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Wargrounds of Scape (WoS) - discussion thread
- Thread starter dok
- Start date
Dignan
BBQ-er of Beer Bathed Brats
HIGHWAYS OR THE HIGH WAY (JUNGLE EDITION) by 1Mmirg
I think this map does a lot of things right and follows a formula to create a very balanced and fair tournament game. I don't think you can go wrong including it at your event. However, the play on this map doesn't feel very dynamic to me. While there is a little elevation change and jungle terrain at play, the map overall feels like funneling troops through three lanes and taking shots. I don't see it challenge players with pathing and movement the way other maps do. NO to induct.
COMMON GROUND by Gamebear
This is an old classic that I feel still holds up. I will grant that it's not perfect, with some of the approach terrain, but it does great work with what it uses. I think there is a ton of great play in this little map. YES to induct.
I think this map does a lot of things right and follows a formula to create a very balanced and fair tournament game. I don't think you can go wrong including it at your event. However, the play on this map doesn't feel very dynamic to me. While there is a little elevation change and jungle terrain at play, the map overall feels like funneling troops through three lanes and taking shots. I don't see it challenge players with pathing and movement the way other maps do. NO to induct.
COMMON GROUND by Gamebear
This is an old classic that I feel still holds up. I will grant that it's not perfect, with some of the approach terrain, but it does great work with what it uses. I think there is a ton of great play in this little map. YES to induct.
Highways or the High Ways (Jungle Edition): This map is close, but I agree with Dignan. The map is too flat. The interesting usage of ladders is completely lost because the map plays as two flat level 3 slabs. This map is wider than it needs to be- and freeing up those rock 3-hexes on the base level would be a start towards rectifying the flatness problem.
I also really dislike the battlements adjacent to the bush. It's annoying to connect them, and they don't have much practical effect.
It's a fine map that can probably be edited fairly painlessly to rectify these issues. But as is, I'll vote No to induct.
I also really dislike the battlements adjacent to the bush. It's annoying to connect them, and they don't have much practical effect.
It's a fine map that can probably be edited fairly painlessly to rectify these issues. But as is, I'll vote No to induct.
Common Ground by Gamebear
I remember being upset when Longheroscaper downvoted this map to eliminate it from BoV consideration many moons ago. The adjacent startzones on initiative island really work and makes for a fun dynamic in placement. I also find the various asymmetries of the map to work very well. The blue startzone is perhaps slightly better for a defensive position, but the yellow zone has slightly easier access to the glyph. I love the confidence to mix elements like this and I wish more maps had similar asymmetric flourishes. Then again, maybe you need to have Gamebear's skill to make it work.
I've had many memorable and great games on this map. However, I've also had and seen some memorable and not-so-great games on this map. And those generally come down to the elevations in and around the startzone. When combined with the water spaces, it means that the best strategy for range in a range-melee matchup (or even melee in a melee-melee matchup) can be to take the isolated level 2 spots just outside your startzone, and try to get your opponent to come at you there. The single spaced perch in the middle of the startzones is a bit odd and makes this strategy just a bit better, too.
It's a close thing, for sure. I'm not really going to be upset to see this map in a tournament pool. But I have a hard time overlooking the flaws the map has when considering it for the WoS. The standards for "best of the best" keep getting higher, and while I think this might have been there in 2009, I think it's just short in 2022. NO to induct.
Dry Season by Killometer
In some ways my feelings here are the reverse of my feelings for Common Ground. Dry Season is notably lacking in any sort of quirks or flourishes. It is... dare I say it... kind of a dry map.
But you know what? Everything works here. The most concerning thing is the gap between the heights that runs down the middle, but in practice I haven't seen this be much of a problem. The map decidedly does not encourage startzone turtling. (I've only seen one person attempt it, and he lost despite having a stronger army.)
While I have yet to play/watch enough games on Origin to judge it, I can say that Dry Season is the most reliable competitive map for 1xRoTV I've seen, and overall it's strong enough to deserve a spot in the WoS. YES to Induct.
