to defend attacks from west, and advance down the Eastern peninsula to reset the southern country. The southern country knows this too, and they'd set their defenses to protect the peninsula while trying to keep the border lines stable against the Western country. This 'basic strategy' was dictated by many factors including terrain, distance, logistics, and numbers.
Now, the fields are very close together, VHs spawn vehicles 3~5 miles outside the town in all directions, CVs can move everywhere and spew out planes against almost any field. The factors that made up 'strat' are in effect, mostly neutered now. The only thing that dictates the 'strat' is numbers itself, which also means there IS no strat at all.
When numbers were low, people could put up defenses in a concentrated area. The 'border lines' would be sealed. It took real effort to break through this. Thus, strat and tactics were made - diversions, NOE raids, tactical furballs phasing into continuous bomber strikes... Both the attacker and the defender would try and devise various ways to overcome the situation.
Now, there is no other way than to 1) hope your country don't get gang banged, and 2) hope your country has same numbers as the other two. You defend one place, they simply circle around via GVs, CVs, other zones and go for a milk run. It's a bonanza of easy opportunities when you've got a lot of pilots flying for your country; bold enemy defensive in the air? spawn GVs UP THE CANYON within 5 miles of the town and milk run it with zillions of Osties. Enemy defending southern lines? Immigrate to zone 2 and milkrun every base there is.
.......
To make a long rambling story short:
1) The size is good, but layout is a real problem
2) Frontlines being too long is the same as 'no frontlines at all'
(Typical Rook situation: "Hi guys! Where is help needed?" ... "We need help everywhere, mate. Oh crap, there goes another base..")
3) GV spawn is too lenient
4) No difficulty in reaching vital areas of enemy country
("Hey, who wants to storm ZoneX master field? We've got the CV parked there. No defenders too!")
Therefore, what we need is:
1) New layout and designing for the map
(The "all sides equal" concept was very good. What we need to is devise a design that holds the 'equal conditions' and the same time reintroduces the effective 'front' concept that existed before)
2) Reducing size of the frontlines
3) Restricting GV spawns
(How do GVs spawn up a canyon anyway? Promoting ground battles was good, but we need to restrcit GV advance points within a predictable limit)
4) Closing off some 'channels' and 'paths' so people can't just hop to a vital master field or HQ in 'one hop'.
