EPTMapmaking notes #3.
This time, I would like to talk about the Zerg race and more about The main. Yeah, exactly.
Where are we going to start today? I want to start talking first about the main base. The shape of the main base cannot be dedicated to only one race. Right? Every single map has a unique weakness, and the more strategies you know the better you'll be equipped (remember PartinG). I think everyone remembers Eternal Empire. Pretty cool map.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/ddV1vPG.jpg)
So, the main has a rectangular shape. And the ramp goes vertical. So not everyone knows but if it was a mech terran (all glory to the hypnotoad, i mean all glory to Gumiho) there was a chance that you would lose your game because your units are stuck. First of all the design of the ramp has the most brutal (not ideal) feature in the world. The standard wall off doesn't work here at all. Thors are thick and can't squeeze through the supply depot. What a bummer. I made a small representation on how to place factories (not ideal, but this is what we usually have and we need). The thing is that due to shape and the size sometimes Terran can mess up (because when you are playing macro game you can't place everything correctly, you know) one pixel left one pixel right, who cares. But eventually it starts working against you. Tanks and thors need a space to move out. But add-on is blocking your way. So, every single mapmaker always needs to check the space in between barracks and factories. If you don't mess up you usually use 10 barracks or something to fill in the main to be sure that everything is okay. Let's check Hardwire (once again). The main base is more canonical. The size and the shape are relatively standard (maybe just a little bit small). The ramp goes horizontally. Protoss and Terran will be fine here. Plenty of space.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/NfecTEw.jpg)
The next thing is that we need to check Zerg privilege. We should not be too much a lawyer here but at the same time ensure a chance not to die because of hellion drop. I think everyone remembers Acid Plant as well.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/oo6nBCw.png)
So that map was really good to proxy starport against zerg and protoss. It is all because every single main has a blind spot (or maybe more than one). And at the beginning no one has enough vision and you need to read or guess opponents' build right. You should not do a very large main mainly because or blind spots. Because it is unnecessarily hard to control.
Let's go back to Hardwire. So usually you should see pictures like that.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/etXe37q.jpg)
The main and the natural base are not fully connected. We have the space in between for one creep tumor (only one). Since queens are so slow off the creep, we need to be sure to keep the distance in between bases like that. You need to remember that Zerg is a race which is in defense at the very start. And we know about Void rays bad boys and 2-1-1. If we have a relatively big main or big distance in between bases it is not good. Because Zerg is immobile and unable to spread the creep (because he needs to spend his mana on injections). It is quite a big problem. Because very small main means we are unable to land and set up terran production correctly. But here is something more. Blind spot in a combination with dead air space (check my previous article) means nydus worm. Zerg will abuse this strategy until the end.
So we all know about the latest patch. Queens are unable to transfuse off the creep. Lambo had an idea (he suggested) that maybe we need to nerf the queen speed off the creep more. So I want to explain from a mapmaker point of view what we have here and what we need. Zerg is obliged to divide the queens into two groups or you are going to suck the laser beam (long and hard). Usually you need to place a group somewhere in between main-natural and the other right next to the third. If you don't have enough creep it's going to be a hard process to follow and defend from 2-1-1 and Void rays. And we are already told what we want when we want to have a nice main base. And usually Zerg doesn't have enough creep at this moment. And it becomes problematic to have sustainable relationships. But at the same time not giving the option to transfuse off the creep makes me worry that this is useless. Because with the amplification of the power of Nydus worm we have a potential situation for much stronger strategies than before. For Terran players this means we can use more Nydus worms and lurkers. For Protoss players this means we can use early aggression against them (queen's-ravagers-lings). So at this point no one was right with iteration.
But can we assume that we have something different?
The best solution would be not to touch it at all (revert back queens and nydus). These days many people are complaining that they are broken (can't lie to you but yes). But the balance is very fragile to touch only one unit. It is a multi-faceted unit. And they are only a problem at the highest level. It is much easier to focus fire on them or kill them with zealots or disruptors at lower level while to control them and transfuse. But it doesn't mean that we need to give up. I believe that Zerg is the strongest race overall. And instead of touching queens we should think about the creep spread and banelings.
