Any Chance of Updates to the Game?

[KGB]

Pirannha, SnotlinG,

Is there any chance of future updates or balance changes to the game or is the game on auto-pilot now?

I ask because even things as simple as maps being made public or available for ladder play is no longer happening. So the newly created maps aren't available for play and updates to existing maps can't be used either.

A few tweaks to some units and heroes for balance would help too. Both for the units/heroes and for some maps that have been made obsolete.

KGB

[slanmaster]

I agree an update would be great! Also there are a few new maps coming up, both mine and others that would like "ladderification".
Maybe the summer months are causing the recession in game activity though. Lets keep our hopes up!

[Chazar]

Which map would be suitable for ladder right now?

I have access to the translators interface, and there is a button for accepting maps too. If we agree on a suitable map, I could try and see whether my translator rights allow me to add a map to the ladder pool, in case our Warbarons don't answer here?

[slanmaster]

Well, I have 2 maps coming up, but theyre both 95% ready. I'll post them very soon (They're the ones we've been test playing recently).
Also Benis has been working on a great little 2v2 map that he is too shy to submit, it's really a good one! I'll see if i can push him to release it.

[KGB]

I'd update a couple of my maps if I knew they could replace the existing ones in the ladder.

Smursh released one a few months ago called Bridges that never made it into the official list (I'd like to play it). There are likely more.

KGB

[Chazar]

Bridge battles by Smursh is now a ladder map. (Please supply the exact map name in the future!)

I only did this a test whether I could do it at all. I also opened a Ladder FFA on this map as well, join in!

Hopefully I did not violate any WB rules by doing this, since I abused my role as a translator and since I havent actually played the map; so I might revert it if the FFA on this crazy bridge map does not work out.

In the future, we should set up a system on how we, as a community, want to decide upon Ladder status of maps. I don't want to decide this on my own! Iam then happy to implement the communal decisions for as long as I am technically able to do so.

(Also, I believe we should continue this discussion in the Map Feedback subforum?)

[KGB]

Chazar,

Thanks for doing that. I was away all weekend so I missed joining the game you setup on it

As for future new maps, I think pretty much any map that isn't an obvious test map (ie a new map created by someone trying out the editor) should get ladder status if the author asks for it. At worst it never gets used if it's really not ladder quality (there are quite a few old maps that got ladder status that aren't really well balanced these days) since the hardcore players here all know which maps are worthy of playing.

KGB

[Chazar]

Well, some maps need expert knowledge to stand a chance, which could be abused to trap less experienced and new players (those exists!)

For example, I am actually not so sure about the Bridges map - it is a very specific map.

[KGB]

I would counter that *all* maps in this game need expert knowledge. Some need more than others but I've found very few maps where you don't require multiple play throughs to understand how to play the map against a player who has played the map several times (It's one of the huge downsides of a game that lacks random map generation).

I think most players tend to find a few maps they like and become expert on them. The rest they ignore / don't play. We see this by looking at the list of games offered and you see a very few select maps offered over and over again for ladder play.

KGB

[Chazar]

Well, studying a map takes time. The ladder status should indicate that this is worthwhile, i.e. that the map is fairly balanced and worth looking at in the first place.