Non-Ladder Melee Maps - Page 2

Yea, It is alot of times the Air balance of SC2 that prevents Island maps.

Terran have a massive advantage. Asside from a much easier expanding it is also just the terran Air structure.
There are really no other air unit that really likes to engage vikings. Mutas and Phoenixes are technically cost efficiant but it is still a messy battle for both sides. Now if the terran adds Raven, then there are no way for to beat that air force.

There is also the scouting factor.

Alot of the changes coming in HOTS actually helps the potential balance for island map alot through. Protoss got research free Hallucination and Mothership core which means they finally got Air scouting early enough. Terrans got their scan or they can use a scouting factory(no really they wouldn't need it for anything else). And Zergs got their good old overlords.

Scouting would be sorted. Now for expansion pattern.

Zerg is screwed backwards three times over in this matter. Forcing Lair before even the natural can be taken will majorly hinder any chance of proper balance. A thought i have toyed with was to have a creepridden expansion on the main island where the tumor actually didn't block placing the expansion down. Now it would be far enough away so that once the tumor is removed it would take no longer than 10 seconds before the expansion can be placed down for Terran and Protoss.

This will allow Zerg to do a Hatch first, while Protoss will need to get a mothership core or do a forge fast expand. Terran will do a 1 rax expand wasting a scan for that. But Zerg will still need that Lair for getting their Third which is still bad. But better than for the natural.

Now as for the immence initial advantage of terran with their flying CCs, i think it could be mitrigated by making the island map a 4 player map. Terran got the least mobile initial air scouting. Overlords and hallu phoenixes will find your base eventually. But using scans purely for locating a base on four player map is risky. Letting Terrans play abit in the dark and having to play safe with their (Vastly superior) initial Air defences would force them to stop somewhat in the reckless initial expansion. Risking a 1 base Oracle rush or 2 base mutas with limited scouting options should limit the use of "4 CC into 9 port Viking/Raven/BC Build"

I think it could work in HOTS. I am not so sure about WOL.