Played around a bit more with the lighting (thanks to iGrok for some inspiration)
Made the center bases into 8 minerals + 2 gas for blizz contest
Changed the fog colour to a red-brown variant to make it look more like a wasteland
iGrok added some omnilights, makes the doodads look even more awesome!
Very minor fixes to pathing and placement grid (some doodads off the map still had a footprint edging into the map)

1.4 (internal release)

Tweaked lighting a tiny bit
Reverted the range of the Xel'naga Watchtower from 14->22 because of contest
Used the height tool to make the textures "pop" more

1.3 (SEA only)

Copied language strings to SEA locale

1.2

Fixed mineral placement on top right and bottom left natural
Reshaped holes around XWT to do away with the small chokes which prevented Siege Tanks and Thors from reaching the tower
Made the little corner on the lowground next to the third ramp and highground pod unpathable
Added no-fly-zones to a high building in top right corner and to cranes in the port to prevent players from hiding air units inside them
Moved some doodads and resized them to make it impossible to hide units inside them
Moved the cars and trashcan in the middle of the map and added unpathable square beneath them to prevent hiding marines and zerglings inside them
Increased exposure for the lighting, to make it easier to see units
Removed large garage doodad from the cliff edge on the bottom left main and replaced with other doodads, this to fix a building placement issue (doodads with a building footprint still keep it even though "Don't Use Doodad Footprint" is checked)
Lowered a building made out of cliffs in the lower left corner from level 3 cliff to level 2 cliff, this to prevent air units from hiding from units placed in the natural (which is on level 2)
Filled the little hole next to the rocks leading to the third (the crevice in the highground pod extending from the main), this to prevent units from hiding there
Lowered parts of the highground pods next to the natural -> third ramp to prevent units from hiding behind that 2 step cliff drop

1.1

Fixed pathing in a few highgrounds outside the normal ground pathing area

This map is meant to be a stable macro-ish 4-spawn map. I began with the terminus idea of a main-nat-third, but opened up the third and made the natural wall behind the ramp down to the third, this to make it harder to reach that 3-base which is very common on terminus. It is smaller, as I feel that Terminus is a bit too large, and I have compensated by adding additional paths through the middle and a watchtower which covers most of the middle ground.

So the main differentiating feature compared to terminus is how the third and its backdoor is placed; it enables for easier counter attacks and also an additional path to use to break a contain. It also opens up the map more and enables a better expansion pattern than what terminus does.

We have really tried to create a unique aesthetic feel for this map, and I hope you agree with us. The basic idea was an abandoned city which is partially destroyed and decayed.

This map will be used in NASL Open Tournament which will happen between 2nd and 9th October.

Hope you like it!

Overview:

Tilted Overview
Warning: ~4 MiB files

Stats:
Name: TPW Concrete Dreams
Authors: Layout: NullCurrent, Aesthetics: NullCurrent, Johanaz, Meltage, Mereel, Lefix
Type: melee
Spawns: 4
Map Size: 148x148 (playable)
Bases: 16 (16 x 8 mineral + 2 gas)
Watchtowers: 1
Rocks: 4
Tileset: Tyrador + Tarsonis + Port Zion
Number of Doodads: 2134
Rush-distance: ~116 close, ~142 cross

Analyzer:
+ Show Spoiler +

Images:
+ Show Spoiler [TPW Logo on billboard] +

+ Show Spoiler [Abandoned Garden] +

+ Show Spoiler [Blocked Highway] +

+ Show Spoiler [Trainyard] +

+ Show Spoiler [Canyon with rail] +

+ Show Spoiler [Earthquake Signs] +

+ Show Spoiler [Port] +

+ Show Spoiler [Port, more] +

+ Show Spoiler [Rob's Guns] +

+ Show Spoiler [Failed Invasion] +

+ Show Spoiler [Ruins] +

+ Show Spoiler [Failing Generator] +

+ Show Spoiler [Central XWT] +

+ Show Spoiler [Rocks and highground-pod] +

+ Show Spoiler [Dark alley] +

+ Show Spoiler [Billboard] +

+ Show Spoiler [Texturing example] +

+ Show Spoiler [Vanity shot in the middle] +

+ Show Spoiler [Another Texturing example] +

+ Show Spoiler [Natural wall-in] +

+ Show Spoiler [Old Lighting (1.2)] +

Idianci

United States4 Posts

September 14 2011 19:16 GMT

Looks like a mix between Crevasse and Xel'Naga Fortress. I like it though, the destructible debris to the third will make the Xel'Naga Starting location layout alot better. Good aesthetics also. Only thing, watch tower looks like it will be unbalanced for terran siege tank lines since its such a small choke from each direction into it.

