It is a beautiful new map, well detailed and best of all relatively cool. My one complaint is there appears to be an imbalance that is pretty significant. The southern team has to fight uphill and has far less effective cover than the north side. Add to that the enemy gets free early warning by running a spider or other light to the top of the mountain gaining a birds eye view of our entire team and there is little if anything that can be done about it since our lights have no hope of getting there first or even soon after. Scenario 1: North team splits with some going east and some towards the coast. Both pincer where Kappa would be on top of the freeway. Problem - South team is effectively in a cross fire from the start with little to no cover unless they sit far back before the freeway giving the enemy control of over 75% of the map. Going under the overpass is not a good option for cover because the enemy can then snipe from 3 directions, east, north and above. It also gives them ample opportunity to flank around behind. Solution - Provide more cover on top of the freeway that partially shields either the left or right. The cover that is there is far too small and too short to prevent LRM spam or for more than 1 or 2 mechs to hide behind. Or. Change the start position of the North Team to make it more difficult to get to that position as fast as they currently do which would at least enable the southern team to take positions on the ridge. Scenario 2: North team all pushes the west towards underpass. Problem - The North team is effectively under an impenetrable LRM proof umbrella the entire time. They are either in the tunnel and completely immune, behind the mountain again immune or in the built up city mostly immune while the southern team is pummeled by LRMs if they try to go upper freeway and while they are moving towards the lower freeway while being spotted by the light on the mountain spoken about above. The Southern teams only chance to avoid it is to go under the overpass which again gives the enemy the top of the freeway to run around on with immunity. The southern force LRM boats are effectively forced to stay at extreme range in order to be able to hit anything above the freeway while the enemy LRM can fire from the built up city and obliterate anything stuck on top of the freeway being spotted from the northern gap or the waterside. Solution - Can't think of one except to figure out a way to make that mountain impassable by lights. That would at least prevent them spotting the entirety of the southern team for LRMs making it more difficult for the southern teams movements to be tracked until they can find some sort of cover. Scenario 3: The southern force has taken the underside of the freeway with the enemy still holding the top. Problem - The southern force now has to figure out a way to get up top without being blasted. Good luck. They are also effectively pinned underneath. If they attempt to take the ramp up to the north side of the freeway they have no choice but to go straight ahead or right. This means they must turn their backs to the entire enemy force on the freeway or backup the entire ramp. Then they have to negotiate the obstacle course because they are forced to turn back towards the southern base to get up the only way from the northern slope. If the enemy holds the northern gap, which they probably do anyone trying to go up the ramp not only is surrounded but has the enemy on much higher ground. The southern force trapped under the freeway has basically one option, to go through the tunnel but even then they are channeled and easily surrounded at the other end if the enemy reacts quickly and yet once again the enemy gets the high ground as they wait for the Southern force to emerge from the funnel or even its side entrance. Solution: Not a clue Basically this isn't a QQ the map is gorgeous and has a TON of potential but no map should be so imbalanced that the only way for the southern force to succeed is if the northern force is full of muppets. As time goes on and people play on it more all the above scenarios will be much more common because even the most average player will know where the Southern force will be. Right now the only way Southern force really has a chance is if the Northern force is extremely foolish.
I guess my games haven't been the norm. Most of my games from the south side have gone pretty well... interesting points though. I can definitely understand what you are talking about, I haven't witnessed a lopsided balance myself in-game though. Lucky me
