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This is a personal design choice of course but I really disagree with this one. Map variety (the lack thereof) was one of the biggest issues in X1 as originally released. It's a major issue in X2 now, even though more maps will surely come. But even now in X2 (and I haven't played that much), I know what the entire map is like on turn 1. Oh, terror mission and I walk out in front of a gas station? Okay, that's the one with a restaurant on the next block and the roof of the grocery store that offers great firing lines. Woods map with one car in front and a workshop to the right of the dropship? That's the lumber yard map, trains up in the corner provide good cover and another workshop building on the opposite end is tricky to clear. X1 was the same initially, I knew the farm and industrial maps like the back of my hand. The problem with hand-crafted maps is that they take a lot of time to create and you need many to get the replay value up. Xcom-style games are very replayable but that replayability requires map variety. And it's not easily addressed by adding another two maps per biome, you need an extra dozen maps per biome to make any difference. To me, the possibility of "every building is an office" sounds great! Why couldn't I have one fight in a dense office tower district? I would consider the solution that X:CE adopted. In X:CE, there are the base game maps, the wonderful community-created static maps, but also random (actually procedural) maps. The key being, random maps are only picked when there are no other maps to choose from, there's also a repeat-tracking system (it's actually a bit probabilistic IIRC but that's details). With that, map repetition is not a thing in X:CE, you're very unlikely to encounter any repeats within a single campaign. Procedural forest/desert/arctic maps work wonderfully. Yes, the procedural maps can suffer from illogical placement in urban areas and it's visible with examples like a gas station with no entrance as you mention. But I find that to be a far, far lesser violation of my immersion than heading to the third terror mission in the same city block, where I blow up the same gas station again before turning to aliens in the same diner as last time. By the way, Firaxis learned this as well. Their first Xcom had static maps, which may have had a minimal degree of randomization with how cover was placed. That was consistently pointed out as one of the game's main weaknesses. Their Xcom 2 went for procedural generation, and that was very well received despite the occasional weird placement of stuff.

Legal issues would be dealing with Unity licenses and commercial plugins I assume? I loved your X1 maps @Skitso and I'd certainly be happy to help with technical issues for 3rd-party mapping after the Early Access builds, if there's something I can do to help that. I realise now I hadn't even mentioned map variety in my V24 feedback - this is because I had assumed (and still assume) that the lack of map variety is a known problem that will be addressed. I'm sure there will be more static maps but my assumption was also that procedural maps would be used to some extent.

I have offered my help to Chris and would be willing to map few dozen high quality maps for X2, but it seems there are a few technical and legal hurdles that I think are unsolvable to make it happen unfortunately.

I played V24 to V24.6. Wasn't able to get to the time limit but after day 200 I was definitely playing on the same map, like the lumber yard, for the third time in the campaign. The maps are great. But I'm pretty sure I've seen all of them, at least on some biomes, there are a few maps I am very familiar with by now and I haven't even been able to get to the endgame yet.

You can't laugh endlessly at the same joke. A silly, but new joke is more interesting to listeners than a good, but old joke (a joke heard many times). It's the same with maps. In old and repetitive maps, there is nothing new and unexpected for the player (there is no intrigue).

I have not fully prepared the text and I need to leave. I'll publish it later.