LunaSaint

United Kingdom620 Posts

September 14 2011 19:17 GMT

Oh my word, this is mindblowingly beautiful.

Love the little PTW logo and really can't wait to see how this plays out.

Randomaccount#77123

United States5003 Posts

September 14 2011 19:23 GMT

--- Nuked ---

LaLuSh

Sweden2358 Posts

September 14 2011 19:25 GMT

I approve of this map.

My concern was also about terran siege tank pushes on vertical positions when watching the overview pic of the map. But upon playing on the map you realize there are more than plenty counter-attack and flank paths. Something that always benefits a skilled player. The expansions close to the middle are easier to hold than the overview pic would have it seem. Plenty of space surrounding them.

IveReturned

Turkey258 Posts

September 14 2011 19:40 GMT

holy.... these doodads ARE GOOD (and well placed) MAN :D

FoxyMayhem

624 Posts

September 14 2011 19:40 GMT

My my my those aesthetics are gorgeous! Such a cool map. I'm glad to hear it will be used in NASL.

FlaShFTW

United States10231 Posts

September 14 2011 19:47 GMT

Almost exactly like Terminus SE, but better. I LOVE IT!!! OMFG you are amazing.

100/10

SidianTheBard

United States2474 Posts

September 14 2011 20:00 GMT

Nullcurrent, so good.

NullCurrent

Sweden245 Posts

September 14 2011 20:06 GMT

#10

On September 15 2011 05:00 SidianTheBard wrote:
Nullcurrent, so good.

You have to thank the others in the team too, they helped quite a lot with the aesthetics

This made it possible to keep the high level of detail over most of the map.

Samro225am

Germany982 Posts

September 14 2011 20:19 GMT

#11

very good map, clean but super detailed aesthetics. love it!

Ragoo

Germany2773 Posts

September 14 2011 21:01 GMT

#12

I said this in the MotM thread already but this map is fucking genius and the logical next step of Terminus.

Also the aesthetics are probably the best I have ever seen in a map!!

And you know your map is incredible when Lalush comes by to tell you he approves of it :O

WniO

United States2706 Posts

September 14 2011 21:20 GMT

#13

the outside and overall doodads are phenomenal but the actual playable area looks bare from the overview, maybe its just the dark approach but it could be too dark

NullCurrent

Sweden245 Posts

September 14 2011 21:40 GMT

#14

On September 15 2011 06:20 WniO wrote:
the outside and overall doodads are phenomenal but the actual playable area looks bare from the overview, maybe its just the dark approach but it could be too dark

On the overview, the textures are blurry, so you can't draw a conclusion from that. And I've tried to make the lighting seem like night, yet not too dark. Not completely sure if I succeeded, we have to consult iGrok

Look at the texturing example at the bottom of the OP, I've really tried to make them "pop" so the playable area won't seem to be bare (even though we don't have that much in the way of interfering).

+ Show Spoiler [Another texture shot] +

Antares777

United States1971 Posts

September 14 2011 22:23 GMT

#15

You did a fantastic aesthetic job on this map! It is definitely better than Terminus and looks very balanced from the overview!

EatThePath

United States3943 Posts

September 15 2011 01:30 GMT

#16

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing NASL games on this. I know it draws its lineage from Terminus, but personally I feel it's a completely different beast. I also think it carves out a nice little zone outside the standard space of 4p rotational thus far. Incidentally, I nevertheless highly approve of the MotM#9 judges' decision to leave it out as a nod to aforementioned 4p abundance; I have a feeling you don't really mind 'cause it will be used in a tournament anyway.

Really ~~nice~~ excellent work from you and the team.

DaDon420

United States16 Posts

September 15 2011 04:09 GMT

#17

Is it possible to get this map loaded on the NA servers would love to try it. Me and my brother love coming to the custom map page and find a few new maps to battle on for the night.

child7of7christ

United States14 Posts

September 15 2011 04:09 GMT

#18

is this available for download on NA??

eTcetRa

Australia822 Posts

September 15 2011 04:39 GMT

#19

When I first seen this on MOTM 9 i completely dismissed it as a terminus clone, but seeing it here.

Wow.

Unreal aesthetics job, and the small layout changes make this a stand-alone in comparison to terminus.

Excellent work!

Also who did the aesthetics work? The entire TPW team?