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BROKEN EARTH
Version 0.6
Uploaded to: [NA] (0.6) [EU] (0.6) [KR] (0.6) [SEA] (0.6)
Hi guys! It's been a while. I wanted to start a map that I had a decent concept for and wanted to put it to good use. I give you Broken Earth. The initial tileset inspiration was from World of Warcraft's Grizzly Hills territory, and from there I altered it to give a morning fog/dew look. This map is a work in progress to gather critique and make numerous changes.
Map Features:
Size is 128x152
Two (2) watch towers at 9 and 3 o'clock on high ground
Gold bases are easy to take but can be extremely punishable if you're not wise
4th and 5th base are able to be secured without major punishment
Importance of watch towers increase with late game macro
Aesthetics:
+ Show Spoiler +
Change Log:
+ Show Spoiler [Pre-launch modifications] +
1) Gold bases added to center ridges. Surrounding high ground was slightly widened to accommodate.
2) The low ground directly behind the gold minerals (near watch towers) was added. Previously there were pockets of water.
3) The 10 and 4 o'clock bases were changed to standard mineral/gas bases. Previously they were gold.
4) Aesthetics and textures updated.
+ Show Spoiler [Version 0.1] +
1) Pathing added
2) Fog added, minor aesthetic updates
3) Map now published to all servers
4) Fixed various doodad and lighting bugs
+ Show Spoiler [Version 0.2] +
1) Pathing bugs fixed
2) Main bases sizes reduced
3) Small "pad" for reaper and colossi to enter/exit the main bases was increased by one (1) hex
4) Player properties fixed. Previously only one player could play. Now two players may play against each other.
+ Show Spoiler [Version 0.3] +
1) Fixed an issue where one of the gas geysers was not working in either of the main bases
2) Two overlord hiding spots were added
3) Fog and aesthetics updated
4) Pathing updated
+ Show Spoiler [Version 0.4] +
1) After some extensive strategic analysis, the watch towers were moved to high ground
2) Aesthetics and pathing updated
+ Show Spoiler [Version 0.5] +
1) Gold bases moved to low ground, still retaining map concept
2) Base mineral resource counts were fixated to 1500/900 (every other node) instead of 1500/1500 (applies to all bases)
3) Destructible rocks removed from far bases (near mains)
4) Aesthetics and pathing updated, fog reduced for clarity
+ Show Spoiler [Version 0.6] +
1) Bel'shir dirt replaced with Endion dirt, and Tarsonis interior replaced with Tarsonis grass
2) Aesthetics added
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it's early so i won't comment on aesthetics, but the general layout feels pretty good, I like it. I like the XNT placement and the collapsible rocks. Looking at it some more I guess this map functions a bit like Apotheosis. More turtley but less long. With movement in the middle working a tad bit different. Not a pro or con just something I noticed.
nitpicks would be that the main looks like it could be a smidge smaller if you needed it to be (IMO), and the main mineral line should probably be a bit further out from the edge (it currently invites cannon rushes or drops that can't be well dealt with, and there may or may not be a liberator spot that's imba depending on where your bounds are)
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kudos on all the streaming <3
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Looks great, only concern is that it might be hard for Z to stop pushes through the middle-ground hall to the nat against T and P.
I'd increase the space between the ramps proximate to the natural, that way there would be a bit more chance to get decent surrounds if a slow push manages to make it up the distal ramps.
Also, the mineral formations you've used at the naturals allow you to wedge a Marine into the minline and build a bunker to block it. Really annoying thing for a Z to deal with.
Only other note, is that the TR and BL bases are shaped weird. But I don't know if that was intentional.
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I can't help but think there should be another expansion added. At the end of the midground that extends from the natural, in the middle of the map, you should flesh out the space and put a base there. Like this: + Show Spoiler +
It would make use of all the nice terrain in the middle, and allow games to go on a bit longer. As is, this would have been a fine HotS map, but in LotV it's more on the aggressive side.
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I've put thought into a smaller base (minerals and rich gas?) in the middle. Only trouble is that it condenses the middle ground a little, and it just feels like there's a base every way you turn. The idea was brought up a few days ago on stream too, so I'll explore it a little bit. It would be a smaller base so the incentives of taking it in the first place would have to be worth it. Perhaps a gold base, and change current golds to blue?
