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v 0.8
By: Zolek
Published on: NA
Playable bounds: 142x134
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Ozi0l.jpg)
Angled Image
+ Show Spoiler +
Texture/Lighting Info
+ Show Spoiler +Doodad Count: 4045
Light: Customized Haven (Darker)
Water: Bel'shir
Analyzer Images
+ Show Spoiler +
12 Total bases
10 bases are 8 minerals 2 gas, 2 forward bases are 6 minerals 1 rich gas
- 47 second rush ramp to ramp
- Main to nat in 1 creep tumor
- FFE + Show Spoiler +
- Main base has a reaper ramp (hard to see in overview)
Old Versions+ Show Spoiler +
Analyzer overstates the openness a bit since doodads choke many edges (particularly by the 6th).
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This map suffers pretty nastily from circle syndrome. By the time you take a fourth base, you're almost guaranteed to have a map width longer or as long as the map length, making it pretty hard to hold on to more than 3 bases.
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V 0.5
-Map is now 142x134 to make defending easier.
Old: + Show Spoiler +
New: + Show Spoiler +
-6th base very slightly closer.
-Various reworks to make new size work (middle, doodads)
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This is a very interesting concept. In a way, I find the middle to be like a combination of Daybreak and Shakuras Plateau, and in my opinion, it's really awesome and was executed quite well!
There is still a slight amount of circle syndrome, enough to get noticed during games anyway. I think combined with the rocks at that expansion above the half base make it worse than it could be. Currently, if Zerg wants to get a fast third, they wind up expanding on the low ground expansion hugging the main. From there, the fourth would be in the opposite direction blocked by rocks. Zergs in general don't like destructible rocks, or expanding in the opposite direction of their previous base. I am not saying that this is imbalanced, because it isn't, I am just saying that it is the exact opposite of how a Zerg would normally expand. Interesting.
As for your attempt at a three option third concept, you might want to check out Guardian by Timetwister, which has the closest thing to a tri-option third on any starcraft 2 map that I am aware of. It's very different from this map though, so I don't know if it will help you a lot. Generally, rocks blocking one of the thirds will simply make it a two option third map instead of three, because not a lot of players will take down the rocks to get a third when there are two other options. I understand why the rocks are there though, and I am not sure if moving them to one of the ramps would have the same desired effect, but it might.
Anyway, I think to solve the circle syndrome issue on this map would be to make the sixth expansion further away from the expansion hugging the opponent's main. An alternative to that would be to remove the expansion hugging the main, but that would clearly ruin the map. If you have any other, better ideas I hope you implement them in the next version of Omen.
This is a very good map, keep it up and maybe TPW or ESV will pick you up^^
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322 Posts
I actually really like this map. I don't know what I like about it (which is strange, usually I can tell immediately) but I really like this map... and it's bothering me why I can't figure out why I like it. Will post sometime later in the week with more specifics.
Although I agree pushing the sixth back would help fix circle syndrome. Something like this maybe? That's personally what I would do, but that's me not you, so do whatever you want.
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Some sort of modification to the 6th to push it away from the against base 3rd on the other side is something I will definitely do for the next update.
The high ground 3rd clearly needs some kind of rocks to keep it from just being the best (its the farthest from the opponent and easiest to defend). If I move the rock to the close ramp so its more like the blue 3rd on Xel'naga do you think that would be more appealing?
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322 Posts
On January 23 2012 15:15 Zolek wrote:
The high ground 3rd clearly needs some kind of rocks to keep it from just being the best (its the farthest from the opponent and easiest to defend). If I move the rock to the close ramp so its more like the blue 3rd on Xel'naga do you think that would be more appealing?
I prefer rocks at the expansion over at the ramp, but that's personal opinion. I'd even more prefer rocks just blocking the minerals and stuff though... =D
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I prefer rocks. Period.
then again, im back-to-back dustin browder award winner for a reason 
I agree with Zolek tho.
