EPTThis is now live on NA. Please PM me or email to my gmail address with this handle if you find any bugs. Thanks!
+ Show Spoiler [old] +
Hypnosis Bridge v.0.98
Sorry about the "misleading" title, but while I might tweak one or two things this is pretty much done. It will be published soon.
Sorry about the "misleading" title, but while I might tweak one or two things this is pretty much done. It will be published soon.
This map is dedicated to TehTemplar and G_Wen. TehTemplar came up with the name ( http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=10868685 ) and G_Wen made me realize that I wanted to try my experimental land formation with only four possible routes instead of eight ( http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=10881356 ), though I must say I still prefer the single reversal of curvature at the middle.
I paused my other map ( http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=255017 ) which is still a work in progress to make this before someone swooped in to steal the name before I did. I dare say I will probably publish this one first.
Creation Details:
+ Show Spoiler +
While I hadn't originally intended to use the octagonal, spiral, super-ramp of death again, the combination of the comments from the gentlemen mentioned above sparked my creative nerve. I decided that I should make this map and fast. I have to apologize that the hypnotic effect isn't nearly as strong on this map, but I tried. 
I had already been playing with a number of other map concepts in head since the last batch had been set in binary in the aforementioned work in progress. While I certainly fit quite a few into that map, I couldn't do all of them at once. So this map also features the next bunch of ideas I hope can help create a spark for the pro mappers out there.
One thing I really wanted to do was create a main that had more than the standard ramp or even ramp plus back door. Unlike the WIP, I did want to keep it to under eight potential enterances. However, I also didn't want to make it impossible to defend early rushes. So while I did utilize three of my old friends (distance, rocks, and mineral blocks) from the WIP, I also utilize a new device: CRAMMING my old friends into a really small space! All three land paths into the main base are right next to each other and in immediate view of the spawn location inside the main. While these can help to keep out the early rush, I'm quite sure clever cheese will be rewarded since there are still three chokes to defend.
An overarching concept I wanted to bring with this map is a balance between clockwise and counter-clockwise expanasion. I'll let the pros judge, but I think I pulled it off fairly well. The way I think I achieved this was through a combination of some of the elements I was trying. First, as mentioned, the ability to move out of the base in three different ways, each having potential to expand in a different way. Second, extreme usage of terrain height -- I mean, I go nuts here, amirite? And third, and sort of partly a byproduct of the last aspect, separate subsections of the map. What I mean by this is that there is a sort of sectioning off of the outer ring, middle ring, and inner ring. The inner ring is the Hypnosis Bridge itself. The middle ring is the area that is low ground where the naturals are. And the outer ring are where all those crazy expasions are.
One of the less "to build a perfect map" and more "to try something crazy and new" was the sight into the main from the Xel'Naga tower. This sight is just good enough for things like warping in or nydusing, but not for any meaningful siege. There is only a tiny portion of the main that it gives vision to and the place where it gives vision you might as well have had an overlord or hallucination or floating building there, so I don't think it really breaks the "never have a tower see into the main" rule... too much...
The last thing that I was trying, and this was more off the cuff than something I was thinking about, was the bridges outside the nose of the main. These started out as simple doodads until I realized they had no pathing. After finding minimal helpful advice ( http://www.thehelper.net/forums/showthread.php/154402-Bridge-problems-with-a-doodad / http://www.sc2mod.com/board/index.php?page=Thread&postID=2038 ) I just decided to go with the advice I found somewhere on team liquid which was "put land under it"! So yeah, they not real bridges.. they only sit about .02 whatever units of measure above the ground to minimize the graphic distortion, but I couldn't bring myself to try to figure out how to make a 45* bridge with only the sc2mod guy's tutorial... plus I didn't really want to deal with step 12 after so much love went into the map as it was.
So anyway, about the "bridge" itself: it is unbuildable and blocks creep. 'nuff said.
Oh and one last thing, the wavy interlock of the outer and middle rings was somewhat by chance, but I think it works in favor of the map name.
I had already been playing with a number of other map concepts in head since the last batch had been set in binary in the aforementioned work in progress. While I certainly fit quite a few into that map, I couldn't do all of them at once. So this map also features the next bunch of ideas I hope can help create a spark for the pro mappers out there.
One thing I really wanted to do was create a main that had more than the standard ramp or even ramp plus back door. Unlike the WIP, I did want to keep it to under eight potential enterances. However, I also didn't want to make it impossible to defend early rushes. So while I did utilize three of my old friends (distance, rocks, and mineral blocks) from the WIP, I also utilize a new device: CRAMMING my old friends into a really small space! All three land paths into the main base are right next to each other and in immediate view of the spawn location inside the main. While these can help to keep out the early rush, I'm quite sure clever cheese will be rewarded since there are still three chokes to defend.
An overarching concept I wanted to bring with this map is a balance between clockwise and counter-clockwise expanasion. I'll let the pros judge, but I think I pulled it off fairly well. The way I think I achieved this was through a combination of some of the elements I was trying. First, as mentioned, the ability to move out of the base in three different ways, each having potential to expand in a different way. Second, extreme usage of terrain height -- I mean, I go nuts here, amirite? And third, and sort of partly a byproduct of the last aspect, separate subsections of the map. What I mean by this is that there is a sort of sectioning off of the outer ring, middle ring, and inner ring. The inner ring is the Hypnosis Bridge itself. The middle ring is the area that is low ground where the naturals are. And the outer ring are where all those crazy expasions are.
