thereisnotry wrote:
fingersandteeth wrote:
So i guess the question is
What are you trying to do by restricting the map list?
I can't speak for Dean, but the reason I want a restricted map list is so that melee squads and pieces will no longer be almost entirely nerfed by losing a single die roll.
Right now, I think this is true:
Open maplist = restricted meta
Restricted maplist = open (or more open) meta
Ok so the goal of the map restriction is to make more figures applicable.
So you start to restrict maps so melee stand more of a chance.
Say you pick Boris' map list
Death Star
Muunilist
Chancellor's Starship
Ravaged Base
Jedi Temple
Train Station
Rancor Pen
With this map list do we know what will rise to the top? Are you going to 'solve' the meta for everyone before you restrict the map list?
Or are you going to pick maps based on the qualities of the maps (closed off gambit, safe starting squares, doors) and let the stics fall where they will?
This notion of opening up the meta via map choice may be a fallacy. We are all presuming that it would open the game up but gamers always find a way to bias their own team. Gamers are a clever bunch, its why they chose these games and hobbies.
With the selection above i could well imagine the top squads being multi-override squads all picking train station. If you don't play on train station then you are fine but it becomes the same situation as now.
Win map and compete, lose map and see your percentage win rate drop dramatically.
Last years gen con has a restricted map list but Bill and Matt still found a strategy based around map choice that favoured their game plan.
So constanly messing with the map list is essentially trying to force players into a style of game that YOU think is best. A game that YOU think will be more open but it is easy to imagine that as the maps suppress one gamepstyle the other floats to the surface.
The question is then what maps make people play that way, how different is that from the way the game is designed to play and how will the game adapt later on.
Will it become stale with matches being vanilla style? or will there be enough variety for everyone to run their favorite pieces?
I don't think the latter case will ever be true.
At some point you have to just let the game play as it should be played and kind of let gamers get on with it.
Thinking about it, if variety is what people want then you just rotate maps every DCI update.
Select 4-7 for each format every time and then alter it the next update. At least then you can select maps of similar design and everyone will know that its to push melee or shooter style of play.
It will force players to adapt to a new meta each update that will essentially be random based on new fig releases and the shake up gives people a something to look forward to in future updates
eg "man this last map meta was way too shooty, i hope the pick ruined base, munnalinst, rancor, jedi temple for the next realease so I can wtfpwn people with JBMs"