This first TLMC of LotV attempted to build upon previous iterations by introducing quite a few new features such as the introduction of categories, a tournament designed to showcase all the finalists, and an iteration phase designed to get the best versions of maps possible. In addition, the number of finalists was increased from seven to fifteen, allowing us to show off more maps than ever.
Now, after weeks of designing, judging, testing, iterating, and voting, the results are in! We are now ready to announce the winners of TLMC7.
Prizing
All finalists will receive a custom community commander portrait. In addition, the authors of the top five maps will receive the following prizes, all provided by Blizzard.
First - $1,000 Second - $500 Third - $250 Fourth - $150 Fifth - $100
Winners
FIFTH PLACE
Gojira Greenhouse | Avex
Gojira Greenhouse by popular mapper Avex comes in fifth with 40.5% of voters siding with the gold category map. Gojira Greenhouse features a unique usage of gold bases, where the gold base protecting the natural can be mined by a macro hatch or cc. It is additionally possible for some players to expand clockwise and take the 9 or 3 o'clock gold as their third. Mining either gold, however, will open up additional attack paths to your bases, so players won't be able to simply turtle with their superior economy.
Avex is most known for the recent ladder map Invader. He has also places 6th and 14th in TLMC7 with his other submissions, Namaste and Caldeum Plateau. Avex will be taking home $100 for his effort.
FOURTH PLACE
Galactic Process | NewSunshine
Galactic Process by NewSunshine received 43.7% support from the public with many commenting that it bears an eerie resemblance to possibly the most popular map of all time, Cloud Kingdom. This resemblance helps make it an extremely solid macro map. The Tasteless Secret Hallways running along the edges of the map and allowing access to the natural is a bit of a throwback to Xel'Naga Caverns, another classic map from Wings.
NewSunshine is most known for making Retribution, a 4v4 map that placed 3rd in TLMC#2's teamplay contest. It was introduced to the 4v4 ladder in 2013. NewSunshine walks home with $150 for his 4th place finish.
THIRD PLACE
Annihilation Station | Meavis
Just a very solid macro map is one way to describe Annihilation Station, a map that garnered the support of 47.2% of voters. Though countless standard maps were submitted to TLMC7, Annihilation seems to stand above the rest in terms of execution, thanks to its solid expansion pattern and layout. If selected for ladder, Annihilation has the potential to become the next Daybreak or Overgrowth.
This is Meavis's first TLMC finish though he is no stranger to mapmaking as he is the leader of the Starcraft Mapmaking Association. Meavis will take away $250 for his first win.
SECOND PLACE
Apotheosis | NegativeZero
Apotheosis is a vibrant 2-player map that caught the attention of 48.2% of voters. As a tall map that sports many chokes, many may liken Apotheosis to the WoL map, Crossfire. However, unlike Crossfire, Apotheosis happens to be a more macro-oriented map with elegant expansion layouts. One of the more unique features of the map is all of the bridges that players need to cross in order to get the other side of the map. While the paths may seem straightforward, armies are likely to get choked up as they make this trek. Another interesting feature of the map is the choice between an exposed gold and a safer blue base as the third, which should lead to a variety of styles being viable.
NegativeZero is most known for creating TLMC6 winner Terraform, yet another map that tiptoes the line between standard and revolutionary. NegativeZero will take the second place prize of a whopping $500.
FIRST PLACE
New Gettysberg | Jacky
Polling at 54.2%, New Gettysberg was the only map to gain majority support from the public. The "New" map was not only a novel island map, it also introduced the concept of air blockers to allow these islands to be more easily defended.
When it was initially submitted, there were concerns that the map was too gimmicky and that the island bases would never be used. New Gettysberg proved us wrong, however, as it provided, on average, better games than most of its competition in the BasetradeTV tournament. Most notably, Lambo vs Beastyqt showed us a split-map type of game the likes we've never seen before. If Scarlett vs Bomber is a testament to Habituation Station's promise as a map, then Lambo vs Beastyqt is that for New Gettysberg. Maps like Outboxer have shown in the past that builds specific to island bases can be powerful in the right circumstances, and we're sure that New Gettysburg will be no different in producing interesting strategies.
Possibly the most seasoned mapmaker in the entire contest, Jacky has crafted the following maps:
Crossfire
Xel'Naga Fortress
Crevasse
Calm before the Storm
Not only will Jacky now be able to add New Gettysburg to this already impressive list, he will also be richer $1,000.
