The map has several things going against it:
- It is a winter map.
- The center is very open. Early game is easy for the enemy to get behind you at the far fuel and get wiped on retreat. Late game is easy to make a few team weapons and hold two VPs (Which I enjoy watching. Saw a game where a player made no tanks and won).
- The cutoffs are too strong and punishing. Winning a fight does not mean you get more resources.
- The VPs are in the corners.
- The fuel cutoffs are on red cover roads.
- Center church is strong.
- The COH2 community. Once a map is vetoed for months at a time, it will usually stay vetoed. Due to the balance patch, we have not been able to update maps for several months.
- There are several new 1v1 maps ready to go that may be better than even the updated version.
Nexus has an open middle the size of a 1v1 map. Novgorod’s mid isn’t that open imo.
I like the cutoffs, they’re near the base but in reasonable spots and protected by red cover roads so it’s not an open highway for your opponent to come in with a blob.
Corner VPs are a bit far for 1v1 standards but again, Nexus is much worse.
Red cover roads for your opponent are good, you don’t have to deal with them when you’re defending, only attacking.
Church is strong, I think the middle could do without a building or add sight blockers north and south so that it can be attacked reasonably.
There are 1v1 maps ready to go but also 1v1 maps ready to piss off. Novgorod isn’t near being the worst 1v1 map.
I think you could work with some good players to iron out a lot of details and update it when the patch hits. If Arnhem can get an update instead of being deleted, I don’t see why Novgorod can’t,