[Crystalline Conflict] Change how maps are selected

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

First things first, I commend the dev team for considering a healthy balance between the maps and making Palaistra, a "vanilla" map more or less the palette cleanser between map cycles.

However, since we are now at 5 maps (and more are possibly to come) and everyone may or may not have a favourite map to play on I think the current total map rotation lasting 7h30min is way too long and players may often find that their favourite map simply doesn't align itself with their intended playtimes.

There is also the issue where certain maps are active that discourage play for specific players - make no mistake though, all of them have groups that dislike them. This is especially an issue with the already limited queue of CC Ranked, which I have seen many times on Discords where they say "Cloud Nine / Volcanic Heart / Clocktown is up, queue down".

Both for casual variety and ranked integrity, the map selection needs to change and I have a few suggestions for this.

Option A: Shorten the timer between maps to 30-45min to facilitate more map variety within a shorter play session

Goes without saying - having a complete map cycle in 3 hours rather than 7 hours and 30 minutes will heighten the chance you get to play on your preferred map and lessen the gap people avoid playing due to those maps.

Option B: Make the map selection RANDOM upon all 10 players accepting Duty

This is a fairly common way PvP games with multiple maps tend to handle this (with exceptions of course) and essentially remove the aspect of "I don't want to queue this map" entirely, leaving the only option of leaving the game once it is up, which leads to penalties of course. This is great for Ranked integrity, encouraging players to play on all maps rather than just their preferred one(s) and also serves to facilitiate variety for the casual players. One match you might be on Volcanic Heart, another you are back on Palaistra, who knows.

A common response I had on Discords when suggesting this was that certain jobs perform better on certain maps, making it a gamble if your job plays well on that map where certain other jobs basically play well on every single one of them. So over time jobs & maps would need to evolve a bit to even the playing field, like Cloud Nine could use some obstacles in the big open rectangle areas for line of sight interruption and other jobs could use some change in their kits or a rework so their kit isn't heavily niche and suited mainly for one or two maps.


Feel free to discuss these options.

[Eastwall]

They should copy map voting from Guild wars 2. When everyone accepted, 3 maps randomly selected shows up, then people vote. Then the system randomly choose one out of 3 as long as the map got at least one vote. The chance of being selected obviously would be based on how many votes The map received.

[Aubrey_A]

They should copy map voting from Guild wars 2. When everyone accepted, 3 maps randomly selected shows up, then people vote. Then the system randomly choose one out of 3 as long as the map got at least one vote. The chance of being selected obviously would be based on how many votes The map received.

I think this would be the best way to go. I may never see a Red Sands match again given the voting nature of the selection though, which might not be a bad thing?

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

I think this would be the best way to go. I may never see a Red Sands match again given the voting nature of the selection though, which might not be a bad thing?

Knowing such a system from older Source games, I am personally against it. It would turn into "play only flavour of the month map or bust" so individuals who like certain maps won't get to see them if the majority of players vote against it. In my case I love Red Sands and hate Cloud Nine, another may be completely the opposite. I want both of us to have equal chance.

Personally, "no" to map votes outside of tournaments.

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

*shameless bump so it reppears in new posts for more engagement, bite me*

[Malganis_L]

*nom*; but yeah, a more rapid map cycle would probably be the best
i am kinda against full random selection, as we already have far to much randomness in CC.
also with the class favourtism on some of the maps, you would lose that minor strategic element than, too

[Raraimo]

I am here just to bumb the post, respectfully.

[Aravell]

I'm partial to option B myself. There are some people that you never see in the queue on certain maps, it would be nice if people can't avoid maps and are forced to overcome the maps they're weak on in order to climb in ranked. I feel as if dodging maps you're weak on is cheating yourself in a way.

I don't think it should matter that some jobs have trouble on certain maps, there's also a chance that your opponent team has the same handicapped job on their team. So it usually ends up balanced most of the time.

[Themarvin]

It would be nice if 3 maps is going at the same time.. meaning you would random get into one of them without actually having a choice... as for daily just make one of them more a common chance.