One of the less "to build a perfect map" and more "to try something crazy and new" was the sight into the main from the Xel'Naga tower. This sight is just good enough for things like warping in or nydusing, but not for any meaningful siege. There is only a tiny portion of the main that it gives vision to and the place where it gives vision you might as well have had an overlord or hallucination or floating building there, so I don't think it really breaks the "never have a tower see into the main" rule... too much...
The last thing that I was trying, and this was more off the cuff than something I was thinking about, was the bridges outside the nose of the main. These started out as simple doodads until I realized they had no pathing. After finding minimal helpful advice ( http://www.thehelper.net/forums/showthread.php/154402-Bridge-problems-with-a-doodad / http://www.sc2mod.com/board/index.php?page=Thread&postID=2038 ) I just decided to go with the advice I found somewhere on team liquid which was "put land under it"! So yeah, they not real bridges.. they only sit about .02 whatever units of measure above the ground to minimize the graphic distortion, but I couldn't bring myself to try to figure out how to make a 45* bridge with only the sc2mod guy's tutorial... plus I didn't really want to deal with step 12 after so much love went into the map as it was.
So anyway, about the "bridge" itself: it is unbuildable and blocks creep. 'nuff said.
Oh and one last thing, the wavy interlock of the outer and middle rings was somewhat by chance, but I think it works in favor of the map name.
Map Pics:
+ Show Spoiler +
Overview
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/50Wuh.jpg)
Analyzer
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A quick note, there are three sets of analyzer pics each showing how far a particular route takes if it were open. To do this I had to modify the map for the latter two shots in the bunch, so consider the first shot the "main route". I just picked one set of close & cross positions to look at because all of the numbers are pretty much the same.
Bases
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/UB7Hqh.jpg)
+ Show Spoiler [2-5 mains] +
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/1tNjxh.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/DWLsCh.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/KwUIUh.jpg)
+ Show Spoiler [2-5 nats] +
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/s2hleh.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/XfIyGh.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VUd2hh.jpg)
+ Show Spoiler [2-8 mains] +
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/lQYt0h.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/qDChph.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/1dKL1h.jpg)
+ Show Spoiler [2-8 nats] +
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/9EQPrh.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/jvwD3h.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/GRDMkh.jpg)
Summary
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/HFY0Ch.jpg)
Map Specifications:
- Size -- 180x180 playable (208x208 full)
- # Players -- 4
- Main Locations -- Inside 2 / Inside 5 / Inside 8 / Inside 11
- # Bases -- 28
- 20x 8min, 2gas {all except...} (standard min/gas amount)
- 4x 6min 1rich gas {back corner} (standard min/gas count)
- 4x 6rich min 2rich gas {on Teh bridge} (standard min/gas count)
- 4x non-"base" 3min {blocking main ramp} (50 min)
- 20x 8min, 2gas {all except...} (standard min/gas amount)
- # Xel'Naga Watchtowers -- 8 (may change, may just adjust positioning slightly, we will see...)
- Line of Sight Blockers -- 8
- Nose of main
- "Reaper hole" near mineral blocked main ramp
- Nose of main
- Destructible Rocks -- 4 (covering high ground path at main)
- Unpathable terrain -- 4 -- unbuildable/uncreepable bridges
Change Log:
OP -- version 0.98 posted
Edit1 -- version 1.2 published to NA, minor edits (middle ramps slightly wider, high ground Xel'Naga towers moved to other side of little ravine, some glitched resources fixed -- this jumped to 1.2 because I published private to test with some peeps and made fixes in between)
Final comments:
You will have to please excuse the poor texture job, I'm really just much more interested in the mechanics so the textures are really just an after thought too me. I tried to make it look at least somewhat put together and not like I just awoke it from last night's rave, but I make no promises.
Again you will notice that my Broodwar roots are not waning as it is another square map. Probably 90% of my maps will be.
Finally, and again, I'm not really interested in this becoming the next best map in X, Y, and Z tournaments. My maps are meant to be a point of discussion and hopefully inspiration. If there are tournament worthy qualities, I'd be interested in hearing what they are, especially the ones that I think are "original". I would also like to know what wouldn't work that has been put into the map (other than the fact that it is big... oh and it is big!), but please frame it as a point of discussion and not "o h u D u s t i n B r o w d e r ! u m a p e z f a i l !" because that is just not helpful in any way.
+ Show Spoiler [PS for mod] +
The images aren't rendering properly again -- I uploaded analyzer shots to igmur in advance and copied links, but the overview shot I uploaded through TL and is showing right. Is that the only way to get it to render correctly? PM me with your mystic knowledge. 
), warp and multi-pronged attacks are the way to go, and abuse the fact that there are at least three "main" paths between each base. It is certainly not going to lend itself to the fastest games, though I do think there are some cheeses that could still work.
