[M] (2) Gaia's Cradle

LunaSaint

United Kingdom620 Posts

September 08 2011 05:32 GMT

Gaia's Cradle 0.5
Looking a lot better now, can start doing some refining before halloween now.

^Links to a high res image.

Players: 2 - 1v1 design, 11/5 o'clock starting.
Size: 132x130 playable
Expansions: 12.
- 12x 8 minerals expansions. 2 gas.
Rush Distance: Shortest path is 126.7, nat to nat.
XWTs: 2.
Destructible Rocks: Blocks second entrance to nat and makes the third require a little work to get.
LoSBs: Plants around XWTs, second entrance to natural (helps defender), near the 9/3s, 6/12s. Could probably cut down.
Servers: EU

Concept: In some civilisations, the word for "tree" and "mountain" are the same.

This was for the Blizzard style map requirement for MotM #10.

When I designed this, I wanted a map with an outer ring with expansions, and a low ground centre for more straightforward combat. Overall, it's a little like Bel'shir beach.

When I was drawing up a rough draft on paper, I imagined a hollowed out tree stump. After this, I decided the map would be like a mountainous grove of enormous trees, teeming with life. It's also an excellent excuse to bring in the sunrays I used in a previous map to imply there's leaves above the map, and only some of the light can reach in full force.

When I first drew up the map in the editor, it was a little on the small size. While I liked what I had, I was reminded of Dual Sight, and you don't often get particularly good games on Dual Sight, as much as I like it.

Either way I really like the flavour of what I'm making. Whether or not I can get it to work is another matter.

Overview (See the images in full size! They look a lot better at in-game distance!):
+ Show Spoiler +

Mains.

Natural.

Third options.

NE/SW

Centre passage. Note you can use the high ground to assert some control or contest a tower.

60 degree angle - High Res Image!

Map Analysis and Rush Distances:
+ Show Spoiler +

None lately, might actually bother to unpack this map and analyse it, fairly comfortable with it.

Detail Shots:
+ Show Spoiler [Walling] +

If you wall off from the side of the main-nat ramp (vertically) it's 3 3x3 buildings and a 2x2.

If you wall off from the natural ramp (diagonal) it's 4 3x3 buildings.

Note that the ramp provides vision over the LoS blockers under the rocks.

Changelog:

08/09/2011 - v0.1 - Initial map published!
15/09/2011 - v0.3 - Graphics overhaul, general tweaks here and there.
14/10/2011 - v0.5 - Another graphics change, expansions made tighter and more defendable.

Concerns:

Nothing stands out to me right now - what am I missing?

Download:

None yet.

Other maps by me:
(2) Heartstone Canyon
(2) Heimdall's Sanctuary
(2) Mountain Retreat

FoxyMayhem

624 Posts

September 08 2011 05:57 GMT

It feels like the center has some wasted space, like the map could be compressed. I don't know if you're done with the texturing or not, but it could use some more love before you submit it. Also, the area outside the natural seem excessively large, at least from what I can tell of the pictures.

The difficulty of holding the third sure does seem Blizzard-like (excluding Antiga) XD.

I think you can get it working. Hope that helps!

eTcetRa

Australia822 Posts

September 08 2011 09:54 GMT

If it were really blizzard style the third would have rocks ^.^

LunaSaint

United Kingdom620 Posts

September 15 2011 05:06 GMT

Mmm, small update. All this drama in the MotM thread got me motivated to really put my back into this one.

Screwed a lot with the lighting, but I think I finally have it how I want. Some of the lit-up patches might be a little bright, but that's easy enough to fix without changing the rest of the map.

I really don't know what to do about those towers though. :/

vol_

Australia1608 Posts

September 15 2011 07:16 GMT

LunaSaint

United Kingdom620 Posts

September 15 2011 07:26 GMT

Yeah, pretty much. I was talking a housemate that's always playing MtG in an attempt to think of a good name, and this popped into my head, though I'd seen the card like once.

Fit the bill perfectly name-wise as I wanted to make a canopy on top of a mountain.

vol_

Australia1608 Posts

September 15 2011 08:46 GMT

My nick originated from an MtG card, Magic = infinite source of awesome names for shit.
The map looks awesome and the name really suits it, I especially like the lighting, makes it kinda mystical.
My favorite part about the layout is how wide the natural is which makes FFE harder combined with how many possible counter-attack paths there are on this map will favor zerg I feel in the current meta game, which makes me happy ^_^

Edit: hmm now that I look at it again I wonder, can you wall off the natural with 3 buildings? Looks deceptively wide to me i think haha

LunaSaint

United Kingdom620 Posts

September 15 2011 09:27 GMT

If you wall off from the side of the main-nat ramp (vertically) it's 3 3x3 buildings and a 2x2

If you wall off from the natural ramp (diagonal) it's 4 3x3 buildings, but opens up that side-route (vision blocked, but defender has high ground vision from main-nat ramp)

Not sure if a sentry on the main-nat ramp can force field the side-route on its own. Should probably check.

LunaSaint

United Kingdom620 Posts

October 14 2011 22:25 GMT

Update~
Map should be a good deal less overagressive now.

oOOoOphidian

United States1402 Posts

October 15 2011 01:49 GMT

#10

Good map, but please move the high ground raised area further from the natural.

Praetorial

United States4241 Posts

October 15 2011 02:34 GMT

#11

Other than saying that this is the most beautiful map I have yet seen...

jsemmens

United States439 Posts

October 15 2011 14:42 GMT

#12

I think that the three main paths across the map being so far from each other might lead to a large number of base-trade scenarios (could be good or bad, just pointing it out). Sort of reminds me of Metalopolis in that respect, which is a very good map.

Ragoo

Germany2773 Posts

October 15 2011 15:55 GMT

#13

Fucked up light? Looks distracting.

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