AndyDufresne wrote:Do you avoid any maps based entirely on non-objective reasons? That is to say, are there any maps you avoid because some personal bias, prejudice, or feelings?
I avoid Supermax: Prison Riot! due to personal bias about the subject; nothing at all to do with the map itself.
I avoid any confusing maps. Please notice that confusing is not the same as complex. Arms race! is a complex map that takes some time to master, but its concept it's not difficult to understand. On the other hand, maps like Waterloo, Stalingrad or Forbidden City are a nightmare to read. In those maps you don't lose the game because the other players are better. You lose the game becasue you have no clue about what is happening and can't even figure what's the right attacking route.
I also dislike trips/quads on small maps... or maps that only have big bonuses. In both cases, there is no question as to the strategy - eliminate a player on the other team and keep everyone on your team alive. Having no other reasonable option is boring. I like to have the option to work towards a bonus (or not, if my team so chooses). The more difficult decisions my team has to make, the better... because I like to fantasize that my team will make the right decision more consistently than the other team.
I went back to browse the maps, and I think I've also been avoiding Cricket Map because I'm not a fan of its theme, and it also seems to have a lot going on visually.
For me, any maps that are an eyesore just to read all of the rules, followed by a headache trying to remember and apply all of them, take a bit of the fun out of it. I definitely like when new elements are implemented into maps but it is really a killjoy when it lacks clarity and simplicity.
I greatly dislike that the Napoleon map and Das Schloss have some elements that are not clearly marked, like the names on the Das Schloss parachutes lining up the wrong troops, or the Napoleon map having an entire region that cannot be attack by artilery for no apparent reason.
There are also some maps, such as cricket or baseball, where it seems like you first have to have knowledge of how the actual sport works in order to understand what is connected with what. Another thing that I can't stand about Das Schloss is that you have to try to figure out what all of the German words mean yet the directions are actually in english (I.E. Helicopter > Hubschrauber, etc.)
In addition, another thing I really can't stand is when you can't tell when countries are included in a region because the colors are not contrasting enough. There are many maps that I have had this problem with but the biggest one that I currently remember is the Napoleon map. When you look at the key and try to see how much each region is worth, it is almost impossible to tell which colors are which for sure because some of them are only off from each other by a shade.
Lastly, the biggest thing is that maps need to be cleeeeaaaarrrrly marked so that you don't run into situations like where you waste a turn trying to take someone out, only to realize there is one tiny thing that you can barely see that prevented you from going all the way, whether it be how countries are connected, colors, placement, or even sometimes names not making sense.
These are all elements that, when done right, definitely make a map far more enjoyable for me.
I also think I generally avoid maps that include boxes, insets, or places where regions are not part of a 'central landmass' / --- like Battle For Iraq!, Bamboo Jack, and maybe another map or two.
No_Risk_No_Fun wrote:I avoid any map that looks cluttered or has a barrage of special rules/mechanics that I don't feel like learning. I like to play on nice, simple, clean maps.
I think if I a see a wall of text on a gameboard, or a legend that is half the map, that usually also dissuades me from wanting to play on it.
--Andy
Agree with both. IMO, the gameplay of a good map should be fairly evident at a glance. I generally don't like the maps that are heavily reliant on symbols/legends.
I'm also not a huge fan of Oasis where a huge chunk of the map is rarely used (in my experience).