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So, I'm not sure if this is the most appropriate catagorization of this post, that is, a discussion post in custom maps. This is kind of half blog, half advertisement for a great custom map. I didn't see an official [MOD] or [A] post for this map and I thought it was worth saying something about.
Part of the reason that I just missed this weekend's map jam is that I have not really kept up with my TL this past two weeks or so. I have been playing Kobold Tribes which Blizzard has promoted in the Arcade, back on November 2nd. The mod has a fairly enthusiastic following thus far and it is not very hard to get a full game going (though not always quite as quickly as something like Nexus Wars or Squadron Tower Defense, both of which I've played a lot of in the past).
The game has been undergoing swift bug fixes by the author Qancakes, and the message board linked above has drawn many players to make suggestions and even make up out-of-game achievements (Titles) because the game is just that fun. I can easily see this game becoming the next DOTA or LOL once all the bugs are patched and things get fleshed out a little more.
There are quite a few "level 20's" (the player level, indicating the number of "perks" you get for having played a lot -- 20 is the current maximum) who have started to do in-house games instead of just the random pub stomping and "stick rushing". There is even going to be a tournament this coming weekend on NA, which I unfortunately will not have the time to particate in, but am considering giving a stab at casting the replays (if anyone has experience with this I'd appreciate a PM with advice =]).
I would invite anyone who is interested in a good team survival/elimination game to give this game a spin, for a few games at least. And please, do the tutorial first... nothing is worse for you or your team than starving the first day because you didn't do the tutorial and learn how to eat. XD
One of the reasons I have really gotten into this game is that it sort of fills that void that D2 left for me, in the sense of partying together and managing an inventory and the twitchiness. I'm sure others might have found this in places like D3 and WOW, but I bought SC2. =D So if you are looking for that experience and enjoy some PvP, this is a good game for you, too.
A basic rundown of the game is as follows. Teams are of five Kobolds who start at the upper-left and lower-right corners of the screen. The map is asymmetrical and has many pathways. Around the map there are many different resources which are harvested in different ways. There are five skills which allow access to different abilities and powers. One of the most important things to figure out early is the manipulation of the backpack and items therein. There is a little button above the patrol button about the size of the Friends list button. There are also three other little slots next to the backpack which are for armor, shield, and weapon. Managing your three personal survival resources, Warmth, Hunger, and Stamina, are just as important as managing your external resources. Most pubs make you rely on figuring out how to play a well-balanced Kobold, but extremely organized team play shows the value of specialization. A strong economic build can be very powerful for the early mid-game, but can be weak to early rushes. As more people become a "level 20" and games become more team strategy oriented, I see a very interesting metagame evolving. It is very fun, and very addicting, and I invite everyone to get in on the action. 
As a side note, I think Blizzard has been doing a decent job with the game highlights. Sometimes after a lot of Kobold Tribes, the guys I play with will hit up Blasterbots, which is like Bomberman for some good old-school fun. Ling Ling rocket was also fun, but doesn't have staying power for me personally. But all in all I think that the official promotions have been pretty successful. Thoughts?
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I find this map more fun than SC2 currently. The problem is that you can be turtling for half an hour and then lose because your opponents counted your build. Thats kinda why I rush every game, since everyone is doing what in SC2 would be considered economy cheese. I've had games where I've won 1v4s with my epic rush build. While having teammates telling me that I'm a scrub because rushing doesn't work.
The biggest problem imho is that if one guy dies early on he basically has to leave since it takes like 10 minutes to revive him, needs to be easier to revive people so there is more "army trading" instead of turtle games.
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To me, this is absolutely the best custom map for sc2 we have had.
Rushing is very powerful indeed. In order to respond to a rush the defending team needs to group up and work together (this ought to be what the defenders advantage is). Often times this doesn't happen, so the rusher will wreck everyone.
The game is the most fun if you group up with people you know and help each other out.
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Ooh, nice to finally see SC2 have its own version of ice troll tribes/jungle troll tribes, those games were great in wc3 :D
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Yeh along with that others said, problem is:
- it's very unnoob friendly, like Star Battle you just get allies who die and are finished within first 1 minute. Some tips and easier to use backpack would be a huge bonus here.
- Every game tends to be the same, you all build up, then a quick battle at the end, the last 2 minutes decide everything. He should alter the map to add more variety. I definetly would recommend maknig the map smaller, like say 20-25% and add most of the rare resources in the center where'd there would be confrontation over.
Because of the above I just got bored of it. I hope he considers a slight radical overhaul as it could be so much better.
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Didn't play it yet... Seems like I should try it asap :D
EDIT: is it possible that the tutorial is kind of bugged? It tells me to kill more wolfs (not the first one) after crafting stuff, no wolfs appear and when the night is over, it's daytime forever and still no wolves anywhere, discovered like half of the map (hard to go further without starving -.-)
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Hey this game is being streamed from one of my clan mates at http://www.twitch.tv/xenchigamer.
We had some good 1v1's tonight if anyone is interested in seeing how this game is being played at the current high level of play. Lot's of different strategies, catch the VODs when they come out!
Hopefully we will be doing more of this soon -- I'll try to get him to register here to make tracking it easier. XD
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KOBOLD TRIBES~! Took a day or so to reach max perks. The sheer map size is what makes Kobold Tribes so addicting. The random world quests and boss challenges are enticing. A usual 3v3 or 5v5 map can run for 45 minutes or double that time if you're good at hit and running. It's like stoned age splinter cell guerrilla warfare, and I love it! One small mistake and you're done for - keeps the adrenaline up!
The best part is taming the pets to create a small personal army. Wolves, Bears, Polar Bears - look so cool roaming a forest chasing down enemy kobolds with your group! Or there is the wizard build, shotgun rifle build, or brute shadowcloak invisibility rush. The mage warrior build seems to be the best early push; although hunkering down next to some turrets and spike traps while your 20 murlocs build the next babylon is great too!
If this map had a dragon quest where you had to hatch its egg to tame it as a pet, I would quit my day job and become internet cafe bum and play this 24/7. If you look at the map, there is a great spot of a dragon island in the bottom left, equidistant from both teams! Implementations for this game are unlimited!
http://i.imgur.com/ogAWG.jpg
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Always good to see this get bumped! Unfortunate that it is so rare. >.<
You should check out koboldtribes.com forums where you can see the latest discussion of the game, including bugs, strategy, and balancing. The map creator, Qancakes, will see suggestions you post there for improvements to the game.
We also had a tournament (run by myself XD) which went quite well. Currently, another regular player has been organizing a 2v2 league, and generally there is an inhouse game that is running each night on NA (sometimes EU).
It would be great to see more people get to know this game, so the next tournament I run will be big. XD
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EPT
