Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Toad on August 10, 2007, 05:25:17 PM

Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Toad on August 10, 2007, 05:25:17 PM
Yes, it most certainly is.

These new maps need a higher percentage of airfields vs v-fields than what we're using now. You can spawn GV's from airfields.. it won't hurt anything to up the percentage of airfields, it can only help.

These new maps need the fields closer together and they need more ports/cv groups. Some of the best fights in AH are CV based fights.

The present group of maps is pretty discouraging in these respects.

That is all I have to say about that.

Thank you.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: bj229r on August 10, 2007, 05:29:50 PM
Mebbe one of those nice H2H people will build us one.....I've GOT it! Lifetime subscription to the best map!:aok
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Saxman on August 10, 2007, 05:33:11 PM
ComSoPac is going to rely heavily on CVs and will have a high ratio of airbases to vehicle bases.

However I can't help you with distance between bases, but that's WHY CVs are going to be so important...
Title: Re: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: SOB on August 10, 2007, 08:05:36 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Toad
good idears

Somebody buy this man a drink!
Title: More MAPS!
Post by: TalonX on August 10, 2007, 08:08:17 PM
Changing the map changes the game dramatically.  Each map has its own character.  

The solution to the boredom we feel is MORE MAPS!  

Please please please - devote your considerable resources to creating more maps.

Thank you.

Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Husky01 on August 10, 2007, 08:13:05 PM
I honestly feel that HTC is getting large enough to bring large maps back into the rotation. They say we don't have large maps because there would be to much land grabbing/milking, but yet we have EW and MW. On a Saturday or Sunday night its not uncommon now to see 400+ in one arena and 300+ in the otehr. Almost making the small maps to compact for that many players.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Anyone on August 11, 2007, 03:06:44 AM
trinity......
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Flayed1 on August 11, 2007, 05:03:10 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Anyone
trinity......



What he said :)
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Gianlupo on August 11, 2007, 05:07:07 AM
Did someone say "Donut"? :D
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: NHawk on August 11, 2007, 05:18:05 AM
This must be a new world record....

It's been 17 days since the last map was released (16 from the original post date) and we already have a map thread.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Gianlupo on August 11, 2007, 05:31:57 AM
It's nothing to do with your map, NHawk, we all saluted it as a breath of fresh air, and, personally, I like it much.

But we still need more maps. As TalonX said, the solution to boredom is more maps and, I dare to add, more varied ones: give us deserts, give us snow and ice wastelands, give us tropical islands, and give us different layouts, so that every map has its own unique characteristics.

This what I want, and I believe many others share these desires of mine.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: NHawk on August 11, 2007, 05:40:06 AM
I didn't take it as having anything to do with my map.

What I begin to wonder is how many maps are enough? It already takes a good amount of time to go through the rotation and each added map increases that time.

Get to many maps and you may not see a map you like for months instead of weeks. Then we'll have "Drop this map or that map from the rotation" threads going.

I just see a bad cycle coming in the future.

And there is much more involved than just changing terrain textures. Snow and tropical terrains would require the buildings to be retextured and trees would need to be modeled. Skins would also need to be made for snow terrains. These are all "custom objects" in the TE, so unless they were made a standard choice they would be unlikely to ever appear in the MAs.

Remember, the MAs are made to allow everyone to play. Even the lower end systems with slow dial-up connections. A terrain completely customized would be a huge download for dial-up.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: culero on August 11, 2007, 07:45:21 AM
I'm reminded of a comment a game support rep from another WW2 sim in another universe many moons ago made on his BB...

"You people would biyotch if I got you laid."

:)
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: SlapShot on August 11, 2007, 08:32:27 AM
I don't care how many maps we get or don't get ... I just wish that the hand of God would reach down and destroy all known remnants of the "Uterus" map.

I see that map and I want to puke ... and if I see it in more than one arena ... I just log.

PS ... I was only kidding on the first part ... I would like to see some more new and refreshing maps as Toad has described.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Toad on August 11, 2007, 10:48:39 AM
Quote
Originally posted by NHawk
What I begin to wonder is how many maps are enough?


It's not how many maps, it's how many good maps.

