Map Reviews

If anyone else wants to do more work on this, it might be useful to have the maps sorted by size.

Normal Maps

2 Lakes

Peter: a nice 1v1 map. 3 mex spots near each start location give a total of ~5 metal. The underwater pair gives another ~5, and the peninsula spots also total ~5.

The main asymmetry is that there is land above the water at the north end, and some kbots can walk through. (as opposed to the south end, where the water goes all the way to the edge of the map.) The water is deep and steep, so there are no spots to ford the river with non-amphibious units. A transport will be important. Some of the hills might be too steep for hovercraft, but they could come up the river. Definitely an interesting map.

stats:

 size: 10x10;  Description=Made by CW83, Wind:1-25;
 Gravity=130; TidalStrength=10;  MaxMetal=0.8;  ExtractorRadius=60;

2 Valleys

Deci: Mostly an air map, as not even kbots can climb the plateus, mex radius is also too small for the metal layout.

4 skulls

Deci: Simply too much metal, otherwise a solid map. Try lowering the metal income on the hills to around 1.5 or lower.

FizWizz: Interesting map, funny metal but fun to play. However, the metalmap is really bright.

Alaska

AF: Needs stuff on the corner bits, preferrably custom snowy tree like features and other assortments, and a small open space, otherwise looks nice but a bit plain.

Altored Divide

Diesel: One of my all-time favorites. This map is an absolute classic and provides excellent teamplay opportunities thanks to its clever design. Furthermore it is relatively fast-paced while not excessive with the metal. The texture isn't the best but who cares when it just plays so good!

BDCoolio: This map can get very porcy with all the steep ridges, but you only need to break through one entrance...

Altored Earth

Sehk: Big, brawny, with some interesting metal placement. Not very pretty, but often fun to play on. A more advanced version with more metal, better texture and better terrain could be an award winning map.

Snoob: Has to be played with shadows off, but it's good...though the textures are kind of lacking.

Ancient Arena

Deci: I have heard that this is an excellent FFA map, though I myself do not normally play FFA

Sehk: Very good for FFA and small but numerous team games (5 teams of 2 comes to mind) if completely dependent on the center. Height map issues may arise, and the water in the corners offers another viable few strategies most players shouldn't need to deal with.

Anglo-Saxon Starfish

Deci: Too much metal, otherwise a good combo of land and sea.

Ashap Plateau

--Egarwaen 00:55, 16 Apr 2006 (W. Europe Daylight Time): Apparently an old favourite for 1v1s and 2v2s. The ground is covered with spires that really muck up most units' pathfinding and firing.

Pintle: Classic map for quick 2v2 or 1v1. Often boils down to a plasma duel or a commander face off over the centre. There is one spot south of the middle where a lab can be built

Ashpen

Gnome: Good, not too big and not too much metal. Wouldn't mind a slightly larger one with more topography, but it's still good.

Atlantic

Deci: A strange map, as amphibious units are near useless due to mountainous shorelines and air and naval power rule the day. This is another map that would benefit from a larger mex radius.

Azure Rampart

Deci: Probably the most played FFA map, not much to say about this one.

Sehk: Not pretty, not very varied, but functional. Good for FFA, but with limited enjoyment and flexibility.

battle range 36Mo

2 to 8 or 16 players? one of the bigest map ever relesead, its an huge plain with little woods and accesibles moutains with rare big slopes , top are very strategic and really buildables, its great map(without water)

BlackStar

Sehk: A rather fun five person FFA map, based around stars and pentagrams. It is pretty, but as it supports an odd number of players, it may never achieve widespread play. The water is viable, but unnecessary. Sharp mountains make effective static defenses difficult to implement in many areas, actually discouraging porcing until late game.

Blue Planet

Sehk: Water map, with central metal in the water and lesser metal on land. Once you have the center, it becomes far too easy, and the map doesn't have an incredible amount of replay value. Smaller than I would like.

Brazilian Battlefield

AF: Too many trees in one corner makes AI testing on this map unfair. Make a bigger version though, it's somewhat smaller than I would have liked.