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IMO decrease the vertical bounds by reducing the main height by ~15-20%, and it looks like the nat/3rd/4th scooching up would be super easy to do because you've got some free space to play with. And then increase the horizontal bounds slightly which would allow you to do both syphon's suggestion and the new expo suggestion.
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Seems the center base idea is popular... Here.
Poll: Should there be a base on the center ridge across from the naturals?Yes (7) 50% No, 6 bases is fine (7) 50% 14 total votes Your vote: Should there be a base on the center ridge across from the naturals? (Vote): Yes
(Vote): No, 6 bases is fine
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I think a base in the middle would just be awkward.
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It obviously wouldn't be an early game base, but you don't give up anything by putting it there, the terrain is already accommodating for one. It gives you more to fight over across the map, making positioning around the middle more interesting. I think it's categorically better with an expansion there.
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How's this?
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/iXBce6z.jpg)
I can accommodate this setup by putting rocks at the gold, or even collapsible ones (so the enemy can block off your gold temporarily). Spacing is a little bit bigger but not super manageable.
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I like that. I would keep it as-is, with no rocks as well. It keeps it open as a new 4th or even 3rd base option.
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Yeah I think another base would be good, don't want to comment on the location though.
But overall fairly standard map. You have some philosophy behind the map, like, what kind of gameplay are you trying to achieve (or maybe none at all)? For example when I was still making maps there was always something I was trying to achieve, be it a quirk of a map, trying to fix balance through the map or encouraging some kind of playstyle. Do you do something similar?
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On July 31 2016 03:51 Aunvilgodess wrote:
Yeah I think another base would be good, don't want to comment on the location though.
But overall fairly standard map. You have some philosophy behind the map, like, what kind of gameplay are you trying to achieve (or maybe none at all)? For example when I was still making maps there was always something I was trying to achieve, be it a quirk of a map, trying to fix balance through the map or encouraging some kind of playstyle. Do you do something similar?
My philosophy used to be specific, like encouraging macro, or aggression, less air, etc.
Things have changed. My philosophy is that every player is different, and I try to make maps that cater to all styles of play as best I can.
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OP updated with version 0.2 of the map. All photos are up to date as well as the change log. Any further critique is helpful.
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Here's a planetary fortress on the gold base. This is to put the base, and the map, into perspective about the proportions.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VowgA9I.jpg)
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Overview updated with minor updates (aesthetics photos are now out-dated).
The map is now published to all servers under the name Broken Earth
Happy testing! Please report all bugs and problems and replays here
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Was going to play an AI game on it, but there's only one team available.
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How is that possible? There are two spawn points enabled. By default it should have two teams. I'll look into it shortly
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player properties -> change player 2 to user i suppose
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I will fix the player properties tonight. Someone also noted that a gas geyser in one of the main bases does not work. Can anyone confirm this?
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Map has now been published as 0.2. Latest version is only updated on NA at the moment.
Small hotfixes were made:
1) Main base sizes were slightly reduced
2) The small "reaper pad" on the main bases was increased by 1 hex to accommodate larger units
3) Player properties was corrected. Two players may now play the map
4) Various pathing bugs fixed
Thanks guys, happy testing, and as always please report any bugs, concerns, or replays here!
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![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/zRCrN5T.jpg)
Hmm...
Also, the AI took the pocket expo below/above the main instead of the third beside the nat. Dunno if you control that or not.
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Interesting. I'll look more into it. Also I don't control what AI does. What they do is irrelevant to what players choose. On other notes, how is the map?
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Looks like you have a hole in the terrain under the geyser.
Map looks good though, I like it with the changes. Welcome back to mapmaking.
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Version 0.3 is now released on all servers. OP updated with fresh images.
Updates:
1) Overlord scouting/hiding spots were added
2) Bugged gas geyser in main bases now work
3) Aesthetics updated
4) Pathing updated
Thank you guys for your continued support
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You should update the picture in the OP with the newest aesthetics. I think thats fairly important in a map post.
