Red Alert Global League - The Rulebook

The complete RAGL, Season 3 play format!

Announcements and discussion about community-run events.
noobmapmaker
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Post by noobmapmaker »

Hav to admit that I am also fond of some of the maps that are leaving the mappool on the other hand: if we leave them in people might keep selecting the old maps because they're a safe and comfortable choice. I do hope that the mappool stays varied: also a map where water is at least somehwat relevant, a big map, a small map, etc.
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Clockwork
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Post by Clockwork »

I do agree with you noob that people will choose them and we will eventually need to replace but these maps need to earn the right to replace them for example Pitfight, not just be added without any playtime at all just to circulate.

I also want to add why did Patches, a map before the release of the map pool has been played a grand total of 6 times get picked over maps such as A Nuclear Winter, Shadowfiend and Roadkings.

klaas
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Post by klaas »

I'm all for changing the map-pool once in a while.

That being said, i think "Pitfight" makes for horrible games, "Northwest Passage" is fugly and boring and already rarely played last season, and I miss a close quarters low ore map, like "Keep of the Grass".

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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday »

Well the thing is, as a tryhard player I will basically never play Sidestep and Warwind again until they become official RAGL maps again. If we make an assumption that Sidestep and Warwind are good maps that lead to enjoyable games more often than other maps, my OpenRA enjoyment just took a big nerf.

I think I will be playing this season in inactive mode - without many practice games and without true ambition to win recruits league.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
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SoScared
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Post by SoScared »

I'll try be as brief and as diplomatic as possible on this.

I can understand the reaction above given the notion that RAGL builds around and support the current competitive meta + map circulation and that the maps earn their place in the league's map pool. The thing is, this notion is wrong. At least for the time being.

The birth of the league came of the idea of establishing both a process and a placeholder for those who wish to stay with a competitive format once the RA mod's game balance begin to settle. This hasn't happened yet. Once we get there, I can envision the map pool being based more on consensus and certain merits while the league structure is rooted to an official website or whatever.

In danger of sounding a bit sadist (I am) I'm feeling almost proud that the maps Sidestep and Warwind - designed specifically to bring about a new meta to RA - is cause for a little upheaval. These maps has spawned a generation of its type within the past 12-18 months. Some of the suggestions above (Roadkings, Shadow Fiend...) are IMO more or less the same thereof - which brings me to the map pool itself:

First, keep in mind that the balance changes merged with the development branch will have a significant effect on the performance on all maps and map types. Practically the league in season 3 will function as the greatest 1v1 beta test this mod has ever had. Also, some of these maps has been altered beyond the author's own revisions. The current selection of maps (+1 or 2 may or may not be added tonight) are roughly divided in three classes:

Choke: Behind the Veil 2, Dual Cold Front, Winter Storm 2
Arena: Northwest Passage, Pitfight
Hybrid: Agenda, Green Belt, Patches

Addressing map 'Patches' as a fresh map - frankly, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how that map works. From time to time I happen to find something that fits the agenda and this map being unfamiliar to the player-base made it a done deal.

If 'Sidestep' was an aim game-play wise then map 'Agenda' was its target. Partially invoking a sense of anxiety among some players (no joke) this map is definitely challenging but consistently provided for matches that exposed both players' macro and tactical skills. This map was deliberately design to accommodate the upcoming balance changes for the game http://resource.openra.net/maps/19048/ I'll let the matches coming out of this season speak for themselves but expect players to pick this map deliberately for punishing players' lack of guile and map control.

As for the rest I see diverging opinions above so I won't bother going into those. But just to underscore my main point of this post - the league is not yet a pure ascertainment of players' rank and skill and has no intention to maintain player retention thereof. I'm sure that day will come but as of now (as with Season 1, 2 and Alpha) the league is underdeveloped hand-in-hand with the RA mod and will thus continue to move things around in order to gain additional perspectives of what makes this league work well long-term. This sort of push is precisely how the current competitive community formed in the first place. As I see it, neither the RA mod or the league has reached their destinations yet so don't get too comfortable with the status quo.

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Wippie
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Post by Wippie »

There will always be discussion about the map pool, which is, in the basis, a good thing.

I fully agree with the change towards 8 maps.

From my point of view, I would love to see even more variety amongst the maps, e.g. mixed in a 'Singles' and a 'Keep of the grass' type maps. In general, the maps are very open and supporting the infantry spam, base push mode of play, even with the balance changes. Exceptions might be : Behind the Veil 2, Winter Storm 2. Also, I fully support the implementation of Patches. New = good.

BTW, love how you made the red edges in the map selector.

In general: well done :)

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SoScared
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Post by SoScared »

Added Desert Rats SE + Keep off The Grass 2 making the map pool 10 in total.

Player Fahrrad (FRenzy declined confirmation) accepted promotion towards the Masters' Division after players ranked above skipped on the offer.

Also withdrawing from the idea of veto votes for Season 3.

That's gonna have to be it. Will announce it to players during Friday evening.

OMnom
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Post by OMnom »

SoScared wrote: Added Desert Rats SE + Keep off The Grass 2 making the map pool 10 in total.
Just curious: is there any particular reason you haven't added any maps from the map contest?

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SoScared
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Post by SoScared »

Was on edge with a few of them but due to the timing it turned out to be a bit inconvenient.

lucassss
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Post by lucassss »

People may kill me for saying this, but if you really want to change the current meta, add some maps that require usage of naval units (This was one of the few good things about singles imho).

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Blackened
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Post by Blackened »

lucassss wrote: People may kill me for saying this, but if you really want to change the current meta, add some maps that require usage of naval units (This was one of the few good things about singles imho).
Right now the balance just isn't there. Until there is a real talk about how to bring balance to naval maps/units all it would be doing is forcing Allies or die scenarios.

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Fahrrad
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Post by Fahrrad »

I wanted to say something, but I don't do it...

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SoScared
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Post by SoScared »

If there's one you got 'Alpine Waters' with the bridged pond but even with the nerfed Destroyers it always feels a bit funky having that option.

Karthus
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Maps For RAGL s3

Post by Karthus »

I have downloaded the maps and even placd them into my maps folder for RA, yet i cant seem to find them in game, could anyone help me with this matter? Thank you in advance.

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SoScared
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Re: Maps For RAGL s3

Post by SoScared »

Karthus wrote: I have downloaded the maps and even placd them into my maps folder for RA, yet i cant seem to find them in game, could anyone help me with this matter? Thank you in advance.
You should be able to view them in the map selection under 'Custom Maps' once you've moved them over to the folder 'documents/OpenRA/maps/ra/release-20161019'.

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