--Egarwaen 00:55, 16 Apr 2006 (W. Europe Daylight Time): Good for quick games.

--Erom The many mountains make this an easy map to porc heavily on. However, it is one of the few small maps, so if you are looking for a quick game, it is a good option.

Bypass v1

Peter: 6 player north vs. south map. Each player gets 6 mex spots that each give ~2.6, and there's more metal in the middle. So too much metal for many fewer players. 4 geo vents, two near the north and two right next to each other in the southeast. mostly flat (and no chokepoints or hills that you could really hide behind). The highways are a nice feature: kbots especially get a big speedup from it (movespeed is T/K/H/S = 1.9/1.6/1.4/1.4). You should see a flea fly on it! Strangely (since the tank multiplier is higher than the kbot multiplier) a peewee will outrun a flash on the road, but not on the normal ground everywhere else (1/1/1/1/). Large kbots move well, too, esp. the big spider kbots. The road is much harder (less deformable) than all the other terrain. No water.

stats:

 size: 16x16;  Description=2 Highways through hilly terrain;
 MinWind=10; MaxWind=22;   MaxMetal=0.87; ExtractorRadius=44;
 Gravity=100;         MapHardness=1000;  (road: *2,  ground: *0.09, hill: *0.2)

Caldera

Deci: Basically a larger version of Ashpen

Castles

Deci: the ultimate seige map, I don't play this one much anymore, but it is still fun sometimes when the game doesn't slow down.

--Egarwaen 00:55, 16 Apr 2006 (W. Europe Daylight Time): Massive porcfest.

2k4: HUGE metal in water

Targ Collective: Excellent siege map, although the 'Lake of Gold' has less tactical value than it could. Placing an even moderate metal distribution over most of the map, including the grassy areas, allows players to expand resource operations over most of the map, where it could play better confined to the castles and lake solely to force confrontations.

Cathralda V10

--Egarwaen 00:10, 25 Apr 2006 (W. Europe Daylight Time): A fun map. Wind is good but very unpredictable. Medium level of metal, quite spread-out. Easily-accessible geothermals, mostly near the center of the map. Rolling hills with some chokepoints, but too open to porc effectively. Vehicles seem to be able to climb all of the hills. The one problem is that it's a little hard to gauge hill heights in the default TA view.

Cliff Down

Deci: A good FFA map if the players start at the entrances to the canyon, the starts should probably be changed to reflect this

Gnome: Good metal layout, but it's so big that there's too much available. Also very easy to porc out on (secure your two chokepoints, dot the rest of your base with AA). The game I played on this one became a drawn out stalemate that lasted over three hours because it's simply too damn big.

Cliff Run

Deci: too small to really play on.

Gnome: I disagree. It's good for a quick game, the action is quick and it really keeps you on your toes. The hills really add to the map. The trees are somewhat annoying, but area reclaim works.

--Egarwaen 00:55, 16 Apr 2006 (W. Europe Daylight Time): Great fun for 1v1, though watch the water.

Coast to Coast Remake

BDCoolio: A fairly faithful reproduction of the OTA classic, CtC Remake is a rather small 1v1 at only 8 x 4 and doesn't have quite enough metal for a sea battle. Still, it is a fun map for tiny sea engagements. Might be better with some metal in the water, but then it wouldn't be a remake, now would it?

CometCatcher and Green Comet

Deci: one of the much-loved maps, it isn't my personal favorite, but it's a solid map.

Min3mat: Godlike! accept no substitutues!

Forboding Angel: Too damn flat. Heightmap needs to be redone badly.

--Egarwaen 00:55, 16 Apr 2006 (W. Europe Daylight Time): Great maps, if a little flat. I prefer Green Comet for its left-vs-right setup, but the original's still great.

Sehk: Popular, but not a group I enjoy much.

Core Pyramid

Deci: A map with actual low metal, these are rare goodies

CorrosivePits

Deci: apparently there is a version 4 out for this map that I haven't played yet.