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On August 03 2016 23:49 Aunvilgodess wrote:
You should update the picture in the OP with the newest aesthetics. I think thats fairly important in a map post.
I did. Look at the last post I made.
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Version 0.4 released. The watch towers were moved to high ground (next to where they previously were on low ground). Overview updated, aesthetics not up to date.
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Temp0 casted some games on Broken Earth today and they were very exciting to see.
vod: https://www.twitch.tv/temp0_sc/v/84935867
I have noticed a few things:
1) I need to add a second geyser to the gold bases
2) Fog/lighting is a bit bright and hazy and will need to adjust this
3) if gold bases are taken, every large battle takes place at the golds
4) gold bases are taken more frequently than anticipated
5) mineral count for every base needs to be adjusted (i was unaware of the half and half mineral-count bases)
nothing set in stone, but just some things I took from the vod today. Feel free to criticize or post videos or screenshots of any issues you come across. I will continue to work on aesthetics as well. Thank you!
Edit: I will be making some changes to the gold base setup and will post this week on a possible alternative. Currently the gold bases seem easy to grab, somewhat difficult to hold, and especially cramped when large battles occur. I plan to find a solution to this.
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Version 0.5 is now published to all servers. This was a major update to the map that puts it in its final stages of completion.
All photos updated in OP.
1) Gold bases moved to low ground.
Previously the gold bases were on the center high ground plateaus. After a number of quality test games, it has become apparent that high ground golds on this particular map did not bode well with the goal of the concept. Players took the gold bases relatively early in the game and ended up camping on the gold bases. For the defender, no harm no foul. For the attacker however, their "need" for using all other pathways of attack became useless, and the gold bases where the enemy was reinforced on became the one and only objective the entire match. For the attacker, the method of approach was very linear and one-sided with no real option to choose how to engage, leaving the defendant of the gold bases victorious more than 90% of time.
By placing the gold bases on low ground, they've still become easy to take early on, however the attacker now has multiple ways to decide how to engage the gold, whether it's a 2-way attack on low ground, or above the mineral line on high ground and control it from above. This puts the defender at a higher risk and exemplifies the need for scouting. This also makes army placement much more critical depending on how you want to lay out your bases. Not only did the gold bases become a better option on low ground, but it also made it more likely for players to take the far base near the mains, whereas previously they were neglected the majority of each game. This gives new options for base patterns per player's choice.
2) Each mineral line now has 1500/900 fixated minerals (half and half).
It is to my understanding that 4 mineral nodes contain 1500 minerals while the other 4 contain 900. This applies to all bases now.
All other changes are in the changelog in the OP for version 0.5.
please feel free to critique and test the map at your own discretion. For now, no more balance changes are being prioritized as the map now feels more complete than its predecessor version.
thanks
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Close mineral patches should be 1500, and far mineral patches should be 900.
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Been a while, but I updated the map again. I replaced a couple textures and worked on the aesthetics a little more. Border aesthetics are still in the works but I couldn't care less about those.
Current version is now published. Just search Broken Earth
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The mineral patches are still wrong. All the close mineral patches should be 1500 and all the far ones should be 900. Right now they still seem to be placed randomly.
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cool. border aesthetics are the worst to do, it's always my bane. GL with that and the map
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On February 11 2017 12:02 ZigguratOfUr wrote:
The mineral patches are still wrong. All the close mineral patches should be 1500 and all the far ones should be 900. Right now they still seem to be placed randomly.
It's been a while since I worked on the map. I will get it looked at this weekend. Thanks
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Have you considered placing destructible rocks on the high ground above the gold towards the natural? It would make the gold expansions harder to defend against harass, but also provide more defense from your opponent pushing across the high ground. The natural would also be a little more secure.
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On February 12 2017 09:31 Antares777 wrote:
Have you considered placing destructible rocks on the high ground above the gold towards the natural? It would make the gold expansions harder to defend against harass, but also provide more defense from your opponent pushing across the high ground. The natural would also be a little more secure.
I haven't thought of that, I will definitely take a look at that idea. Thanks! Similar to my old map, Ravage.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/BKVkD1u.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/KvyrqOM.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/d2HTX6G.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/vRVs7LU.jpg)