I remember being upset when Longheroscaper downvoted this map to eliminate it from BoV consideration many moons ago. The adjacent startzones on initiative island really work and makes for a fun dynamic in placement. I also find the various asymmetries of the map to work very well. The blue startzone is perhaps slightly better for a defensive position, but the yellow zone has slightly easier access to the glyph. I love the confidence to mix elements like this and I wish more maps had similar asymmetric flourishes. Then again, maybe you need to have Gamebear's skill to make it work.
I've had many memorable and great games on this map. However, I've also had and seen some memorable and not-so-great games on this map. And those generally come down to the elevations in and around the startzone. When combined with the water spaces, it means that the best strategy for range in a range-melee matchup (or even melee in a melee-melee matchup) can be to take the isolated level 2 spots just outside your startzone, and try to get your opponent to come at you there. The single spaced perch in the middle of the startzones is a bit odd and makes this strategy just a bit better, too.
It's a close thing, for sure. I'm not really going to be upset to see this map in a tournament pool. But I have a hard time overlooking the flaws the map has when considering it for the WoS. The standards for "best of the best" keep getting higher, and while I think this might have been there in 2009, I think it's just short in 2022. NO to induct.
Dry Season by Killometer
In some ways my feelings here are the reverse of my feelings for Common Ground. Dry Season is notably lacking in any sort of quirks or flourishes. It is... dare I say it... kind of a dry map.
But you know what? Everything works here. The most concerning thing is the gap between the heights that runs down the middle, but in practice I haven't seen this be much of a problem. The map decidedly does not encourage startzone turtling. (I've only seen one person attempt it, and he lost despite having a stronger army.)
While I have yet to play/watch enough games on Origin to judge it, I can say that Dry Season is the most reliable competitive map for 1xRoTV I've seen, and overall it's strong enough to deserve a spot in the WoS. YES to Induct.
I'd like to submit a map of my own.
Requires: 1 SotM, 2 RttFF, and 1 TJ
.PDF Download
Tournament Usage
Peoria Monthly December 2021 (Previous Events < December)
Utah Monthly January 2022
I've recently come to notice that Trollsford Road looks like the inverse of Remains of Clionesia. Similar in layout and size, Trollsford Road swaps out the crumbling, hill top castle for a perilous, low altitude swamp. Danger lies wherever you find yourself.
Requires: 1 SotM, 2 RttFF, and 1 TJ
.PDF Download
Tournament Usage
Peoria Monthly December 2021 (Previous Events < December)
Utah Monthly January 2022
I've recently come to notice that Trollsford Road looks like the inverse of Remains of Clionesia. Similar in layout and size, Trollsford Road swaps out the crumbling, hill top castle for a perilous, low altitude swamp. Danger lies wherever you find yourself.
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superfrog
This is merely a joke.
Battlefield 23 by Flash_19
I have enjoyed this map over the last few years and it's one of my testing staples (whenever I'm not testing my own maps).
Development paths are good: going right is strong, and going left is fast, in different scenarios both of these are helpful. The road makes it relatively easy to switch between the two, as even a 4-move figure can go from adjacent to one level 4 height to the other in a single turn. The jungle by the left road especially helps development on that side and the right side has nice protection from LoS blockers.
Although the level 4 is the highest position, the action on this map can also center on, well, the center. Despite the fact that the entire center (level 2 and 3) is basically a level down from the edges (level 3 and 4), it is easily accessible from pretty much anywhere and has good dynamic height variation and bush protection.
Treasure Glyphs add just a little incentive to not venturing too far towards the edges, and the battlements are nicely restrained.
I also want to give a shoutout to the ARV judges for their input on an earlier version of this map that helped shape the current version.
to induct Battlefield 23.
I have enjoyed this map over the last few years and it's one of my testing staples (whenever I'm not testing my own maps).
Development paths are good: going right is strong, and going left is fast, in different scenarios both of these are helpful. The road makes it relatively easy to switch between the two, as even a 4-move figure can go from adjacent to one level 4 height to the other in a single turn. The jungle by the left road especially helps development on that side and the right side has nice protection from LoS blockers.
