Well its not exactly a "trend". PR never had many jet maps to begin with.
The problem with large assets is all about maps. When you make the systems in large assets more realistic, they require a more realistic range in which to fit in. IE: sticking a bunch of large assets in 1km maps is not allowing for realistic use of the vehicle.
Anyways, I agree with you there is currently not many good armor maps. But adding armor to maps with low view distance / bad terrain for tanks is not a good answer.
Thankfully we have over 10 (!!) 4km maps in developement, and these are the maps you will likely see large assets present.
So lets look at the current maps and what they offer:
1km Maps (unreasonable to put heavy assets due to extremely small fighting area)
7 Gates
Asad Khal
Assault on Mestia
Bi Ming
Fallujah West
Korengal Valley
Operation Ghost Train
Road to Kyongan Ni
Tad Sae
2km Maps
Al Kufrah Oilfield - yes could be converted back to tanks, but this map is prety "bowl" like and although has a good view distance, is relatively small map. This one I agree could be put back with tanks but it is the only map that features IFV vs IFV combat (for better or worse).
Al Basrah - has armor, recon and apcs supported by light vehicles.
EJOD Desert - has an asymmetrical loadout with armor vs TOW. map has a good view distance but most of the combat area is unused, making the map very small for large assets.
Fools Road - asymmetrical loadout with armor vs ATGM. armor most time has to use the roads as per the maps original design (for better or worse).
Jabal - asymmetrical loadout with apc/transport heli (and now CAS and AAV). I think the map is good but small view distance and alot of the combat area is underused.
Karbala - light vehicles with CAS. mediocre insurgency map, view distance is decent but really cant see heavy assets working here
Kozelsk - asymmetrical loadout with armor vs ATGM. Decent view distance and many opportunities for combined arms.
Muttrah City 2 - asymmetrical loadout with APCs/trans heli/CAS. Dont see adding any more assets here would help.
Operation Barracuda - asymmetrical loadout with CAS/trans heli vs light vehicles. The terrain of the island would not work too well with APCs, and the island is prety small to warrant their use on here, dont see adding assets here would help.
Operation Archer - trans heli/light vehicles. Insurgency map, think the assets here working great, dont see any reason to add heavy assets considering its going to Canadian faction that use light vehicles primarily in Afghanistan.
Qwai River - the map that sparks all this controversy

New setup still has armor (light and medium APCs) versus light strykers and humvees and a TOW. Wait and see how it plays before judging what the loss of the tanks and little birds does to the map.
Ramiel - light APC/light vehicles/trans heli. Dont see adding any more assets here would help.
Sunset City - light vehicles. Very small combat area, more than 75% of the map is never used. Vanilla feeling map, sure you could add some heavy assets but they would be used simular to vanilla.
4km Maps
Battle for Qinling - full assortment of vehicles.
Kashan Desert - full assortment of vehicles.
Code: Select all
[size=175][b]Current maps in development for v0.9+[/b][/size]
[list=1]
[*]Map Name: n/a
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]Rhino
Map Description: n/a
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: UK vs MEC
[*]Map Name: Arzan Kar Region (Ambush)
Map Creator(s): [R-CON]marcoelnk
Map Description: Afghanistan open country
Map Size: 1KM
Map Factions: GERMANY vs TALIBAN
[*]Map Name: Codename Silent Eagle (Airborne)
Map Creator(s): [R-CON]marcoelnk
Map Description: Eastern European forested countryside with central town and airbases
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: GERMANY vs RUSSIA
[*]Map Name: Devils Tower
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]Paramedic
Map Description: Mid east open country
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: CF vs TALIBAN
[*]Map Name: Dili - Timor
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]CodeRedFox
Map Description: Dili Timor, Indonesia with City, Forest, Hills/Mountains.
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: BLUFOR vs. Insurgents
[*]Map Name: Dragonfly
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]Irontaxi & [R-DEV]nickbond
Map Description: Russian urban / rural
Map Size: 2KM
Map Factions: RUSSIA vs CHECHEN
[*]Map Name: Feyzabad
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]coderedfox
Map Description: Afghanistan river valley
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: US ARMY vs TALIBAN
[*]Map Name: Gaza Beach
Map Creator(s): [R-CON]Hfett
Map Description: Tight urban combat
Map Size: 1KM
Map Factions: IDF vs HAMAS
[*]Map Name: n/a
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]Rhino
Map Description: n/a
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: BLUFOR vs PLA
[*]Map Name: Iron Ridge
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]~KILL~Pirate
Map Description: rural
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: ??? vs ???
[*]Map Name: Kandahar Region
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]Hans Martin Slayer
Map Description: Afghanistan rural/urban
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: ??? vs TALIBAN
[*]Map Name: Lashkar Valley
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]Hans Martin Slayer
Map Description: Afghanistan rural in river valley
Map Size: 2KM
Map Factions: GERMANY vs TALIBAN
[*]Map Name: Marsh (WIP Name)
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]Deer
Map Description: rural swamp
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: RUSSIA vs ???
[*]Map Name: Monchegorsk
Map Creator(s): [R-CON]space
Map Description: rural forest with military complexes
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: ??? vs ???
[*]Map Name: Sangin
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]Dr Rank
Map Description: Afghanistan rural combat
Map Size: 4KM
Map Factions: UK vs TALIBAN
[*]Map Name: Siege at Ochamachira
Map Creator(s): [R-DEV]IronTaxi
Map Description: industrial defense
Map Size: 2KM
Map Factions: RUSSIA vs CHECHEN
[*]Map Name: Sosnovyy Bor
Map Creator(s): [R-CON]9cookie_monster
Map Description: industrial and woodland
Map Size: 2KM
Map Factions: ??? vs ???
[/list]
[b][u]Total Maps in Development:[/u][/b]
17
[u][b]Map Sizes in Development:[/b][/u]
1KM - 2
2KM - 4
4KM - 11
Conclusion:
Other than Al Kufrah, Qwai River and Sunset City, what exactly are you asking for here? Be more specific?
As you can see from the above map development, a HUGE amount of resources is going to put combined arms maps in the highlight of PR. 4km maps will be great to showcase large assets, but sticking them on smaller maps so players can use them like they did in vanilla, I dont see that working, especially as we increase their deadliness and align them with their real life attributes, putting them on small maps is kind of a waste.
**NOTE: just because I listed some maps here, does not mean they will be in v0.9 or will in fact ever be released, just showing you that we got a "Plan" when it comes to assets in PR.