See you next season!
With that, TLMC7 comes to a close. From our end, it was the most successful TLMC yet and we were really satisfied with how we were able to showcase so many maps. Thanks to Jer, The_Templar, Teoita, and Theo for their hard work as part of TL_Strategy. Thanks to Blizzard again for working with us closely on this and giving us the opportunity to make a difference in the next ladder pool (and of course for the $2,000 prize pool). Special thanks to Psione; this was his final project as SC2 community manager and he certainly went out with a bang.
Now that the contest has concluded, it's in Blizzard's hands to pick the maps for the next season of ladder. We look forward to hear which of the fifteen finalists will make it!
On June 11 2016 05:30 Plexa wrote: Who'd have thought that macro maps would be popular :3
Congratulations to the winners!
Also this is the first time that a Korean has won TLMC! Somewhat surprising when you think about it.
I wonder if Jacky being a Korean made KeSPA more open to immediately adding Gettysberg to the PL map pool before the contest was even finished. I'm sure it facilitated making adjustments to the map for them.
On June 11 2016 05:30 Plexa wrote: Who'd have thought that macro maps would be popular :3
Congratulations to the winners!
Also this is the first time that a Korean has won TLMC! Somewhat surprising when you think about it.
I wonder if Jacky being a Korean made KeSPA more open to immediately adding Gettysberg to the PL map pool before the contest was even finished. I'm sure it facilitated making adjustments to the map for them.
oh for sure, korean mapmakers have always had an easier time getting their maps used this is no secret.
But anyhow, congrats to the winners, specially sunshine, nice to see you there buddy!
^ Yeah this, I am super happy with these winners, congrats everyone! At the same time I would have loved to have seen a couple more edgier maps, but these are so solid and good how can you complain. Interesting numbers, close contest. :D
On June 11 2016 06:07 SidianTheBard wrote: Congratulations to the winners! I would have loved to see Korhal Killzone up there just so I could walk away with some $$$ but I"m overall happy. =)
Now, to see which of the maps Blizzard picks for ladder. New Gettysberg obviously but I wonder out of the other 14 maps which 3 will Blizzard pick!
Hmmmm!
Blizzard's original intention was probably to get one map from each category, but with the level of maps being so uneven between each categories, who knows. And even if they did go for one per category I'm unsure which "Rush map" and which "Macro map" they'd pick.
Isn't Frozen Zone almost a given because it's the only 4-spawn map in the TLMC finals? I can't imagine they want to have Frost as the only 4-spawn map in the next ladder pool, but I also doubt they'll go scraping for maps who didn't make the finals.
The finalists are all pretty solid so I'd be happy with any 5.
That said it's a little disappointing that the top 4 are all large standard-ish macro maps. (even new gettysburg is just a large macro map with a couple wrinkles that won't even be used in a lot of games)
I guess that is just what the public will always vote for, but ah. People are so boring. Hoping the next TLMC brings some way to break this pattern.
On June 11 2016 06:17 Elentos wrote: Isn't Frozen Zone almost a given because it's the only 4-spawn map in the TLMC finals? I can't imagine they want to have Frost as the only 4-spawn map in the next ladder pool, but I also doubt they'll go scraping for maps who didn't make the finals.
It's a two in one map, so not really a four spawn map either. Also it isn't a very good map.
The lack of 4 player maps is due to four-player maps being harder to get right than 2 player maps. Also people don't seem to like four player maps much due to added variance of scouting the wrong way which is a shame.
On June 11 2016 06:36 ZigguratOfUr wrote: Also it isn't a very good map.
I mean, I can accept the rest of what you said, but when is the last time this argument stopped a map from making ladder?
When Biome wasn't added to the map pool after winning TLMC4.
So yeah, that's a while ago. Keep in mind that that argument wasn't good enough for Ulrena, Prion Terraces, Dash and Terminal, etc.
And I'm sure Blizzard would want to keep it to at least 2 4-spawn maps, right? 6 2-player maps, 1 4-player map (and one that's from HotS no less?) doesn't seem varied enough for Blizzard's tastes.
On June 11 2016 06:36 ZigguratOfUr wrote: Also it isn't a very good map.
I mean, I can accept the rest of what you said, but when is the last time this argument stopped a map from making ladder?
When Biome wasn't added to the map pool after winning TLMC4.