Although the level 4 is the highest position, the action on this map can also center on, well, the center. Despite the fact that the entire center (level 2 and 3) is basically a level down from the edges (level 3 and 4), it is easily accessible from pretty much anywhere and has good dynamic height variation and bush protection.
Treasure Glyphs add just a little incentive to not venturing too far towards the edges, and the battlements are nicely restrained.
I also want to give a shoutout to the ARV judges for their input on an earlier version of this map that helped shape the current version.
to induct Battlefield 23.
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Grey Waves
Active member
I'd like to nominate 2 maps.
The first map is Royal Gardens by @Flash_19. This map was used in OHS Season 41 and OHS Season 46.
Royal Gardens is one of the most aesthetic maps I’ve ever seen. I don’t think it’d be an exaggeration to call it downright beautiful. Anyway, looks aside, gameplay on this map is also solid, with good use of battlements and LOS blockers that slow development just the right amount (necessary on such a small map), a variety of different options to head to out of the SZ, and the majority of the map seeing play throughout. Some people may not like how the map is a bit bumpy in the middle, but in my eyes that’s a feature, not a bug. Overall a great map that I think is well worthy of induction.
The second map is Highways & Dieways, Swarm edition by @UranusPChicago and @Rÿchean. This map was used in Online Con 2020 and OHS Season 44.
I'm nominating this map because gameplay on it is just as good, if not better, than the already-inducted Highways & Dieways. Some may argue that this nomination is redundant because we already have vanilla H&D inducted, but I don't see any reason why we can’t have both maps in the WoS. It's not like WoS has a maximum limit on the amount of maps that can be inducted, and while the gameplay on vanilla H&D and H&D SE is similar, there are some notable differences, such as the lack of spider denial on H&D SE, or how it's viable to go right out of your SZ on one map but not the other. I’m of the view that if a map is good enough to be inducted, then it should be inducted, all similarities aside. For that reason, I believe that Highways & Dieways, Swarm Edition is worthy of a spot in the Wargrounds of Scape.
The first map is Royal Gardens by @Flash_19. This map was used in OHS Season 41 and OHS Season 46.
Royal Gardens is one of the most aesthetic maps I’ve ever seen. I don’t think it’d be an exaggeration to call it downright beautiful. Anyway, looks aside, gameplay on this map is also solid, with good use of battlements and LOS blockers that slow development just the right amount (necessary on such a small map), a variety of different options to head to out of the SZ, and the majority of the map seeing play throughout. Some people may not like how the map is a bit bumpy in the middle, but in my eyes that’s a feature, not a bug. Overall a great map that I think is well worthy of induction.
The second map is Highways & Dieways, Swarm edition by @UranusPChicago and @Rÿchean. This map was used in Online Con 2020 and OHS Season 44.
I'm nominating this map because gameplay on it is just as good, if not better, than the already-inducted Highways & Dieways. Some may argue that this nomination is redundant because we already have vanilla H&D inducted, but I don't see any reason why we can’t have both maps in the WoS. It's not like WoS has a maximum limit on the amount of maps that can be inducted, and while the gameplay on vanilla H&D and H&D SE is similar, there are some notable differences, such as the lack of spider denial on H&D SE, or how it's viable to go right out of your SZ on one map but not the other. I’m of the view that if a map is good enough to be inducted, then it should be inducted, all similarities aside. For that reason, I believe that Highways & Dieways, Swarm Edition is worthy of a spot in the Wargrounds of Scape.
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superfrog
This is merely a joke.
Highways and Dieways, Swarm Edition
This is a good map, and I'm glad it exists. In some important ways the gameplay is preferable to its predecessor (no spider denial in the SZ, ability to go to the right out of the SZ). It has a few minor drawbacks as well (most notably the outside sand isn't level 3).
But overall the build just looks ugly, in my opinion. The sand 3-hex creates a weird empty space that is surrounded by 5 spaces, which is a weird look. There are random rock and grass hexes outside the SZ on the left which look like they're just leftovers (because they are).
To me, this is a fine map that ought to be used if you want H&D but can't spare enough RotVs for it. We have H&D inducted (rightfully so), but despite its merits I don't think H&D Swarm deserves a separate induction.
