Name Orbit Brutus Version 0.2 Bounds 150x166 Bases 12 Published Privately; soon on US and SEA
Map of the month update! Aesthetics have been mostly completed and the lighting has been updated. Notable changes include: Bounds decreased. Chokes created and removed in certain areas. Third Base significantly tighter. Orientation of LOSB's changed outside third. High ground between natural and fifth made into low ground (path from natural still exists via ramp. LOSB's added between path from middle to fourth. Destructible debris added to ramps from center to high ground near natural (not blocking). Rocks removed from small path to fifth. High ground pod (with ramp) behind sixth base. Mid ground pods between low ground and high ground main, to allow cliff-walking in places. Added three hidden crows to be found. Enjoy that one :D
It takes 1 creep tumour to connect a Zerg's main to it's natural, 2 to connect that natural to the third, and another 3 to connect the third to the fourth. The choke at the natural can be blocked in multiple ways, either with three 3x3 buildings, or you can leave a gap. Also behind the third is a small high ground pod that a Terran can drop onto to harass the mineral line, but the pod is not too large.
Name Orbit Brutus Version 0.1 Bounds 160x162 Bases 12 Published Privately; soon on US and SEA
This map originally started out a lot smaller but had a lot of issues with CS and having your fifth directly under the main, so it became necessary to increase the bounds and space out the map, overall I believe the map has turned out fairly well but I need your feedback to make it great! Currently I do not have any huge concerns but i am a little blind so help me out! Thanks for checking out my map and hope to hear from you all! Aesthetics Incomplete
It takes 1 creep tumour to connect a Zerg's main to it's natural, 2 to connect that natural to the third, and another 3 to connect the third to the fourth. The choke at the natural can be blocked in multiple ways, either with three 3x3 buildings, or you can leave a gap. Also behind the third is a small high ground pod that a Terran can drop onto to harass the mineral line, but the pod is not too large.
Nice texturing. I think the 4th etc. bases are fine, I´d rather bother with the 3rd. I´d cut the center, small path leading to the natural. Unless your testing proved it to be fine. The problem is that Zerg can split up their forces much more effectively.
The map looks slightly cramped and I have to go with templar on this one, theres no way to have a big engage in an open area since its too easy to control the chokes now (specially T and P)
Aesthetics are yumyum tho!
Maps like these wanna make me install my sc2 and make maps again
1. Widen ramp to base on low ground 2. Widen the path leading from fourth to sixth and remove dead space behind fifth. 3. Same as 2. 4. Move ramp towards low ground (increasing space on high ground). 5. Add rocks between third and fourth to create a defensible choke (really not sure about this).
Would love some solid feedback before I go further
All above changes have been made, work on the aesthetics are well under way. Not quite sure if I should keep those rocks on the ramp to the centre bases or not. Also made the centre less chokey.
Im not sure, you are really forcing all the plays to happen in mid with those rocks. Theres alternative routes but they are waaaaay far away, not to mention they are spotted by the xelnagatowers
Map looks good. I like it. Too many choke points though. I'd take the dead space out of the middle and replace it with sight blockers and really widen the choke leading to the open space in front of the naturals and thirds.
On June 22 2012 22:29 MQM5K wrote: Map looks good. I like it. Too many choke points though. I'd take the dead space out of the middle and replace it with sight blockers and really widen the choke leading to the open space in front of the naturals and thirds.
Funny you mention that part about the middle I was thinking that myself!!
This is a very well made standard 2p map, both layout and aesthetics. Congrats you don't suck as a mapmaker at all!
It's sad that there is quite some wasted space next to the mains and third. I guess you could at least use some of it to extend main size to 35 CCs. Also you could make some of the space next to third highground to make air harrass easier. I expect extraordinary aesthetics work in these areas to make up for how shitty they are
Both middle options are fine. I think I prefer the open one cos all the bases are kinda choky already.
I prefer option B, less choky, even though its only applied to one area. I think you still need to make everything less choky, because it's basically guaranteed for big fights for one army to be sandwiched into one choke or with one always having the high ground.
Zergs bitch too much about chokes imo. This map is pretty damn big 160x162 which only favors zerg that much more. The 3rd is easily defendable and open enough that we'll see the good ol' 3 base zerg all the time. I think most map makers now a day are stuck in the past where they feel if the map isn't completely open zerg can't win. Which isn't the case at all now a day especially since infestor play is becoming much more popular. Mutas, Infestors, Banelings, Brood Lords all work extremely fine with chokes.
If anything, the more chokes you have the less good Roach play is which only makes ZvZ and ZvP better because we already see enough Roach vs Roach wars in ZvZ and 3 base Roach against Toss is I swear 75% of the games.
I think you should make the choke in the nat-to-fifth direct path pathable ; forward chokes and additional paths are always cool to have around. Also the nat choke looks linda weir and somewhat inelegant. Couldn't you enlarge it and make it be in the the middle of the wider main-to-third area so it's nicer ?
I know I've posted in this thread already but I didn't really give you any feedback besides saying the amount of chokes in the map is fine and don't listen to all that zerg QQ about too many chokes.
