Well... everyone else has commented on the map so I guess I'll try too. I think the pizza shape IS a problem even though it shouldn't matter at all. When you pull up the map, and it's an obvious pizza, it conciously or subconciously detracts from immersion because it looks a tad silly. This is probably the factor that emboldens people to comment on other features they don't like. Is this the AKs fault: absolutely, positively not. Is it HTs fault: not really. It all stems from a very well intentioned constraint put on by HTC: that the map not favor any side and be symmetrical. Well, if you have three sides and have to be totally symmetrical you have only two choices: a triangle or a pizza. If you want rivers inside the periphery then you get the pizza slices. There is no other choice.
The other major complaint heard also is caused by a preconstraint: the the map be large. HTC wants a game that can handle more customers. It's not their fault that those extra customers haven't shown up in less than a week to populate the map.
Another complaint: the colors and textures. Well, I live in a desert not unlike this terrain and I can tell you that this is what it looks like. It may not be pretty (and to tell the truth I hate where I live) but it is realistic.
The one complaint I think is somewhat warranted is the altitude issue and the depth of the canyons. The high altitude does deny significant portions of the map to some people's favorite planes. That is a valid issue which I believe is being addressed. The canyons are a trade off. The designers undoubtedly wanted to provide the fun of canyon fights. The trouble is the performance of WWII aircraft make most realistic canyons just minor creases in the terrain. Only the Grand Canyon becomes something that actually becomes visible and a navigational constraint. That's one of the most annoying things about RL flight: at legal altitudes everything looks flat as a pancake and boring. There is no doubt that the canyons would fail a geological reality test (unless they are made of solid granite) but if they were more realistic they would be less fun.
What's the solution: I think it is to give up the hope for completely even land distribution, design a more realistic terrain, and the deal with the inevitable "knights/bishops/rooks are at a disadvantage" complaints.
AKs: please don't be demoralized or annoyed by the comments. The problems stem entirely from the constraints you had to work under. Notice that there are few (or no) complaints of bugs, sink holes, unmatching textures, and other terrain bugaboos. It is very fine work and the work is appreciated probably by almost everyone. You should not swear off terrain design forever because of the response. You should talk to HT and convince him a totally symmetrical map won't work and then start work on a new map closer to the design you would want as the second map in the MA rotation. (But first you should get HT to give you guys free accounts in payment
Salute, 715