This is a good map, and I'm glad it exists. In some important ways the gameplay is preferable to its predecessor (no spider denial in the SZ, ability to go to the right out of the SZ). It has a few minor drawbacks as well (most notably the outside sand isn't level 3).
But overall the build just looks ugly, in my opinion. The sand 3-hex creates a weird empty space that is surrounded by 5 spaces, which is a weird look. There are random rock and grass hexes outside the SZ on the left which look like they're just leftovers (because they are).
To me, this is a fine map that ought to be used if you want H&D but can't spare enough RotVs for it. We have H&D inducted (rightfully so), but despite its merits I don't think H&D Swarm deserves a separate induction.
Sir Heroscape
Sir Formerly Known As adoney
Playtesting Map #1
Sets: RotV, TJ, FotA
Used in:
Peoria Monthly April 2022
C3V Playtesting Tournament 2021
Sets: RotV, TJ, FotA
Used in:
Peoria Monthly April 2022
C3V Playtesting Tournament 2021
superfrog
This is merely a joke.
Hmmm, I think I'm gonna give a quick on this one, on two grounds that I'll explain here below.
1: This map has a lot of similarities to 1Mmirg's HotHWJE which we just shot down recently: a RotV/TJ/FotA map with a flat center road that blends up into two rock plateaus. This map certainly has an edge over High Ways with the level of interest on the hills, there's some good height variation here.
But I think it falters in some ways in comparison, most notably that the plateaus are difficult to move through thanks to the ruins which go perpendicular to the main flow of the map. And then I think the level 3 grass hex on each right side is just a little too much of a sweet Raelin perch for the cases when the map does collapse to one side or the other as sometimes can happen.
2: The start zones here are just odd to me, both shape and aesthetics. In general I think good SZs should be able to be captured in a few words, either by a clear line or by a clear terrain distinction (i.e. "back two rows" or "level 1 rock"). This does neither and is a prime candidate for getting played wrong (vegie mentioned to me that at the Peoria event he didn't know that single sand hex on the third row was included in the SZ).
What compounds the SZ issue for me is that there is terrain available to make the SZ more logical. There's a leftover grass 7-hex and 5 2-hexes and 3 3-hexes and 6 1-hexes, and 3 water tiles as well. That's plenty to swap out the left sand, maybe also the center sand out in front of the SZ, and add another hex to the back two rows to make it a clear-cut SZ distinction/
on this one, on two grounds that I'll explain here below.1: This map has a lot of similarities to 1Mmirg's HotHWJE which we just shot down recently: a RotV/TJ/FotA map with a flat center road that blends up into two rock plateaus. This map certainly has an edge over High Ways with the level of interest on the hills, there's some good height variation here.
But I think it falters in some ways in comparison, most notably that the plateaus are difficult to move through thanks to the ruins which go perpendicular to the main flow of the map. And then I think the level 3 grass hex on each right side is just a little too much of a sweet Raelin perch for the cases when the map does collapse to one side or the other as sometimes can happen.
2: The start zones here are just odd to me, both shape and aesthetics. In general I think good SZs should be able to be captured in a few words, either by a clear line or by a clear terrain distinction (i.e. "back two rows" or "level 1 rock"). This does neither and is a prime candidate for getting played wrong (vegie mentioned to me that at the Peoria event he didn't know that single sand hex on the third row was included in the SZ).
What compounds the SZ issue for me is that there is terrain available to make the SZ more logical. There's a leftover grass 7-hex and 5 2-hexes and 3 3-hexes and 6 1-hexes, and 3 water tiles as well. That's plenty to swap out the left sand, maybe also the center sand out in front of the SZ, and add another hex to the back two rows to make it a clear-cut SZ distinction/
Playtesting Map #1: I'll join superfrog on this one. The starting zone is enough for me to downvote when it's something that is so easy to fix. Beyond that, I'm concerned about the obvious Raelin perch, the amount of 1-hex-wide chokepoints, and the lack of glyphs. No to induct.
