So you are saying that players should memorize the terrain of each map. Maybe cappers and LO have this leisure, but as a chaser, I do not. [...]
A) You shouldn't reduce yourself to a single postition, especially not in a Beta that's far from done.
B) Chasing, when it comes to skiing, is the hardest position you can choose*. As LO you usually want the quickest way from base to base. That doesn't change, it's always the same. A Routecapper's target (the flag) is always at (or around) the stand. You have your set amount of routes, and you're done (and as a Chaser, you have to know all those routes too - after all you want to prevent them). As Chaser, your target (your flag in the hands of a Capper) is a moving one. Usually you can only guess which route the Capper intends to take home, especially when OD gets used. Additionaly, you start your chase at a much lower speed than that pesky Capper. So yes, you
have to know the terrain.
Better than anyone else. You have to be able to improvise, have to know as much combinations of viable hills and slopes as possible. Drifting around inconsistently won't bring you anywhere. Good Chasers are, first and foremost, good skiers. Shooting comes later, after you've got that down.
[...] I rarely hit the same terrain the same way twice while chasing [...]
Maybe you should try that. It helps.
*Especially with Leejunz' scale issues and all the other stuff that doesn't really help.
Edit, for clarification: A Capper usually has a well thought out return route, and an initial speed advantage. How can a Chaser expect to catch up to him without knowing the terrain? That's simply impossible. And I'm not really talking about Gorge here. That's a general point. As a Chaser, you
have to memorize the terrain to be able to catch up to a Capper who memorized the terrain (of his route) himself.