Release: Semois-2

This looks great, trying it now

btw, you can't name map as you did "semois-2" because it looks stupid. I suggest to name it Bartsdorf or Bartsville

Why not "Bartown"?

@tribalbob: check your inbox, as I sent you some feedback.

Also, it seems that the version you just uploaded is the same as the one that I played yesterday. I noticed that the church still has the bubble at the back and the center points are all low.

Got them.

Odd, I must have packaged the wrong ver - I'll re-upload when I get home tonight.

Watched you working on this on Twitch, this looks great!

Ok, updated the link on the first page - should be the correct version, now.

The map seems good, but alot of players(including me) cannot install your updated version of semois2. The alternate version works, but the updated one does not show up in the ingame maplist. Neither GRMaps nor manually including helps with that issue.

http://www.coh2.org/topic/1463/balance-vcoh-trolololo/page/5#post_id24779, I'm sure it won't be hard to find some that would be willing to do so.

I'm not sure you'll be able to find who can reanimate the M10 fire

D'oh! Ok sorry guys, I'll check it out again when I get home tonight!

you messed up the folder structure =)

Yeah, I was trying to be sneaky and include the loading screen using the modtools, but I should have just packaged via the WB.

you need to put your map files into the MP folder a folder structure like this ".../Semois2/Scenarios/MP". Then with the mod-tools SGA packer you select the ".../Semois2" folder as the parent folder. So that once you opened the packed Semois2.sga, the folder structure in the mod-tools appears like "Data/Scenarios/MP/<mapfiles>"

Third time's a charm - I have to go, but I'll update it next version with the load screen... at least now you guys should be able to play it!

Map updated again, see first post

My new favorite PE map >=D

Cool map. I really like all the walls in the middle and all the different angles you can attack from. Only thing that annoyed me a bit was the direction the western hq is facing. Also i noticed there were 2 mg models, an ami 30 cal and a mg 42 next to each other near the west bases bridge.They weren't selectable was just odd to see them there. Are these there on purpose or is it just me lol?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/17/relic00003j.jpg/

Those are a weird bug that pops up; I've fixed and re-uploaded (along with cleaning up a territory sector connection that was weird.

Some feedback after playing the map:

1. The fuels get cut off. This is honestly one of the biggest problems with the map. The Wehrmacht player has an incredibly easy time getting to the US cut-off and just bunkering down. The other access ways are easily wired and mined. What is also part of the problem is that the bridge provides no cover from an MG. One solution would be to place the cut-offs at the other side of the bridge, while not in range of the base MG nests (might be harder to do on the left). Another solution might be to turn a +5 fuel into a +10, although that would be quite difficult to balance, I think.

2. The big building on the left cut-off. Tall buildings are always awkward to play with (they block a lot of view), especially when they're in such a prominent position. I would recommend replacing it with a smaller type building, or moving it down south, away from the cut-off.

3. Some of the hedges on the map make it a bit claustrophobic, especially on the left +5 fuel. Consider removing the bottom house in that fuel sector and just replacing it with some cover.

4. Red cover access from the left. Both the top and the bottom 'bridges' are red cover. Please don't put red cover on choke points

Sector layout:

After some further testing, I've established that the main issues of this map are retreat pathing and sector layout. In its current form, the wehr player need only establish a front in the center to be in a dominant position. This is mainly triggered by the high ammo income that results and the ease at which the ami player can be cut off from his/her fuel. Due to the high munitions income, weapon upgrades and mines become plentiful, making a center push for the ami player increasingly difficult. The ami player could, in response, attempt to head northbound and hold the medium fuel of the wehr player, however fighting so far out with retreat pathing that always leads to the center of the map, makes this sort of strategy very risky. Moreover, the rather low fuel/high munitions count on the map encourages tier 2 wehr play and ami tier 3, simply because fast teching is generally too risky and less potent, since it hits so late.


As a solution, I came up with this sector layout: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?4o7mnczbv70hpzs

The desired effects are:

-attention of wehrmacht player is slightly averted from the center.
-fuel count is slightly increased to encourage more diverse teching paths (red indicates how the ami player could cap and hold the wehr player's medium fuel).
-ammo is slightly reduced so that the wehr player can't lay as many mines on all the choke points (in its current state, the center quickly becomes a death zone for the ami player).
-the cutoffs and pins aren't as punitive as they used to be.
-capping strategies are more varied.


Retreat pathing:

-light yellow arrows indicate current retreat paths
-black arrows indicate desired retreat paths
-importance: with units always retreating via the center from anywhere on the map, the wehr player can quite easily finish off retreating squads. In addition, it further encourages the wehr player to just hold the center.
-most squads retreating from anywhere along the center road makes them easy prey for jeeps and m8s that are in pursuit of them. One way of partially fixing this is by altering it so that a base mg/flak covers the retreat road. This is also necessary because of early exploits with Schwimwagen that can just rush your base in 3-4s, take little to no damage and lay firetraps. This is especially devastating to brit players, since it'll net their truck a damaged engine.

Additional notes:

-this map seems to do a better job at mitigating the semois pin, since you can connect the other players natural fuel to your territory via the extremes of the map.

-the pe player feels very confined on the island, especially in the north (little room to maneuver and tactically place your troops).

-Brit might have a hard time holding the center and consequently the vps.

-Light vehicles, especially the jeep, felt very powerful on this map, because of all the roads and etc.


@ Purlictor:
When I first started playing on this map, I would have agreed with you about the cutoffs. However, after a few games, I started to realize that if the ami player is pushed back and cutoff, he/she can quite easily disregard the cutoff and go for the northern part of the map and attempt to cap and hold the natural medium fuel of the wehr player. This is will force the wehr player to push northwards, which will allow the ami player to recap the cutoff and, thereby, reconnect his/her natural medium fuel.

Keep it up, Tribalbob!
This is shaping up to be one hell of a map!

@ Purlictor:
When I first started playing on this map, I would have agreed with you about the cutoffs. However, after a few games, I started to realize that if the ami player is pushed back and cutoff, he/she can quite easily disregard the cutoff and go for the northern part of the map and attempt to cap and hold the natural medium fuel of the wehr player. This is will force the wehr player to push northwards, which will allow the ami player to recap the cutoff and, thereby, reconnect his/her natural medium fuel.

the "recapping" part might be pretty hard if enough mines/wire/mg bunkers have been put down....