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I'll nominate the following three maps that have already seen the highest level of play:
Trouble Once Lurked Beneath by tannergx (GenCon 2019)
Trouble Once Lurked Beneath was way ahead of its time in terms of a road's interaction with dynamic height. Although it uses the same sets as Turmoil, it provides an entirely different experience. It provides more interesting and balanced gameplay than Burial Marsh too.
Venom by Flash_19 (GenCon 2019)
Venom is a rare mirror symmetry Flash map. It was one of the first of his maps to catch the attention of InfectedSloth and myself. It is consistently solid.
Honor by Flash_19 (ScapeCon I)
Honor dives deep into the split starting zone theme and lives to tell the tale. The road makes movement manageable, and the height shifts are just interesting enough to make it work. There's a reason it was the map the ScapeCon I Championship finals was played on.
Trouble Once Lurked Beneath by tannergx (GenCon 2019)
Trouble Once Lurked Beneath was way ahead of its time in terms of a road's interaction with dynamic height. Although it uses the same sets as Turmoil, it provides an entirely different experience. It provides more interesting and balanced gameplay than Burial Marsh too.
Venom by Flash_19 (GenCon 2019)
Venom is a rare mirror symmetry Flash map. It was one of the first of his maps to catch the attention of InfectedSloth and myself. It is consistently solid.
Honor by Flash_19 (ScapeCon I)
Honor dives deep into the split starting zone theme and lives to tell the tale. The road makes movement manageable, and the height shifts are just interesting enough to make it work. There's a reason it was the map the ScapeCon I Championship finals was played on.
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Gamebear brought up a good point that submissions feel slightly empty without some sort of small sales pitch (as was custom during the BoV days). Although it isn't required, I'd recommend submissions include a brief reason as to why the map should be inducted into WoS.
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Trouble Once Lurked Beneath: This is one of three tannergx maps I've played, and it is pretty easily my favorite.
Let's start with a few negatives. Trouble Once Lurked Beneath isn't really a looker (much like Burial Marsh; superfrog's Turmoil is a decidedly more attractive map than either TOLB or BM). It also isn't quite as smooth moving out of the starting zone to the right as it could be. However, going right is still viable, and the protection that the rock outcrop grants figures moving to the glyph, and the general strength of the rock height (as opposed to swamp when moving left) makes up for it. The road also helps mitigate the issue, and it provides nice lateral movement across the map.
Speaking of road, Trouble Once Lurked Beneath was way ahead of its time. Effective blending of road up into the surrounding height was, and still is, very uncommon. Although there are some notable exceptions (such as Forest Fire and Aeon), it is far more common that you have a simple "here's the road (all on one-two levels), and here's the height around the road" (see Highways and Dieways, Remains of Clionesia, Wyrmwalk, Bad Moon Rising, Dance of the Dryads, Battlefield 23, Turmoil, Venom... the list goes on and on). And then you have the maps that try to blend it, but it just doesn't quite work (such as Invasion; the map works, but the road placement hardly blows you away).
Of course, a static "here's the road, and here's the height" approach works. It's fine, and it's safe. It's almost impossible to make a bad road map. However, blending the road with the higher terrain levels provides much more interest. No, you don't usually want the top of your height to be dominated by road, as you want people to have to make difficult decisions. But when a road is smartly blended up into the height, and when it provides for just enough access to the height (and threatening plays), it can really elevate a map (see my reviews of Aeon and Forest Fire).
Combine this road blending with the dynamic height present on the map and you have a map that consistently provides for very interesting and tactical games. It isn't the easiest map in the world to play on, but it is well worth the mental effort. Trouble Once Lurked Beneath is a great map that is well deserving of a spot in the WoS. YES to induct.
Let's start with a few negatives. Trouble Once Lurked Beneath isn't really a looker (much like Burial Marsh; superfrog's Turmoil is a decidedly more attractive map than either TOLB or BM). It also isn't quite as smooth moving out of the starting zone to the right as it could be. However, going right is still viable, and the protection that the rock outcrop grants figures moving to the glyph, and the general strength of the rock height (as opposed to swamp when moving left) makes up for it. The road also helps mitigate the issue, and it provides nice lateral movement across the map.
