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So after a good while of my other post about bad/disliked maps and fixing them up, I sat thinking for some time and had a few random interesting ideas, and was curious what everyone else would think.
First and foremost, in terms of most maps right now, they need to be overhauled pretty badly. Most are either too small, too cramped, or are just downright miserable for one or multiple tank classes. Or they're simply Fisherman's Bay. But above all else, one of the biggest issues that I believe to be universal to almost all maps, is lack of variety. You always go down the exact same locations as a specific tank class every time on the same map, engaging in the same ways every time. You find your favorite rock to go hull-down behind in the same spot as usual, or the same bush for sniping, or the same building corner to peek around and sidescrape. Rinse and repeat every time for every map. 90% of most maps end up almost entirely unused as a no-man's land, or territory only fit for a light tank. Live Oaks? The center is almost entirely worthless swampland. Go in and get shot to death. Karelia? The center is only fit for lights quickly zipping through to the other side, and most tanks on the west end of the map end up hugging the back towards the border. The east, heavies brawl from a small corner section, peeking to trade shots.
On the other hand, one of the maps I feel has been done well is Pearl River. Almost the entire map can be utilized well, with plenty of room to explore and maneuver around. More maps need to be revamped in such a way. It would be a great start to improving maps. But, as the title of this post implies, there's another idea I have that I thought would be fascinating and give additional variety to maps: What if we had night battles, and maps could feature different forms of weather that would change up how things get played?
Starting with the weather, for example, what about a Sandstorm on desert-based maps? It could lower view range & visibility. High wind effects (in Sandstorm and other storm types) could even slightly affect shell trajectory and some lighter weight tanks.
Or a thunderstorm/heavy rain, that slightly lowers visibility on summer-based maps, and perhaps muddies the terrain making it more slippery. Lightning could also strike from time to time causing damage to buildings and downing trees. Imagine being able to enter the center of the swamp on Live Oaks under cover of heavy rainfall, and actually use it for a crossing or to snipe from.
I won't go into all the other weather concepts, but I think these two alone give a pretty good idea of what I'm talking about.
Then of course the other big idea, Night Battles! I don't think I really have to explain this in too much depth, do I? Basically just the current maps, but with a night-time variation. Buildings in cities with lights glowing, smoldering fires providing light, lesser visibility + view range, and so forth. It could even be potentially coupled with weather, for effects like a dark stormy night.
Heck, imagine other additional effects on maps as well, such as loose rocks that could fall, major buildings taking damage, water levels going up and down, lava flows, and so forth.
I know none of this will probably ever happen, and a lot of you will probably complain about these ideas because complaining is a pastime around here, but I just wanted to daydream a bit I suppose, imagining maps actually being really good.
So what does everyone else think? Good ideas, bad ideas, or do you have any interesting ideas of your own?
