Map By NinjaDuckBob

-- TLMC 6 submission.

-- Updated version of Xel'Naga Vespene Mines, my submission for TLMC5.

-- Published to NA, EU, KR

-- Playable Dimensions: 128x193

-- Rush Distances: Nat to Nat = 60s, Main to Main = 73s

90° Overview

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30° Overview

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Map Analysis Images

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Aesthetics:

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Misc. Info:

-- Watchtowers can view center attack paths and lategame expansions.

-- Center paths and hills allow for different flanking opportunities as well as escape routes.

-- Primary natural choke/wall can be circumvented by the backdoor, accessed by the 3rd's path early in the game and by the far backdoor path later in the game.

-- This backdoor can be walled off for protection of the natural, or left open/rocks destroyed for a reinforcement path to the third and a flanking path against containment strategies and armies approaching the natural through the primary entrance.

-- 8 o'clock high ground 5th rock towers allow players to choose to block pathways or access lategame expansions.

I'm still open to any suggestions regarding it, so any you have are appreciated.

UPDATES 4/22/15:

Aesthetic:

-- Blended textures
-- Added to Xel'Naga Artifact areas outside of 3rd
-- Added unpathable cliffs in the corners to fracture deadspace (also makes a nice art frame)

Gameplay/Design:

-- Rocks @8 o'clock high ground 5th removed
-- Rock towers added @8 o'clock high ground 5th ramps
-- Center long rocks @choke between 4th and center bases removed
-- Choke between 4th and center bases narrowed
-- Unpathable cliff added to large area outside of of 3rd
-- Center bases now hug cliffs of center area

Rukis

United States252 Posts

April 17 2015 17:11 GMT

I like the layout but the biggest thing that bugs me is the unblended texture thats throughout the map.

NinjaDuckBob

189 Posts

April 17 2015 18:11 GMT

Are you talking about the circuits being adjacent to the other textures without blur/smudge? If not, could you give an example of what you speak of?

SwedenTheKid

567 Posts

April 17 2015 18:18 GMT

4-5 bases behind one large choke seems a bit to easy, even with destructible rocks. To be honest, a lot of the rocks just make movement on the map very restricted. I would also push the center bases inward so they hug the middle cliff (might as well make the whole middle high ground... if you want). So yeah, maybe get rid of the rocks blocking the rout around the 3rd, and the ones vertical to the 4th.
I would agree with Rukis about the textures. As an offer, maybe I could download the map on the editor and re-style it. Not that you couldn't on your own, I'm just pretty bored.

Edit- He means the textures look very unnatural due to the lack of blending. The map also lacks any sort of transitional textures. I see what your going for, and it can be done. All you need is a transitional texture and some blending. I did the same thing with ice to make frozen rivers and ponds.

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Pontius Pirate

United States1557 Posts

April 17 2015 21:18 GMT

Aesthetically speaking, this is up there with fruitland and bel'shir beach as one of my all-time favorite maps. But could you explain the center portion a little bit more thoroughly?

NinjaDuckBob

189 Posts

April 17 2015 22:54 GMT

On April 18 2015 03:18 SwedenTheKid wrote:
4-5 bases behind one large choke seems a bit to easy, even with destructible rocks. To be honest, a lot of the rocks just make movement on the map very restricted. I would also push the center bases inward so they hug the middle cliff (might as well make the whole middle high ground... if you want). So yeah, maybe get rid of the rocks blocking the rout around the 3rd, and the ones vertical to the 4th.

After thinking about it some more, I can see how the rocks at the far end of the backdoor might be unnecessary. I'll see what happens when they're removed.

I'm a bit leery about removing the long center rocks at the moment, I don't want the center bases to be too easy to take and I don't want the 4th bases to be too hard to take. What would you think of removing the rocks at the high ground 5th instead to open up the backdoor to the 4th earlier on?

If I did remove the center rocks, do you think it would be beneficial to make the chokes there a little narrower?

I'm a bit confused about your comments on the center bases, I thought they do hug the high-ground cliffs. Do you mean hugging the cliffs to the point of there being no space to build static defense behind the Mineral lines?

I don't know about making the entire middle high ground. I want those side ramps to provide flanking opportunities to that area of the map. However, if you can give me your reasoning for making it all high ground there, I might consider it.

Or do you mean just make the middle two vertical ramps high ground?

On April 18 2015 03:18 SwedenTheKid wrote:
I would agree with Rukis about the textures. As an offer, maybe I could download the map on the editor and re-style it. Not that you couldn't on your own, I'm just pretty bored.

Ahh, okay. I did have transition textures on the previous version of my map, but I wasn't sure if they were necessary here. I'll definitely try to work them back in.

Thanks for the offer, I kinda want to do this one myself, though

Not that I'm not looking for advice as I'm still a fairly new mapmaker but you know

NinjaDuckBob

189 Posts

April 17 2015 23:29 GMT

On April 18 2015 06:18 Pontius Pirate wrote:
Aesthetically speaking, this is up there with fruitland and bel'shir beach as one of my all-time favorite maps. But could you explain the center portion a little bit more thoroughly?

Thank you :-)

On the predecessor to this map, the center was airspace. The only main attack paths were straight down the side or all the way around the other side of the center base area.

I added the ramps and high ground there to allow the players to go for the slightly longer high ground and flanking paths or go for the faster but narrower path straight across. Later in the game when the fourth base is taken, the other side of the center and the other low ground path on the side create more options for attacking and flanking. The players can choose to continue going down the right side, or they can cross the middle of the map and attack from another angle (other options are to use both paths, and the path down the right side bases is also an alternate path).

Battles within the middle of the map can be affected by positional decisions utilizing the low ground. Players can try to escape across it, lure the opponent into it, or pursue the opponent if they have a superior enough force.

Mobile armies can utilize the center to switch sides for flanking or attacking expansions in case a lesser mobile army is on one side of the map.

NinjaDuckBob

189 Posts

April 23 2015 04:07 GMT

UPDATES 4/22/15:

Aesthetic:

-- Blended textures
-- Added to Xel'Naga Artifact areas outside of 3rd
-- Added unpathable cliffs in the corners to fracture deadspace (also makes a nice art frame)

Gameplay/Design:

-- Rocks @8 o'clock high ground 5th removed
-- Rock towers added @8 o'clock high ground 5th ramps
-- Center long rocks @choke between 4th and center bases removed
-- Choke between 4th and center bases narrowed
-- Unpathable cliff added to large area outside of of 3rd
-- Center bases now hug cliffs of center area