I number of people have contested that this map is either balanced or favors Zerg. My goal in this post was never to assert that it does not favor Zerg, only why it does not favor Zerg. I consider it a Fact that this map is bad for Zerg.
If you would like to contest this point you will have to explain why Zerg are losing on Metal. According to TLPD:
- Zerg beat Terran 38% of the time (p<0.0003)
- Zerg beat Protoss 34.5% of the time (p<0.0002)
If you'd like to make a statistical argument I have included the p values. Its worth noting that a p value of < .05 is considered scientifically accurate by most journals; these values being MUCH lower indicate a high level of certainty that this map is not fair for Zerg.
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I was discussing with some co-workers why I thought that Metalopolis was imbalanced as a Zerg player. It started off rather innocuous until I realized we both thought it was imbalanced in opposite directions. It was at this Point I decided to quote IdrA
1/3 chance of auto-win, 2/3 chance of auto-lose
Now instead of getting the response I wanted, the reply was dismissive and general denigration of IdrA as a player. I realize a number of people think that there is no Special bone in IdrA's body which gives him insight Into Starcraft that us normal folk don't have, but the one thing he does have is Perspective. He plays a lot more games than we do and against much more equal players; by comparison my experience tends to be easy wins or getting ground Into the dust.
Regardless, I think Idra is right: Metalopolis is not as Zerg favored a map as people tend to believe it to be.
However, this is a bold assertion so I'm going to try and back it up here by describing the features of the map which favor (or harm) Zerg to make a more compelling argument. My goal here is to provide an in depth analysis of Metalopolis from a Zerg vs Non-Zerg perspective. While you may disagree, I still think its important to codify the salient features in this post. Additionally, I'm going to break it down by Spawn location to help understand the implications of IdrA's statement. While I cannot speak for the player I hope to portray why I believe he is correct.
Metalopolis
Cross Positions
In a discussion of why Metalopolis is a bad map for Zerg I think its best to begin with why it is a good map for Zerg. By identifying these features and how they change I think we can provide better insight Into what changes from position to position. Cross Positions on Metalopolis is a very Nice set up for your Macro Zerg player the design of the map allows you to expand very easily with little fear of reprisal. As Zerg is a race which can easily expand and establish an economy quickly, many Zerg feel comfortable on Metaloplis for these reasons:
- Long Rush Distance
- Long Drop Distance
- Close, Open Naturals
- Few Defensive Cliffs
It takes a Marine 52 in Game seconds to travel from the top of one ramp to the bottom of the opposing ramp with cross positions. Given that many maps have Rush distances in the 30-40 second range this is extremely long. This gives a Zerg player a lot of time to respond to an assault. Additionally, the Xel'Naga towers are placed nicely so that you can see attacks coming down either corridor very early on. Given that many Zerg players favor earlier expansions over later ones, this is a very huge boon to the average Zerg.
In addition to having a very long Rush distance, a Terran player who wishes to hide a drop from the Zerg has an even longer distance that their Medivacs must travel. This makes Drops easier to see coming and more easy to respond to.
While an open Natural may not seem like an advantage for a race which likes to expand, Xel'Naga Caverns proved very early on that a close open Natural was not Only dependable for a Zerg, but Actually easier to aTtacK as a Zerg. While Terran my rely on Hellions for this assualt (Protoss has no Really good unit for this, as DTs don't need open Naturals), Zerg can utilize a much cheaper, earlier unit, the Zergling. In fact, even Roaches (burrowed or otherwise) have been shown to be effective as an aggressive unit here. An open Natural is a weakness, but it is also an opening. Given that Zerg players often have a hard time finding a good time to aTtacK its a worthwhile trade off. Additionally, the close main means that Naturals can be more easily reinforced and connected to the Main via Creep.
Defensive (and even Aggressive) cliffs are the bane of many a Zerg. Given that most of Zerg ground units are fairly close range (Hydra being the notable exception) a cliff provides an asynchronous advantage to Non-Zergs in the XvZ match up. Fortunately, cross positions provide for easier routes to aTtacK your opponent from a Side where they do not have the high ground advantage. Especially vulnerable are the Natural and 3rd, both of which don't benefit from the Nice cliff protection at the main. Additionally, since the Zerg is most vulnerable along this same route it is less likely that you'll have to deal with abusive Blink Stalkers.
All in all, its not hard to see from the points laid out here why a player like IdrA might think of Cross Positions as a "auto-win."
Close Ground
Unlike cross positions, Close Ground positions provide a much less stable platform for the average Zerg player. With poor options to expand, a shorter aTtacK route and few options to aTtacK; the close ground positions on Metalopolis Start to look more like Steps of War than a Zerg favored map.
