@Relic: Maps Maps Maps

Prologue 1:
Just had a really frustrating game as Allies in (6) Angermuende. A map perfect for turtling (good for Axis). Full of buildings (Fallschrimjaeger heaven). No room to maneuver/flank and encourages frontal slugfest (Axis favoured). 12 resource points instead of 10, thus late game comes faster (guess who that is good for). Only thing Allies has going for them is artillery, which gets nullified by CAS commander alone. Literally dodged like 30 Stuka AT Strafe and Stuka Dive Bomb but couldn't dodge two and of course there goes my Priest and Jackson. But that is another problem.

Prologue 2:
Just have been involved in a thread in CoH2 official forum talking about maps. Basically, the thread started out by OP saying more community maps should be added to the automatch and Cynthia_RE replied saying something like it needs a lot of QA and the resource has to be pulled from other departments.

Rant/Pointing Out the Obvious:
First, I do not want to come across as arrogant and tell you how to do your business. But I get a little frustrated(actually got a migraine after the game due to observing too much bullshits) when I see Angermuende in the map rotation and I see this post from Relic saying all maps that goes into automatch are heavily QA'd. I also remember Don River and Hill 331, and still see Minsk Pocket and Faceoff at Rostov to mention a few of lesser maps. In the stream, we also saw two maps. Pinsk Marshes, I do not know for sure if it will be a competitive map, but it sure is open albeit swampy. We also saw Lenin; a slugfest, no strat and chokepoint-city heaven map. So forgive me, if I am a little worried about the possibility of you guys adding these maps into the automatch, given your track record.

Relic, maps have a huge impact on balance. I remember PQ saying something about letting the Meta evolve without constant patching every little things that seem wrong at the moment. But that will not happen on these shitty maps. Fix the maps please. If all the automatch has been heavily QA'd like you imply, obviously that wasn't enough. It has been months since you asked us about map feedback. Yet almost nothing has changed. Couldn't relocate the precious resources during all that time? The same precious resource that thought Minsk Pocket was OK, Trois Point was OK...

TLDR: Fix the maps please.

I'm sorry but NDA NDA NDA, thanks though.

What, it's moba inspired, push push push!

I agree with you Pigsoup, and rather than have this thread turn into another relic should fixes this, which they should, let give them some help. like what players think maps what to have to be balance and help there pacing more.

Example to slow down the fuel in the game take out some strategic points and add some ammo points, med or repair stations.

I'm sorry but NDA NDA NDA, thanks though.

We are excited "jazz hands" NDA

NDA is protected by NDA

pigsoup do you actually believe them they really QA any of the stuff they are doing?

Map Department are creating new battlefields in the name of the Emperor. OP is disgusting heresy.


In all seriousness, I think re-working most maps would (probably....maybe..) go some way towards compensating at least some of the strange balance for the past couple of months. That said, I think whatever balance changes are coming up in the near future should be coupled with map reworks - balance should be corrected in every department imo and it should be a collaborative approach.

1-Add the already included community maps into rotation
2-Increase the number of vetoes
3-????
4-Profit

Actual in the stream the developer who was playing (forgot his name) said they don't just test new patches on their own maps but also on community maps since they get tired of playing on their same maps all the time...

So Relic doesn't "fully" test their own maps and even they are sick of the few maps they have in rotation.

I totally agree OP! Many of the most interesting automatch maps in the history of CoH have always been community-created maps.

In the current automatch map pool, a good number of maps are just unbalanced and annoying; Ettelbruck, Stalingrad, Hurtgen Forest, etc. I doubt that well-made community maps would deliver any worse experiences that those maps.

Please Relic add some community maps to the rotation and remove some of the maps that nobody really wants to play in PvP automatch (or increase vetos).

What about that post the Relic Map Maker put on the forums a while ago?
Never heard of him again

Maps are very important factor and aren't treated as importantly, might be a good idea for tournament organisers to use ONLY custom maps. Can't wait for Relic to pull their finger out on this issue.

What about that post the Relic Map Maker put on the forums a while ago?
Never heard of him again

You mean this one? Good question. I bet most crucial issues with the maps can be fixed within days. I wonder what takes them so long. I also have the feeling they create their maps to look good, not to be balanced. And not just in the map department. At least you play on both sides in tournaments, so it's more or less okay. But I have the feeling that I play against the maps (especially with Ostheer) rather than my opponent.

Angermunde and Hill 331 are fantastic maps

each to their own i guess.

Hill 331 is dreadful, all that mud makes it no fun. Even Matt Phillips agreed it was dreadful and had it pulled for a time from the auto match list.

Agreed, there are no where near enough maps in the automatch list. Community ones should have been added long ago. Using some in multiple game modes is just lazy because there are not enough maps period. Some of the community stuff seriously rocks, and is far more balanced than anythign Relic has ever created. Hell, Relic play them in their casts! Hurry up and add them.

Those who mentioned the dreaded NDA... Relic have seriously no idea on how to promote and market their games. The NDA is far too strong, this isn't the defense industry, let things out early to start hype and get better feedback. The creator of Xbox live said it best - "Dont make software you want, make software your customers want". Relic need to listen a little more, and be more vocal with the community about their plans.

pigsoup do you actually believe them they really QA any of the stuff they are doing?

Even if they do, they are doing a horrible job and they are not listening to the community for feedback.

it needs a lot of QA and the resource has to be pulled from other departments.

see what happens!

Angermunde and Hill 331 are fantastic maps

If you are Axis Angermunde is great. If you are allies it is so boring it hurts. Path finding is horid, so no T1 scout cars. Choke points are numerous, fuel is hard to cut off, long concrete lines prevent moving from one side to the other, numerous buildings to call in elite inf from, and map is long and linear punishing infantry retreats.

It could not favor the Axis more unless allies only spawned on one side of a river and had to fight uphill to get into a city.

Hill 331 has been discussed numerous times, don't add mud just to add mud, map is not fun.