[M] (2) Bel'Shir Highlands

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 19 2011 06:27 GMT

Bel'Shir Highlands v1.6

(NA only, search for belshirhighlandstest on battle.net)

Epic replays on this map: Diamond TvP (from 1.1)
http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=196699

This is a relatively larger, macro-friendly and more beginner-friendly map. Players say it is larger than a typical 1v1 (perhaps almost a 2v2 size), but still a good map that presents a lot of opportunities and decision-making. It appears large in the early game, but in mid-late game the map isn't so big after all.

If you like large games/maps, great macro opportunities then this is definitely a map you should consider trying out.

(if images don't resize, click the link below each image for full view)
90-degree view: + Show Spoiler +

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/90.jpg

50-degree view: + Show Spoiler +

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/50.jpg

1.6 Aesthetics: (if pics dont resize, click link under each pic)
+ Show Spoiler +

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs1.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs2.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs3.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs4.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs5.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs6.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs7.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs8.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/bhs9.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/16-3.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/16-2.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/GameWorlds/16-1.jpg

Map Features:

• Textures are entirely Bel'Shir
• 1v1, large macro melee potential - encourages at least 3 or 4-base play
• 192 x 112 playable (almost equivalent to 1v1 on a 4-player map, but stretched out horizontally)
• 6 total bases per player, including 1 gold expansion
• Easy-to-defend natural
• The 3rd base is simple to take, but they have a huge back-door flank available to the enemy. This greatly discourages heavy turtle play on 3-base.
• Rush distance is approximately 1-minute game-time from main to main with a worker

1) This map helps Zerg more in the early game, as it gives them a little more time to prepare for early pushes or any type of earlier harassment without being too limited to a usual 1-base.

2) Each player has a Xel'Naga Watch Tower in the center to watch over their expansion next to high ground. Players can still maneuver their forces around the edges and sneak in their opponent's base.

3) The rush distance is around 1-minute from main-to-main with a worker, but there is still a small, standard choke connecting the main to the natural. The choke leading into the natural is a little bigger, but still is capable of walling off in time for any Terran or Protoss FE.

4) Each base gets progressively harder to take. The 3rd has a back door, the 4th has two ways to attack by ground, the 5th has four ways to attack by ground, and the gold is in the center.

Again, this is a large macro melee map that leans toward favoring Zerg-early-game as well as beginners or other gamers who enjoy longer and bigger macro games.

Search for BelShirHighlandsTest (version 1.6) on battle.net for testing. (NA ONLY)

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 19 2011 06:52 GMT

[reserved for change logs]

4/05/11 Updates: Version 1.6

1.6 is, once again, another aesthetics update. I worked on some textures in various places and added in some other beauty effects such as more sun rays, flocks of birds, a rocky waterfall, more rocks and doodads, additional pathing, and took some of the outer edges full of trees and made it look lumpy with high ground in certain spots.

Some updates:

+ Show Spoiler +

That's all folks! Testing is available at any time. When searching for a map type in: BelshirHighlandsTest

KOVU

Denmark708 Posts

March 19 2011 08:43 GMT

Looks really aesthetic. I really love this tileset.

Could you upload analyzer pics?

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 19 2011 19:46 GMT

I don't know how.

Varpulis

United States2517 Posts

March 19 2011 22:10 GMT

search for "analyser" and you should find a thread with links and everything you need to know

Manimal_pro

Romania991 Posts

March 19 2011 22:35 GMT

when you read this map's name make sure you read bel shir in gabriel tosh's voice

McCain

United States187 Posts

March 20 2011 04:29 GMT

Is this map on US? Can't seem to find it.

Whiplash

United States2929 Posts

March 20 2011 06:16 GMT

2 non-ramp chokes from main to natural. I don't think this would work well on high level :|

McCain

United States187 Posts

March 20 2011 06:33 GMT

On March 20 2011 15:16 Whiplash wrote:
2 non-ramp chokes from main to natural. I don't think this would work well on high level :|

Agreed, I just played this map a couple times with some friends and the game just isn't balanced around two entrances, even if the rush distances are pretty long. I do like the aesthetics of the map though, and I like the concept of long rectangular maps instead of squares, so I hope OP keeps working on it.

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 20 2011 08:56 GMT

#10

Yes I still have changes to make, and am actually keeping tabs with the double choke into the natural/main.

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 21 2011 23:15 GMT

#11

1.2 is available.

90/50 pictures are updated. Change log updated with fixes.

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 22 2011 21:29 GMT

#12

I had to update the map name in the original post in case some of you tried to search for it in-game.

FudgeMunkey

Australia59 Posts

March 23 2011 07:07 GMT

#13

Looks like a great map!
I think that Zerg might be a little annoyed with the amount of creep tumors it takes to spread creep from your main to your nat.

and it might also be good to put rocks in the way of your third base...

other than that though it looks amazing!

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 23 2011 09:04 GMT

#14

On March 23 2011 16:07 FudgeMunkey wrote:
Looks like a great map!
I think that Zerg might be a little annoyed with the amount of creep tumors it takes to spread creep from your main to your nat.

and it might also be good to put rocks in the way of your third base...

other than that though it looks amazing!

It takes 1 creep tumor to connect the main to the natural.

There is a back-door to the 3rd base (next to the 4th) with rocks. The third is open, and close, but still can be harass-potential.

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 24 2011 06:34 GMT

#15

Version 1.3 is available for download. See post #2 for 1.3 updates and changes!

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 28 2011 23:22 GMT

#16

Version 1.4 is available. See OP and post #2 for all updates!

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 30 2011 00:13 GMT

#17

I've made 2 changes in the last week and no comments... I need feedback if I'm going to continue with this map production

SkysLa

Canada84 Posts

March 30 2011 04:21 GMT

#18

Umm, I don't know if I just can't find it but do you have a full overview of the whole map? I see the 90 degree view and stuff but I don't get the whole map. Looks good aesthetically though.

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 30 2011 05:19 GMT

#19

I provided a link to view the whole map under each degree image.

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 30 2011 18:56 GMT

#20

I updated the map to 1.5. All updates are purely aesthetic and scenery. See original post for all updated screenshots of new scenery I worked on.

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

March 30 2011 22:59 GMT

#21

OP updated to display the map name and image without having to click on links.

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

April 05 2011 21:06 GMT

#22

1.6 is released.

RukKus

United States197 Posts

April 07 2011 20:39 GMT

#23

Hey IronMan, nice to see you keeping busy since the epic battles from Bel'Shir Walkway. Looking forward to checking this map out. You still doing group map testing with it? I've been improving my skills and would like to duke it out in some test matches

IronManSC

United States2119 Posts

April 07 2011 21:43 GMT

#24

@RukKus

It's hard to get "groups" for 1v1 obs games on melee maps these days, since everybody likes playing custom games. But when I get the opportunity I play and watch a few on the map. So far, the map looks beautiful and there has been some pretty good matches played on it!

Add me in game if you want, and i'll get a game for you sometime...

IronMan.714

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[M] (2) Bel'Shir Highlands

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