Crossings_v4

--Egarwaen 20:09, 25 Apr 2006 (W. Europe Daylight Time): Fun "push the middle" map. Low metal near start locations, lots in the middle. Assaulting up the ramps is a little annoying at the end, but once you push the enemy out of the middle, you're practically guaranteed a win.

Crystal-Harbor

Targ Collective - A fun water map with perhaps just a bit too much metal. Metal spots are used throughout and the centre has a very high metal spot, which in itself accounts for at least half the metal on the map. South has an advantage in land (slight) and Geo spots (two extra), so the choice is a balanced if cramped East vs West, or an unbalanced yet easier teamwise North vs South.

If one team can consistently hold the centre, that team will gain a huge tactical advantage. Therefore, pummelling the centre with artillery if you lose it is advised.

All teams start on land, so the more durable aircraft are available. Specialist seaplanes, esp. torpedo launchers, should see plenty of use.

2k4: you might as well quit if you dont have the center on start

Crystal-World

Deci: Mex radius is far too small, it should be doubled or tripled at least.

Desert Dunes

Deci: too much metal, otherwise good

FizWizz: This map is Ace. The metal is much higher than a typical map, but I still wuvs it =)

Egypt

Sehk: Fairly realistic and fun to play, but rather imbalanced due to the placement of water. Metal is plentiful and gameplay is quick.

Diesel: Although not very fair this is a solid and enjoyable map that deserves more attention. It's all about quick expansion baby.

Pintle: "Unfair" comments don't seem to recognise the hilarity that can ensue on this map in a large FFA. One of my all time faves

EuroGreen

Forboding Angel: Honestly, it's ugly and a comm swapfest imo. Small maps are good if the are done correcty. Unfortunately this map does not have enough real chokepoints to be viable.

EvergreenHaven

--Egarwaen 00:55, 16 Apr 2006 (W. Europe Daylight Time): Nice hilly map. Good balance between chokepoints and openness. Similar gameplay to GreenHaven.

Greenhaven

Deci: One of the popular maps of spring, somewhat rough terrain, while still allowing vehicles.

Peter: OTA-style metal spots each give 1.3. No water, ground covered by bumps. Start spots for 10 players. There's metal and geo vents for each player. Too resource-rich for small games. stats:

 size: 16x16; Description=GreenHaven-V3 Classic TA Map Converted for TA Spring by GenBlood;
 Gravity=150;    MapHardness=200; MaxMetal=.32; ExtractorRadius=140; MinWind=8.3; MaxWind=17.4;

Greenriver

Min3mat: awesome. IMO the best water map out there

Hamburger Hill

Deci: Open-area tank warfare, barely deserves to be called a hill

Hell's Pass

Diesel: An excellent map that unfortunately does not get the attention it deserves. This map offers a good teamplay experience and excellent opportunity to strike behind enemy lines in most games. The importance of the middle is often overrated. Metal placement is fair.

Hill Haven

FizWizz: My favorite map of the River Dale set. It looks absolutely beautiful, it is simple, but it is not a plain map. It is balanced too, which is a little bit harder to say about the other maps in this series.

Hills and Valleys

Deci: a good vehicle and kbot map, I really don't know why this one isn't played more.

Diesel: A most excellent map that has all the elements of a good map and none of a bad one.

Island in the Sun

FizWizz: A good naval map, the only island-hopper besides Gods of War II remake, I wish I could see more maps like this on FU.

Island Alpha

Deci- decent 1v1 map

Lava Highground

Deci: extremely focused on the center, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for this map

Lava Rivers

Deci: Only one land route is generally bad for gameplay

Lowland Crossing

BDCoolio: This 1v1 map has a good look to it - I like the mix of land/hills/water. Unfortunately, it's set up to be a major porc-fest with the sections of deep water in the middle. Of course, porcers will love it. I highly recommend it for new players due to its small size (6 x 8) and clearly defined chokepoints.

Martian Desert

Gnome: Decent for 1v1, probably a little too much metal for that a lot of the time though. Probably very good for 2v2. Not too big either.

Monopoly

Snoob: Funny until you see the metal.

===MoonQ10