Sad to say we have too many maps that just don't provide good action.

Action is what these games should be about. Some of the maps we have now have way too many V-fields and not nearly enough CV/Port setups.

I think 2 or 3 GOOD maps would be enough.

The rotation we have right now does not meet that criteria.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Gianlupo on August 11, 2007, 11:37:10 AM
Quote
Originally posted by NHawk
I didn't take it as having anything to do with my map.


Sorry, seeing you posting that made me deduce too much. :)

Quote
What I begin to wonder is how many maps are enough? It already takes a good amount of time to go through the rotation and each added map increases that time.


What Toad said. It's not having many maps, it's about having good maps. And, yes, that would mean leaving some of the ones we have now out of rotation. Honestly, I don't think you'll hear complaints because "Uterus", Baltic or the Beta map have been put out of rotation (of course, I may be plainly wrong about this).

Quote
And there is much more involved than just changing terrain textures. Snow and tropical terrains would require the buildings to be retextured and trees would need to be modeled. Skins would also need to be made for snow terrains. These are all "custom objects" in the TE, so unless they were made a standard choice they would be unlikely to ever appear in the MAs.

Remember, the MAs are made to allow everyone to play. Even the lower end systems with slow dial-up connections. A terrain completely customized would be a huge download for dial-up.


Yes, what you said it's true. And I've always wondered why HTC didn't give us standard tiles with desert or snow. Right now, we have people that makes custom tiles and objects, we could use them.

Of course, that would bring up the matter of the file size. I didn' think about dial-up people, my bad, but, honestly, I don't even think it would be such a big issue: one of the biggest map, with a lot of custom objects, Karelia, has a dimension of 27 Mb. A MA small map, should be less than that, that is an affordable download even for dial-up people.
And, better yet, if I didn't misunderstand, there would be no issue at all, if HTC made those tiles and objects standard... it shouldn't be that difficult, as I said, many terrain makers have already built a lot of them, HTC should only review and approve them.

Maybe my perception is wrong and I think that the whole process is a lot less difficult than it actually is, but, if so, please, correct me and explain. :)
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: knuckels on August 11, 2007, 12:00:22 PM
Why dont we vote on maps like we do plane sets..........?.........knuckels
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Kami on August 11, 2007, 12:55:44 PM
I would love to see some terrain changes.  The maps all look the same to me.  Same color water, same trees, bushes, and same light green-dark green grid everywhere.  The only difference is the amount of bumps and water....

I'd enjoy some desert, snow, tropical locales.  I think I remember a little map a guy made of a tropical island that was quite beautiful.  Before that I didn't realize how good the graphics could be for this game, it really was astounding.  I'm not saying use that map (it was small) but his terrain was incredible.


edit:  found a link to that map.  Great Job Croduh.  Here is his original thread.  Like I said, don't use this map obviously, but it's an indication to how different ah2 could look depending on the terrain. http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=209257

and a picture for the lazy:
(http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9950/croreef6cy5.jpg)
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Vudak on August 11, 2007, 01:04:10 PM
Is there some sort of copyright infringement thingy that would prevent us from bringing back the ol' AW maps while we're at it? :D

Maybe with a few more bases, sure...  But those maps seem to have provided enough action for years.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Toad on August 11, 2007, 02:41:37 PM
At the very least, can someone add some more islands to Uterus with ports on them? Another port or even two for each country on that map would liven things up.

At the very minimum, change the airfields on the islands to ports.

CV action is great and the more the better.

Uterus is stagnant.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: BaldEagl on August 11, 2007, 03:37:21 PM
Part of the problem is that half of the maps we play on have been in play since I started in 2001.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Yknurd on August 11, 2007, 04:09:58 PM
I like Rinfus and the map with snow on it used for the German-Russo war in the AvA.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: rogerdee on August 12, 2007, 05:45:57 AM
i talked to Skuzzy a few months ago after the new terrain changes.

he hinted very heavey that HTC were looking at a way for people to submit some tiles for the different seasons .eg spring  autum ect.

if  we could get some standard tiles for winter and autum  it could change the out look of the maps.

even as others have said some tropical terrains and desert terrains would be nice too.

but the main problem is that every map has to be kept as simple as possiable so everyone can enjoy the game.A large number off task groups means more work for the server and more work on your pc with it keep being updated

There are some new maps being built but the process of building and getting them accepted is not as quick as people hope
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Anyone on August 12, 2007, 07:39:45 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Toad
At the very least, can someone add some more islands to Uterus with ports on them? Another port or even two for each country on that map would liven things up.

