MWLL Maps...

[Artemis Dragmire]

Let's see if I can type up a list of favorites from memory. These are in no specific order:

Death Valley - Big, wide open, fun TC map. Just all around good. No asset feels entirely useless. Wish games would last longer though.

Thunder Rift (TC) - At first I didn't like this map, thought it was a snipe fest. Have come to love it. Lots of avenues for sniping, lots of side paths for sneaking up and brawling. Can turn quite brutal if one team manages to cap the other team's forward base early on, but I've seen teams come back from that and it makes for an epic struggle. Again, every asset feels like it has a place here, and it's a nice change of pace to have a map with no ASF/VTOLs from time to time as well.

Mirage (TC) - The only complaint about this map is that not all the bases show on the GUI. Other than that, it's a very fun, fast paced map. Far superior to the TSA version, which ends up being just a sniper/missile fest because of lack of incentive to move around the map. Still, even in TSA, this map is playable and enjoyable. BA is fun on this map as well.

Frostbite (TSA) - God I love this map. Lots of cover and multiple routes all across the map. Two bases to spawn from so no real base camping going on. Also, it's just plain sexy looking. (Always loved mechs in snow)

Sandblasted (TSA) - Good for some simple mech action. Hill sniping, missiles, etc. Some people might not like that type of fighting, but it's classic Mechwarrior, really, and there are still plenty of ways you can brawl if you feel the need. BA is also really fun on this map.

Extremity (TSA) - I wondered for so long when I first started playing why people hated this map. Was it the fact BAs have extra mobility? Was it the low grav? Was it the heat during the day? I dunno, I'm still not sure. All of these points make this map FUN for me. Plus, the layout is really interesting, with a lot of ways to sneak up and do some damage, then jumpjet away and live to fight another day. The day/night cycle freezing/thawing the lake and changing the temperature makes you think a lot about where you are and what you're in during what time of day it is.

Also, BA are so much fun to splatter on this map. So many people think that because low-grav let BA fly around almost like ASF it makes them invulnerable... but really, at least to me, it makes them an even easier target.



Those are probably my favorite maps. Next up are my thoughts on maps I find bearable or ok, but I feel could use some work to be perfect:

Kagoshima - Mixed feelings on this map. I love flying ASF on this map, but that's about it. The map feels too cramped and hard to get around as a mech, and tanks seem to rule because of how easily they can hold the two forward spawn bases. Also, not being able to build/repair heavies and assaults at the forward bases is a neat idea, but badly implemented, considering you can still build demolishers and morrigus at these bases. Thus, it becomes tank wars very quickly.

Also, I feel at least some of the roofs of these forward bases should be opened up so that the tanks are a bit more vulnerable to ASF.


Clearcut - I like the visual style of this map a lot. It feels a tad small, and I think it needs a bit more cover in a few places. Trees feel glitchy. ASF have too low of a ceiling and feel pointless with the lack of cover. Nonetheless, have had some good fun on this map, don't hate it, just needs some tweaks to bring it up to the quality of the others.

Marshes (TC) - I think TSA marshes is kinda crap, but the TC one is okay. I'm not sure what exactly annoys me on this map when I play it in TC, but I don't do it very often, people seem to dislike this map. Not sure why. The main landing strip can turn into a bit of a missile fest, but there's plenty of ways around that too.

A decent map that deserves more attention imo. Also want more maps that have capture points that unlock a type of asset like this one. That's a really good idea I think.



Those are my neutral opinion maps. Now on to the two I dislike:


Palisades - Ok, this one at first I hated, because I had only played IS on the map and Clan has such a massive advantage being up on top of the cliff that it was just frustrating. Seemed like a missile fest.

Since then, I've come to enjoy it a little bit more, but all my fun games on this map has been on the Clan side. The IS really need another route to get up to the Clan side of the map with enough cover that they won't get longtommed/arrowed as they're trying to move that way. The IS side is so wide open with so little cover that if the Clan team is all set up it's very hard to push out of your base across that massive open field to make an assault.

I still think this map could use VTOLs or even ASF to help break up the camps that occur.


