Published Name: [themusic] - Stellaris Seabed
Size: 144x134
Main to main: 44 sec

Deep sea aesthetics with a central high risk/high reward base. Feedback welcome

Art stuff:
+ Show Spoiler +

ZigguratOfUr

Iraq16955 Posts

January 07 2019 07:03 GMT

Nice to see rich vespene geysers being used now that they've gotten a visual update. Not a huge fan of the layout--those bases feel like they're a bit too much in the way of everything.

themusic246

United States214 Posts

January 07 2019 09:13 GMT

Yea i suppose they are intentionally in the way, trying to mix things up while still having a standard-ish early game layout. I think there is enough alternate pathing to keep things spicy though. Anything specific you would change?

Solstice245

United States145 Posts

January 07 2019 19:18 GMT

Nice work once again! I do have a few suggestions though. On those middle high ground bases, I think I personally would make the blocked ramp 3 widths, as opposed to 2. Perhaps use the protoss geyser variant for the high ground bases? (At least, where possible) Lastly, I feel like the transition from the mid to low ground textures could be improved, it looks a bit too cut and dry to me as it is now.

blunderfulguy

United States1415 Posts

January 08 2019 00:17 GMT

I like the aesthetics, although I can't help but feel that it's really, really missing a giant shark or bizarre sea monster roaming around the corners of the map or at least casting a shadow around the central bases. Sort of in line with Solstice's comment, I'm a big fan of really dirty ramps, especially low to mid ground.

ZigguratOfUr

Iraq16955 Posts

January 08 2019 03:25 GMT

On January 07 2019 18:13 themusic246 wrote:
Yea i suppose they are intentionally in the way, trying to mix things up while still having a standard-ish early game layout. I think there is enough alternate pathing to keep things spicy though. Anything specific you would change?

Possibly shrink the center bases, so that armies can go around them a bit quicker. It's a bit awkward since you need the gases out of the way, but maybe you can do that by rotating the base so that the gases are bot/top-side? It feels like the way things are currently, you could end up with a lot of "two ships passing in the night" into accidental base trade scenarios.

As for the transition between the textures from the midground to the lowground, I don't think they're too bad. They could use a little more blending, but too much clarity is better than not enough imo. (Sorry Solstice, I liked the original texturing around the ramps of Kairos Junction a lot better than the ladder version)

themusic246

United States214 Posts

January 08 2019 15:36 GMT

Update OP with changes, thanks for the feedback:

1. Changed highground geysers to shakuras
2. Shrank highground central bases. This also allowed the middle of the map to be less chokey, very good suggestion.
3. Changed central ramp to central bases to be 3x instead of 2x. Thx solstice for the 3x ramp rock trick

4. Smoothed mid to lowground ramp texture transition slightly.. still somewhat contrasty, wanted to keep the readability

PlanetNine_Sc2

9 Posts

March 05 2019 07:12 GMT

Looks very nice. Has it been removed, since i can't find it?

Antares777

United States1971 Posts

March 05 2019 12:31 GMT

Didn't this map used to have a safe third with IZGs slowing drops? What happened to that idea?

The middle here is really strong. I don't think the center bases need to be shrunk, I'm more concerned with how restrictive some of the outside paths are. I think you should add a ramp to the high grounds at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions between the two parallel ramps currently there. Then you can remove the rocks on the ramp it's currently on and replace them on the new ramp. I think this would improve the flow of the map without compromising the high-risk nature of the attack paths.

themusic246

United States214 Posts

March 06 2019 17:18 GMT

#10

Yes, i had an izg idea for a submission to the TLMC, so i just dropped this map from my submissions and reused the aesthetic for the izg map due to time.

With that said, ill probably fix this map up soon as it could be better with some work. Ill make sure the current version in the OP is published, not sure why it isnt, woops!

PlanetNine_Sc2

9 Posts

March 06 2019 21:56 GMT

#11

yeah thx!

ilovegroov

357 Posts

March 09 2019 18:48 GMT

#12

What I don't get about these high risk high reward bases: You can usually only take them if you are already ahead. Then you take them and get more ahead. Its win more. Wheres the fun in that?

PlanetNine_Sc2

9 Posts

March 13 2019 16:17 GMT

#13

Still waiting for the OP version to be available :D

PlanetNine_Sc2

9 Posts

March 18 2019 19:54 GMT

#14

Up up up! 😊

themusic246

United States214 Posts

March 20 2019 03:00 GMT

#15

Uploaded on all servers as [themusic] - Stellaris Seabed

xD

PlanetNine_Sc2

9 Posts

March 20 2019 17:09 GMT

#16

Sounds good! :D

Zweck

Germany211 Posts

March 21 2019 20:14 GMT

#17

Amazing aesthetics. One base too many on the edge for my taste. 4 would have been enough, those two bases in the corners could have been one. Pretty cool map though.