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ENGINES OF WAR v1.1.1
published on NA as "Engines of War"
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/UebGH.jpg)
Under the guidance of the great Emperor, the construction of armaments has transcended science to become an art.
+ Show Spoiler [overview] +
+ Show Spoiler [analyzer summary] +
+ Show Spoiler [old versions] +v 1.0 ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/pJI2m.jpg)
+ Show Spoiler [beauty shots] +
STATS
dimensions (playable) = 132x122
rush distance (analyzer main2main) = 151
rush distance (analyzer nat2nat) = 116
spawns = 2
rocks = 4
towers = 2
bases (blue) = 10
bases (gold) = 2
Tileset = Valhalla
FEATURES
As you may have noticed, this is a Steppes of War remake.
I tried to fix the issues with the original map by doing a couple of things:
-increased rush distance
-safer natural (original steppes of war nats could be hit by tanks on the low ground)
-added an extra base for an easier third
-more attack paths through the map
CONCERNS
Gold base? I only have the gold base because steppes of war had a gold, I might remove it or change it to a normal base (or maybe even a half base)
rush distances? might be still too small nat2nat maybe.
Openness? though not as open as the analyzer summary may suggest (due to the small size of the map) the middle of the map is basically a large open field.
probably alot of other things, expert player or mapper I am not.
FEEDBACK, COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
please post your feedback, comments and suggestions to help me improve this map!
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Seems like a nice map, but the lowgrounds behind naturals seem pathable and that might cause confusion.
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On December 18 2011 02:27 Sea_Food wrote:
Seems like a nice map, but the lowgrounds behind naturals seem pathable and that might cause confusion.
yeah, I should have mentioned that. Those areas will eventually have doodads on them, so it will be clear that they are not pathable.
Also, i've misspelled the thread title  ... Could a mod change it to "Engines of War" please? thanks Barrin!
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could you upload a high res version please 
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This is a nice design, but it's been done to death already. You can look at three fourths of the map threads here and they'll all have a similar design. Try spicing things up by bringing bases away from the edges of the map and putting in less typical walking paths. I would consider this a solid rough draft for something more interesting.
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The mains are enormous
38CCs according to the analyzer, which is on the large end of what seems to be considered standard from what I can tell. The mains didn't seem too huge from the games that I played vs AI on it, unless I am missing something...
could you upload a high res version please
here you go!: http://i.imgur.com/zjkdU.jpg
This is a nice design, but it's been done to death already. You can look at three fourths of the map threads here and they'll all have a similar design. Try spicing things up by bringing bases away from the edges of the map and putting in less typical walking paths. I would consider this a solid rough draft for something more interesting.
I usually like to try to make expansions away from the map edges, but this map is so small (about the same dimensions as steppes of war) that putting bases near the center would not leave much space for anything else really.
I agree that this map has a very plain expansion pattern, I tried to bring in a couple of interesting map features...
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This map suffers from blobs on a plain. It's literally a bunch of expansions stapled to the edges of an open field with some holes. Movement is so uninhibited it removes any sort of compartmentalization. Army positioning consists only of anticipating an imminent engagement, never securing territory (because it's impossible--meaningless).
I'm trying to be forthright, not hypercritical; I hope that's coming through.
The two bases nestled at the XWT... that has an interesting flow. But in the late game there will be little reason not to just take both. Mostly, I dislike that. Part of me is into it and is trying to figure out if it might make for a cool game where both players nearly exhaust themselves in a huge 3base war with expo denies, and then both get double expansions for a cagey 2base lategame. Or something. But it just seems like a win more kind of feature.
The lack of central towers really helps enlarge the map though, and makes every inch of central terrain relevant, so that's good. However it feels almost pointless to try and observe enemy movements unless you're just trying to be warned of a timing push (as opposed to two players looking for an opening). Their army can just disappear and show up elsewhere so easily because there are hardly any long barriers.
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I am not too sure how balanced this map is. Terrans have an easy gold, Zerg can go crazy expanding and covering their half of the map in creep but Protoss will have a hard time, especially considering the relatively wide open natural. I think you should make a single ramp to the natural, that would even things out a bit.
Btw, can you place tanks on these coloumns infront of the main`?
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EatThePath:
This map suffers from blobs on a plain. It's literally a bunch of expansions stapled to the edges of an open field with some holes. Movement is so uninhibited it removes any sort of compartmentalization. Army positioning consists only of anticipating an imminent engagement, never securing territory (because it's impossible--meaningless).
I'm trying to be forthright, not hypercritical; I hope that's coming through.
The two bases nestled at the XWT... that has an interesting flow. But in the late game there will be little reason not to just take both. Mostly, I dislike that. Part of me is into it and is trying to figure out if it might make for a cool game where both players nearly exhaust themselves in a huge 3base war with expo denies, and then both get double expansions for a cagey 2base lategame. Or something. But it just seems like a win more kind of feature.
The lack of central towers really helps enlarge the map though, and makes every inch of central terrain relevant, so that's good. However it feels almost pointless to try and observe enemy movements unless you're just trying to be warned of a timing push (as opposed to two players looking for an opening). Their army can just disappear and show up elsewhere so easily because there are hardly any long barriers
Thanks for the feedback, criticism is good. I definitely see what you mean.
Aunvilgod:
I am not too sure how balanced this map is. Terrans have an easy gold, Zerg can go crazy expanding and covering their half of the map in creep but Protoss will have a hard time, especially considering the relatively wide open natural. I think you should make a single ramp to the natural, that would even things out a bit.
Btw, can you place tanks on these coloumns infront of the main`?
I've been worried about protoss on this map, I'll try to make it a bit easier for them.
the small high ground pods in front of the natural are pathable, the lowground areas are not.
OK so here is a new version where I've tried to fix some of the problems. explaination below
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/I7dlM.jpg)
+ Show Spoiler [analyzer summary] +
A - changed the geometry of the watchtower and los in this choke, to make the gold more vulnerable if taken from the clockwise direction, to make it a bit harder for one player to take both double bases at once
B - removed ramp from double base to third and reduced the other choke to a tiny size(this doesn't show in the analyzer summary). this is both to help players (especially P) defend a bit better as the attacker will have to go around the long way when flanking if they don't want to be massacred in the tiny choke; as well as stop Zerg from expanding quite as fast into the double base area.
C - increased chokiness in center of map - should help P a little and introduce a bit more definition into the central terrain.
D -the rocks here should increase the defensiveness of the lowground expo in the early game by forcing attackers to go around to flank.
E - added doodads to unpathable lowgrounds to clearly indicate that they are unpathable.
please tell me what you think!
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i was going to say, i think the 3rd's should have the destructible debris/rocks on the other ramp, and the nat is so wide open toss is fucked if they want to FFE
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/waKf6.jpg)
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![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/weaz2.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/hQush.jpg)
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