Inferno - This map is just a hodgepodge of poor design. There are 2 bases for each team to spawn at, but one of them is so far away from the other that it's not worth bothering to spawn there. Everyone knows "the hill" that this map turns into. It's unavoidable. There is absolutely no incentive for players to do anything but alternate climbing the fabled hill and assaulting the enemy lines, only to repeat it a few minutes later.

If one tries to flank around the hill to get behind the enemy lines, you end up coming within range of the other enemy base guns, and take extra damage and possibly have your position revealed, nullifying your attack before it has begun.

I think the spawn bases on this map need to be shuffled around, and some terrain changes need to be made so that flanking lines do not bring players within firing range of the enemy base turrets.

The map also needs to have the bug with the longtom shells disappearing into the aether fixed, so that longtoms can be used to break up hill camps when they occur.

I also personally find the drab brown of this map quite tiresome to look at. I'm sure an artist could pull off the volcanic fiery look without using so many shades of brown. More color would be appreciated.

[=KoS= Tripod]

 

I'm not reading all of THAT

[=KoS= Finalizer]

Clearcut - Bleh. Long range camp fest, have rarely seen any deviation from the standard campy playing on this map. I usually leave a server if this one pops up.

Death Valley - By far my favorite map to play on. Odd number of bases gives incentive to constantly capture bases, and despite the large, open areas, brawlers are still effective in base defense, flanking, and surprise attacks. So many tactical opportunities and constant shifts of battle lines make this one wonderful to play. Just great design in general. With 0.5 apparently bringing it better performance, hopefully everyone will be able to enjoy it soon.

Extremity - I haven't really played this one much, so it's hard to say for sure how I feel. The most frustrating aspect would have to be how easy it is to get stuck on random terrain, and while I realize that's an issue with pretty much every map, this one feels especially unforgiving; It feels like if you don't know exactly where your mech is moving at all times, you're liable to get stuck somewhere and be forced to abandon ship. Frustrating, to say the least. Other than that, it seems like a pretty nice design that promotes long and short range combat depending on how you position yourself, which I do like, and the temperature gimmick is nifty.

Frostbite - Another bland campfest. The only reason I stick around is if I can get into a Novacat to enjoy the ridiculous advantage it gets with the cold weather helping it's already healthy number of heatsinks. It's also good practice for LRM/Arrow IV dodging. Other than that, it's another one I avoid.

Inferno - lolbridge

Okay, fine. But really, the map is pretty infamous for this problem, and terribly un-fun to play normally. A pity to say the least, because it's great fun when people get away from the bridge and actually explore the map. It was actually the first map I ever played in MWLL, and it was great fun because it turned into a search-and-destroy sort of deal with movement all over the place. However, that only seems to happen when there are very few players on a server, otherwise it just turns into the usual hill squat. The only reason I ever stick around is so I can hop in a Huit to pewpew at the inevitable Hawkmoth spam. (And there is never a shortage of noobmoths on this map, let me tell ya...) Another issue with it is that, like Extremity, there's a wealth of places for your mech to get stuck in this map; it's quite annoying when you run into a rock area while trying to turn around, only to find yourself magically clipping between them and getting your mech stuck in some tiny crevice that looks visually impossible to have entered in the first place.

Also, I don't understand the hate for the brown on this map. In this case, it's highly appropriate, and actually contributes to the ashen atmosphere of this map in general. I can understand about the brown of most mainstream games, but that's just the result of the "LOL BROWN IS REAL MAKE EVERYTHING IN NATURE HAVE A BROWN HUE DERP" design thought of most other developers; I think the color choice is, in this case, used appropriately and effectively. Brown is not bad when used correctly.

Kagoshima - It seems like it has potential, but kinda misses the mark. The fights just somehow feel unfocused a lot of the time, and I'd like to see the B1/G7 bases (Not sure if those are the right coordinates) relocated to make them more attractive targets instead of "that base I go after if my team is losing"; they rarely change hands because they're so far out of the way to be worth the time it takes to get to them and then back to any area with actual combat.

Marshes - I really haven't played the TSA version much, so I can't say much about it other than I know few people enjoy it. It's a shame too, since you'd think a swamp setting would promote a lot of awesome brawling opportunities. I also quite like the TC version, though since the airstrip is only used for hawkmoths, I wish the runway would be removed or shortened to make it less campy around that area. Maybe also add another base to the north to make it a more desirable area to attack, as there's rarely ever any activity up there right now. Maybe put two bases in both the north and south areas, with one base a mech hangar in each location. I think that'd bring more fighting around the map in general, instead of having it so focused on the center airfield.

