Morrow's Custom Map Event#1

[Q]: Hello Strelok. What do u think about Blizzard maps when it comes to balance and gameplay?

[A]: Blizzard maps are different and almost every map favours some race. I think that blizzard is not professional in maps making. I think there have to be professionals to make awsome maps like in Korea.

[Q]: Agree, the koreans and KeSPA made a great job on the maps in Starcraft 1. So what do u think about the brand new 4 player-jungle-map Argutaris? This was the first time you saw the map and played it so you didn't have a lot of preparation.

[S]: During first 2 games I didn't find any difference. Well the only difference was that I didn't know that map. But during 3rd game I have found it awesomeness. This map is big. and it gives you huge chance to macro, so you can play some really amazing games on this map.

[Q]: I saw neither one of you destroyed the rocks to the 3rd base. Were you aware of the rocks? I know it's very difficult to learn a map in only 3 games.

[S]: I didn't know about rocks there.


[MorroW]: I will try to give my testers more information about the maps in the future but I think you and HayprO did a good job adapting to this new map. Anyhow thanks alot for joining in on the show and on the fun and I wish u good luck in ESL that you will play in about an hour or 2.

[Strelok]: Thanks you for making such a beautiful map. It was really fun to play there.

[Q]: Hello Hayder, what do u think about the current Blizzard map pool and the balance of those maps? And let's check also gameplay-wise, are they interesting?

[HayprO]: Hi, so in general the maps are alright, they offer different tactics and units choices.
However I feel that for example Kulas Ravine isn't a very fun map to play in and neither is Desert Oasis.
I used to think that some maps favor some races but lately I've changed my mind. Right now it feels like the maps don't play a big role because we've played them alot and we can adapt. If there is any imbalance it's the races themselves.

[Q]: Alright, so today you played a few ZvT games and some ZvP, so lets start out with the TvZ's.
You played on new 4 player-jungle-map Argutaris against Strelok, what do u think about the map? I know it was your first games ever on the map and first time you saw it.

[H]: I think it's a really cool map, I liked the extra gold minerals in the natural and that you had to destroy the rocks to be able to use it.

[Q]: Could you imagine the other matchup's work out well on that map or do you need for example play a few ZvZ's to get a feel of it?
As you said earlier the maps themsleves don't play a big role in the balance. Only 1 ZvP on it maybe was not enough to get a good grasp, or what do u think, HayprO?

[H]: Well I think that ZvZ would be nice, offering different strats depending on opponents starting position if it's far away or close.
When it comes to ZvP I feel that the map is open and big and might help dealing with the Protoss army.

[Q]: Great insight here thats why I take you as toss and zerg in so I can learn more about the ZvP because after all I do only play terran^^ So let's move to the White-Ra series.
We were close to the ESL go4sc2 cup and only had time for 2 games I believe, anyway we switched map to Black Rainbow - a 3 player map, after the first game.
So what do u think about Black Rainbow and 3 player maps designed for 1vs1 in general? As we saw it in sc1, maps like Tau Cross and Longinus became quite popular.

[H]: It's a nice map but I dont like the tileset, it becomes harder to see ur units on lava maps. Other than that I didnt really like that the protoss can make just 1 cannon and defend both his backdoor and his natural exp entrance. Protoss players can expand super easy in that way.

[MorroW]: You can actually only block the natural exp and main base backdoor on that position.
I noticed that while observing and didn't think about it was possible to do that in ZvP, but I will ofcourse do my best to update and make map as positonally balanced as possible, it can be quite hard with 3 player maps.
Anyway the lava tileset can indeed be hard to see at and it will probably need some games to start getting the hawk eye going ingame.
If it turns out to be major issue to visualize it and make Gameplay harder I will ofcourse work on it, and solve it because after all gameplay is more important than decoration.
Anyhow thanks alot for contributing some gg's to this event and also this interview, and I wish you best of luck in these intense tournaments before beta closes

[HayprO]: Thanks, bye