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![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/87BmJ.jpg)
Surtur Caldera v0.8 on NA server
Surtur is a zerg brood.
Hello, I'm a 3d modeler and animator who occasionally does something for a game. I noticed there weren't many 1v1 lava maps. So here's my first crack at a SC2 1v1 map. It's still in Developement, it needs testing. I would Love your replays if you end up playing my map. As well as feedback for further updates.
Map Images + Show Spoiler +
Detailed Images
+ Show Spoiler +North main and natural ![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/ECWS5.jpg) North main and third ![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/g0AeJ.jpg) North Corner Expansion ![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/MRUb1.jpg) Center Island expo and Xel'Naga Watchtowers
Features
2 players
124x128 playable area
Mains at 5 o'clock and 11 o'clock
2 ramps into each main, one blocked by rocks
7 total expansion locations
each base and expansion, with the exception of the center gold has 8 blue minerals and 2 geysers.
Natural outside each main ramp with 2 entrances one blocked by huge rocks
Third located outside each main's rocked off entrance
Large rift in center separates battlefield
1 island in the center of the rift with a gold expansion,6 gold minerals, 2 rich geysers (Rocked off). Additionally there are 2 extra geysers and 4 extra blue minerals (spread far from center)
Center Island is lower terrain then the surrounding cliffs preventing vision.
2 Xel'naga watch towers in main attack paths (one on either side of the rift) capable of spotting gold expansion minerals.
Towers are up against non-pathable high ground.
2 o'clock and 7 o'clock expansions (rocked off) with very wide ramps going down into it, with LoS smoke near the ramp towards the center (vertically)
walkway around the 2 and 7 o'clock expansionswith LoS smoke on one end
Both the corner expansions, and the path around them can be used to circumvent the Xel'Naga Watchtowers
Map Analyzer Pictures+ Show Spoiler +
Change Log
older stuff + Show Spoiler +V0.5 (prior versions not posted) removed 2 gold mineral clusters from center
Xel'Naga Watchtowers moved away from center up against the cliff
Corner expansions are now lower than surrounding terrain rather than higher
Blocked entrance into both mains moved farther back
Added rocks to the side of both Natural Expansions to make them easier to take early game.
resource clusters causing miners to walk around gas geyser moved.
More doodads and texture variation. V0.6 Fixed the rock placement by the 4 o'clock expansion old images + Show Spoiler +old analyzer pics + Show Spoiler +
V0.7
Removed rocks from Third
Removed rocks from Back Paths
Added Los smoke on back paths
Added rocks on Center Island
Added rocks on corner expansion
Expanded Corner Expansion slightly
Increased the size of each Main
Tightened and tweaked the distance across rift in center.
Sculpted terrain
texture work
Improved pathing
V0.8
Rendered the lighting, various doodad and prop tweaks.
Strategy comments
The design is basically to split the map down the middle between the two players, making it more difficult for a ground army to try and control both sides. The only places a ground army can cross from east/west or vice versa is right outside one of the mains. This may influence players to push and expand along one side rather than radiating out from the main uniformly. The center island should be difficult to hold if you don't control both Xel'Naga towers. But even if a player has tanks on both towers and is mining in the middle you could run around the towers and get to his main (or other expansions.)
Please, if you play this, send me a replay! =D
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I think the layout is pretty good, but the centerarea is just... weird... Not sure what to think of it.
I do like the 'make a choice' way the middle is. Also you might have gone a little too much XelNagaCaverns with that + the backpath on the expansions.
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The middle worries me a bit. I would really place rocks at the gold/high geyser landing spot.
What is stopping a terran from FE'ing to this island or just floating there at the start?
Map looks nice and I like the positioning of the towers.
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dezi
Germany1536 Posts
Just by the name i expected Level 2 cliffs around the map borders instead of lava ^^
The main itself seems quite small (judging from the Analyzer pic). I would like to see it increased to at least 25CCs in size. Also the blocker at the 3rds seems to be to much for a base that is already very vulnerable (huge attack surface). I'm also not sure about the island.
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thanks for the comments guys =)
@ihasaKAROT the back areas were added addlib when I had room for them. They are clearly inspired by Xel'Naga Caverns, but I think the center area of the map changes it up enough that it's okay. If all new maps were forced to use only new concepts then we wouldn't have many maps. Those paths were originally lower than the expansion rather than higher but I ended up switching it making it closer to those in Xel'Naga Caverns.
@NeoLearner I'm considering adding rocks to the center for MotM. I did some tests with my friend on floating straight there at the beginning. If it's scouted the opponent could just fast expand. The center island is lower than the cliffs making it harder to defend against tanks. Stalkers can blink across it. Those tests were done on an earlier version where the Towers were right on the edge so you could park a worker by each one and see the entire base. Without that maybe I should add the rocks. I moved the towers back so it is harder to control the center (hopefully).
So I think I'll add those rocks on the gold =)
@Dezi yeah I've been having trouble mixing manmade and natural cliffs. it seems you can't build them together. Since I made the mains manmade, it didn't want to let me put natural cliffs next to it, so I went lower rather than higher.
The mains are small, I think they're larger then the ones on Xel'Naga Caverns though. I'd have to check.
The rocks were initially placed on the third to further separate the map. as it is, (at least in my opinion) that isn't necessarily the best third to take. Taking that as your third means both expansions are vulnerable. if you took only one, then pushed up to the corner nearest your enemy to expand, you only have to worry about your front line, and the choke in front of your main/backdoor area. But that is pushing right up to the enemy so It will need more testing.
On that note, while I was going to sleep last night I decided to rethink all my destructible rock placement. I think I got a little carried away. So I will probably remove the rocks on the third. and perhaps move them to the corner expos. Also I'll be replacing the rocks on the back path with LoS blocking grass or something. I'll probably keep the huge rocks next to the naturals for now.
I dunno, what do you guys think, has anyone played it yet? 
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dezi
Germany1536 Posts
On January 07 2011 03:35 Burfreezy wrote:
@Dezi yeah I've been having trouble mixing manmade and natural cliffs. it seems you can't build them together. Since I made the mains manmade, it didn't want to let me put natural cliffs next to it, so I went lower rather than higher.
The mains are small, I think they're larger then the ones on Xel'Naga Caverns though. I'd have to check.
I don't know how it's named in the englisch version of the editor but you can allow cliffs to join together: Tools > Brush > 2nd last option (caps + i in german editor). You then have to place filler doodads to hide the texture gaps between those cliff types.
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oh sweet! I'll try that out!
The main gameplay area is already a level 1 cliff so there can be lower areas. Would it look okay with a level 2 around the edges being only 1 higher than the ground?
oh and I think I have room to make the main a little bigger, thanks for your suggestions 
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United States10347 Posts
adding rocks to the mid is a must. the base itself is hard to defend, but I still think rocks are needed.
i love your usage of backdoor =P
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v0.8 up. Yay, I think it might be ready to submit to the contest
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On January 07 2011 11:39 Burfreezy wrote:v0.8 up. Yay, I think it might be ready to submit to the contest
Unless you have a different map you like more, for sure submit this. Nothing bad can happen!
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This is my first map. So I don't have anything else I like more lol...
I started this on Sunday I think. Didn't even know there was a contest until last night.
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Not saying its bad dont worry Just saying its inpired by XelNaga
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true, but it definitely plays differently then Xelnaga. And shouldn't all maps be inspired by others in some fashion? When making the map I incorporated aspects I enjoyed in other maps, and it ended up looking more like XelNaga after adding the back routes
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