So yeah, that's a while ago. Keep in mind that that argument wasn't good enough for Ulrena, Prion Terraces, Dash and Terminal, etc.
And I'm sure Blizzard would want to keep it to at least 2 4-spawn maps, right? 6 2-player maps, 1 4-player map (and one that's from HotS no less?) doesn't seem varied enough for Blizzard's tastes.
They most likely wouldn't be completely happy about it.
Maybe next map contest we'll get a "not 2 spawn map" category then. It wouldn't be bad category either, certainly much broader than "interesting gold usage". Or maybe Blizzard will make a four-player map for the next map pool. Either option seem more likely than Frozen Zone making it especially since there are so many better "large macro maps" in the contest.
I only voted for 2 out of the 5 (annihilation station, gorija) I don't think other maps will offer such good gameplay in the long term, Apotheosis is too big, new gettysburg is boring
On June 11 2016 07:00 Nerchio wrote: I only voted for 2 out of the 5 (annihilation station, gorija) I don't think other maps will offer such good gameplay in the long term, Apotheosis is too big, new gettysburg is boring
4 player maps are.. to be brutally honest: straight garbage most of the time. There's very little reason to make one. Lots of negatives, rarely any positives.
The negatives: - Scouting wrong is just dumb RNG that we don't need in the game, and sometimes even results in BO losses, or if not then it can eventually lead to a loss because you got slightly behind and could never quite catch up. - Very difficult to balance non-cross positions - Which leads to them usually being fixed to cross only. - But if a map is cross only, then it might as well have been a 2p map to begin with, because now you just have a bloated overly large 2p map that isn't as good as it could be because it has to be symmetrical in 4 quadrants and have enough bases for 4 quadrants.
The positives: - if you can actually balance the non-cross positions, then you can have different games depending on spawns which is sometimes cool. Although scouting RNG is still stupid.
So basically you have a ton of risk and very little reward. Do we really have to have a 4p map in the pool? :-\
On June 11 2016 15:37 Fatam wrote: 4 player maps are.. to be brutally honest: straight garbage most of the time. There's very little reason to make one. Lots of negatives, rarely any positives.
The negatives: - Scouting wrong is just dumb RNG that we don't need in the game, and sometimes even results in BO losses, or if not then it can eventually lead to a loss because you got slightly behind and could never quite catch up. - Very difficult to balance non-cross positions - Which leads to them usually being fixed to cross only. - But if a map is cross only, then it might as well have been a 2p map to begin with, because now you just have a bloated overly large 2p map that isn't as good as it could be because it has to be symmetrical in 4 quadrants and have enough bases for 4 quadrants.
The positives: - if you can actually balance the non-cross positions, then you can have different games depending on spawns which is sometimes cool. Although scouting RNG is still stupid.
So basically you have a ton of risk and very little reward. Do we really have to have a 4p map in the pool? :-\
Four player maps play out differently than two player maps. First of all a few builds are much much weaker (proxy-rax reaper, cannon rushes etc). Second of all managing scouting RNG is a skill. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you get unlucky; a great player can leverage or mitigate that variance (most players still hate it though). There's a reason why in some match-ups you scout cross first in BW for example. Or sometimes send out two workers to scout. And then there's the positive you mentioned: that if you do do everything right, you get different games on different spawns, which is something you can't get with two player maps.
All that being said, while it's desirable to have a 4p map in the pool, if there isn't a good one, Blizzard shouldn't go out of their way to put one in. Of course the fact that most mapmakers aren't fond of 4p maps due to how hard they are to get right does mean we're less likely to get a good one in the future too.
Second of all managing scouting RNG is a skill. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you get unlucky; a great player can leverage or mitigate that variance
part is kind of BS. Great players can make the best of any terribly designed thing in any game, and they do because they love the game overall, but that doesn't make it a good thing.
edit: sort of back on-topic: I am also sad that Shiva + Korhal didn't place. I also liked Paladino. Although maybe even more than those I would have liked to see more action on Dasan now that is has been revamped. Looks like it has potential.
Namaste and Shive were so close, votede for both of them :/.
I did not vote for new Gettysburg because of the 2 islands in the middle were just too much, but Blizzard said that the map was already changed for the ladder and those bases are no longer islands. I would've voted for New Gettysburg too if I had know about that change, well deserved first place!
On June 11 2016 18:39 Musicus wrote: Congrats to the mapmakers!