Mirage - Despite having it's own share of long-range fights, I actually quite enjoy this one a lot of the time, at least the TC version. While it does tend to have a lot of camping at times, there's enough cover to flank enemies and engage in brawls at times, which can be especially exciting if you can get enough players on your team to join you and assist in said flanks. I've seen games totally change direction because of this, where a team close to losing makes a crazy comeback because they're able to get behind enemy lines, capture a vital point, and completely disrupt the opposing team's attack line. Really exciting stuff. The biggest complaint I have toward the map is probably that the middle area feels too jam-packed with bases; it'd be nice if the whole area were bigger to give the bases some breathing space. It's pretty often that one team captures almost all of the bases there and easily holds them when things turn campy because they can easily cover multiple bases from a single position.

Palisades - Terrible design. Needs a lot of work balance-wise before I'll start playing this one seriously.

Sandblasted - Another surprisingly fun long-range map, particularly because there are ways to get close to an enemy if needed, and there's also some good flanking opportunities. I'm hoping the TC version will give incentive for teams to really move throughout the entire map, and hopefully the dunes will become home to some brawling action as well in the future.

Thunder Rift - Like Marshes, I haven't played the TSA version as much as the TC variant. That said, the TC version is another one I quite like, with it's focus on combat at multiple range and how it forces teams to be constantly aware of potential flank attacks. One gripe I have with this map is that the repair bays in the middle bases are both placed in a way that players on the Clan team will always be exposed to enemy fire while repairing, a very annoying issue to deal with when playing on that team. I'd also like it if there was a fifth base somewhere in the middle, so that the fights wouldn't get campy once both teams have two bases.

[Artemis Dragmire]

I'm not reading all of THAT

I didn't write it for you. I wrote it for the devs and map makers.

[Rakkis]

Love Death Valley and mirage....

Hate New Extremity... liked it much better with out the builds and dishes (plus it's still buggy as in my BA or mech will get stuck in a build and never get out)

[sgnl05]

Deathvalley is still far and away the best. I think that's funny because in a lot of ways it's one of the most simple maps. Just rolling terrain, mountains and a few bases. I love it because there's really no chokepoints at all, even though the map does move players though a number of defined paths. Also it isn't cluttered. It's great having room to move without having to worry about clipping something and coming to an abrupt stop. Sometimes less really is more.

Also it shows that large, open maps aren't necessarily bad for close range combat at all. A lot of MWLL maps make it feel like that might be the case, but really it's just because you can jam yourself up against the edge of the map (or outside of your base) and snipe people without having to worry about getting flanked. In deathvalley if you're in a good sniping spot you're probably vulnerable from at least two approaches, because the points pull the combat towards the centre of the map so you can't use the edges to protect your flanks.


We need more maps like this. Make them really big, make them open with multiple paths to/from all the important points, and design them so that the important stuff is towards the centre, to prevent players clinging to the edges for protection 

[~SJ~ Blhurr]

We need more maps like this. Make them really big, make them open with multiple paths to/from all the important points, and design them so that the important stuff is towards the centre, to prevent players clinging to the edges for protection 

Maps then are really a matter of personal opinion.  I remember quite a few people really liked the original inferno because it was so tight that if you went full speed you were lible to get caught in lava or boulders.  As usual, I advocate for a variety of maps that encourage varied play styles.

[ELH_Vivicector]

Just fix the bloody performance on DeathValley. It makes me cry. Other maps are running just great. Why then plain and simple DeathValley is so bad?

[~SJ~ Blhurr]

Just fix the bloody performance on DeathValley. It makes me cry. Other maps are running just great. Why then plain and simple DeathValley is so bad?

Rumors have it that performance optimization for DV is well underway.

[thEClaw]

For me Death Valley runs a lot better than other maps (Frostbite for example or Thunder Rift in its first minutes). You have been complaining about that a lot lately, Vivicector, but maybe the map is just fine as it is.

[Cygma]

Rumors have it that performance optimization for DV is well underway.

Yes, Wilson already stated that.

[ELH_Vivicector]

Happy to hear it!