Maps

I like having both large and small maps in 1v1 pool. It helps to keep playstyle and game length fresh with some variety. Fast and Furious makes it so that you really feel every lost unit is significant and it's more of a tense, quick game that could end very quickly. I like that these experiences are mixed in with the larger, longer, more macro focused maps. I'd like to see maps like Cygnus balanced though. It's really bad for competitive play where one starting position allows for 2 initial sector captures and one doesn't. 

Edit: actually I just learned that Substrate can cap both points starting South, but PHC can't due to the difference in build times for their engineer. It's still insanely tight to be able to do it.

I hope the season 2 maps will increase the gameplay on the maps significantly without having too much imbalance on the positions. Maybe a few small maps are fine if they are good and interesting to play. Maybe they have better graphics as well? I would prefer concentrating on a smaller (in numbers) mappool with better maps in it.

http://wiki.ashesofthesingularity.com/index.php/Ranked_Maps

Like I said in my rather inflaming thread, maps are being essentially ignored since they probably have higher priority stuff at hand (whether we agree with their priority or not is another matter). It's also likely that if this priority continues, season 2 maps will be the same (they will probably be better thanks to the feedback of season 1, but if they happen to have problems, they will probably not be fixed, just like season 1, swept under the carpet and a "promise of better season X+1 maps").

My personal ranking of maps in terms of enjoyment (I actually enjoy a loss on the top ranked maps below, as long as I see massive amount of firepower going back and forth on the screen):

1. Frosthaven

2. Dread Valley (the map favors air a little due to the amount of radio available near your base AND overall in the entire map, as well as being able to interrupt expansion without having to walk your ground units a massive distance, imagine if radio nodes are a little less, this map would produces a lot more Dreadnought combats)

3. Deneb (I think it needs to be a little more symmetric but maybe being asymmetric was what makes this map nice to me)

4. Kralon (the only thing I hate about this map is Artemis completely dominates here, but I suppose after Eradicator gaining radar targeting it would be ok)

5. Bis (would like a bigger version of this map, that probably has some valley / hill / resources between the generators so stacking defenses at the center early isn't so preferred)

6. Delphi (it could have been a fine map if the resources are more on the outside of your base, the amount of initial radio causes this map to be air blood bath opening and a very good start for Punisher cheese)

7. Knife Fight (would really like a medium / large version of this map, with 2 flanks added on left and right)

8. Proxima (would like a bigger version of this map, where 2 flanks are wider, has more resources along the way and less easily defend-able)

9. Pyn (this map faces the same problem as F&F, 2 nodes are not easily defended, making going at least 1 aircraft the preferred opening for me)

10. Cygnus (please fix or fuck off)

11. Fast and Furious (please fuck off)

A lot of people probably like Proxima and Pyn more than me but for me, Pyn has always been a Punisher cheese map and Proxima feels so small (really don't like small maps).

I also saw some very strange names ranked maps through others match history. I'm not sure if I never get to play on them because I don't have all the DLCs or my eyes just tricked me.

I am also concerned about the new maps that have been introduced with the dlc-s. I get matched on them rather infrequently. Is it the case that in order to play on them one of the two players must have bought the dlc?

I think the DLC's ranked maps are Hammer of the gods and Delphi and only one player has to have the DLC to play it.

Well, if that is the case indeed it is quite disappointing.

The common practise, for obvious reasons, has been to have the community generate maps and chery pick the best for ranked and tournament play. Having to pay for the "privilige" of playing on not so poorly designed maps is disappointing.

I'm afraid my strange english came in the way. I meant one player with the dlc's map is enough to play it in a multiplayer game.

You don't need the DLC to play the DLC maps in ranked matches, this has been stated many times. Of course the DLC maps come up less often, there are a lot less of them in the ranked pool than there are of the original maps.

The case where one can own the DLC and others can join who don't own it is for custom games.

I don't have a problem with some small fast maps as it mixes things up but I have to agree the maps on the larger side are more interesting and allow more variety in play and should probably make up the bulk of ranked maps. I also wish the Devs would fix map problems much more promptly, they should be taking it very seriously if they expect to cultivate satisfied long term customers.