[Map] (2) Archaic

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iPlod

United States46 Posts

July 02 2010 17:30 GMT

Archaic v1.0

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Labeled Image:
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Red = mains
Brown = Destructible Rocks
Black = LOS Blockers
Yellow = Watchtowers
Blue = Thirds

High Quality Image

I created this map for the Map Challenge (post is here) so most of it was based around the requirements outlined in that thread. Please don't hold back with the criticism!

Closer Images:
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The Main:
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Good size main base with LOS blockers to allow for drop/warp in/nydus play.

The Natural:
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Both the ramp into the main, as well as the natural choke can be walled off. Cliffs behind the minerals are large enough for drop play, as well as facilitating air harrass.

Cliff outside of Natural:
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This is what I hope will be the center point of the map. The thread required that the third and fourth bases be "hard-to-control," and I hope this cliff structure has done it. It provides protection to the third base while you control it, but through ramp placement and unpathable LOS blockers, leaves your army unable to protect your natural. Without something to see over the LOS blockers, you cannot truly threaten the natural from this point.

Third Base:
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The third base is placed distant from the natural expansions of the map.

Island Expansion:
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The island is placed near the gold expansion, and a cliff covered in trees prevents and fighting between ground forces on the two.

Gold Expansion:
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A low ground expansion on the path between the two natural chokes. It's proximity to the cliff makes it difficult to hold.

Semi-Island Expantion:
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Required the destruction of rocks in order to access, this expantion in the middle of the map can help give control over the right side of the map.

Analyzer Images:
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Map Specifics:

Bel'Shir Template
2 players (10 v 8)
Wallable main as well as natural
Island expansion with destructable rocks to prevent CC-float
Gold expansion with destructible rocks in middle of map
LOS blockers on cliffs outside of natural
Distant but defendable third
LOS blockers in main for drop play
Two paths down center of map

My biggest concern for this map is its balance. So please, any issues that anyone has, please voice them. (Heck, even if its something aesthetic, but that isn't so much of a problem.)

Hcti

Australia13 Posts

July 02 2010 17:43 GMT

I like the idea, but a third seems to hard to take and keep, and with that cliff sitting outside the natural it looks like you could be easily contained. I wouldn't write them off as unbalanced though , I'd just like to see how some games played. Good job

Phayze

Canada2029 Posts

July 02 2010 17:45 GMT

Have the third have two ramps, have one facing the mains and keep the one thats already there where its at. Two ramps would make it a little more defendable (it's quite out of the way) while still making it just as easy to attack.

psion

106 Posts

July 02 2010 18:00 GMT

Not sure how I feel about those two lanes. They're so long that you really have to dedicate to pushing down one, and hope that there won't be any run arounds. I feel that with the size of the map, there really should be at least a small bridge across that chasm.

Antares777

United States1971 Posts

July 02 2010 18:48 GMT

This is a really cool map! It just needs a little changes.

backdoor: the mains do not have a backdoor, which I had as one of the requirements for the maps in the challenge. I suggest connecting the mains to the gold expansions with destructible rocks. The island should not have DRs. DRs make taking island expansions not worth it at all. The only place where u actually need DRs is at the gold so that terran does not lift there right away. It's fine to allow terran to lift to island right away (don't know why a terran would do that though) or later on in the game. It just costs them because island expansions have one less crystal patches than normal expansions (7 instead of 8). The cliffs behind the naturals do not appear to be large enough for a drop/cliffwalk. That's because of it's size and the boundary of the map. Maybe tweak those a little. The watchtowers look exposed - maybe put some line of sight blockers around them or elevate the ground that they are on.

I do not see the point of controlling the high ground places in between the naturals and the third bases. The chokes to those third bases need to be made larger to stress how hard it should be to control any number of bases over 2. Adding a contested fourth base and a contested gold expansion really influence taking control of the island and getting a resource advantage over you opponent.

I like this map! Nice job!

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