Hi Guys, this is an Gameplay-Feedback from an Main-Betatester, which begunn Beta-Testing the Game from the first playable Beta-Version on with many other Main-Betatesters. The Beta-Version 24.7b is actually the first fully playable one, with many cool Features integrated. The Game is running fine so far (it still have some Issues left, but the CTD´s get reduced drastically). There are still some CTD´s left (like throwing Grenades in some Maps [Terror], wrong arming with Equipment [Beginn from equiping Advanced Medikits on Hurt Soldiers in Main-Base]). In the Experimental-Version you have sometimes Laggs in the Geoscape, Airbattles and Missions, but they don´t destroy the Gamefun. Good, let´s get startet: In the first 100 Days [Day 1 to 100] you have to build up your first Secondary Base, Upgrade your Soldiers and Aircraft with upgraded Weapons [Accelerated Weapons and Standard-Rockets] as well as make Basic-Research / Interrogations. In that Time you can build up in 3 Steps an Secondary Base (better called small Outpost) with 1 Access Lift, 3 Hangars, 1 Generator, 1 Radar, 1 Living Space and 2 Labs or 2 Workshops. I decided for the Workshop about the Upgrades for the Planes and Buildup for internal Base-Defenses later. The modernised Standard-Weapons (Accelerate Upgrades), which are an Equivalent from the Alien Magnetic Weapons are the first light Step forward for our Specialists and Interceptors. They will be in the next Gameversion unlimited after 1 of each is produced [hopfully if the UFO-Pedia-Entry is correct]. Some Specialits should have Stun Weapons too (Stun Gun / Stun Baton) to get the first normal Aliens alive for important Interregation. Normaly you don´t need in the first 100 Days modernised Missles / Torpedos. The Standard-Missels (Sidewinder) and Standard-Torpedos (Avalanche) are more then perfect. The modernised Defender-Body-Armour should be refited with an Warden Combat Armour (an Upgrade with Alien Alloys) as an first light Step forward for our Specialists. There the Assaults, Riflemens and Heavys will get this Armour-Upgrade. All others remain unchanged with the normal Suit with light Armour Plate or Aim-Helping-Vest (Snipers, Grenadiers and Shield). The same Modernisation you make with the Ablative-Plating / Steel-Plating for Vehicles and Interceptors (Alloy Plating Upgrade) to Alloy Plating. The new and modern X-3 "Dragonfly"-Transport is a must have too. It has a little better Transport Capacity and is an Hybrid from Human and Alien-Tech. And it have a little Surprise too against it´s Predecessor X-2 "Skyhawk". The next 100 Days (Day 101 to 200) you need an Advancement in the Storyline and Equip your Soldiers (which have the Warden Armour) with an little better Armour (Guradian Armour). The Grenadiers, Shield and Snipers have the normal Suit with an light Armour-Plate / Aim-Helping-Vest (unchanged). That have an Reason, which will be shown later. Only the Riflemens, Shotgunners and Heavys have the best Special-Armors for that Time then. You still make Basic-Research / Interrogations with some advanced Basic-Research-Projects too. One of that Researches will give you the Guradian Armour. In that Time you should have changed from the Accelerated Weapons to Laser Weapons for your Soldiers / MARS-Vehicles. Esp. the Pistols, Shotguns, Rifles and the Mars-Cannon / Rocket-Launcher should have Changed to the new Weaponary. The MARS-Cannon-Variant have a Cannon and Rangefinder, the MARS-Rocket-Variant have an Rocket-Launcher and Automatic-Rifle. After the Upgrade to Laser-Cannons all MARS-Support-Vehicles have the Rangefinder. In that Time you should have upgraded your Grenades to Alenium-Grenades as well as the Medikit to advanced Medikits. If not already done, upgrade the Fighter-Amour from Ablative Plating and the Vehicle-Armour from Steel Plating to Alloy-Plating. In that Time modernise the Standard-Missles / Torpedos to Alenium-Missles / Torpedos (Alenium Upgrade), which are the first big Step forward to Upgrade our Interceptors. As well as the first Explosive Modernisation for our Specialist Hand-Grenades (Alenium Upgrade). In that Time you should Upgrade the first Secondary-Base (where your 3 upgraded X-25 "Angels" should stationed) with 1 Rocket-Defense, which get an Second Rocket Defense later on. Better link it to have an Advantage against bigger attacking Enemys. I made in that Case the Mistake to seperate the Defense-Buildings. As well as Upgrade your Main-Base with 2 linked Rocket-Defenses, 2 Workshops, 2 Labs, 1 Hospital, 1 Training Center, 2 Generators and 2 more Living Quarters too from Day 1 on. You will need them. The Main-Base should now get 2 of new and modern Interceptors X-55 "Phantom" for Testing, which are like the X-3 "Dragonfly"-Transport an Hybrid from Human and Alien-Tech. They are a little bit better then the X-25 "Angels" in Range, Speed, HPs, Armour etc., therefore it costs 150.000 to 200.000 Credits more then the older X-25 "Angel". But it have 1 little Disadvantage, which I won´t tell here. Therefore it´s an Prototype-Fighter which assists the X-25 "Angels" in more Secondary Bases (Outposts). The next 100 Days (Day 201 to 300) you will get Access to new medium Tech. There you will get very nice Secrets, which in the Beta-Tests therefore couldn´t testet or only very litte. That´s an Surprisse for us Testers too. There you get Plasma-Explosives, advanced Stun Weapons, an new Suit for your other Soldiers (Snipers, Grenadiers and Shield) and many more new cool Stuff wich upgrades older Vest-Equipment / Armour-Equipment for your Soldiers, Vehicles and Interceptors and much more. You will get more Storyline-Parts now. In that Time the last Accelerated Weapons have to be changed to Laser Weapons for your Soldiers (Laser-LMG and Sniper Rifles) as well as for your Interceptors (Laser Cannon). Now you should have 2 new X-55 "Phantom" Interceptors in the Main-Base and 3 older upgraded X-25 "Angels" in the first Secondary-Base to make your Airforce more effective. All should have Laser Cannons. 3 Fighters should have Alenium Missles (2 X-55 Phantoms and 1 X-25 Angel) as well as Alenium Torpedos (2 X-25 Angels). The Armour should be Minimum Alloy-Plating, if you have the more advanced Alloy Plating you are on the save Side for the 3 X-25 "Angels". (Alloy Platings are enough for the Phantoms / advanced Alloy Plating for the Angels) Now it´s time to Modernise the Rocket-Defenses to Laser-Defenses. The Laser-Defenses are more powerfull then the Rocket-Defenses, but have a lesser Accuracy, which means they should be linked together to improve the Accuracy. That I have overseen in my Base-Buildup for the first Secondary Base in the Defense-Buildup and see my Mistake, because the Main-Base shoot down all enemy attacking UFOs with the Base-Defenses and the Secondary Base not or with difficulty. In that Time you will get new Suits, which get to the remaining Soldiers (Snipers, Grenadiers, Shield) as well as new Explosives (Plasma), which you realy need as an big Step forward for your Explosive-Soldier-Equipment (Plasma-Grenade-Upgrade) and Airforce-Equipment (Plasma Rocket / Torpedo-Upgrade) and Soldier-Safety for Soldiers without Special Armour (the 3 Armour Types you have are Heavy). Eventually you can construct an another Secondary Base (Outpost) to make your Airforce much more effective. It will have the same Buildup as the first Secondary Base (Outpost) [1 Access Lift, 3 Hangars, 1 Generator, 1 Radar, 1 Living Space and 3 Labs or 3 Workshops as well as 2 Laser Defenses]. That Goal I haven´t reached yet. 2 Bases are at the Moment the Maximum (Main-Base with Advancements and the first Secondary Base (Outpost). I upgrade the second Secondary Base (Outpost) with an 3rd Workshop / Lab to use my Living Quarter and the Base to 100%. Sadly you can´t test out everything in that Gameversion [V.24.7B] about the Limitation to 320 Days. Hope that Limitation get canceld for the following Gameversions [V.25+] to test everything out. Thats all so far Folkes from the first fully playable Beta-Version. I will go deeper hopfully the next time and find some more cool Stuff I haven´t seen so far when the more advanced Beta-Version V.25 will come up.