At the very minimum, change the airfields on the islands to ports.

CV action is great and the more the better.

Uterus is stagnant.


problem with that map is everyone gets stuck at A19/A1 and the rest of the map is left free to be taken by the country no where near those two bases (top right). The map itself could be very good, GV spawns make it good, Airwar happens above the base, tanks take the bases by land, whoever wins the airwar gets there tanks coverd and the base taken...  which is a good way of map design....

only issue is, airfields are way too spread out, lack of ports, and lack of Vbases.

the map will be much better with more bases filling the voids, and a maybe 3 more islands in the center
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Hap on August 12, 2007, 10:35:54 AM
We had Trinity, Big Isles, all the little maps, and Pizza, there was once quite a variety.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: LTAReagl on August 12, 2007, 12:39:22 PM
Honestly, and I may be murdered for this, but I would rather have more new maps instead of the B-25.  Granted I would like to have my cake and eat it too and have both, but I think the point that everyone is trying to make is that the new map is great (wtg and on it) but it's the only breath of fresh air we've had in relation to maps in a while.  Now, there are a lot of maps in the rotation, however, how long have we been playing on these?!?!  I'm here to tell ya that it's been a lot longer than the two weeks HTC standard:D .  I just think that in order to keep this game fun and challenging, we need new maps.  Maybe add more and take the old maps off for a while.  Then when we start saying," Man, we haven't seen the old maps for a while, I kinda miss them," then bring them back for a while.  Just a little variety would be good.  I know that there are a lot of guys out there that can and probably have made some really great maps, but it just seems that they never get to see any MA play.  

I vote yes for more new maps!!  :aok
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Gianlupo on August 12, 2007, 01:14:11 PM
Quote
Originally posted by rogerdee
i talked to Skuzzy a few months ago after the new terrain changes.

he hinted very heavey that HTC were looking at a way for people to submit some tiles for the different seasons .eg spring  autum ect.



There are some new maps being built but the process of building and getting them accepted is not as quick as people hope


Great news, I think that having new standard tiles shouldn't take that long, given that some good map maker already did great ones. Someone tells Croduh to mail Skuzzy! :)
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Iron_Cross on August 12, 2007, 02:26:43 PM
I agree, we need more maps.  As for taking some maps out of rotation, yes some need to go.  Uterus for an example, the game-play is stale, and predictable.  However to get maps taken out of rotation, you need new maps to fill in.  It is sort of a catch-22, to remove some bad maps, good maps have to be submitted, but some more bad maps are submitted as well as some good maps.  

Some maps don't intentionally come out bad.  Uterus for example, I can tell the reason why it was designed the way it was.  The designer wanted a narrow front, so the fights would naturally be concentrated along those narrow bands of land between countries.  The single CV group, and island base, was to keep the Navy guys happy, and to provide a way to circumvent the narrow front.

To combat the stale rotation schedule, twice as many maps are needed at a minimum, and more like four times as many as now for an optimum rotation.  Change the map rotation every 6-8 weeks, and ta'da no more ******ing about the same maps every time.

The bottom line is, maps.  Maps need to be made and submitted.  Instead of complaining about the maps, go get the stuff and make some yourself.  Submit them to Hitech.  You need to stop complaining and fix the problem yourself.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: Citabria on August 12, 2007, 02:28:40 PM
i miss festerma and ozkansas

these are medium sized maps on a 512 area not using full area.

if ever a pair of big maps fit in current small map chain its these two.
Title: Way past time for some new maps.
Post by: SkyRock on August 12, 2007, 02:33:42 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Citabria
i miss festerma and ozkansas

these are medium sized maps on a 512 area not using full area.

if ever a pair of big maps fit in current small map chain its these two.

Those two are my alltime favs!!

Who made those?...............:D