Speaking of road, Trouble Once Lurked Beneath was way ahead of its time. Effective blending of road up into the surrounding height was, and still is, very uncommon. Although there are some notable exceptions (such as Forest Fire and Aeon), it is far more common that you have a simple "here's the road (all on one-two levels), and here's the height around the road" (see Highways and Dieways, Remains of Clionesia, Wyrmwalk, Bad Moon Rising, Dance of the Dryads, Battlefield 23, Turmoil, Venom... the list goes on and on). And then you have the maps that try to blend it, but it just doesn't quite work (such as Invasion; the map works, but the road placement hardly blows you away).
Of course, a static "here's the road, and here's the height" approach works. It's fine, and it's safe. It's almost impossible to make a bad road map. However, blending the road with the higher terrain levels provides much more interest. No, you don't usually want the top of your height to be dominated by road, as you want people to have to make difficult decisions. But when a road is smartly blended up into the height, and when it provides for just enough access to the height (and threatening plays), it can really elevate a map (see my reviews of Aeon and Forest Fire).
Combine this road blending with the dynamic height present on the map and you have a map that consistently provides for very interesting and tactical games. It isn't the easiest map in the world to play on, but it is well worth the mental effort. Trouble Once Lurked Beneath is a great map that is well deserving of a spot in the WoS. YES to induct.
Sir Heroscape
Sir Formerly Known As adoney
ToLB literally has 1-hex on lvl3 on each side...and all the other road is - as you say - all on one-two levels. I wouldn't consider that blending with height when armies can control lvls 4 and 5 on the hill while avoiding engagements from the road AND controlling the glyph on their side in the meantime.
If this map isn't an egregious example of the "two-hills problem" I don't know what is. A 5-move figure can hardly move from one hill to the next without running into the tree or being forced to engage from low ground. i.e. lvl 4 and lvl 5 on each hill can sit and pot-shot all day. Additionally "he who has the better glyph" on his side, just wins.
Sorry, not trying to "cast stones", or make an argument, this map just seems very obviously to do the very things that have failed many a previous map.
Sir Heroscape
Sir Formerly Known As adoney
The End of the Line
Sets: RotV, FotA
Reason:
It has glyphs. It has a startzone you can tell/show someone in one sentence. It doesn't have any obvious Raelin perches and very few 1-hex chokepoints. Need I say more?
Used in:
Jan 2022 Peoria Monthly
PNW May 2022
Sets: RotV, FotA
Reason:
It has glyphs. It has a startzone you can tell/show someone in one sentence. It doesn't have any obvious Raelin perches and very few 1-hex chokepoints. Need I say more?
Used in:
Jan 2022 Peoria Monthly
PNW May 2022
I would like to nominate Parallel by Cleon.
Tournament Use:
Missouri NHSD 2021 RtW
OHS Season 41 Delta
TT has been a notoriously difficult expansion set to use effectively, especially RotV + TT. There are plenty of okay but disorganized TT maps like Ice Blossom. Sidewinder was the classic map with this combination, and has very unique gameplay, forcing you to spin your forces around the massive glacier in the middle. I think that one was a worthy BoV classic, but it was rejected from WoS.
Parallel takes a completely different angle on RotV + TT. It's more similar to Song of the Walrus than Sidewinder, but I think it's better than Song (which is a great map). Song uses the big glacier and the hive to divide the map into three sections, while Parallel uses only glaciers, spending all of them at the top of the map as large physical blockers. The ruins are the more meaningful protective line of sight blocker, shielding figures before they work their way up the middle hilly section. The middle hilly section of the board obviously pulls a lot of action. But the sides offer glyphs and a shorter path but dangerous path across the board, and usually serves as a second front. Putting the glyphs on the last row of the board away from direct height is an interesting but successful choice that makes this map feel different from other modern maps.
Really my only hesitation on this board is I'm not sure it's mature enough, as it doesn't have a ton of tournament play. But every game I've played on it has been great so I wanted to give it a little more attention.