- No easy 3rd Expansion
- Short Rush/aTtacK Distance
- Few openings against Defensive T/P
Ideally a Zerg player wants to expand away from his opponent, this allows him to keep his defenses largely between his opponent and himself without increasing the ground he needs to cover. Close Ground positions on Meta does pretty much the opposite of that. Instead of being able to safely take a third base, the Zerg player would be forced to move his defenses forward before expanding (rather than after). In addition to forcing him to cover more ground, this forward movement puts that third expansion easily in range of a 2 base Protoss/Terran forcing the Zerg player to constantly defend it.
Alternatively, the Zerg might choose an expansion at the Close Air position Spawn Point. While this is less vulnerable than taking a third right next to the opponents Natural, it has an extremely long defensive distance making it very hard to hold against any sort of harassment play (just imagine trying to get a Roach/Hydra ball over there while Blue Flame Hellions are eating your Drones...)
The Rush distance is much short, approximately 32 in Game seconds. This does give you enough time to build Zerglings if you see an incoming Rush, but little time for anything else (by comparison Cross Positions gave you time to build two waves of Zerglings). Early rushes, or 6 minute timing attacks are very dangerous for the Zerg player as he barely has enough time to respond. While you aren't easily susceptible to drops, you do still have to worry about them at any far 3rd base or 4th.
Finally, there are very few openings for a Zerg player to mount an offensive. Given that many Zerg players have trouble mounting any sort of attack against Terran, the lack of avenues of assault is very painful. What's worse, is that these positions allow Protoss players to keep their army well clumped up in defensive formation, and Actually move out to take a third while pushing the Zerg player backwards.
In all, Close Ground positions suffers from many of the same problems as maps like Jungle Basin and Steps of War. Hardly a Zerg favored map.
Close Air
Close Air positions is possibly the worst possible formation for this match up. I believe my personal record in this configuration is under 20% against non-Zerg opponents. It is a configuration that is fraught with danger. While a 42 second Rush distances and Easy Expansions may sound tempting for a Zerg it comes at the price of extreme Vulnerability and No Avenues of Attack. I think this configuration is one of the reasons why many people mistakenly assume Metalopolis is a Zerg favored map.
- Easy Third expansion
- Well Defended Natural
- Vulnerable to Drops
- Defensive Cliffs
As I mentioned earlier this configuration is ideal for then Expanding Zerg. He is able to place down a number of expansions away from his opponent, allowing him to concentrate his defenses in a single location with relatively little fear of those expansions being vulnerable to drops. Its not hard to see why people see this and think: Zerg Favored.
At the same time a easy to defend expansion cuts both ways. Given the attack route its much harder (though not impossible) to launch an assault against an opponent's natural. What's more, this configuration makes it much easier for a Protoss or Terran to move quickly to defend their third. While Zerglings (and Muta) are very fast units, the assault directions cause you to go the long away around the map giving your opponent much more time to respond.
The price for Safe Expansions is a Vulnerable Main. Given the extremely short air distance its easy for a Terran (or even Protoss) opponent to organize quick drops into your Main. This is especially frustrating if you are against a Terran opponent who goes early Vikings, forcing your scouts (Overlords) away from his drop avenue. The result is that often times you defeat a direct assault on your natural, only to find that he has gutted your Main. While you can mitigate some of this by moving your higher tech to your Natural, it is never a good thing to lose a fully saturated base, especially not your Main.
I think the thing that I hate the most about this map is the way Terran and Protoss opponents can abuse those cliffs. As a Zerg I am often forced into creating a lot of Zergling/Roach early on. These are units with little to no range. By comparison my opponents frequently have Marines and Stalkers. As a result I usually find I am incapable of making an assault on the direct route between our bases. Because he is able to use those cliff, my army often finds itself severely weakened before arriving. As a result I am force to either go the long way around the map (leaving me vulnerable to assault) or invest heavily in Air Units (and Drops which are less effective for Zerg given the number of units they have to move around).
Neither of these things are ideal, but perhaps the worst insult is my opponents ability to use my own cliff against me. If he's running Medivacs or Blink Stalkers or, god forbid, Colossus. He is able to abuse my own cliff against me. Once again my Main base is completely vulnerable, and now I have to deal with a defensive distance that is greater than his assault distance. Ping ponging back and forth between my natural and my main, my units are easily caught out of position.
As a Zerg player, I find close positions to be both frustrating and annoying. While expansions come easy, I have no opportunity to attack and I feel like I have to invest heavily in defenses. It is less than ideal.
Conclusion
Whether or not you agree with the things I've said here or the conclusions I've drawn from them, I've tried to provide a good analysis of this map. While I don't think its as bad as Kulas Ravine or Desert Oasis I do feel like the map is fundamentally broken in some ways. But you don't have to take my word for it look on TLPD and look at the 62% TvZ win rate, or the 34.5% ZvP win rate (very close to 1/3...), or at the Code A tiebreaker matches on Metalopolis. It seems fairly straight forward: This is Not a good map for Zerg
edit: spelling...