Namaste and Shive were so close, votede for both of them :/.
I did not vote for new Gettysburg because of the 2 islands in the middle were just too much, but Blizzard said that the map was already changed for the ladder and those bases are no longer islands. I would've voted for New Gettysburg too if I had know about that change, well deserved first place!
The new version we'll see in Proleague and probably on ladder:
In Proleague there was a graphic likening it to a mixture of Ulrena and Akilon Wastes.
I'll be honest, I'm somewhat disappointed in these results. I never liked New Gettysburg, and honestly? Galactic Process is nothing but a reskinned Cloud Kingdom. How it made it into fourth is beyond me. Annihilation Station reminds me of Daybreak and Cloud Kingdom, too, so... I'm not sure about it making third place.
Having voted for all of AVEX's maps, Flame Juggler and Aiur Plateau... I'm disappointed on how little my voting influenced anything. Oh well, guess I'll have another map to veto coming next season with New Gettysburg. At least Gojira made it to fifth, I suppose.
Results I can get behind, for once. I like how mostly macro standardish maps came out of the context and look forward to see some of them incorporated to ladder.
I think it's probable that the map got a bit lucky in the limited games that we got in the tourney. As the old adage goes, just because a map has some good games on it, does not mean it's because of the map (or something to that effect). SC2 is a great game with some creative and entertaining players, and so entertaining games can happen even on the worst of maps (as we've clearly seen in the past).
That said I think the map is solid and inoffensive. I have no major qualms with it. Although I do think the expansions and some of the terrain features could have been much more interesting without making things imbalanced.
On June 12 2016 10:00 Qwyn wrote: Of all the new maps, New Gettysburg is the most boring...
Why does the most boring, most standard map get first place?
Remove the islands, and it's the most boring map in the pool. Not to mention Blizzard's version is modified so that it only has two islands.
Seriously people?
The TLMC proved it was anything but boring. The tournament won it for the map.
I watched the whole tournament, and I still stand by my opinion that the map was boring! (Partly as Fatam said, but also because split map late game is not that interesting to me).
The only interesting feature are the islands. The race best equipped to take advantage of them (as we saw IN the tournament) is Terran (Toss and Zerg can too, is true).
Now two of the islands have been removed and the map looks even more like a (better) version of Newkirk Precinct.
I just feel that there are a few maps more deserving of the #1 spot. This map is too big. It's going to lead to split map late game more often than not.
I'm of the opinion that you can build a macro map that encourages a lot of aggression without acquiescing quietly to a split map T3 turtle-fest.
Regardless, props to ALL the mapmakers who submitted. You guys continually impress me with how gosu you are at making maps every time around.
Seriously, map making is the most underappreciated part of SC. You guys killed it. Hoping for an incredible map pool next season .
>> NegativeZero, Blizzard has confirmed that the PL version of Gettysburg will end up being the ladder version, thus my prior statements. See the latest community feedback update.
Also just wanted to say that I am really looking forward to Apoth in the ladder next season, and that IMHO you have the strongest handle on proper map proportions.
On June 11 2016 18:39 Musicus wrote: Congrats to the mapmakers!
Namaste and Shive were so close, votede for both of them :/.
I did not vote for new Gettysburg because of the 2 islands in the middle were just too much, but Blizzard said that the map was already changed for the ladder and those bases are no longer islands. I would've voted for New Gettysburg too if I had know about that change, well deserved first place!
The new version we'll see in Proleague and probably on ladder:
In Proleague there was a graphic likening it to a mixture of Ulrena and Akilon Wastes.
That map actually looks quite good. Although it looks like Ulrena, it's a wider map, so the air rush distance isn't super short.
Second of all managing scouting RNG is a skill. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you get unlucky; a great player can leverage or mitigate that variance
part is kind of BS. Great players can make the best of any terribly designed thing in any game, and they do because they love the game overall, but that doesn't make it a good thing.
edit: sort of back on-topic: I am also sad that Shiva + Korhal didn't place. I also liked Paladino. Although maybe even more than those I would have liked to see more action on Dasan now that is has been revamped. Looks like it has potential.
EPT
Anesthesia Station is so boring *yawn*
![[image loading]](https://scontent.ftxl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13432138_485593521640347_1057225035226551674_n.jpg?oh=2802b4285f62b38ebaf2941e2474f74c&oe=580FAB88)
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