First, add back in the narrow pathway you were just talking about, but make it a little bigger. Make sure the two high ground pods next to it are not pathable. Add LoSB on each entrance to it (The grey lines = LoSB)
Shrink the ramp going to the middle to a double wide instead of a triple wide that it's at now (The Light Blue)
Add a new pathable area behind your natural that gives some high ground coverage to the third. This will help out a lot for protoss and terran, since the 3rd is a little farther away and more open the high ground will help them defend it easier. Add a little LOSB to that new area behind the natural as well, to add some "security" to drops or sneaky play.
Get rid of the d-rocks by the 3rd. Instead add more pathable high ground (The Light Green) on that side of it. I was thinking adding a ramp where one of the d-rocks is now. It would be a great play to drop some units but wouldn't be that OP since there would be a ramp to get up there.
The two little high ground pods by the NE and SW bases (6ths?) I don't think are needed. They don't do much for gameplay.
Also might want to think about making the d-rocks in the middle just 1 rock instead of the 2 they are now.
I would recommend taking the 2 destructible rocks between the 3rd and the 4th and making one rock on one side of the choke. There's no reason why someone would want to destroy one set but not the other, so I don't think having 2 rocks there is helpful in any way. It only gives you more things to break.
Same with the rocks on the ramps in the middle. I can't really tell from the analyzer, but they look like 2 sets of rocks, in which case they should really just be put together into one big set. If someone wants to break down those rocks offensively, splitting it into 2 parts just makes it harder to clear the ramp for an attack.
Wow ... I really like it. Great job on the aesthetics too - this map has received a lot of love and it shows.
The only thing I can think of right now is that it seems a little tougher to take a fifth base, and your first four bases are always going to be in the same locations. At least that's the way it seems. But it's a minor issue especially since the layout promises some exciting and dynamic games. This map looks like a lot of fun to play, I hope to see it do well in addition to being published on EU. Really nice work.
I actually think you should just get rid of the ramps in the middle that are covered by d-rocks. The more I look at it the more I don't think they are needed at all, especially with the other ramp right next to it. Also shrink the ramps pointing towards the middle by 1. It'll make that 5th a little "easier" to hold.
I think this is a really great looking map. I can't really comment on the balance having not played on it, but if I get a chance and it's on NA I'll certainly give it a shot. One thing that I do not really like is that the LoS blockers are brush; I understand that it's on rock, but space seaweed or whatever it is just looks weird and does not really compliment the rest of the map. I would change them to be smoke screens just because it works better with the space station feel that you are going for. Other than that, I love the way this map looks, keep up the great work! :D
On July 02 2012 00:13 SidianTheBard wrote: I actually think you should just get rid of the ramps in the middle that are covered by d-rocks. The more I look at it the more I don't think they are needed at all, especially with the other ramp right next to it. Also shrink the ramps pointing towards the middle by 1. It'll make that 5th a little "easier" to hold.
I may yet remove the ramps with the rocks, but i don't think I will be reducing the ramp going to middle, though I might move it over a bit.
It won't be droppable in game. If you look at the overview, that cliff is clearly blocked by a doodad. However, I would still be concerned about Siege Tanks being able to hit the natural from the third.
I think that this map would work great with the 6m1hyg concept (and I'm not just saying this because I think the concept is great). If you could really force a thrid from each player I think we could start seeing some serious back-and-forth action and split armies. It has everything a 6m1hyg map needs!
Easy third: Third base is close enough to main and has no rocks/nearby high ground to make third base hard to take
Seperate paths to third: You cannot defend both your third base and your natural by keeping your entire army in one location
Strategic points: Many different areas of the map have strategic value other than "there are minerals here that I must mine/keep the enemy from mining". This will encourage smaller skirmishes around the map as well as fighting in areas other than the paths between the bases.
On July 15 2012 02:12 Kmatt wrote: Did anyone else notice that you can tank drop the cliff behind the natural? I thought we learned from Lost Temple...
It is blocked by a doodad but does not show up on analyzer, will put a no pathing doodad up and reupload the analyzer at some point soon!
I feel like the Xel'Naga towers are too powerful. It feels like you can literally control the entire map with 4 lings (one on each tower and one in each choke). Might make the map a little too zerg favored (i'm zerg, so this is actually fine!)
I love this map! Definitely well in the running to win the ProAm. I really hope it doesn't have any fps issues because my god, it's beautiful. My only slight concern is that the rush distance is too long but that's not really a big issue. Also the top left and bottom right aesthetic areas are basically the same, I would have liked them to be differentiated. Other than that, top mapping!
On August 01 2012 18:29 OxyGenesis wrote: I love this map! Definitely well in the running to win the ProAm. I really hope it doesn't have any fps issues because my god, it's beautiful. My only slight concern is that the rush distance is too long but that's not really a big issue. Also the top left and bottom right aesthetic areas are basically the same, I would have liked them to be differentiated. Other than that, top mapping!
Yes I've slightly ran out of time. Relationship issues, ftl!
Will be working on making some changes to those areas to set them apart.
I didn't think it could be improved so much and so well, since it was already really good as far as I was concerned. But I really like the changes - well, more like adjustments. The previous one looked prettier in the overview because of the dark highround swirling into midmap, but this one seems far more playable and and promotes a more army movement and aggression during mid game. In fact looking at it now, I'm convinced it will make for excellent games.
Great job on the aesthetics too - I think you're gotten very decent mileage out 1400 doodads, the map is jaw dropping. Honestly, I hope this does really well in the ProAm competition. Maybe it can go even further, because it's fucking awesome.
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