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Yes, moving the rocks to the ramp from the base is a good idea in my opinion, and if it isn't, oh well, at least you tried it^^
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How does this look as far as pulling the 6th away from the opponent to make it easier to defend. The rocks at the back base are also moved to the ramp in this image. This actually makes them much harder to break for zerg due to poor surface area for zerglings so I'm not too sure about it.
+ Show Spoiler +
I also tried testbug style rocks (allowing base to be built but blocking the minerals) but I didn't really like them for a lot of reasons.
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Why not put the rocks over the gas geysers
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This looks really cool, would this be a map that could see real use? its got a great concept but it seems like for toss the 3rd would be so difficult to hold.
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322 Posts
My problem with the rocks at the ramp has to do with exactly what you said: surface area.
That third is the third that zerg really, really want. Essentially need as the other thirds are too close to the center and thereby shorten rush distance too much or have somewhat abusable high grounds nearby. Zerg is going to be the main user of that third (toss and terran will generally take the third inset into the main due to lower rush distance, kind of like how shakuras works). Therefore, I think rocks at the expand are better because zerglings can kill them faster. And I don't think being able to plant the expand before breaking the rocks is enough of an advantage to justify the lower surface area (imo).
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V 0.6
- 6th base much farther from opponent
- 3rd in front of main slightly farther from opponent and slightly more tucked behind the ramp.
- slimmed top and bottom terrain down a bit
- better reaper ramp design
- restarting doodads from scratch due to editor issue =(
I moved the rocks back off the ramp because it just made zerglings sooooooo bad at breaking them due to low surface area. The in front of base 3rd is a little more defendable now and is a reasonable choice for a fast zerg 3rd in my opinion. The combined change in distance between the in front of base 3rd and the 6th is pretty huge and should make defending a lot easier at high base counts. I'm not really happy with the Xel naga tower positions anymore if anyone has a good suggestion for where to put them
Because I greatly enjoy flipping back and forth between the images:
Old: + Show Spoiler +
New: + Show Spoiler +
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On January 27 2012 07:03 Zolek wrote:V 0.6 - 6th base much farther from opponent - 3rd in front of main slightly farther from opponent and slightly more tucked behind the ramp. - slimmed top and bottom terrain down a bit - better reaper ramp design - restarting doodads from scratch due to editor issue =( I moved the rocks back off the ramp because it just made zerglings sooooooo bad at breaking them due to low surface area. The in front of base 3rd is a little more defendable now and is a reasonable choice for a fast zerg 3rd in my opinion. The combined change in distance between the in front of base 3rd and the 6th is pretty huge and should make defending a lot easier at high base counts. I'm not really happy with the Xel naga tower positions anymore if anyone has a good suggestion for where to put them Because I greatly enjoy flipping back and forth between the images: Old: + Show Spoiler +New: + Show Spoiler +
You could move the towers slightly further north/south to be behind the groups of trees. This would also probably make the Expos by them slightly easier to attack into as your opponent may not be able to see it coming depending on where the Towers sight range ends. (Analyzer pics would be useful for this)
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Worked on this some more today and updated it to 0.7
- New, vastly improved, watch tower locations (more on this below)
- More doodad progress
- slight reshaping of some cliffs and minerals lines
- new line of sight blockers.
- 6th a bit more choked (doodads)
I like the new watch tower position much better than the old one. The new location means that breaking your opponents center rocks allows you to sneak by their watch tower in middle if you are careful. This creates an incentive for rock breaking in the middle. The watch tower can see that the rocks are broken but not anything walking through that space. They also now provide limited vision of the high ground side path, a careful player can sneak around but a careless one, or one taking the shorter path up the smaller ramp will be seen, which should help bring more focus to the middle as far as map control goes.
Probably going to start cliff, water, weather, etc doodads soon which should polish the look up quite a bit.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ZPtP5.jpg)
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