Random Maps

[crazycracka]

1st I want to address the invisible things on these random maps. They are actually all over the place. At first I thought it may just be buggy terrain that stops you, but there are actually invisible rocks or trees there. You can tell by the masses of arrows that are floating in mid air.

隐藏

2nd I want to know why nobody likes these maps. Whenever it switches to them somebody immediately puts a vote for a new map and it always passes.
Is it because "they're too big" and "I have to run soooooo far"?
Or because "they're too hilly"?
Or the invisible objects?

I personally don't think they're too big. The way it is now normally by the time you crest whatever big hill is blocking your view from spawn you'll be in line-of-sight of your enemy. I would rather they be on the large side rather than small. When the beta 1st opened the random maps consisted of like 1 hill separating the 2 spawns. So you either go right, left or above it...

I'll give that "random plains" should be more leveled terrain, but lately there have been maps with large plots of flat(or slanted, but not extremely hilly) terrain. And some sort of hills/ trees I think are needed for gameplay sake.

Invisible objects...enough said

I think variable spawn points for each round would be nice too. So you have to adapt more depending where the enemy may come from. Also a compass would be crucial, like it has been mentioned in other posts

 

[Kevlar]

More even leveled maps has already been suggest by myself and a few others and hopefully we will get our wishes soon enough. I have never had a problem like you are with arrows sticking into nothing so it might just be your graphics card (ATI is having a lot of problems I know) but who knows.

 

[crazycracka]

I'm pretty sure these are invisible objects for everyone. It's probably less noticeable for Inf, but if you people watch the cavalry you'll see people randomly stopping because they just ran into something invisible

 

[Kevlar]

I always play cav and haven't run into anything invisible yet. Only way I see this happening is if another player is and I accidentally bump into him.

 

[Harn]

Yes, rocks, trees and whatever else can render invisibly.

To put the standard stereotypical answers to your questions:

Random maps tend to have bad odds of making an interesting map. Maps are almost always too big and can take up to 3 minutes for infantry to reach each other and start a fight; a long time for people that just want to kill each other. If one team decides to camp, it's an even longer time for a fight to start. Bad map creations can create multiple giant mountains & valleys in between the spawns, further slowing game play down.

People are programmed by now to start up a map vote and vote yes instead of waiting to see if the map is a quality render.
People would rather vote to change to village where fights can start up in 30 seconds instead.
People don't want to learn a map and would rather go to something familiar.

Some problems are fixable, others need people to be fixed I guess.

 

[Styo]

Actually its cuz you settings are set to low. I had the same problem. Until i set my settings on High and now i dont bump into anything..so its a matter of what your graphics settings are on..

 

[Khalid ibn Walid]

Hilliness & time seem to be the usual complaints.

They have improved considerably though.  I think they should be attempted.  I think its just instinct at this point.  And familiarity, of course.

A little flatter and maybe some more variety (steppe/snow/thick forest, etc.) might do the trick.  Dunno. 
 

 

[Berserker Pride]

Someone suggested random landmarks for these maps as well.  Imagine if a ruined house spawned on top of a hill.  You could accidently end up with some pretty cool maps.  I think part of the reason these maps get voted down is they have a huge advantage to cavalry.  Some landmarks could even it out and make people actually play them more.

 

[Nirnaeth]

Someone suggested random landmarks for these maps as well.  Imagine if a ruined house spawned on top of a hill.  You could accidently end up with some pretty cool maps.  I think part of the reason these maps get voted down is they have a huge advantage to cavalry.  Some landmarks could even it out and make people actually play them more.

Instagreement.

 

[Khalid ibn Walid]

Someone suggested random landmarks for these maps as well.  Imagine if a ruined house spawned on top of a hill.  You could accidently end up with some pretty cool maps.  I think part of the reason these maps get voted down is they have a huge advantage to cavalry.  Some landmarks could even it out and make people actually play them more.

Ha. I was just about to propose that. 

But nothing overdone.  Just a couple of shepherd's huts and maybe a broken down wagon or two would probably be enough.  I don't want to see another acropolis.

An alternative thought was a "war wagon" prop, something like the belfry in the siege, which four infantry players can move themselves to a new spot if they don't like where it is.  A bit corny though.

 

[crazycracka]

Actually its cuz you settings are set to low. I had the same problem. Until i set my settings on High and now i dont bump into anything..so its a matter of what your graphics settings are on..

The invisible objects did appear to be rocks. The "grass density" setting seemed to affect this.