Tournament Use:
Missouri NHSD 2021 RtW
OHS Season 41 Delta
TT has been a notoriously difficult expansion set to use effectively, especially RotV + TT. There are plenty of okay but disorganized TT maps like Ice Blossom. Sidewinder was the classic map with this combination, and has very unique gameplay, forcing you to spin your forces around the massive glacier in the middle. I think that one was a worthy BoV classic, but it was rejected from WoS.
Parallel takes a completely different angle on RotV + TT. It's more similar to Song of the Walrus than Sidewinder, but I think it's better than Song (which is a great map). Song uses the big glacier and the hive to divide the map into three sections, while Parallel uses only glaciers, spending all of them at the top of the map as large physical blockers. The ruins are the more meaningful protective line of sight blocker, shielding figures before they work their way up the middle hilly section. The middle hilly section of the board obviously pulls a lot of action. But the sides offer glyphs and a shorter path but dangerous path across the board, and usually serves as a second front. Putting the glyphs on the last row of the board away from direct height is an interesting but successful choice that makes this map feel different from other modern maps.
Really my only hesitation on this board is I'm not sure it's mature enough, as it doesn't have a ton of tournament play. But every game I've played on it has been great so I wanted to give it a little more attention.
Parallel: This is one of the maps I played the most last year. I think it's really close, but ultimately there are a few tweaks that could really make it shine.
This is a prime candidate for a map that doesn't use the 6-hex glacier. I already let Cleon know this, but I think you fix all of the issues by dropping the 6-hex glacier and going from a 7/7 split up top to a 4/4 or 5/5 split. As-is, I've had games that almost entirely take place on one small side. My thoughts on two-hill maps have changed over the years (the entirety of a map doesn't need to be used each game), but those were games where maybe 1/10th of the map was used. And again, opening up the pathways would solve it.
Overall, the map is good but too tight. I don't love the lone 1-hex glacier placement (which is why I'd lean towards 5/5, essentially trimming off the back two hexes of the 6-hex glacier). NO to induct (but I hope to see it back).
This is a prime candidate for a map that doesn't use the 6-hex glacier. I already let Cleon know this, but I think you fix all of the issues by dropping the 6-hex glacier and going from a 7/7 split up top to a 4/4 or 5/5 split. As-is, I've had games that almost entirely take place on one small side. My thoughts on two-hill maps have changed over the years (the entirety of a map doesn't need to be used each game), but those were games where maybe 1/10th of the map was used. And again, opening up the pathways would solve it.
Overall, the map is good but too tight. I don't love the lone 1-hex glacier placement (which is why I'd lean towards 5/5, essentially trimming off the back two hexes of the 6-hex glacier). NO to induct (but I hope to see it back).
Highways and Dieways, Swarm Edition
This is a good map, and I'm glad it exists. In some important ways the gameplay is preferable to its predecessor (no spider denial in the SZ, ability to go to the right out of the SZ). It has a few minor drawbacks as well (most notably the outside sand isn't level 3).
But overall the build just looks ugly, in my opinion. The sand 3-hex creates a weird empty space that is surrounded by 5 spaces, which is a weird look. There are random rock and grass hexes outside the SZ on the left which look like they're just leftovers (because they are).
To me, this is a fine map that ought to be used if you want H&D but can't spare enough RotVs for it. We have H&D inducted (rightfully so), but despite its merits I don't think H&D Swarm deserves a separate induction.
I agree with this approach. In the BOV, we did not approve rebuilds as separate entities, but left it up to TOs to decide to use the version of a map they prefer. There is no need to have two versions of (roughly) the same map in the WOS.
I also vote against including H&D Swarm.
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I have played many games on Common Ground and I value it for what it does. GameBear has created a remarkable and strong use of a single RotV set that inspires unique play experiences. That said, I agree with dok in that I've also seen some really sad plays on Common Ground. It is a map with just enough risk inherent in its design that while I'd include it as an alternate map in an event I run, I would not consider it the best of the best or a map that I'd unequivocally recommend to someone.
I also vote against Common Ground.
