EPT![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/MSXGj.jpg)
Map is live on NA as well as EU thanks to
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/Picon_small.png)
Ventez.Gametype: 1v1
Tileset: Xil (Wasteland)
Map size: 168x124
Map images
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Overview![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/daVVv.jpg)
Full size
Close-ups
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Map analyzer images
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Full size
Close-ups
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Northeast beach
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/dhnt0.jpg)
Side paths
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/AQHAd.jpg)
Center
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/jOpvJ.jpg)
Xel'Naga Tower path
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/V1MkV.jpg)
Main/natural
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/IgCel.jpg)
Side paths
Center
Xel'Naga Tower path
Main/natural
Map analyzer images
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Summary
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/gyUDk.jpg)
Rush distance
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/dltmn.jpg)
Rush distance
Summary
Rising Tides was born from my first memorable RTS experience, the level Riders of the Storm in the WarCraft III demo. Shipwrecked by a deadly storm, the orc army is stranded at the end of a mysterious island, and soon you discover that your oppressors, the humans, have an outpost nearby. Under siege by the humans and with no way off the island, you are forced to fight for dominance. Even though I was just fighting the computer, I've remembered this level over the years as my first epic 1v1 experience because it introduced me to the kill or be killed RTS mentality.
Thus I sat down with the galaxy editor and attempted to make a map in the shape of a long island with starting locations at either end. Examining the final version, my primary technical goal was to make the map large to promote long macro-style games. While much larger than the average Blizzard SC2 map, it is a little smaller than many of the Brood War maps I looked at for inspiration. As a benchmark, it is significantly longer than Lost Temple while slightly shorter in height.
My secondary technical goal was to make a variety of interesting attack paths, forging an equilibrium between width and directness. The safest (widest) attack path for large armies follows an S from your natural, down around your gold expansion, up through the center, down around your opponent's gold expansion, and finally up the ramp to your opponent's natural. Direct pushes from natural to natural are possible, but tactically more difficult. Somebody who controls the center high ground trying to attack his opponent's natural directly would have to risk funneling his army down a thin ramp. Conversely, some of the thinner attack paths would be very effective for smaller strike forces, like several groups of speedlings being sent to harass multiple expansions. See my expansions pattern analysis for more implications of the attack paths.
Those of you who remember my beta post know that I've been working on this map since early May. The endless changes I've made since then are not unlike the evolution of the zerg race with my friend Ventez playing the roll of the Overmind, ever striking down weak features of the map and helping me forge the final metamorphosis, which I present now. I would ask that you limit your feedback to replays, general praise, and intense flaming, while withholding changes you would make to the map.
Expansion patterns analysis
Assuming macro games centered around the wide S-shaped attack path described above, the standard expansion pattern would be to divide the island between the north and the south. This would allow players to comfortably defend their 3rd, 4th, and 5th expansions with a large army presence at a location near the Xel'Naga towers. I marked the following picture with the attack paths most relevant to this model and circled key defensive locations.
Standard north-south division
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![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/z0Syk.jpg)
Yet a feature central to many strong maps is the option of a variety of expansion patterns, especially the choice of a 3rd base. In order to make this choice less obvious, I attempted to build in a weakness to what I referred to as the standard expansion pattern, namely a weakened flank of the main base. Examining the east main, for example, one might be worried about the vulnerability of the main's west edge to things like reapers, colossus, drops, and, especially considering the long cliff off the tail end of the main, nonsense like this. In the following picture, the yellow terran has increased his army presence along the flank of his main by taking a different 3rd.
An alternate expansion pattern, west-south division
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![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/ev75k.jpg)
Note the changes in the main attack paths as well as shifts in key defensive locations. It is my hope that the layout of the map forces the necessity of different strategies like this, in order to promote a variety of dynamic matches.
Conclusion
Over time Blizzard will shift focus to newer games and will likely spend less time releasing new maps. It may well fall to us, the community, to continue refreshing the map pool. If you don't think my map is good enough to be a part of that, please at least support the iCCup map pool. These guys do some really great work with maps and are helping to build the infrastructure for long-lasting e-Sports in a big way.
Apologies for the extended presentation, I worked a long time on this map and I had a lot to say about it. I'll close by reminding you to please post your replays or email them to me at harryspanner@hotmail.com. And please, any tournament organizers interested in using my map, go right ahead.
